Tesla

The test drive dropped my jaw as the Model X was simply fantastic so we ordered one. I had multiple questions and some worries about buying an electric car such as the charging concept and whether Tesla would be a reliable car. Thus I first bought a used Ford S-Max as a backup/utility car that our gardener also drives around and afterwards I ordered a Model X. I would rather prefer to buy a used Model X but I could not find any reasonably priced Model Xs, all were rather expensive indicating a significant demand. My Model X was delivered in Aix-en-Provence on 27 September so the car is still pretty much new. My review is limited to the first two months of ownership and it is not a long term, multi-year review. I would gladly rank my Model X much higher than any cars I have owned. My rating would be 20 out of 10.

The car is astonishing. Let me tell you why:

1. The design philosophy is totally original so the interior but especially the front panel is super coolly designed. The car is probably the best ever UX design among any car, any time. I would definitely rate my Model X as the "Best vehicle UX design of all-times".

2. The car has far superior performance and range. I was worried about how and where to get the car recharged and so on but these have been no issues. The driving is super cool, silent and feels like you are floating. This car is so advanced that I feel I have my own silent, super fast and comfortable "magnetic levitation" maglev train. I often see Bentleys and Rolls Royce's in Cannes and I feel sad for the owners for spending so much money into those dinosaur vehicles.

3. Tesla has no dealers and you buy directly from the company. There is no haggling or the act of being sold unnecessary accessories at high costs.

4. As you probably know, Tesla cars are awarded the highest safety ratings of any cars, ever built. In France, it is legal to use autosteer on highways and I regularly use this feature with my kids in the car. No one has ever honked at me so far. It has been almost perfect. The autosteering once made an error on the safe side. It braked slightly when I saw no need for it. Autosteering is great not only at high speeds but especially during very slow traffic.

5. The car is expected to have much less maintenance work than ICE cars. Time will show.

6. Tesla has given me good after-sales support. They called me directly to ask if all was fine and I could reach them directly if I have any needs.

7. If you love even a bit of tech, Tesla will make you so happy. The car is tech-wise perfect and offers multiple jaw-dropping features. I have a pin code so my kids can’t accidentally drive the car. If I lose my key, I can start the car with my mobile phone. I can choose how many amperes to charge my car with. The car even has a ‘biological attack protection feature’ explained on its website. Tesla says Model X is “hundreds of times better” than other cars in terms of its ventilation system so they were curious if the car would protect against a military biological attack. So they test it and found that it really does due to the super quality ventilation system. Your Tesla can open and close its doors without you touching them… if you want. This car is the epitome of tech and still it succeeds in giving you a perfectly usable UX with so easy menus. There is so much offered tech wise with zero frustration.

My Model X is two-generations ahead of any other vehicles including my old 2017 Land Rover Discovery. One extra remark, we did not have any problems but still feel a bit cautious about the falcon doors that are rather easy to use especially in tight spaces. Many public garages in France have low ceilings so it is not very easy to use these doors. My overall two-month experience has been fabulous. I have one simple suggestion to potential owners: Have your own test drive and see for yourself. Be cautious with the media coverage. I am grateful to Volvo for delaying their delivery by two months and making me a Tesla owner. Thank you all at Tesla, you have literally created the future of the automobile. Just for information purposes, Tesla has no automobile competitors. Its next target should be to beat the MagLev train :-)

The driving experience is unmatched. All electric with 310 miles of range is plenty. We went to FL from NC over Thanksgiving of 2018 with only 2 stops a Superchargers each way. 40 minute charge time each stop. Cost per mile of electricity is $0.03/mile, whereas cost of gas alone (not including oil, filter, radiation fluid, trans fluid, etc that my EV does not need!) is ~3x at $0.10.

We charge at home about every other night very easily overnight with a 220V NEMA 14-50 plug. The Model 3 can pull up to 32A from that and charges at 28 miles of charge per hour added to the battery with that current. To prolong battery life I usually dial the current back such that it'll get to the charge level I set (about 80%, or ~250miles) about 1 hour before we need the car the next morning, so between 12 and 18amps usually. Batteries lose some charge in cold weather, but it's very manageable. They say up to 30%, but I've seen maybe 20%. Simple to plan for though.

Autopilot and Navigate on Autopilot are amazing! Too much to say, but this is the best car I've ever owned, period. No shifting, not transmission, just smooth continuous acceleration, and great torque from 1rpm with dual electric motors. Immediate response at any speed. Beautiful car inside and out, and the experience is the thing that is so amazing. All glass roof, minimalist dash with all controls on the 15inch touch screen, two control knobs on the steering wheel, a turn signal lever and a gear stalk. However, those things are somewhat customizable also, and changed function based on what mode you're in. If you're parked (in "Park"), and playing the include Atari video games, the knobs on the steering wheel and the steering wheel itself become controls for the video games!! Wow!

