Tesla Model 3 Performance (With Price Cut) Compared To BMW M3

How does the electric Tesla stack up against one of the best high-performance gas sedans?

For every vehicle that even remotely wants to call its self a performance machine, it’s always going to be compared with the ultimate performance sedan: the BMW M3. After all, the M3 is one of the best high-performance machines money can buy and the BMW M3 has held that title for several decades.

However, with the advent of the Tesla Model 3 Performance, the M3 may no longer be the only option if you’d like to go with a high-performance sedan for your daily driver.

Below, you will see a chart by SacEV that gives us a rough idea on how these two stacks up against each other. While some of our readers will bring out the torches and pitchforks over this item, the comparison shown below isn’t fair to the BMW M3. After all, the outgoing BMW M3 is a vehicle that was envisioned and released almost 5 years ago. And that, in the automotive world, is considered ancient history.

However, the comparison does paint a pretty good picture on how an electric mid-size sedan stacks up against this ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) performance powerhouse. Clearly, the Model 3 is a newer car and sheer data thrown around doesn’t paint a complete picture. But, overall, it provides us with a solid look at where the world of mid-size performance machines is headed. And with that recent price drop, the Model 3 Performance with standard Upgrade Package now appears even more enticing.

The outgoing generation BMW M3 is powered by a 3.0 liter BMW TwinPower Turbo engine. It delivers 425 horsepower and 486lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a 7-Speed DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) system, allowing for speedy gear changes and impressive power delivery. The M3 can sprint from 0-60mph (0-97km/h) in just 3.9 seconds with some journalists even achieving even lower acceleration times. Overall, the M3 is the benchmark in its price category, as this is one of the best handling cars that money can buy.

The Tesla Model 3 Performance is what most consider a truly electric performance machine. It’s powered by two electric motors, featuring a Dual Electric Motor setup, allowing the Model 3 to sprint from 0-60mph (0-97km/h) in 3.3 seconds. The battery pack will afford the owner with a 310-mile range and the Model 3 will make things interesting both on and off the track.

For the Model 3 Performance, the true test will come once the Bavarian carmaker releases the new BMW G80 M3, slated for a 2020 reveal. However, Tesla is one of the most compelling arguments for a small and nimble battery-powered high-performance machine. And with potential upgrades, it could well be a worthy competitor even for the new generation of the ultimate driving machine later on. Maybe in a few years, we’ll get to crown a new, electric king of performance driving.

That being said, we can’t wait for the Bavarian answer to everything Tesla. Let’s hope it comes soon in the form of a high-performance electric Bimmer.

7 photos

Categories: BMW, Comparison, Tesla

UPS cargo eBike pilot in Seattle

In an effort to address growing traffic congestion and air quality concerns, UPS and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced the deployment of an innovative downtown delivery pilot project using pedal-assist cargo eBikes and customized, modular trailers. The cargo eBikes will operate in the historic Pike Place Market and downtown Seattle area on sidewalks and in designated bike lanes.

While we have launched cycle logistic projects in other cities, this is the first one designed to meet a variety of urban challenges. The modular boxes and trailer allow us to expand our delivery capabilities and meet the unique needs of our Seattle customers. It’s exciting to return to our roots—UPS started in Seattle in 1907 as a bicycle messenger company. We’re looking forward to being able to offer these customizable urban delivery solutions to other cities nationwide.

—Scott Phillippi, UPS senior director of maintenance and engineering, international operations

Developed in collaboration with Silver Eagle Manufacturing using Truck Trikes, the cargo eBike system will have removable cargo containers that are deployed via a specially designed trailer. This “plug and play” design will provide greater flexibility to meet varying delivery needs.

It will also be able to make deliveries to areas conventional delivery trucks can’t access directly and currently require that trucks be parked on the periphery for long periods of time. This will reduce congestion in these areas by reducing truck dwell time, instances of double parking and other unintended consequences associated with downtown deliveries.

UPS partnered with the Seattle Department of Transportation to develop plans for the new pilot program. If successful, UPS will expand the route and consider additional cargo eBike deliveries in other areas of the city. This is the first tailored urban delivery solution to address growing traffic congestion in Seattle’s downtown corridor, and is part of UPS’ Cycle Logistics Solutions that help reduce carbon emissions, noise, and traffic.

The UPS cargo eBike is equipped with a battery-powered electric motor that can travel longer distances than traditional bikes, carry substantial loads and navigate hills and other terrain. The modular, detachable boxes on the trailer can hold up to 400 lbs and have a 95 cubic foot capacity.

The bikes can be operated with human pedal power or battery power, providing drivers with the flexibility they need to navigate changing terrain and energy efficiency.

UPS and the University of Washington Urban Freight Lab will evaluate the cargo eBike’s reliability, design and integration into Seattle’s infrastructure over the next year. The Urban Freight Lab is an initiative that brings together transportation engineers and urban planners who manage public spaces with retailers, freight carriers and technology companies supporting transportation solutions. UPS will share data and analyses from the pilot for assessment against two of the lab’s key objectives: improving first delivery attempts and reducing “dwell time,” both of which should reduce traffic congestion and pollution.

