Performance to 0-60 aside, what range could they possibly get if they went the more economical route ? While I love the kick ass acceleration, do we really need that in day to day driving ? How long would the battery last with a minimum electric motor and maximum gearing ?
Don Duncan
GregSmith: A burst of speed is needed to merge onto the freeway or change lanes or pass. Without it driving is less safe, and sometimes dangerous. But that can be had without sacrificing range. The extra energy use is momentary, so a capacitor would suffice. Also, with the Model 3 I was hoping for a cheaper, more efficient version, one which uses more light weighting, a two seater. The emphasis seems to be all on luxury, with no attempt to cater to the masses. Too bad.
Howell Haus
Impress me by achieving more miles per pound of extraction while focusing on the most important, end-of-life, recyclability aspects of this creation. When cradle-to-cradle implications are always the focus - then we are on the right path. The guy who wins in a rush to a red light is an idiot... just sayin'
ScotDouglas
How can the Model X be an SUV, when it doesn't appear to have any better ground clearance than the sedan, and from the specs on the Tesla page, there is no low range on the all-wheel drive? It doesn't look like it would do well on unimproved back roads, much less where there are no roads. I know that they are now calling some cross-overs SUVs, so I guess the term has become meaningless
MartinVoelker
Greg: The range depends on your driving style, just like in an internal combustion car. If you gun it and drive fast it goes down. In daily driving acceleration is nice to have, but all you need is mostly the 0-30 range (where my Volt excels).
Douglas E Knapp
GregSmith, I think you are missing the MODE thing. In normal mode you get the range and in Insane mode you do NOT get the range but you do get the 0-60.
Milton
@GregSmith: One of the biggest advantages of EV's is that high-performance machines can still sip electrons, while high-performance ICE's are not capable of sipping fuel. But yes, I would guess that the Tesla's range, and performance are total over-kill for 99% of the population. A Nissan Leaf, Chevy Spark EV, or BMW i3 is a more sensible EV solution for a lot of people. But for those with cash to blow (or a stupidly long commute), 0-60 in 2.5 seconds sounds like a BLAST! ... Perhaps the only thing better than owning a Tesla is having a friend that owns one.
eMacPaul
@GregSmith, I'm pretty sure the 315 mile range listed does not include doing maximum acceleration runs.