Question for the Tesla and electric vehicle owners..
Did you decide to purchase or lease these vehicles based on performance (Tesla) or because of the fuel efficiency...??
And with fuel prices down significantly, the logic behind an electric or hybrid vehicles presenting operating savings may be moot for the near future
I'm a car guy who does amateur racing. Have driven mostly manuals my whole life. I love the sounds, feel, etc. Recently purchased a Model 3 Performance. With the latest major software upgrade it's producing 500 hp and over 500 lbft of torque, all of it from zero rpm on up. Acceleration from a standstill makes the blood rush to your head without a sound from the tires (all wheel drive) and only a faint electrical whine from the dual motors. At any speed it throws you back in your seat. Zero to 60 in 3 seconds and under, depending on the surface and state of charge. I've beaten Porsche's, Hellcats and the like off the line. If you care to go over 110 mph the others will catch up and pass. One does have to get used to the quietness and lack of drama due to the vehicle's total competence.
The handling, steering feel, stability in windy conditions, quietness, seating comfort and the way it tracks dead straight on the highway puts other performance cars I've owned to shame. The technology in the car will blow you away and the build quality is extremely good.
The car and it's features improves over time due to software updates that usually arrive monthly.
Range is not an issue. They claim 322 miles optimally. I plug it in every night. Full "tank", charge actually, every morning. I can drive without worry.
I bought the car for environmental reasons. My electric costs are less than half former gasoline costs. The only maintenance on the car is to change the cabin filter once a year, rotate the tires every 10K miles and change the battery coolant every 5 years. That's it! Money saved!
ONE MAJOR DISADVANTAGE FOR SOME MONGERS: If you have a significant other or wife and they have the Tesla app on their phones, your whereabouts can be tracked down to the direction the front of your car is facing. To have any access to a Tesla, you need the app on your phone. That is your key, plus a back-up card you keep in your wallet should the app fail. Therefore, if someone else also drives the car they know where you are!