Ok, I could go on an on, but you get the idea. It's really hard to go back to driving our other cars now: Toyota Sienna Van, and Honda Accord. Can't wait to get our next Tesla vehicle. I don't see every buying another brand if I can afford it. And I'll certainly buy used if I end up with another gas car, but I may buy a used EV before I do that if the need comes for another car when the Toyota or the Honda needs replaced.

Oh, I must talk about the regenerative braking! I hardly ever used the brakes - usually only from 15mph to zero, maybe a little sooner if I'm coming in quicker, but one can basically drive with the accelerator pedal and regulate both speeding up and slowing down in most normal driving situations. What does this mean? ... well, of course, that brakes hardly ever wear out! Another savings versus a gas car.

The infotainment is so far ahead of the competition that it is incomparable - as if we hit fast forward a decade or more. The Tesla touchscreen and navigation work so well that they replaced my iPhone as my navigation source. I’m not a safety expert, but I can say that the AWD version is hard to lose control of. The 2nd day I had the vehicle my city, St. Louis has 9 inches of snow and the Model 3 gobbled it up. Since then other snows or ice events have occurred and I’ve found it to be the most stable sedan I’ve ever driven despite not purchasing winter tires.

I am no audiophile, however; the sound system exceeded my expectations. Driving the vehicle is pure joy. Or glee. Both. It is so quiet yet so responsive. I simply laugh when getting behind the wheel of other vehicles now - they all feel so outdated and cumbersome. Having the Model 3 accelerate quietly, quickly, and on demand is such a game changer and driving with 1 foot while relying on regenerative braking for deceleration simplifies the experience. Tesla truly made the world better by introducing the Model 3 as everybody benefits from the increase in attention every new vehicle on the road will receive in order to compete. Based on my experience there is no competition as far as driving dynamics and infotainment. Everybody will have to improve.

As far as reliability, I've had no issues with the car and I must say its been the most enjoyable car I've ever driven. Nearly 4 months of driving now and I love it as much now as the day I drove it home. I think the issues that people complain about are temporary as Tesla is a new car company and every new company has growing pains and they are not solved overnight. You can't compare Tesla to Mercedes or Lexus who are legacy car companies who have had years to perfect their service. Best car I've owned.

Finally after waiting for 1 hour we ended up calling BCAA who towed our car home with no problem giving us the ride. Next day called Tesla again they send a tow truck for my car to nearest tire repair shop. The tow truck guy accidentally broke the small round cap that's on the front bumper (hitch for the tow). Called Tesla and put in a complaint. I just got a call from the customer service today and I could not believe it they had a nerve to tell me that I call the tow company and put in a claim with them and that its not their responsibility for a $13.00 cap... seriously...they want me to call the tow company they send for this service and fight with them for this $13.00 cap...and waste my time. When it's their contracted tow company and they are the ones who called. I had nothing to do with it but I have to fight for this now. What kind of BS is this. Really not happy with Tesla customer service and their customer service reps attitude. I am really pissed and not happy with Tesla right now.

December 22, 2019 - Received a text from the same phone # at 8:10AM, that they are currently expecting my car to exit the factory on 12/28. They had me select a tentative appointment (see photo attached). Also, my Tesla account showed delivery appointment scheduled for 12/29 at 3:30PM at Tesla in Rocklin, CA (see photo attached). December 28, 2019 - The loan agreement needed to be completed on my Tesla account and I accepted the agreement (see photo attached). They also added my VIN to my account. Also, received a text from the same phone # at 5:29PM, saying that they are still waiting for my car to be released from the factory and that they have "tentatively" re-scheduled my delivery appointment to 12/30 at 3:30PM at Tesla in Rocklin, CA (see photo attached).

(MIND YOU, 12/30 IS ON A MONDAY AND WE HAVE WORK) December 29, 2019 - Received a text from the same phone # at 4:43PM, they still have me on their delivery schedule for 12/30 but they are still waiting for my vehicle to complete production. They moved my appointment to 12/31 for the time being and that they are still hopeful for me to receive my car by end of year (see photo attached). Received another text at 8:36PM, saying that I am on track to receive one of the last Teslas built in 2019! They currently expect my car to be built Tuesday afternoon and are planning for me to take delivery on 12/31 at the Tesla Factory in Fremont, CA once it is produced (MIND YOU, THIS IS 2 HOURS AWAY FROM US). Details on more precise timing to come tomorrow. If I'm unable to take delivery on 12/31, please reply and we will plan my delivery for next month (see photo attached).

