EV Owner Review – 2020 Tesla Model 3
Want to know what it’s really like to own an electric car? We ask owners who’ve been living with one for their honest opinions: good, bad or ugly.
This time we look at Australia’s and the world’s runaway best-selling EV. Noosa real estate agent Ian Suter bought his entry-level single-motor rear-wheel drive Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus in early 2020 and has covered over 25,000km in that time.
The Model 3 Standard Range Plus has come down in price since Ian bought his, with the price, depending on where you live in the country, starting from around $66,500 drive-away. It offers 190kW/375Nm, has a claimed range of just over 400 kilometres and does 0-100km/h in 5.6-seconds. For many it’s arguably the only Tesla Model 3 you’d ever need, and is now priced more attractively than ever.
Name: Ian Suter.
Age: 53.
Profession: Real estate agent.
Location: Noosa, Queensland.
Your EV: 2020 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus.
Owned since new? Yes.
Other cars you own: Audi Q3. And I just sold my 1968 Chevy Camaro. It was ridiculous having a V8 and an EV in the garage at the same time!
Why did you choose an electric car? To do my best to minimise the footprint I’m leaving on the planet, and it’s economical. And very cool.
Why a Tesla Model 3? I did my research and looked at hybrids, plus the Nissan Leaf. But none really came close to the handling, agility, style and cool factor of the Model 3.
How’s the transition to an EV been? Seamless.
What range do you get? Close to 400km. I can drive it from Noosa Heads to Brisbane and back (just under 300km) on a full charge with no problems at all. The range is very accurate too, especially around town.
What’s your average energy consumption? 17kWh/100km.
What’s the drive experience like? The Tesla has replaced my classic Camaro really, and honestly, it’s the best car I’ve ever owned. Best handling car I’ve ever had and the acceleration from standstill is faster than anything I’ve driven, including my V8 Camaro. I’m in love with the solitude of a silent engine and having crystal clear music in the cabin. It’s the quietest car I’ve ever driven.
The positives? Fifteen months of thumbing my nose at petrol stations as I drive by. Whenever we go on a trip, my three kids always go straight to the Tesla and not the Audi. “Can we please take the Tesla?” is what I’m always asked. Kids love technology, gadgets, anything online or digital. A Tesla is full of that. It’s full of youthful surprises and has the ability to make you laugh. It makes me feel good because everyone that matters to me loves it.
It’s one of the most stylish cars I’ve had. It has lots of very cool features such as when on a rainy camping trip, the kids can sit inside and watch a fireplace, play games, use the internet or watch Netflix. I shopped around before spending the $70,000-odd on the Model 3 and I think you get more for that money that anything else I looked at. I’ve had Volvos and Audis along the way, and the Telsa betters them all.
The negatives? The biggest is between here and Brisbane there’s only one Supercharger on my route. After running around Brisbane and not having enough charge to get back to Noosa, we once had to wait for 20 minutes – at nearly midnight – for someone to return to their charging car before being able to charge at Tesla’s supercharger.
What do you use it for? Locally and for business around 90% of the time. I’ll drive about 500km a week, but that will double if I have to go to Brisbane.
How is it as your work vehicle? As part of my business, when I’m appraising a home as a professional real estate agent or having a buyer come to a home, a Tesla is one of those trusted talking points that states that you’re cutting edge and care about the planet. That’s a foot in the door for being liked and trusted. I believe driving a Tesla is good for my business.
I’m constantly asked “What do you think of your Tesla?” Many people have them on their minds. Like Apple products, Tesla seems to be a lifestyle product where people go with that brand for life. They have a loyal following, it’s almost like a cult.
What’s the furthest you’ve driven it? To Town Of 1770 which is 396km one way. I topped up along the way, just to make sure. It took about 12 minutes to do this. Then I plugged it into the wall socket while I was there on holiday.
Do you suffer range anxiety? Yes. The biggest negative is you can’t jump into a petrol station when you get low. As the infrastructure grows, the anxiety lessens.
How do you charge it? I have a wallbox in my garage, an electrician installed it for a few hundred bucks and the vast majority of my charging is done at home. I charge every fourth or fifth night, and never past 90%. I’ve only used a public charger about five times in total. At home it’s just so easy.
Do you have solar at your property? No. I really want it, but my neighbour’s trees are way too big and high, so their shade would make solar ineffective. My neighbour and I are not in agreement about him lopping the tops off his trees.
What are the running costs? Looking back over my accounts, I used to spend over $5000 a year on petrol. Now I spend zero. My electricity bill hasn’t gone up very much at all. I called Tesla for my one-year maintenance checkup and they did it over the air on the phone to me, complete diagnostic in about three minutes. They said there was nothing wrong with the car, see you in a year.
What’s the current mileage and battery health? 25,100kms. Battery health is perfect.
Any problems with it? Not a single thing has gone wrong in 15 months of ownership. It’s better built than any other car I’ve owned, and I’ve owned many new cars.
Did you buy it to save money? No. Saying that, maintenance is huge on most petrol or diesel vehicles. But the Tesla has virtually none: rubber on the tyres and rubber on the windscreen wipers really.
What changes would you like to see as an EV owner? More infrastructure first of all. More EV-only parking spots in the best places. I think we’re bettering the planet which desperately needs it. We should get rego breaks. Toll breaks. Tax breaks. We should have incentives like most other countries in the world to drive electric vehicles. Governments here just seem to think they’re missing out on tax revenue if we don’t drive petrol vehicles. We should be rewarded. I can’t believe governments are trying to start charging for pushing solar power back to the grid from individual residences. We’re trying to better the world, so governments at the very least should not hinder that.
Would you go back to an ICE car? Only if my circumstances changed that I’d have to regularly drive long distances. But I don’t see that happening. If I had to drive 3000kms a week or so, right now, when there isn’t an electric charger at every petrol station, I’d probably have to go back to petrol.
