Tesla Problems

The most expensive Tesla is currently the Model X P100D sitting at $200,300. Check out our pricing and specs page for more info on the latest model.

If there are any common problems and complaints about Tesla's reliability or faults, they'll likely show up on our Tesla problems page. You can also calculate a car's projected resale value via our price and specs page.  

Tesla is based in the USA, with its factory located in South Fremont, California. As well as being the location for all Tesla's vehicle production, most Tesla car parts are made in the Fremont factory too.

Tesla actually produces its own vehicles in its factory based out of Fremont, California. The first Tesla production car, the original Roadster, was largely manufactured by Lotus in the UK, with the final assembly of US-bound models taking place in California. Roadsters destined for all other markets received final assembly at a facility located near Lotus' Hethel headquarters.

We can understand your feelings about the centrally-mounted screen in the Tesla, though you do get used to it surprisingly quickly.

As for the other models you’ve mentioned, we’ve had to get the crystal ball out to attempt to answer you!

The Polestar 2 will be on sale by the end of 2020, if all goes to plan. The company will be pushing hard to make that happen. 

The VW ID3 is likely not going to be here until 2021, likely the mid or latter part of that year. It certainly has a lot of potential, and with pricing set to start below $50,000, it could well be The People’s (Electric) Car. 

There are other options coming, though it depends on your diary and your budget.

You could consider the Tesla Model S, which may have been around for a while, but that also means it has a more traceable reliability history. It has a digital instrument cluster in the regular spot as well.

Have you looked at the Jaguar i-Pace? It has a claimed range of 470 kilometres, though it is on the pricey side of the equation, starting from about $125,000.

Indeed, a high price tag is a common theme among those EVs with big battery capacity and expansive driving range, because you’re basically covering the cost of the batteries with your money.

For instance, there’s the Audi e-tron quattro, which is due here in early 2020. That model will have a range of “more than 400 kilometres”, and - we suspect - a price tag above $120,000. 

The Mercedes EQC is about to go on sale, too. Range for that mid-size SUV is pegged at about 450 kilometres, but again, you can expect a high price tag.

If 2021 isn’t too long to wait, there’s the Volvo XC40 Recharge coming then. Based on our previous experience with Volvo XC40s, it’ll be a great small SUV, with predicted range of 400km - though we think that’s understating it, because it has a 78kWh battery pack, and it has AWD too.

At the more affordable end - though admittedly still not quite meeting your expectations for range - there’s the very impressive Hyundai Kona Electric, which has a WLTP range of 449km, and a price tag of around $65k. It isn’t all-wheel drive though.

And MG is about to launch a real upstart in the segment, with the ZS EV hitting showrooms soon for $46,990 drive-away, albeit with a range of 262km. It’s also FWD only. 

The Mini Cooper SE will also arrive in mid-2020, with pricing set to be less than $60k. But again, a range of 270km will likely rule it out for your needs, and its 2WD as well.

Another new small EV due next year is the Mazda MX-30. Pricing is still to be confirmed, and range isn’t great at about 300km. It’s FWD too. 

In short, at this point in time - and out towards the end of 2020 - it looks like you’ll either need to spend a big amount of money on a premium EV to get the best range possible, or you’ll have to get used to the Model 3’s screen. You could always get an aftermarket head-up display fitted…

The Tesla Model 3 is available in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive platforms. The AWD and AWD performance models use two motors, one mounted in the front like RWD models but with an extra electric motor in the rear.

Tesla has been publicly traded since 2010. Elon Musk, who has been the CEO of Tesla since 2008, owns almost 20 percent of the company. Jeffrey Straubel, the current CTO, is the second biggest individual shareholder with Tesla’s CFO, Deepak Ahuja, next on the list of biggest shareholders.

In March 2019 Tesla slashed their prices across both the Model S and Model X ranges. The cheapest Tesla is currently the Model S Standard Range with a list price of $115,600. Check out our news story for more info on Tesla's new prices. 

Tesla was named after Nikola Tesla, the man who designed the alternating-current (AC) electric system. The engineering behind his invention is used in Tesla motors today.