Here comes the third issue of “Car Owner Reviews“.
In the first two issues, I interviewed the owners of NIO ES6 and Li Xiang ONE respectively. If you are interested in these two cars, you can check out the real reviews and feedback of the owners through the link at the bottom of the article.
For this issue, I interviewed the owner of the domestically-produced Tesla Model 3.
Since the domestic production of Model 3, many friends have expressed interest in it. The price is relatively affordable, but some friends are still hesitant to try it because it is domestically produced. To provide some reference, in this issue of Car Owner Reviews, I will share the real reviews and feedback of three owners.
Among them, one of our owners is very thoughtful. He even made a special chart of the car purchase process for everyone to refer to. Without further ado, let’s get right into it.
“I don’t have any expectations. A car is just a commodity. Tesla should understand what consumers need and do their best to meet those needs.”
When asked about his expectations for Tesla’s future, Peipei said this.
Peipei works in the conference equipment industry and was one of the first domestically-produced Model 3 users. He usually likes technology-related products, and buying a domestically-produced Model 3 is also because of his interest in it.
Peipei told me that he already has an Audi Q7 at home, and the Model 3 is an additional purchase. Because he likes the technology of Model 3, he wants to experience it. So he placed a deposit.
Peipei said, “I like the fact that Model 3’s large screen integrates basic control functions of the car. I am mainly interested in the real-time software updates (OTA) and the automatic driving assistance functions such as lane-keeping, lane-changing, parking, blind-spot warning, and pedestrian sensing. When driving, safety comes first. These functions have added a lot of safety points to my everyday driving.”
Peipei’s Model 3
Peipei attaches great importance to safety, and the technology of Model 3 can help him achieve some of his expectations.
In fact, Peipei had been paying attention to Model 3 from the beginning. As for why he didn’t choose the imported version first, Peipei said that the price was too high and there were no subsidies, so he didn’t consider it. Therefore, after the domestic production of Model 3 was reduced in price, Peipei placed a deposit for it as soon as possible and became one of the first domestically-produced Model 3 owners in China.Before considering buying the Model 3, Pipi frequently searched for information and videos about it online. After being impressed by it, Pipi and his wife went to the Tesla store to test drive it.
Regarding the driving experience, Pipi said the Model 3’s rapid acceleration and 360-degree imaging system left a deep impression on him. He said, “It feels like sitting on a roller coaster, suddenly accelerating, very exciting. The central big screen displays surrounding cars, pedestrians, bicycles, and motorcycles in 360 degrees, recognizing basically everything. It feels very safe.”
In addition, the salesperson showed them how to use the automatic parking feature, which Pipi and his wife found amazing.
Pipi’s wife had a different perspective and, besides the technology, she particularly liked the exterior design of the Model 3. Pipi said, “She thinks the Tesla’s design is beautiful, especially the whole piece of glass on the roof, which attracted her. She said that what I said before was right, and she would listen to me in the future. Honestly, this is the most impressive thing to me.”
In fact, before experiencing the Model 3, Pipi’s wife was not very interested, “She thought what I said was a bit mysterious, and did not believe that Tesla was like an Apple phone (in terms of technology).”
After test driving it, she realized how helpful and suitable the various technology and safety functions were, especially for women like them. Plus, the central big screen integrated all the functions to control the car, which was very attractive to women,” Pipi said.
Pipi put down the deposit on January 20th and will receive the car in February. During this waiting period, Pipi said he joined the official 42HOW group and talked with group friends every day, exchanging knowledge and hot topics about cars, and sharing his experience with others.
But when it came to picking up the car, Pipi was calm, saying, “After all, we knew everything we needed to know before. My wife likes it very much because the test drive car was blue, and she chose white. I remember she said that white is beautiful, exquisite, and delicate.”
I asked him if there were any unexpected or beyond expectation things after receiving the car.
