Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      Wi-Fi or mobile? Tug-of-war over 6GHz intensifies

      25 June 2025

      War of words erupts over home affairs database fee hike

      24 June 2025

      Don’t expect Starlink in South Africa anytime soon

      24 June 2025

      Finally! Tribunal unpacks why it blocked Vodacom’s Vumatel deal

      24 June 2025

      Samsung to unveil new folding phones at July event

      24 June 2025
    • World

      Russia to launch state-backed rival to WhatsApp

      25 June 2025

      Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines hits $10-billion valuation

      24 June 2025

      Watch | Starship rocket explodes in setback to Musk’s Mars mission

      19 June 2025

      Trump Mobile dials into politics, profit and patriarchy

      17 June 2025

      Samsung plots health data hub to link users and doctors in real time

      17 June 2025
    • In-depth

      Meta bets $72-billion on AI – and investors love it

      17 June 2025

      MultiChoice may unbundle SuperSport from DStv

      12 June 2025

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025

      Digital fortress: We go inside JB5, Teraco’s giant new AI-ready data centre

      30 May 2025

      Sam Altman and Jony Ive’s big bet to out-Apple Apple

      22 May 2025
    • TCS

      TechCentral Nexus S0E3: Behind Takealot’s revenue surge

      23 June 2025

      TCS | South Africa’s Sociable wants to make social media social again

      23 June 2025

      TCS+ | AfriGIS’s Helen Hulett on how tech can help resolve South Africa’s water crisis

      18 June 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E2: South Africa’s digital battlefield

      16 June 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E1: Starlink, BEE and a new leader at Vodacom

      8 June 2025
    • Opinion

      South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

      17 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025

      Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

      13 June 2025

      South Africa risks being left behind as stablecoins reshape global finance

      6 June 2025

      Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

      2 June 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CambriLearn
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SevenC
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » In-depth » The Tesla Model 3 changes everything

    The Tesla Model 3 changes everything

    By Agency Staff31 July 2017
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    If you’ve ever driven Tesla’s flagship vehicle — the US$140 000 Model S P100D — you’ve experienced an unparalleled version of driving power. Zero to 100km/h in 2.3s punches you back in the seat while making the stomach turn somersaults. Some people live for that feeling. I’m not one of them.

    Sure, driving a fully loaded electric beast is as thrilling as the fiercest roller coaster — but not everyone wants their daily commute to be the Kingda Ka. After taking one of the first drives of Tesla’s new Model 3 last week, I came away thinking that CEO Elon Musk has finally delivered an electric car for the everyday road tripper like me.

    The Model 3 still has plenty of pickup, effortlessly jumping from zero to 100km/h in 5.1s in the upgraded version I test drove, which gets a stunning 500km on a charge. It’s nimble, comfortable, and has tight steering that’ll keep you grinning. The seats embrace you in a gentle hug that feels a bit more geared for road trip than racetrack. It’s the Model S on a diet, making up in practicality what it loses in extravagance.

    And I haven’t even got to the good stuff yet.

    The car doesn’t have a key, or a key fob. Instead it syncs to your phone through a Bluetooth connection and will automatically unlock as you approach

    The fact that this car still looks, drives and feels like a Tesla — at a starting price of $35 000 — shows how far the Silicon Valley car maker has come. It’s still an expensive vehicle for many of Tesla’s biggest fans, and compelling options packages will drag a lot of stretch spenders into uncomfortable territory. But at current battery prices, Tesla is setting a new standard for value in an electric car — which of course was Musk’s plan all along.

    The minute you approach the Model 3, you realise you’re in for a new sort of car experience. The elegant, flush door handles swivel into your palm with the light press of a thumb. The ethereal swoop of metal feels surprisingly solid.

    The car doesn’t have a key, or a key fob. Instead it syncs to your phone through a Bluetooth connection and will automatically unlock as you approach. The backup in case your phone dies or you need to hand it off to a valet is a thin key card that you can keep in your wallet. Swipe it on the car’s B pillar to unlock it, and place it on the centre console to turn the car on.

    Stepping inside the cabin, I quickly realised that my assumptions had been all wrong. I’ve seen a lot of spy shots of Model 3 prototypes online, and the interiors always appeared to be flat, spartan and lifeless. Not so. The lack of gauges on the narrow dash is refreshing. The solid strip of open-pore wood gives the space warmth, and the glass roof makes the the cabin feel like an atrium. The forward field of vision — uninterrupted by knobs, lights and levers — is expansive.

    Tesla is getting better at building cars. Unlike early versions of the Model S and X, the Model 3 is built to be a daily driver, with plenty of cupholders, door pockets and console storage. The materials of the arm rests and doors feel ready for abuse. And the stitched synthetic material used for the premium seats is different than leather, but not inferior.

    Shots fired

    BMW and Mercedes should be concerned. This automobile is clearly targeting their market. Since Musk handed over keys to the first 30 cars on Friday, I’ve heard a lot of people trying to compare the Model 3 to GM’s all-electric Chevy Bolt (known as the Opel Ampera-e in Europe). Even though they’re similarly priced and both run on batteries, the parallel ends there. The Bolt is an economy gasoline car that’s been electrified; the Model 3 is — something altogether different.

