All Tesla cars work very well. But the real virtue of this American brand lies not in what they do better than others but in everything that others are not even offering.
1.- Upgrades
New features every few years. That is what wireless or OTA -Over The Air- updates allow. This is something that conventional brands are beginning to offer, but in which Tesla is a pioneer. They can update all the car’s control units remotely to resolve bugs, improve functions, add new features, and be completely free of charge. For example, a recent update of the Model 3 increased the maximum power by 5%.
2.- Autopilot
They ‘almost’ drive themselves. In reality, the Autopilot function only regulates the speed and keeps the car in the lane, but it works much better than other manufacturers’ systems. Moreover, in the U.S., the Navigate on Autopilot function can autonomously make lane changes to take detours from one highway to another, following a route previously programmed in the navigator. And in the next update, it will be able to detect traffic lights and warn if we will skip one.
Tesla’s most sophisticated Autopilot uses eight cameras to capture images of everything around the car, which is processed in an artificial vision system. Currently, Tesla’s are the only cars that are aware of their surroundings. The idea is that a Tesla bought today will be able to operate autonomously in the future.
3.- Superchargers
Tesla’s network of fast chargers makes it possible to travel throughout most of Europe. In them, a Model 3 is charged to 80% in 25 minutes. In other words, it gains autonomy at a rate of 720 km/h.
4.- The 2170 Cells
The Panasonic cells used by Tesla in its batteries offer more energy density than those of other manufacturers, resulting in the batteries with the best energy/weight ratio on the market -166 Wh/kg, 50% more than that of a Hyundai Ioniq EV-, which allows the construction of batteries of greater capacity and lighter. Moreover, their degradation is prolonged, losing about 7% of power in the first 250,000 km.
5.- Electronics
The use of silicon carbide chips makes it possible to improve the inverter’s efficiency, which is the device that powers the electric motors from the energy of the battery. The Model 3 uses this technology, which was reserved for competition models such as Formula E single-seaters, which allows consumers to be reduced a little to go further.
6.-Functions
From keeping your pet cool inside to a function that will allow the car to start, get out of the parking space, approach you, and follow your mobile like a puppy. And of course, knowing where your vehicle is, opening it remotely, listening to your favorite music just by asking for it, uff seem from another world.
7.- Easter Eggs
Although many of us do not think it is essential, others love the fact that you can play video games on the central screen, that the ‘romantic mode’ simulates the fire of a fireplace -including the crackling of the fire- or that the sound system simulates wind in different shades and spatial locations. It is a detail especially compared to other manufacturers that hardly manage to translate well into Spanish the menus of their multimedia systems.
8.- The Big Screen
It serves to control everything, although that is not a drawback because it has better resolution and response time than any screen ever mounted in a car. Therefore, everything is simple and instantaneous. When a touch system works this well, you discover that buttons are not so important.
9.- The Card
The Model 3 opens with that RFID card. Besides, the card can be used to program up to 19 cell phones to function as keys for the car. You can buy a conventional key in the shape of a stroller, but, honestly, the opening by cell phone works flawlessly. The vehicle opens, starts, and locks itself with exquisite precision.
10.- The Chassis
A lightweight multi-material chassis, combining all kinds of steel with aluminum parts and using a lot of ultra-high-strength steel, is one of the hardest things in the world to do. That Tesla nailed the Model 3’s on the first try, with no help or prior experience, is spectacular. The result is a well under two tons in weight, thanks to which it can go many more miles, but it also requires that only certified and experienced Tesla body shops near me can fix it properly in the event of a crash.
If you wish, there are Tesla body shops near me that can help you customize your Tesla, making it stand out even more from the rest.