Pipi said that he hadn’t driven it for long enough to find any unexpected or beyond expectation things, but he could talk about its pros and cons. “Pros: It’s good in terms of safety, automatic assistance driving is very good, and hazard warnings are very useful for new drivers. It can automatically adjust the direction to avoid situations like rear-end collisions or active rear-end collisions, and collisions. Additionally, the Model 3 has quick acceleration, fast and convenient charging, and simple maintenance.”Disadvantages: The skylight is closed and cannot be opened, which is a pity. The interior texture is poor, the seat comfort is poor, the tailgate is not sensor-controlled, and it is not very convenient to take and place things. The battery life is currently not well evaluated, which is also my concern.
As for the quality of the domestic Model 3, Pipi expressed that he completely trusts the quality of the domestic Tesla, “China’s manufacturing capability is currently on the rise, there is no problem at all. In terms of workmanship, the handling of seams is better than imports.”
I asked him again, how do the people around him view you buying a Model 3?
“People who understand electric cars are fine, those who do not know heard that I bought a Tesla, and their first reaction was: Electric car? It’ll be out of power after driving for a while, and you’ll have to find a charging pile, it’s very troublesome. It can be said that most people think this way, and there are only a few people around me who buy electric cars, most of them are still gasoline cars, and everyone still has doubts about electric cars,” said Pipi.
But for Pipi himself, he basically has no mileage anxiety in his daily life, “I usually drive the Model 3 to and from work and run errands in the city, because there are charging piles in my residential area and parking garage at work, so I am not worried about the range issue at all. Charging once can run for more than 300 kilometers.”
The farthest distance Pipi has traveled is from Nanjing to Hefei, a total of about 198 kilometers. “I charged once in the middle, and the experience was very good. In recent trips to Hefei, I directly charged at the location of the business trip, which was also very convenient, and now charging piles are everywhere,” said Pipi.
Overall satisfaction with Model 3
If you were to rate “Overall satisfaction with Model 3” and “Would you recommend it to family or friends” on a scale of 5 stars, how would you rate it? The total score is 5 stars.
“Overall satisfaction is 4 stars, minus 1 star for the uncertainty of the battery life, and some of the disadvantages I mentioned above,” said Pipi.
“As for the recommendation, also 4 stars, Model 3 is suitable for young people, it is excellent for commuting to and from work. The minus 1 star is because I want Tesla to be like its system, it will never be perfect, and let it continue to strive for improvement.”
Some words for those who want to buy Model 3
For those who want to buy Model 3, my experience is, “Do not follow the crowd, buy or not to buy, you should personally make an appointment to test drive it, which is now very convenient. Through offline physical contact, you can more intuitively see whether Model 3 is suitable for you.”
There are no precautions, after all, Tesla is very mature. In terms of the purchase process, just pay a deposit, then wait for the car, and if you want to cancel, the deposit will be returned unconditionally.What Are Your Expectations for Tesla
I don’t have any particular expectations. To put it bluntly, it’s just a product. Tesla should understand what consumers need and do it to the extreme and down-to-earth. If Tesla doesn’t develop itself, perhaps a new “Tesla” will emerge in the future to compete with it. If the new “Tesla” does better, we consumers will go and buy it.
“I’m not a Tesla fan in particular, but I admire Tesla’s change to the automotive industry. Even so, I still hope Tesla can spend some money on improving its service system.”
Talking about his expectations for Tesla, Zhou Jin expressed that he was not very satisfied with Tesla’s service.
Zhou Jin is a financial product manager who works in Shanghai. Unlike Pipi, he is not attracted to Tesla’s technology. As for why he bought the domestic Model 3, Zhou Jin gave me three reasons:
First, getting a Shanghai license plate is difficult, but buying an electric car can get you a green one; Second, electric cars do not require maintenance and are more convenient; Third, he had two choices for electric cars, Model 3 and NIO ES6, but ES6 was too big, so he gave up.
“My parents think that there are too many people and big cars are not convenient in Shanghai, so they suggest buying a smaller car, like Smart. So, the family is more inclined to Model 3,” Zhou Jin said.
Zhou Jin’s Model 3 delivery scene
Before buying a car, Zhou Jin read various reviews and evaluations online, and he said he knew more about cars. Before placing a deposit, he test drove both NIO ES6 and Model 3 twice.
