Tesla Model 3 takes to the Aussie super highway

Tesla, that torch bearer of the digital disruption age, has never been far from the headlines since it lobbed in Australia in late-2014.

With a divisive visionary for a leader, a veil of secrecy around sales and a series of false delivery promises and real financial losses, these headlines are usually created around controversy… and that’s a pity.

Since the first Model S won the 2015 carsales car of the year, the products have been continuously refined. Advances in battery technology, as well as cool tech such as ‘over the air’ updating, Autopilot and even on-screen entertainment while charging, have kept Tesla feeling fresh.

In the new Model 3, Tesla now has a player set to disrupt those German sedan stalwarts – the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

The Model 3’s $66,000 entry point for the Standard Range Plus rear-wheel drive variant featured here sets it in the pricing ballpark of its illustrious rivals for the first time… but can it provide the same polish in the real world?

For your mid-$60K outlay, the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus can apparently see you travel up to 460km… however, that is according to the outdated NEDC bench test. Under the more accurate WLTP standard, that figure drops to 409km.

Tesla has moved away from talking battery capacity, instead referring to Standard Range Plus and Long Range models for the Australian market. Back when the Model 3 was announced, Elon Musk himself said capacity would be 50kWh for the base and 75kW for the Long Range, with estimates of 62kWh for the Standard Range Plus we’re in being reported.

Long Range variants gain a dual-motor, all-wheel drive system and up the WLTP ante to a claimed 560km, or 530km if the Performance box is ticked.

We wound out of Richmond’s urban jungle and headed for the Hume with a full charge, setting the navigation system to our Albury overnight destination… and it became apparent that while numbers can be jumbled to suit on paper, the on-road reality tells the truth: We were not going to complete our 335km trip without stopping.

The intuitive navigation system did a wonderful job of explaining we would be at negative two per cent if we attempted a non-stop trip, so re-routed us via the small town of Euroa – 175km into the drive – and its recently-installed supercharger network.

We rolled onto the non-descript, open gravel car park in Euroa where six unused supercharger bays sat.

Capable of charging at up to 120kW (though we saw a maximum of 100kW), the Tesla’s system told us we should aim for a minimum 25 minute top-up, which allowed us time to ‘visit the facilities’ and load up on lunch.

Upon returning to the vehicle, we decided to let it charge a little longer and explore the in-built entertainment Tesla offers.

Of particularly juvenile fun was the ‘Emissions Testing Mode’, effectively an electronic whoopee cushion that you can ‘move’ under the seat of your choice. The range of windy sounds, played through the speakers, is impressive and can be programmed to go off whenever the indicator is used… a possible distraction at speed.

While a break during a long drive can be seen as a positive, it served to demonstrate that, while the EV infrastructure network is expanding in Australia, you are still very limited in terms of efficient charging stops on trips like these.

Euroa remained the only option en route to Albury, without taking a substantial diversion, and it is this – as well as the relative time taking to charge over refuelling a conventional car – that remains a hurdle to leap for the EV movement.

Vehicle, photographer and journalists recharged, we headed back onto the Hume’s vast black tarmac ribbon.

With the Active Cruise at 110km/h, the Model 3 performed admirably in NVH terms at this speed, its aerodynamic shape smoothing the airflow and good sound insulation largely isolating the cabin from wind and road noise. The stereo system’s quality was able to come to the forefront in this environment, delivering crisp sound and straightforward connectivity with our smartphones.

Of more concern was the somewhat random reaction of the Model 3’s safety systems.

On occasion we would try to provoke a response from the Lane Keeping Assist, only for it to allow us to straddle the solid white line of the inside lane without intervention; at other times it would function perfectly, sensing wander across broken lines along the dual carriageway and applying steering correction.

Coming into a small depression onto a bridge, with a change of surface colour thrown in for good measure, the Tesla braked itself with a violence that pushed my colleague Nadine forward against the belts.

Traffic on a slightly uphill stretch would trigger a speed reduction at an earlier juncture than if the road was flat and, while the car would slow down to respond to speed sign updates, higher speed limits would require driver intervention to move back up to speed.

