I mean, the cars are insanely expensive already. I think they're priced to include plenty.
Compare that with the starting prices of the BMW 5-series, $50K (base) to $94K (M5). The Porsche Panamera is $78K to $180K starting price. The Model S has been tested against the Mercedes S550, which starts at $94K.
If you look at the performance of the P85D, especially its horsepower and torque, you arguably get far more for your money than you do with any petrol-powered sedan. It's even quicker than the Panamera Turbo.
I prefer lighter vehicles -- the P85D is 50% heavier than my RWD manual transmission'd sports car -- but if I needed a sedan Tesla would now be my default choice.
Not that being more reliable than a luxury automobile is a huge achievement:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/01/makes-expensive-car...
Cutting edge tech = higher risk. (can be mitigated with engineering discipline)
Small production runs = less time to debug production process, which is a 2 edged sword: higher production costs and more built-in defects.
You do realize that this is a good argument for the Tesla, right? An electric drivetrain is much simpler than a gasoline one, and in a crazy features battle, the S Class trounces a Tesla.
Other mundane repairs include tie rods, exhaust system leaks, and premature brake rotor wear.
On the other hand, in a decade of car ownership (not a huge amount of time, to be sure) I never once had to repair anything relating to the newer features of the car like remote entry, computerized engine control, digital entertainment system, etc. Even on my 2005 GM, which was not the best year for that manufacturer, it was the boring, old, "proven" systems that needed attention.
I now own a Model S and my maintenance/repair worries are almost all about the boring mechanical bits. I already had a sunroof problem where it got jammed (fixed well and without hesitation under warranty, of course) and when I feel like worrying about stuff on the car breaking, I worry about the little motors for power seats or door handles failing, or the hardware that holds the wheels on starting to bend. The fancy systems like the autopilot stuff seem to have nothing that's likely to fail.
Higher production costs and more built-in defects are two liabilities. A suitable alternative in this case would be a "double whammy". More on that idiom: http://english.stackexchange.com/a/132063
Tesla interior/luxury/comfort is astonishingly low. All mid-ranged luxury cars (A6, 5-Series, E-class, etc.) are much, much nicer cars to drive in, and many of the lower end (3 series, C class) have nicer interiors as well.
On a track, though, where weight and handling matter so much, I wonder what the performance would be. The Tesla Model S (Performance Model) and the Tesla Roadster have essentially the same lap time around Laguna Seca as a humble VW Golf and Ford Focus -- and all four are comfortably beaten by a $30K Subaru WRX STi. Source: http://my.teslamotors.com/forum/forums/model-s-laguna-seca-l...
Now that was likely not the P85D, but that model's extra performance will be offset by the extra 300lbs and curb weight of approximately 5000(!) lbs. It may be helped by a more even front/rear weight distribution and AWD. (I admit I've spent the last three days on the track at Laguna Seca, so I may be overly fixated on lap times...)
This is not to take away from Tesla's remarkable accomplishments in such a short time. The P85D is an amazing car.
My personal opinion - this is clearly future. I am glad for early adopters, to support this trend and this particular "disruptive" company, to benefits of us all and our kids.
Present - not so much for me. I run 10 year old 3-litre diesel bmw 3-series, which was dirt cheap few years ago, and costs me nearly nothing to run (oil & xenon light bulbs change). Various state and insurance fees are most of expenses. These cars cannot compete on this segment (higher-middle class sedans), not in fun factor (ie that handling), not in price, not in reach - living in europe, I go quite frequently to road trips of several thousand kms... good luck with charging car along in present europe. It happened to me a few times I almost ran out of gas on remote german highways!
So far, it's luxury city car for me, with vast future potential. As for why I should need a luxury city car, I have no clue...
The electric motors can't dissipate heat that quick, and if the engines are run at "full throttle" for too long it will slow performance significantly to keep from overheating.
In reality this means you can't really complete a lap or 2 of most tracks.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/oneyear/alternative/1404... I coincidentally spoke with a Tesla engineer and explained what had happened. "What you need to do is put the car in something like a big meat locker," he suggested. "Cool it way down first."
Maybe I'm just cheap, but I do think those are all insanely expensive. Even $64k is more than twice the median annual income in the US, and $78-180k will buy you a decent house in most places that aren't SF/LA/DC/NY.
I can't imagine ever wanting to spend that much money on a depreciating asset that's only major benefit over a $10k Honda Civic is as a status symbol.
I do hope that Tesla succeeds in eventually creating affordable, mass-market electric cars, but it's hard for me to get that excited by their current lineup which serves mainly to help rich dudes feel smug about helping the environment.
Some people think that driving is fun and think of having a car that is fun to drive as a major benefit.
I want:
- Comfortable for large people to sit in (I'm 190cm tall).
- Can carry a decent number of people (five being a minimum, more is better... this is why I rejected the Volt as my last car).
- Can carry a decent amount of cargo in addition to 5+ people (this is why I rejected the Ford C-MAX).
- Good fuel efficiency. Prius-level fuel efficiency at a minimum, pure electric is better.
- Good reliability. (Generally the case for most options out there these days, but still important.)
- Good crash safety.
- Fun to drive.
- Affordable.
I'm not too familiar with the Fiesta, but from what I know, it'll hit three of these (fun, reliable, affordable). My last car was a Prius v, which mostly hit all of them except for "fun" (comfort was a bit marginal, there was more than enough room but the seating position was a bit awkward for the driver). When I could afford it, I moved up to the Model S, which hits all marks except for "affordable," and hits most of them better: I can carry 7 people if two of them are small (and they usually are), fuel efficiency is way better, crash safety is among the best, and it's a ton of fun to drive.
It is insanely expensive, and I wish it were cheaper so more people could buy them. But to me, it's worth it.
Yes but their interior, one of the most important parts of a luxury saloon car, is terrible quality. I've been in nicer vans.