"Everyone" is buying Tesla Model 3s

[PeteinSQ]

I'm starting to think that the share price of Tesla is justified. I live in a not particularly ritzy part of Yorkshire and I see more and more Teslas. I was at my son's cricket practice where there were a group of four dads chatting and two of them have Model 3s on order.

Does anyone else see this? It just feels like a real tipping point to me with it not being that long before the majority of new cars being ordered are electric. Especially in the company car sector.

[mrtwisty]

I saw a LOT of Model 3's on my way down from Skye yesterday, mostly between Skye and Fort William (which surprised me as I imagine public charging stations in that neck of the woods are quite few and far between?).

[Court_S]

If they’re available in a company car scheme, they’re an absolute no brainier with 0% BIK this year. The savings are massive. Chap I work with has one on our car scheme and he reckons he.l be £5k a year better off compared to his previous 320d. That’s a chunk of cash.

I see a fair few about, but they’re still rare compared to the usual German stuff.

[dreamcracker]

Rarely see any electric cars around here.

Probably as there are so few charging points.

[PeteinSQ]

Of course they're rarer at the moment but they seem to really be multiplying. It's actually pretty amazing to me how quickly their sales are growing.

[Court_S]

The BIk changes have been a big incentive, a fair few people I work with have made the jump to EV’s in the last year ranging from a Model 3 to Zoe’s. In the short term, it’ll be a big driver.

[Bobtherallyfan]

It’s your imagination...the Model 3 wasn’t even in the top ten sellers last month and has been comprehensively outsold by the incredible Toyota Yaris year to date. It’s just that you notice the Tesla because of all the hype.

[Justin Case]

Has anyone actually bought a Tesla with their own money?

[rodericb]

Rich Benoit (of Rich Rebuilds) called them the California Camry as there are so many of them around.

[Terminator X]

Hardly ever see them, still small volumes vs ICE. Same for all EV.

TX.

[PeteinSQ]

I find it strange that this has been moved to the ghetto of EVs and alternative fuels. They're on the verge of becoming mainstream but we can't talk about them in General Gassing where instead we must discuss such widely purchased models as the Kia Stinger and Bentley Mulliner.

I think Pistonheads ought to try moving with the times.

[ntiz]

Justin Case said:

Has anyone actually bought a Tesla with their own money?

I always wonder this. Only reason we bought our Model S’s was the BIK and tax incentives.

I always find it funny how the main plus point most people have about there Tesla is how much money it saves them.

[PeteinSQ]

Why did anyone ever buy a diesel?

[JD]

They are well over 1% of the UK market now, so that’s why you are seeing them everywhere!

[Mezzanine]

The Model 3 has absolutely been the tipping point anecdotally.

There is probably 8 or 9 on my average sized housing estate alone, and plenty more on the roads. I was starting to think at one point they were giving them away half price given how many new ones were appearing each week.

[off_again]

rodericb said:

Rich Benoit (of Rich Rebuilds) called them the California Camry as there are so many of them around.

Its not just Rich (funny guy by the way, recommend watching his channel on YouTube). Here in California, Tesla's are common.

Problem is that in certain places they are so common that the Supercharger network is struggling to cope. I am sure that everyone saw the news about the massive queues on the I5 a few months back! But its also in the cities. I was in Cupertino before lock-down and they have a big bank of chargers in the public parking in the downtown area. Couldnt get into the parking structure because of the massive queue of $60k Tesla's waiting to get charged up. Probably at least 15 of them blocking the up ramp etc. Nightmare. Ok, to be fair, they shouldnt have put them on the second floor of the public parking, but its an increasingly big issue at peak times.

IF they fit your lifestyle and needs, you cant do a better EV. But, its still not something that fits all. The Bay Area has thousands of them, as you would expect, but the majority of people live in apartments and dont have access to charging at home. So yes, they sell a lot, but its all to the tech workers who have been able to buy a house and can charge at home (there will be some exceptions of course) and who make use of charging at work too. Its a big market, but its also a limited one. And it is a bit of a 'first world problem' when people who can afford a $1m home complain about public charging or inability to get to a Supercharger on their timeframe.

[raspy]

I'm not sure a lot of people are "buying" model 3s, probably mostly leased as company cars.

I see loads of model 3s even in the suburbs of London. Nobody even stops to look twice now. I was waiting at traffic lights to drive into services off the M25 and there was a model 3 in each lane next to me. White goods.

[PeteinSQ]

Ok so they’re leased. That doesn’t change the fact that they’re out there and at some point someone is going to be owning them even if it is as a second hand option.

The “white goods” comment only goes to show how successful they’re becoming.

[coetzeeh]

Tesla are selling well. Year to date they have sold 11,000 cars in the UK out of a total of 828,000.

To put that in context Ford sold 78,000, VW 74,000, BMW 58,000.

[LincolnLovin]

It's the supercharger network that is the USP, combined with a 'reasonable' price.