Zhou Jin said that the handling of Model 3 actually felt no significant difference from ES6 during the test drive, but after buying it, he felt that the handling of Model 3 was even better.
“I’m actually 90\% inclined towards ES6. At that time, I thought that if I have children in the future, choosing ES6 might not need to change the car. The variable is the family.
The family values the brand, and Tesla comes with a halo. Everyone thinks that NIO may go bankrupt, and although I say it may be acquired at most, at least it won’t die, they don’t quite understand. Apart from the fact that parking might be more troublesome, I think ES6 wins,” Zhou Jin said about his choice.
Zhou Jin’s Model 3
Zhou Jin ordered Model 3 on December 14, 2019 and received it on February 28, 2020. According to him, the advantages of the Model 3 are the large Tesla brand, abundant AP data, and many supercharging stations. The disadvantages are the average sales and service quality, mediocre car quality, and high speed noise.
On February 22, Zhou Jin took his wife to test drive ES6. “After the test drive, she agreed to buy ES6, and wanted the gray one. However, the gray one was not available and needed to be ordered, and it would take two months to deliver. After much hesitation, I just went ahead and took delivery of the Model 3, so the ES6 was out of the question.” That’s what Zhou Jin said.
When asked if he could choose again, Zhou Jin said, “I would choose ES6 if someone could swap cars with me.” As for why he had this idea, Zhou Jin said Tesla’s service was difficult to describe clearly.
“Before ordering the car, they said to hurry up to order, because the policy might change later. During the waiting period for the car, there was no certainty. The sales also said that if you pay a deposit of 20,000 yuan, you can transfer the order to someone else if you don’t want it. The communication with the sales was mediocre, and we joked in the 42 car owner group chat that we would delete the sales’ WeChat after taking delivery.” Zhou Jin said.
Furthermore, Zhou Jin mentioned an episode, “I actually wanted to take delivery before the new year, and my friend happened to not want the car anymore, so I wanted her to transfer her order to me. But the Tesla sales manager said in the group chat that our two orders were in the same batch, so no need to swap. We believed that and didn’t swap. My friend started the refund process.
At that time, there was a temporary policy that swapping to 19-inch wheels could speed up the delivery process. During the refund process, the delivery staff called her to ask if she wanted to swap to 19-inch wheels and take delivery earlier. I replied that we canceled the refund, swapped to 19-inch wheels and took delivery. The sales manager said in the group chat to stop the refund process.
The day when they called me about my order, almost all the cars with 19-inch wheels had been matched. That day, the company released a policy that canceling the option to swap configurations to advance delivery. So, I missed out on the opportunity to swap configurations and take delivery.”Afterwards, it turned out that her order just made it in time for delivery before the Chinese New Year. At the time, I wasn’t very happy about it, so I deleted the sales supervisor and left the group. But ultimately, I was proven wrong, and I did get the car delivered.
Interior of Zhoujin’s Model 3
After receiving the car, Zhoujin mentioned that he did not have a “wow” feeling towards it. “It’s just a daily commuter car, but recently Tesla’s supercharging has been free, and the property downstairs has installed a Tesla charging station. It’s quite satisfying to take advantage of these freebies,” he says.
When I asked him if he had any range anxiety during regular use, he said he didn’t have any in the city. He commutes about 45 km round trip every day, and during the colder months, it consumed more energy. He now charges his car about once every four days, and it’s pretty convenient as there are numerous charging stations in Shanghai.
As for the range, Zhoujin said that he could run about 230 km from 90% to 30% battery power remaining. So he’s a bit worried about long-distance driving. “I plan to visit my hometown in Anhui in April, and I’m a bit concerned about charging since it’s about 600 km away from here.”
Zhoujin’s Model 3 at a supercharging station
Overall Satisfaction with Model 3
How would you rate the “overall satisfaction with the Model 3” and “would you recommend it to family or friends”? The total score is out of 5 stars. “I think it’s passing, overall 3 stars, and if we go into specifics, the car itself would get 3.5 stars, and the service would get 2.5 stars. Although it’s a domestically made Model 3, its cost-effectiveness is just average. Secondly, the noise level is quite high. It’s not too bad when driving below 80 km/h, but it gets quite loud above 80 km/h. Also, the Model 3’s interior is quite basic. OTA is a good method, but the update speed is a bit slow.” “As for recommendations, it would get a 3.5-star rating in restricted license regions. It would suit those who don’t care about their budget or workmanship. In regions without license restrictions, it would receive a 3-star rating as there are too many other cars to choose from.”