The success of the UPS eBike was first demonstrated in 2012 in Hamburg, Germany (earlier post), and serves as a prototype for the company’s newest cargo eBike in Seattle.

The company also operates inner-city delivery projects with delivery on foot and by bike in more than 30 major cities worldwide, including Leuven and Mechelen, Belgium; Paris and Toulouse, France; Frankfurt, Hamburg, Herne, Offenbach, Oldenburg and Munich, Germany; Dublin, Ireland; Rome and Verona, Italy; and London, UK in addition to the one other eBike previously operating in the United States in Pittsburgh.

Using its “Rolling Laboratory” approach, UPS deploys approximately 9,300 low-emission vehicles worldwide to determine what alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles work best in various routes and duty cycles. This includes all-electric, hybrid electric, hydraulic hybrid, ethanol, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and propane. In Washington, UPS uses 10 electric and hybrid electric vehicles. The cargo eBike is part of a broader UPS strategy to continue to electrify its delivery fleet.

Chevy Bolt EV Survey Hints At Cold Weather Package With Heat Pump

17 HBYWADE MALONE57

Greater EPA range is suggested in the survey as well

Earlier this week, new Chevy Bolt EV owner and chevybolt.org user jvandonsel posted about a survey he received from Chevrolet. The options presented in the survey hinted that a cold weather package might be in the works:

I just took an interesting survey from Chevy asking about cold-weather performance of the Bolt and how much I’d be willing to pay for various cold weather packages.

What’s interesting is that this is a peek into some of the technologies that GM is working on or considering working on. Some of the interesting ones from the survey are:

• Radiant floor heating
• Wiper parking heater
• Heat pump
• Cold weather battery pack
• Heated front windshield

Having only owned my Bolt for a month, I didn’t have much wisdom to impart, but it will be interesting to see how it makes it through its first New England winter.

 But jvandonsel was not the only Bolt owner to receive the survey. Several other members on the site did as well. Forum user cleavet was kind enough to provide screenshots of the survey options:

The Bolt has decent winter range but it can absolutely be improved. A heat pump and heated windshield would surely increase range in cold weather. At moderate winter temperatures many other electric models outperform it in efficiency.

Interestingly, a 300 mile EPA range is listed as well as a 200 mile EPA range. This might materialize as multiple Chevy Bolt battery pack options. Or it could represent a currently unreleased model.

These types of surveys do not guarantee a feature makes it to production. But they can hint towards future product changes.

For instance, in late 2016 and early 2017 several new Bolt owners received a survey on preferred options for a hypothetical user defined maximum charge level.  This feature ended up in the 2019 model year of the Chevy Bolt.

Source: chevybolt.org

Chevy Bolt EV Owners On Rural Texas Ranch: This Car Has Got Guts

“I want to be a cowboy baby! Where my Chevy Bolt’s charged by the sunshine shinin’.”

Harry and Elizabeth Akers are proud new owners of the Chevy Bolt EV. The couple lives in rural Merkel, Texas about 20 miles from Abilene and 200 miles west of Dallas. They own 200 acres of land and 40 cattle on their property.

And now the Bolt is their primary mode of transportation for errands and hauling cargo. So far, Elizabeth Akers loves the range of the Bolt and its 56.6 cu ft of cargo space:

It’s about a 55-mile round trip to pick up feed for the cattle. We got the Bolt EV mainly for that reason—to go into town, run errands, and pick up what we need. We can go into town three times on a single charge, and it’s got more than enough room.

Hauling feed for the cattle or other items they need from town is a daily trip. So the cost of driving to and from town on gas was becoming a burden. Now with their new electric, their fuel comes from geothermal power and a solar panel installation. Hopefully they took advantage of the $2,500 Texas Plug-In rebate as well. The switch to a greener lifestyle is going to pay for itself in no time. According to Harry Akers:

The numbers just made sense when I looked at what we’d save with the Bolt EV. Bottom line is that we invest in things that reinvest in us, and we can put the money we’re saving back into things we want to do—like going on vacation and taking cruises.

The long range of the Bolt means a trip to Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin/San Antonio and Midland/Odessa are all more than do-able thanks to their centralized location. As charging infrastructure fills in, travel will become even easier. In fact, the Akers purchased their Bolt from Classic Chevrolet in Grapevine, TX near Dallas. The dealership is well known for Electric Avenue, a section dedicated solely to sale of hybrid and plug-in vehicles.

But it’s not just the energy savings, range and cargo capacity the couple appreciates. The electric Chevy is also fun to drive. Of the vehicle’s performance, Harry says “This car’s got all kind of guts to it.”

Thanks to electrics like the Tesla Model 3 and Chevy Bolt, people all over are starting to see the value of electric cars.