    Tesla aims to sell 500 000 electric cars next year. In order to succeed, it will have to tear down the artificial distinction between a “car buyer” and an “electric-car buyer” and go straight at the heart of the $35 000 sedan class: the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The Model 3 is Musk’s missile for this target.

    “We finally have a great, affordable electric car — that’s what this day means,” Musk said as he unveiled the Model 3. “I’m really confident this will be the best car in this price range, hands down. Judge for yourself.”

    The Model 3 comes in two battery types: standard and long range. In a break from the past, Tesla wouldn’t disclose the size of its two battery packs. Instead, going forward, the vehicles will be identified by the miles they can drive on a charge, and the cars will lose their exterior badges that indicate battery size and premium performance options.

    From the outside, a $35 000 Model 3 will look no different than a $57 000 fully loaded version. The company plans to make the same transition with its Model S and Model X platforms later.

    Game changer

    The bigger battery is a game changer. Only one other electric car in the world has broken the 500km range barrier: the most expensive version of Tesla’s Model S, an ultra-luxury car that starts at $97 500. The new Model 3 has cheaper range for the money than the current record holder, the $37 500 Bolt, which is outclassed by the Model 3 in virtually every category.

    Each year the battle for cheap range gets a little bit more intense.

    Another indicator of Tesla’s battery and efficiency improvements is its weight. It’s only 68kg more than the Mercedes C-Class, even though it’s actually a smidge bigger and has more passenger and boot space. Five years ago, that would have been impossible.

    The Model 3 has a lot of room for a car its size, and the space is put to good use. With my legs fully extended in the passenger seat, a six-foot tall man still had room to sit comfortably behind me

    The Model 3 has a lot of room for a car its size, and the space is put to good use. With my legs fully extended in the passenger seat, a six-foot tall man still had room to sit comfortably behind me.

    The car has the best storage room in its class — 420 cubic decimetres divided between the front and rear boots. For anyone hoping to use the Model 3 as their sole means of transportation, the biggest hang-up might be the boot opening.

    I brought a tape measure with me, and the opening measured 47cm tall and 107cm at its widest. That’s pretty standard for a small sedan, which is to say, not great. Most Americans have grown accustomed to larger SUVs and crossovers, and the utilitarian hatchback has been embraced by Europeans for ages.

    But let’s get back to the driving. As I hit a gently twisting road near Tesla’s factory, where the launch party for employees would later be held, I briefly flipped on Tesla’s Autopilot. The road lanes were poorly marked, but the car had no problem smoothly tracking its course and slowing when traffic demanded it.

    Tesla made an interesting choice to add Autopilot to the car’s main shifter. Flick it down twice, and Autopilot engages. It feels more integrated with the regular flow of driving. Autopilot has come a long way in recent weeks, but still has a long way to go for Tesla to justify the $8 000 it’s been charging since October for Autopilot and a set of yet-unseen features called “Full Self-Driving Capability”.

    Camping

    Last year, I wrote about a subculture of Tesla drivers who go camping in the back of their cars. It sounds crazy at first, but the car’s massive battery can maintain perfectly controlled climate all night while only losing about 7% of the car’s range. With the glass canopy overhead and the view of the stars, it’s a great way to enjoy national parks without the bother of a campsite. I tried it myself and loved it.

    With the new Model 3, there’s great news for those Tesla campers and others who like to haul long cargo. The seats of the Model 3 fold completely flat, and with the front seats in their most forward position, the back bed measures an impressive 206cm. This is a car that’s dying to be slept in.

    The seats of the Model 3 fold completely flat, and with the front seats in their most forward position, the back bed measures an impressive 206cm

    I asked Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer responsible for the Models S, X and 3, what are his favourite design elements of the Model 3. He didn’t mention the curves and angles, the elegant fold-in door handles or the maximal use of space — all great design accomplishments in their own right.

    Instead he talked about the “ambiance of the car”—the “beautiful, clean, minimalistic interior that will let you focus on the driving”.

    “The interior is nothing like any other car out there,” Von Holzhausen said. “It’s incredibly advanced” and “will age gracefully”.

    For a person who hasn’t seen the car, that’s probably a vague and unsatisfying answer. But having driven it, ridden as a passenger and climbed all over the back seat and trunk trying to take its measure for a future camping trip, I really couldn’t have said it better myself.  — Reported by Tom Randall, (c) 2017 Bloomberg LP



    Elon Musk Model 3 Tesla Tesla Model 3 top
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleWe test drove Tesla’s Model 3
    Next Article Great tips to extend your phone’s battery life

    Related Posts

    Tesla shares soar after first robo-taxi rides hit the road

    24 June 2025

    Starlink launches in Lesotho amid US tariff threat

    24 June 2025

    Watch | Starship rocket explodes in setback to Musk’s Mars mission

    19 June 2025
    Company News

    LEO satellite industry is on the horns of a dilemma

    25 June 2025

    Africa’s power industry bolsters digitalisation with Huawei

    25 June 2025

    Communication costs exploding? Telviva has a fix for UK-SA teams

    24 June 2025
    Opinion

    South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

    17 June 2025

    AI and the future of ICT distribution

    16 June 2025

    Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

    13 June 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.