December 30, 2019 - Received a text from the same phone # at 3:18PM, they are excited to deliver my car at the Tesla Factory tomorrow. Please reply CONFIRM to the message by 6PM tonight if we can expect to see you tomorrow (see photo attached). I replied CONFIRM. Received another text at 8:55PM, saying, "Congrats, your car will finish being built tomorrow afternoon. Please plan to arrive at the Tesla Factory within 3 hours of receiving a text." (MIND YOU, MY TESLA ACCOUNT IS STILL SHOWING 12/31 AT 8:00PM BUT NO LOCATION). I confirmed with Sierra at Tesla in Rocklin, CA that it will be picked up at the Tesla Factory if I want to pick it up before the end of the year. December 31, 2019 - Received a text from the same phone # at 7:08AM, giving me instructions for the day before picking up the car (see photo attached).

I came home rushing from work as we had a 2 hour drive to Tesla. I wanted to add my new car to my insurance but when I looked at my account the VIN disappeared. I called Tesla in Rocklin, CA, the factory in Fremont, CA and the customer service. No one was picking up. The delivery line said that they are open until 6pm but it also said that they were closed. I called at 5:42PM (see video attached). I called about 20 times and I was not able to reach anyone. (MY TESLA ACCOUNT IS STILL SHOWING DELIVERY FOR 12/31 AT 8:00PM) We decided to drive to Tesla Factory in Fremont, CA. We got there at 7:45PM. There were long lines outside in the cold. There were lines to check-in and another line after the check-in. While waiting, there was a Tesla employee that was checking reservation #s/VIN #s prior to checking in (HIS NAME IS ZACH).

Zach looked up my VIN and said that my car is still not quite done yet but is in the last stage of production. I will most likely to get my car that night. He said it was in "RECTIFICATION" status. I checked-in with DAN and he said that the car is more likely not going to be completed tonight and suggested if we want to stay, we can stay and MAYBE someone won't pick up their car and we can swap it out. I told him what Zach said but he said he doesn't have access to see the status of the car. I came back to Zach and confirmed what he originally said and he said the exact same thing he said previously and he gave me his # to text him within 15 minutes as he will message the people in production to get a status. Dan was not able to check me in.

We got in the longer line to get in. By 10:45, we got to a certain point where Zach was re-checking people's reservation #s/VIN #s and at that point telling me people that there is a 0-1% chance of getting your car tonight. We took the 0-1% chance and moved on to the line. It was about 11:45 when we got inside and we knew there was no way we will get the federal tax credit. THIS IS THE MESSED UP PART... The guy who was looking up our reservation # was running around and talking to different people, come to find out he said that the car isn't completed. We wanted to get more answers than that so he looked up our VIN # this time.

HE FOUND OUT THAT TESLA MATCHED MY VIN # TO A WRONG CONFIGURATION. They made a white car w/ different configuration when I ordered a blue car w/ upgraded tires. This is not a computer mistake. This is plainly an unacceptable mistake for Tesla to make. Out of thousands of cars that they are making, it had to be my car. There must be stations and stations for them to double check the identification of the car that they are making. This is now the reason why they took out the VIN# on my account earlier that day because they made the wrong car. The guy came back and checked if there are other blue cars w/ the same configuration I ordered in the inventory that they can swap the VIN# to. - none. The guy came back again and checked - he came back asking if I want a white car instead then I can for sure come home with a car that night - I refused.

We asked if there are any red cars (which will be an upgrade) but there wasn't any inventory. Mind you there were willing to swap it with an upgraded color if they had inventory. - none. We asked to get compensated with something, whether an upgraded color or tires free of charge. He came back to another manager to check if they have any inventory at other close by dealerships. - none. He even tried to upsell us and said that there are long ranges available if we want to get a car that night for additional $10,000 - i refused. He said that they expedited and bumped me on top of the list of the production to get my car completed. At this point, we said that we will wait for the car whenever it is done but we would like to still get compensated for an upgraded color or tires. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DO ANYTHING FOR US! AFTER 5 HOURS OF WAITING IN THE COLD, WE DROVE BACK 2 HOURS WITH NOTHING.

- Tesla did not compensate us for anything at all - for driving 2 hours each way, for waiting in line for 5 hours, FOR THEIR MISTAKE, for us losing our federal tax credit, for us spending our New Year's Eve, and for ruining the experience of getting a new car.

THIS WAS THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE I'VE EVER HAD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.