We also sampled Autopilot, which seemed to settle into a groove at around 80km/h, allowing up to one minute-long sections of zero driver input, though around town it required a leap of faith to trust it could manage, say, a dual lane roundabout without a lane separator.

Without the complete functionality (lane change, for example) seen in the United States, Autopilot remains in beta mode in Australia, and you can understand why.

Despite these niggles, the Tesla proved a pleasant cruiser, though the lack of any regenerative braking opportunity – and little in the way of off-throttle regen time – meant the battery inexorably drained charge.

This demands a mind shift, as traditional combustion engines consume less energy at a cruise than around town, where EVs can use stop-start motoring to replenish. Even pulling off the Hume, easing off the throttle in the standard regeneration setting (you can also set it to low for a less strong off-throttle deceleration) before braking firmly into an intersection was able to ping the battery capacity up one per cent on the control screen.

Safely on our accommodation’s older Tesla charger (which struggled to hit 5kW), we considered the Model 3 from a practicality perspective, as it was about to be challenged further: our camera car had a puncture, which necessitated a three-up return trip with overnight bags and extensive camera gear to boot.

The Model 3 really surprised with its response, able to comfortably fit us in, its flat floor, wide boot and extra storage where a front-mounted combustion engine would traditionally sit showcasing strong family appeal.

It’s not just the amenity that appeals. The quality of fit and finish has lifted and feels premium, the cabin is light and airy with its tinted glass roof, the interior is different enough without compromising ergonomics and the exterior looks modern without that geeky awkwardness several EVs and hybrids have displayed in the past.

At $66,000 it also makes a mockery of recent hybrid options such as the $70,000-plus BMW 330e, with its 30-odd kilometre real-world electric range and compromised luggage space. And compared to the $50,000 ask for a Nissan LEAF, the Tesla’s presence, performance and value proposition are compelling.

Without the need to change gears or rev an engine, detractors cite the lack of emotional attachment to Tesla when driving for fun.

The following morning we therefore headed to Lake Hume to explore the Tesla 3’s capability in the twists.

At a claimed 1611kg kerb weight, the Standard Range Plus is lighter than you may have expected, the battery weight sat low in the chassis to minimise the centre of gravity.

With instant torque on-tap and the Model 3’s ability to regenerate energy when lifting off the throttle, it took some adjustment to driving technique, but it proved highly satisfying once acclimatised.

Refreshingly linear steering response, strong grip from the 235/45/R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres and that sheer accelerative punch made for an entertaining drive, only the brake pedal pressure’s slight inconsistency cause for criticism.

You do become aware of the centralised mass with more steering lock applied, but again this is more about driver familiarity and understanding the response.

There’s little doubt the rate of progress in terms of battery capability, infrastructure, mapping and self-driving technology will deliver a complete solution in deploying EV technology in Australia… eventually.

Although far improved, there is still an air of early adopter feel around the Tesla Model 3, and these reservations are centred as much around the lack of infrastructure as the car’s own technologies.

From this writer’s perspective, there are no more barriers around price and value for money, and the driving fun factor is definitely there. In practicality terms, the Tesla Model 3 also shines.

Roadblocks remain, however, in terms of real-world range, charging infrastructure and recharge times once you do find somewhere to replenish. The in-car entertainment might be fantastic, but until the Melbourne to Albury trip – an easy amble in most combustion vehicles, or a quick fuel stop if required – detractors will have something to complain about.

There’s also a pervading sense that the car is almost too smart for its own good, its driving assistance systems beyond what current mapping data and camera capability can provide. As these technologies continue to evolve, this feeling will ease.

In 2019, the Tesla Model 3 is a strongly viable alternative to its premium sedan competition. In 2020 and beyond, its stature can only grow further. It will be intriguing to see what the competition does in response.

How much does the 2019 Tesla Model 3 cost?
Price: $66,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: Electric motor, 50kWh battery
Output: 225kW
Transmission: Single-speed, reduction gear
Range: 460km (NEDC)
Storage: 425 litres
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP (2019)