It is my only vehicle, and I rent a place without a parking space or a home charging pile.
My previous car was a BMW X6 M and I lived in the suburbs of Guangzhou.
Is my usage scenario for cars similar to that of many young people who want to buy electric cars?
To put it simply, the long-range version can be used as the sole vehicle in cities above 0 degrees in the winter, regardless of whether you have a home charging pile.
Within this year and a half of usage, the only time there was a malfunction was when my automatic parking failed, and there have been no other major issues.
The quality of a car is subjective, and in my opinion, there is no significant difference compared to mainstream brands. At least I do not feel any difference in craftsmanship when compared to my X6 M.
Now, let’s talk about the changes that using this car for so long brought me, or rather the benefits it brought me.
Firstly, the issue of vehicle usage cost
My X6 M had an average fuel consumption of 18 liters per 100 kilometers in my area (basically gentle driving), and can only use 98-octane gasoline. The average cost per kilometer is 1.6 yuan (assuming a fuel price of 9 yuan/L).
The Model 3 has an average power consumption of 14 kWh per 100 kilometers (with some mild aggressive driving), and the charging pile here costs 90 cents per kWh before 2 pm (which is usually when I charge). The average cost per kilometer is 0.13 yuan (assuming the maximum charging price of 2 yuan/kWh, the cost is still less than 0.3 yuan per kilometer).
Don’t tell me that it doesn’t matter to those who can afford an X6 M, as affordability and value are two different concepts, especially in my case after purchasing a high-performance version of the Model 3.
X6 M, 0-100 km/h acceleration in 4.9 seconds, V8 twin turbo, SUV, large and heavy, excellent handling, less than optimal back seat comfort, and flooring the accelerator costs 2 yuan.
Model 3 high-performance version, 0-100 km/h acceleration in 3.4 seconds, pure electric, small and low center of gravity, lighter and shorter, better handling, less optimal back seat comfort, and flooring the accelerator is almost free.
I live alone, so the back seat is not useful to me. Therefore, switching to the Model 3 has brought me a comprehensive upgrade in terms of usage, especially in terms of travel cost, which is practically free. Moreover, electric cars basically do not require maintenance, and I have not spent a single penny on maintenance for this car despite driving it for nearly one and a half years.
However, simply changing the engine oil for the X6 M costs nearly 1,000 yuan a year, not to mention various minor problems, which is a significant difference. Saving nearly 30,000 yuan per year for driving 20,000 km is more than worth it, especially when driving experience is significantly improved. Isn’t it great to spend that money on beef instead?
The effect of autopilot on my driving habits# Now I Really Don’t Want to Drive on Highways without Autonomous Driving
My car does not have autonomous driving and I really don’t want to drive on highways because of my quirks. I have been spoiled. I don’t feel like driving myself on highways anymore.
Really, this thing sounds like fantasy to you, but only after experiencing Tesla’s autonomous driving can you understand it. It relieves me of at least 40% of the driving load, making driving less tiring.
Lastly, I have become accustomed to the single pedal logic of electric cars, so it might take some time to get used to gas cars. But I already don’t like gas cars anymore, and in the future, I probably won’t consider gas cars when choosing a car. The driving experience of electric cars is really so much better than that of gas cars, you have to experience it to know.
Before, when I drove my X6 M, I would occasionally race high-performance cars at red lights. After driving the Model 3 Performance version, I don’t have as much fighting spirit because there are hardly any motor vehicles on the road that can speed past me at red lights, whether it be a car, horse or motorcycle.
Just to add some idle chatter, when I drove the X6 M before, the BMW club was full of guys showing off and sharing all kinds of experiences: showing off watches, cars, and most of all, sharing all kinds of experiences and expertise on dating girls. (There are also some things that can’t be said that you all understand.) Oh, yes, when I was in the Mercedes AMG club, it was pretty much the same.
Later, after joining the Tesla club, similar content hardly ever appeared. The overall atmosphere was about complaining, sharing car usage experiences and problems, as well as discussing the economy, with many bilingual people. I believe that Tesla’s car owners, as a whole, may have higher educations…
PS. Some people mentioned the issue of charging time costs. Here I would also like to mention that most charging stations charge 0.9 yuan/kWh. With a 120 kW charging station, one person charges around 50 kWh and the order shows it takes about 39 minutes, which is approximately the total amount of electricity I use during normal battery operation range from 20% to 85%.
You might say it’s troublesome, but I really don’t find it more of a hassle than refueling. Refueling also requires communication with others, and entering to pay. If you’re unlucky, the person in front of you may be quarreling and you have to queue up.
Charging is fully self-service, just scan a code, and compared to the services at gas stations, I prefer self-service (unfortunately there are few self-service gas stations in China). In terms of time cost, it does take more time per session, but overall it’s about the same.
Why? Because charging is more convenient overall. There is only one 98 gas station near my home, and since I try to refuel with the same brand, even if I go to the city to find the same brand of gas, refueling with 98 is not easy. For electricity, you don’t need to distinguish between coal, hydro, or nuclear power, just find a charging station, one-line cities have much more charging stations than gas stations. The time I save on this makes a real difference to me compared to refueling.
I also don’t have to put up with the constantly increasing price of oil barrels. Maybe my time isn’t that precious, unlike many of you who might lose hundreds of millions after half an hour of charging.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.