We Ordered A Tesla Electric Car

Tesla Model 3 LR

After years of wishing and hoping - yesterday we ordered a 2021 Tesla Electric Car. The specific model is a  Model 3 LR. The LR stands for long range- which means it has the maximum range battery - 360 miles between charges. 

Other features included in the price of the LR package are - full time all wheel drive - two motors - and a whopping 480 horsepower. For the last 50 years my dream car has been a Shelby Cobra sports car with 450 horsepower - but that does not even have air conditioning. 

Since we are going to be away all summer - we have scheduled delivery at the Jacksonville FL dealership in September. We paid a deposit of $100 - then you pay the balance on delivery. The base price of the Model 3 is $35,000. With the options we selected - the list price out the door is $56,000. There is no haggling and after owning 75 cars - this is the first one that I paid the sticker price. That includes $3500 in sales tax. 

We have owned a Nissan Leaf electric car for 7 years - it was like training wheels for this car. The Nissan Leaf when new had a range of 75 miles. It was a quiet and quick little car - I personally drove it to 90 miles per hour. Near the end of our time with it - the range had dropped to 40 miles. We would plug it in - in our garage - and never were stranded for power. The only time it visited a gas station was to buy gasoline for our mower. It was perfect for Lulu to drive to work at FSU. It had an excellent air conditioner that would work with the motor turned off - when Lulu shopped I enjoyed that wonderful AC in hot humid sunshiny Florida. 

We will sell our 2016 Honda Odyssey Van with 27,000 miles upon delivery of this car. Lulu wants to keep the camper for trips. She's the boss - no arguments from me. She likes it for trips to the beach with its toilet and shower. 

There are many other Tesla models that are more expensive. They are the S - 3 - X - Y.  Some folks say that the builder wanted to spell SEXY. That may be true when Lulu drives it - but when I am at the wheel - most onlookers will say - "What a waste of a fine car on that old grayhead!"