Say you have about $40,000 to spend on a new electric car. Despite a recent spate of compelling choices popping up at that price point,is the elephant that won't leave the room.
Of course, our Model 3's not-final price is inflated by optional Full Self Driving , Tesla's ambitiously named, ambitious software that helps the sedan navigate highways and even city streets on its own, but under driver supervision. On the outgoing 3, this feature—which still isn't ready for prime time and is technically in beta, meaning customers are testing it in real time, on public roads—costs $12,000.
This swings the pendulum back against the Prime in more ways than one. The Prime's onboard lithium-ion battery isn't that large, so you'd think it might charge quicker. But alas, the built-in charger is slow, maxing out at 16 amps and 3.5 kW. Even with its so-so 170-kW peak charging speed, the Model 3 can still get from 5 to 80 percent charge in 33 minutes on a Supercharger.