Some advice for anyone considering buying a Model 3
“I think it’s necessary to test drive the car more and consider your specific use case. Before deciding on a car, it’s important to make comparisons, and once you have placed your order, you need to be invested in the process.” Zhoujin has written a simple guide to the car-purchasing process in Shanghai, which he hopes may be useful to others.
Chart created by Zhoujin
Expectations for Tesla“I’m not a Tesla fanatic, but I admire the changes Tesla has brought to the automotive industry. From the perspective of a personal consumer, while products need to have creative designs, product manufacturing and service need to be down-to-earth. ‘It’s not like it can’t be driven’ is a car owner’s joke, but it should not be a reference at any point for auto dealers. Spend some money on the service system.”
「Saving two or three tens of thousands of yuan on fuel and maintenance each year and spending the money on milk powder for my son is great. 」
Shi Jun said that one of the main reasons he bought Model 3 was because it is an electric car and more cost-effective.
Since graduation, Shi Jun has owned 4 cars in total. Model 3 is his 5th car, and his previous car was a BMW 3 Series.
“When I heard that Tesla Model 3 would be produced in China and the prices would inevitably fall, I sold my 3 Series that I had driven for over two years. After the price reduction in January 3, I placed an order on the same day. The main reason is that the operating cost of electric cars is too low, and it can save me one or two thousand yuan in fuel costs each month.
Also, electric cars require less maintenance. If I switch to a gasoline car, I would feel compelled to maintain it regularly. Although I feel relieved each time after maintenance, it is still a waste of money,” Shi Jun said.
Model 3 with Shi Jun’s color-changing film
Secondly, Shi Jun is a fan of digital products, and he is very interested in technological things. He also feels the same way about Model 3. Shi Jun said, “I can control it remotely with my phone, the integrated central control screen is very comfortable to use, and the automatic driving assistance is very comfortable to drive with. The acceleration is also very satisfying. Every function is so fresh and impressive.”
Shi Jun started paying attention to Model 3 when it was first released but thought the imported version was too expensive, so he did not consider it. He regained his interest when he heard that Model 3 would be produced in China.
After Model 3 (imported version) was released, Shi Jun took his child to the Tesla experience center for a test drive.
Shi Jun and his child.
He told me, “It was an unprecedented feeling – too quiet, too smooth, and the acceleration was too exciting. The handling was similar to the 3 Series, and at first, I had no expectations for controlling an electric car. However, it turned out to be great. The AP function seemed impressive from the sales display. It was advanced enough and suitable for a tech enthusiast like me. I knew I would definitely buy it, but I decided to wait for the domestically produced version.”Regarding the purchase of Model 3, Jun’s family had some doubts because they didn’t understand it well, but Jun finally convinced them. “My parents said that changing the battery will be expensive in the future, but I told them that it can be driven for 600,000 km. My wife also test drove it for the first time and, with my usual recommendation of Tesla’s features, she also liked it.”
After paying the deposit, Jun went to the experience center to try the domestic Model 3 and tested the sound system. “I feel that it is similar to the imported version, and the workmanship is not different. The only difference is that the sound system is not as good as the imported one. I am also an audiophile. I have tried the imported version before, but it is not as good as the Harmon Kardon of my previous 3 Series.”
Model 3 before color film changing
I asked him if there were any unexpected or exceeded expectations after the car delivery.
Jun said the unexpected parts are that “the doors are too difficult to close, and the seat leather is easy to scratch. When driving in traffic jams and using Autopilot to follow cars, the distance is too far and it’s easy for other cars to cut in. Also, on rainy days, it reminds you to clean the camera when using Autopilot. The automatic rain wipers still need to be optimized, and the automatic headlights were on several times in broad daylight. It would be better to have a sensitivity adjustment option. The air conditioning should not remember the previous state. It consumes more energy when automatically turning on when starting the car.”
