Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD – 2019 – 168,191 km – Clock Around

Pieter Schraverus is a car enthusiast through and through, as evidenced by the manual BMW Z4 3.0i that he sometimes drives on sunny days. “After my first car, a Nissan Micra, a row of faster hot hatchbacks followed, including a Peugeot 205 GTI. Then came the lease cars, usually fairly fast turbo diesels with a red i.” Because of three children, larger cars came to the Schraverus home, such as an Opel Vectra Station 2.2 DTI, followed by Volvo V70s.

After the youngtimer Volvo V70, a Tesla Model 3

His first own car as an entrepreneur was a youngtimer, another Volvo V70, but the wonderful 2.5T. Pieter: “A great car, but I was running out of fuel costs at 40,000 kilometers per year. That’s when I decided to purchase the Tesla Model 3.” He was already somewhat familiar with electric driving after a ride with a BMW i3 and became even more enthusiastic about a good friend’s Tesla Model S. “I ordered the Model 3 in advance. I saw it in real life for the first time in 2018, which was in New York. More than a year and a half before the official introduction, I made a down payment of a thousand euros, which turned out not to be necessary. Anyway, at the beginning of 2019 I was one of the first to drive a Model 3 in the Netherlands.”

The episode did not deserve the beauty prize in Pieter’s eyes. He could pick up the car and the papers somewhere on an industrial estate, without any frills and without a manual. Together with a group of Model 3 drivers, he started an app group to share experiences and answer questions.

This early Model 3 had no teething problems

Admittedly, just under 170,000 kilometers is not much for this category, normally the bar is considerably higher. Still, we invited Pieter, because his Model 3 is an early one. Moreover, there are not many driving around with truly astronomical odometer readings. Did this copy suffer from teething problems? “I don’t think a Tesla Model 3 is the best quality car when it comes to the finish,” he says. “You shouldn’t compare this with a BMW, Audi or whatever. On the other hand, apart from two new wishbones, I have never had anything to do with the car. Funny: when I was waiting at Tesla during that repair, there were five other fellow sufferers with the same problem. There was a lawyer among them who suggested filing a joint claim, but I had no need for that.”

Tesla mechanic at home

Furthermore, the Tesla is free of rattles and squeaks and in that respect the quality is very good according to Pieter. “During delivery I asked about maintenance and was told that the car itself indicates this.” After three years he had the brake fluid checked, on Tesla’s advice. “A Tesla service technician does this at home. He measured the fluid and it turned out not to be necessary to replace it. If I could change one thing it would be the automatic windshield wipers. These really perform poorly and react either too slowly or immediately go to ADHD mode, which is extremely irritating. Even my twenty-year-old BMW does that better.”

Residual value decreases

Five years old (the 4 percent addition is passé), almost 170,000 on the clock; what about the battery and degradation in particular? And how much of that 530 km WLTP is feasible? “I have not had a real test done, I rely on my own experiences,” says Pieter. “The maximum I have ever achieved is 460 kilometers.” He says he doesn’t notice much about relegation. “It will perhaps be about thirty kilometers less than in the beginning. This does not bother you in daily practice and within the Netherlands a range of around four hundred kilometers is more than sufficient.”

He almost always charges at home, there are twenty solar panels on Pieter’s roof, usually up to a maximum of 80 percent, because this is better for the battery. According to him, long holiday trips are no problem at all, then with a Tesla you have an advantage thanks to the network of superchargers in combination with a navigation system that maps out the route including charging stops for you. “Driving in the mountains is absolutely fantastic. Not only because of the enormous power, but perhaps even more because of the descent and recovery.” In Switzerland he once started at the top of the mountain with 30 percent battery capacity and once at the bottom it was almost 60 percent. “That alone makes an EV very efficient. I was shocked by the trade-in offer when I inquired about a Model Y. This is now good news for buyers, you can get a handsome Model 3 for around 25 grand. Mine has now been transferred from the business to private, due to the addition. I hope to enjoy it for a long time, I will definitely have that coolant leak checked.”

Owner of Tesla Model 3

Name Pieter Schraverus
Construction year of yourself 1971
residence Oisterwijk
Profession Freelance Business Consultant
First car Nissan Micra 1983, bright yellow
Previous car Volvo V70 2.5T
What would you like to change about your car? “The operation of the automatic windshield wipers and a little more space.”
What is your longest trip with this car? “Tuscany, back even in one go, charging for fifteen minutes every 250 km.”

Maintenance history

Tesla does not prescribe maintenance raids and that results in truly bizarrely low maintenance costs. Or better yet: no maintenance costs. Until now, this has been limited to a set of new front wishbones (€415, partly for good measure) and a set of new tires.

What’s wrong with it?

• Window rubber on the front left squeaks when the window is opened
• Front right door catch snaps when opening the door
• Minimal moisture/condensation in the lamps
• Many leaves in the suction opening of the ventilation system
• Cooling water level well below normal level
• The lower control arm rubbers of the front suspension (front) are starting to crack considerably
• Front drive unit sweats minimal oil
• Small rust edge on the inside of the front brake discs
• Rear tires are decreasing (around 3 mm)

The opinion of Carrec Technocenter

“I’ll keep my personal opinion about Tesla to myself for a change. Furthermore, not really a Klokje Rond-worthy car, and therefore few deviations were found. The only major and somewhat worrying deviation is the low coolant level. That deserves attention.”