Source: New Roads Magazine

60-kWh Nissan LEAF Price Possibly Revealed In Dealer Documents

May begin shipping early in 2019

If you like the Nissan LEAF, but were put off by its current 40-kWh battery, you may soon be in luck. A bigger, better battery option is coming if you don’t mind a bit of a price hike. The base version of the current car (no pun intended), with its EPA range rating of 151 miles boasts an MSRP of $29,990. When it debuts sometime next year, the upgraded 60-kWh version may well cost an additional $5,500, which would bring its starting price to $35,400 (excluding destination and handling charges, tax, title, license, and options).

The numbers come to us from Alex Bernstein, the senior pricing analyst at CarsDirect, who has seen Nissan’s preliminary pricing sheets. His calculations show the longer-range LEAF will more effectively take on the Chevy Bolt (starting MRSP $36,620), or more importantly, the base (and still unavailable) $35,000 Tesla Model 3.

Bernstein offers up some other interesting projections as well. The 60-kWh variant, which he claims will return 225 miles of range — a 50-percent bump, may be available early in 2019. According to the analyst, production of the bigger pack will begin in January, which would likely see the higher-spec car arriving at stores sometime in the first quarter.

Besides range, the optional 60-kWh pack may provide other benefits. Expected to feature a temperature management system (TMS) with liquid cooling, the new battery may negate a limitation the 40-kWh pack suffers from. Popularly referred to as Rapidgate, the car will throttle back charging speeds after being successively plugged into DC fast charge stations. This can increase charge times considerably, making long distance journeys inconvenient.

Speaking of faster charging, the new battery option could increase the amount of energy the car can handle from stations, allowing it to suck up electrons at a rate of 102 kW, which would seriously reduce charging times at DC fast charge stations capable of dishing out the higher flow.

Also, a pack with active temperature control may decrease the rate of capacity degradation, especially in hot climates. This means the range of the vehicle will decrease more slowly over time. Not only will this increase the confidence of owners, but it may also improve resale prices, as prospective buyers will worry less about the need to replace the pack, at considerable expense.

All we can say is, bring it on!

 Nissan LEAF

42 photos

Source: CarsDirect

What does Tesla’s surge mean for the EV market?

Tesla has, as of September 30, sold more than 78,000 Model 3s in the United States. If fourth quarter 2018 sales can match third quarter (and there is no reason to think they won’t), then Tesla Model 3 sales for 2018 would stand at 132,000. Oh, and for September, the Model 3 is the fifth best-selling car in the United States.

Tesla Model 3

Does this change things?

This is a serious question. For many years, EV enthusiasts and industry experts longed for an electric car that would change the EV market and push the electric car up the proverbial hockey stick adoption curve. Our last hope came in the form of the 238-mile Chevy Bolt, but the Bolt has only sold 11,800 units this year and only 35,600 total. Likewise, the second generation Nissan LEAF, with it’s 150-mile battery pack, has only garnered 21,900 units sold to date. Both of these long-range battery electrics certainly increased overall EV sales substantially, but neither proved to be game-changers in terms of expanding the EV market. In fact, Chevrolet has seen a dip in Volt sales since the introduction of the Bolt EV, indicating that the latter may be cannibalizing sales of the former.

Chevy Bolt EV

Likewise, the first few months of Model 3 sales weren’t encouraging. Amid production issues, Model 3 deliveries between January and June of this year seemed to put its total yearly sales on track to be comparable to the Model S, meaning the Model 3 would be yet another incremental increase in overall EV sales. Then July’s delivery numbers came back: over 14,000. August was even better: over 17,000. September blew both of those number out of the water with over 22,000 Model 3s in driveways. At the same time, Model S and Model X deliveries have maintained consistent numbers.

What the Model 3 really represents is proof of the mass-market viability of electric cars. A car company can build 100,000 electric cars per year and actually sell them—granted, the car is a good product that is well-publicized. GM already admits that current Bolt EV sales are limited primarily by supply, not demand, and in March announced plans to increase production of the car to at least 30,000 units per year. But let’s put that into perspective—Tesla will likely deliver that many cars this month.

Now that’s not to say that Teslas are the best EVs. Ultimately, Alt Energy Autos wants as many electric cars on the road as possible, because we know that all EVs are just better cars. They’re better for your wallet, for our air, and they’re just plain fun to drive. With the upcoming launch of the 258-mile Hyundai Kona Electric and the over 250-mile Kia Niro EV, both all-electric compact SUVs, there is again major potential for a massive increase in electric vehicle sales. Both of these vehicles are projected to cost between $30,000 and $40,000, and compact SUVs are the fastest growing auto segment of 2018. These two affordable long-range all-electric entrants look poised to be big hits with the American car-buying public; but until automakers are serious about selling these amazing vehicles, 20,000-30,000 units per month serious, the sales of EVs will continue to be stifled by availability.

Upcoming 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric

If major automakers are still asking the question, “If we build them, will they come?” then the Model 3 conclusively answers, “Yes—and if you don’t build them, someone else will.”