As for the exceeded expectations, Jun said, “The panoramic glass window doesn’t feel hot, and the heat insulation is good. The acceleration is very smooth and there is no lag. The automatic driving assistance is very easy to use on the highway, and you don’t have to worry about wasting gas money by stepping on the accelerator too much. In terms of safety, if you get distracted while driving and would hit something at the speed you are driving, the system will warn you. The computer calculation is very powerful and faster than humans. It’s first-class for city driving. You can save 20-30 thousand yuan per year in fuel and maintenance costs, which is very cost-effective to buy milk powder for their kids. Now we drive the Model 3 for everything, including delivering packages.”
I asked him again how the domestic Model 3 performs in terms of mileage and whether there is range anxiety.
Jun said, “Because it can be charged every day, we don’t care too much about mileage. The range is acceptable. The battery displays 385 kilometers when fully charged, and the actual range is about 370 kilometers in real-world conditions with the air conditioning on. There is basically no range anxiety within a 100 kilometer radius, and the standard version can run smoothly in the area around the Pearl River Delta, as there are many Tesla Superchargers. Moreover, we have a charging pile at home and there is also a Supercharger at the company. Charging is currently free during the epidemic period, so we use the one at the company more often. After the free period is over, we will charge at home. We use 380V power and the cost is 0.31 yuan per kWh after midnight. It takes about 3-4 hours to fully charge.”
Model 3 before changing the color film
As for how the people around view Jun buying a Model 3, Jun said, “Most people ask how much this car costs. When I say it costs over 300,000 yuan, they say Tesla is so cheap now?”
Some friends also intend to buy it and trade in their current cars. They want to keep their gasoline car and use the electric car for daily commuting, as well as use the gasoline car for business trips. Part of them hope to buy a Tesla for 300,000 yuan, preferably one that can run 400-500 kilometers. Some are interested in the advanced driving assistance system and think it’s fun. Currently, there are no friends who have objections to Tesla.”
Overall satisfaction with Model 3
If you were to rate “Overall satisfaction with Model 3” and “Whether you would recommend it to family or friends”, how would you rate it? The total score is five stars.
“Overall satisfaction rating is 4.5 stars. In addition to the advantages mentioned above, the chassis of the Model 3 is not easily accessible to rodents. My house is in the countryside and there are many mice. My mother’s Riocar used to be easily accessible by mice. The deducted 0.5 stars are for Tesla’s room for improvement, such as more advanced battery technology, more user-friendly advanced driving assistance, and more supercharging stations.” On the recommendation side, 5 stars, Tesla is so easy to operate, saves money and is intelligent.”
Advice for friends who want to buy a Model 3
I personally think that “you should consider whether the charging is convenient before deciding to buy an electric car, and then decide on the driving range based on personal usage habits. When test driving, ask the salesperson to explain the features to you and then test drive it. Do not simply feel the acceleration, but try turning, fast lane changes, etc. You can also try the autopilot on the highway and feel the freedom of momentarily releasing your hands and feet.”
Expectations for Tesla
I hope it does not decrease in price too quickly, and the current price can be maintained for another year or two. I’ve heard that after-sales service is often inadequate, so if a car owner’s car has a problem, I hope they can do their best to solve the problem rather than shirking responsibility. Additionally, I hope there will be battery replacement services in the future, and the price will not be too high.
Jun’s Model 3 is charging
Conclusion
After chatting with these three car owners, I can feel that they are different from the NIO and Ideal car owners I interviewed before.The difference lies mainly in the degree of love for the brand, which is not as high as that of NIO and Ideal car owners. However, this love comes not only from the manufacturer’s strong technology and capabilities, but also from the manufacturer’s service to users. Because only when car owners are more recognized can better synergies be achieved, and this is what Tesla needs to work hard on.
We all hope that brands at the forefront of the times can go further and bring greater value to society. But at the same time, we need to think about what exactly creating all this value is for?
Returning to the original aspiration is to bring better service to people.
Go, Tesla.
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.