First Tesla Model 3 to be built...on Saturday.

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#1813272 5-Jul-2017 15:33

Linuxluver:

old3eyes: Bet it won't be NZ$48000 here. More like $80 grand

Much will depend on the X-rate from the US$ closer to the time.

We're pretty steady around 72-74 cents US at present.....though you have to add GST, too...and that's on top of the margin. So yeah....not hard to blow the number up higher.

Assume the margin is already in the NZ$48,000 number....and add GST. That's $55,200 right there for the most basic version.....and I haven't added shipping (and that attracts GST, too).

A Model 3 at $60k would be acceptable. :-)

Who knows? Maybe a new government will introduce rebates or tax credits or some other thing to encourage people to go electric and cut NZ's dependence on expensive foreign energy.

I had my reservation before April 1st, so should get the self-driving for free.....but I would want a bigger battery so will pay more for that. The rest? Not fussed.

Doing a quick, basic Google search on Tesla Model 3 US Price, list is USD 35,000, with Musk predicting an average sale price of USD 42,000 including options.

I'd guess it'll be marketed here in NZ as a premium rival to the entry level BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Jaguar XE and Mercedes-Benz C class, and priced accordingly.

Therefore, I'd expect a NZ sticker staring somewhere between $67,990.00 - $72,990.00. With options, I'd guess it'll be pushing closer to high 80's to low 90's.

Really, here it needs to be priced and spec'd to match the range topping Mazda 6, Mondeo, Camry and Accord

And with the way it looks with a face only a mother could love, I'd take one of the German or British rivals.

frankv

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#1813289 5-Jul-2017 15:48

kryptonjohn:

Not having any grille on the front does look unusual - I think they should have added one even if it was just for appearance.

Edit: After all, it does have vestigial exhaust ports in the rear bumper!

Well, no grill worked just fine for VW Beetles.

I think that this was an opportunity lost; lots of traditional car design constraints (e.g. grills, bonnets) could have been thrown away to produce something spectacularly different and better. Instead, it's just another car (without a grill). Meh!

kryptonjohn

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#1813290 5-Jul-2017 15:50

Tesla is subsidised by the US government to the tune of some US$5billion, and there's a federal tax credit available of US$7500 to purchasers (on a model S) as well as some state tax credits.

I don't think anything bought here is not going to get those credits.

kryptonjohn

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#1813292 5-Jul-2017 15:53

frankv:

kryptonjohn:

Not having any grille on the front does look unusual - I think they should have added one even if it was just for appearance.

Edit: After all, it does have vestigial exhaust ports in the rear bumper!

Well, no grill worked just fine for VW Beetles.

I think that this was an opportunity lost; lots of traditional car design constraints (e.g. grills, bonnets) could have been thrown away to produce something spectacularly different and better. Instead, it's just another car (without a grill). Meh!

The beetle is IMHO a genuinely ugly car, but as I say, it's in the eye of the beholder.

The Model 3 styling is an opportunity lost, but they're there to sell a lot of cars and I'd say their market research says going too far out of the box will reduce sales.

davidcole

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#1813293 5-Jul-2017 15:54

Design costs. And if most electric/phev/hybrids are anything to go by, you don't buy them for their looks. IMO

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kryptonjohn

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#1813295 5-Jul-2017 15:56

Yep - and I reckon Prius, Leaf etc are heinous. It's like they are trying to make a virtue signal out of ugliness.

davidcole

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#1813297 5-Jul-2017 15:57

kryptonjohn:

Yep - and I reckon Prius, Leaf etc are heinous. It's like they are trying to make a virtue signal out of ugliness.

I thought it was done to lower the drag, like the EV1

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kryptonjohn

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#1813298 5-Jul-2017 16:00

OMG looking at that is draining my will to live...

old3eyes

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#1813321 5-Jul-2017 16:11

WyleECoyoteNZ:

And with the way it looks with a face only a mother could love, I'd take one of the German or British rivals.

Hmmm. An Austin Princess EV..

Regards,

Old3eyes

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#1813342 5-Jul-2017 16:22

Heh! The Vauxhall Ampera is hardly a thing of beauty and the BMW i3 would be best described with euphemisms such as 'quirky'.

Do any them offer Autopilot equivalent?

wellygary

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#1813345 5-Jul-2017 16:30

WyleECoyoteNZ:

Therefore, I'd expect a NZ sticker staring somewhere between $67,990.00 - $72,990.00. With options, I'd guess it'll be pushing closer to high 80's to low 90's.

Really, here it needs to be priced and spec'd to match the range topping Mazda 6, Mondeo, Camry and Accord

And with the way it looks with a face only a mother could love, I'd take one of the German or British rivals.

Hyundai's Ioniq essentially sets the new EV price floor at around 60K for a ~30Kwh car, so I would expect T3s to be between 70-90K,

Telsa's biggest problem will be trying not to steal customers that might have looked at an "S" - so its likely not gonna get a battery bigger than 70Kwh...

But by the time they start RHD production, the 2018 Leafs will be around with a ~50-60Kwh battery - So it will be a crowded market, which should help sharpen prices,

WyleECoyoteNZ

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#1813367 5-Jul-2017 17:30

wellygary:

WyleECoyoteNZ:

Therefore, I'd expect a NZ sticker staring somewhere between $67,990.00 - $72,990.00. With options, I'd guess it'll be pushing closer to high 80's to low 90's.

Really, here it needs to be priced and spec'd to match the range topping Mazda 6, Mondeo, Camry and Accord

And with the way it looks with a face only a mother could love, I'd take one of the German or British rivals.

Hyundai's Ioniq essentially sets the new EV price floor at around 60K for a ~30Kwh car, so I would expect T3s to be between 70-90K,

Telsa's biggest problem will be trying not to steal customers that might have looked at an "S" - so its likely not gonna get a battery bigger than 70Kwh...

But by the time they start RHD production, the 2018 Leafs will be around with a ~50-60Kwh battery - So it will be a crowded market, which should help sharpen prices,

Yes, but I'd argue the Ioniq as a family car is a little light on boot space, not suitable for the annual summer holiday touring.

Pricing a Model 3 at the price point of the range topping Mazda 6, Mondeo, Camry and Accord would mean in 2 1/2 - 3 years, they'd be considered affordable (mid 20's early 30's maybe), and give the range.

Coming in at a high price point, it'll be 5 years or so before they're priced at that mid 20's to early 30's maybe with around 60,000km's on them. At that age and km's they're going to be bit of a unknown in what's the battery life like then, the electrics?

Another way to look at is, now you could get a 10 year old Mercedes-Benz S class for $20k-$30k. Would I buy one? Not a chance, at that age the bills are going to be expensive.

IMO I'd bet, the Model 3 will be in a similar position at half the age.

richms

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#1813371 5-Jul-2017 17:55

Only just starting to see the costs of repairs on model s's that are out of warranty now, read a couple of horror stories on them.

Once some more get around the place and other places are working on them will be interesting to see what happens to the repair prices.

Richard rich.ms

afe66

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#1813462 5-Jul-2017 20:48

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder but 400,000 people have put down $US1000 deposits for the Tesla 3 so there must be demand.....

richms

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#1813465 5-Jul-2017 20:51

Some of us put it down as it was fully refundable and if it takes off then the place in the queue is transferable to someone else, who may pay more than the $1000 for it.

Richard rich.ms

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