EVs, I’ve had a few. Or rather, test driven a few. But I was particularly excited for this one. And going from the sublime to the ludicrous, the Tesla Model 3 Performance does not disappoint.
First off the blocks, let’s look at pedal power.
Here’s the sublime bit… the anticipation of slowing down, and then pressing the right foot on the accelerator is hard to equal… the result is more Space X than mere passenger car. Although actually, there’s nothing mere about it. The Model 3 wins hands down in the performance stakes, as its nomenclature suggests. My son’s grin and my daughter’s “Whoop” said it all. And I got told off for yelling out “flippin’ heck!” on reaching 60mph in almost no time at all.
Personal taste and user experience dictates whether the control system on the touch screen works for you.
As with most things in life, it’s easy when you know how. You can use the screen for pretty much everything, from shifting into drive, reverse or parking mode, to managing the cooling and the heating – from heated or cooled front seats, to heating the back seats, and heated steering wheel. Could I fathom out how to turn down the temperature though? No. I found this frustrating; something that should be simple, and I was bamboozled by the superior intelligence of the car!
We had fun trying to lock the car. Unable to access the app and control it from there, the key card came to the rescue. It took my son’s friend, and then my ten year old daughter, to figure out that you need to tap the key card just so on the mid panel between the doors on the outside of the car. Easy – when you have the Tesla know-how.
On comfort, I could feel the road more than in my usual trusty EV steed.
This is undoubtedly down to the fact that this car is, by any other name, a sports car. Overall though, as a 5ft 5” woman, the driving position was supportive, even on those more exhilarating moments of acceleration. And cup holders – plenty enough cup holders to appease my daughter’s cup holding requirements, plus there’s ample room for storage and luggage.
Much fun was to be had navigating through the more eclectic features on the touchscreen, including the ‘emissions testing mode’ (if you know, you know), and drawing mode. Proud Mum moment when my daughter wrote ‘100% green’ on the screen.
Charging was a breeze, both at home and out and about.
I topped up at the Tesla Superchargers at Flint Mountain – easy as plug in and start charging. I also plugged in to the impressive new Osprey Charging hub at Billy Jean’s Cafe, just off the A55 in North Wales. Great location and had a good chat with a fellow EV driver, who swooned over the colour of the Tesla.
In summary, what a brilliant car. And retailing at just shy of £60,000, if you are in the market for a phenomenally sporty and responsive EV, this could just be the one for you.
