Tesla: Do the Cons Outweigh the Pros?

It’s electric! (boogie woogie woogie woogie)

The dawn of a new age is upon us – the EV age, that is. The “EV” initials most commonly stand for “electric vehicle.” Today, they’re all the rage. The pros seemingly outweigh the cons. And for many good reasons. Electric-capable vehicles are helping us bridge the gap between an excessive carbon footprint and immediate, everyday transportation. Cars, planes, trains: they’ve all proven to be incredible methods of travel and transportation, but at the cost of heavily polluting planet Earth. 

When Tesla successfully began mass-producing its all-electric vehicles, the crowd went wild. With a pretty impressive battery range similar to or greater than their gas-guzzling sisters, Tesla has been at the forefront of EV production and distribution.  

Put your thinking cap on

If you’re in the market for a new (or used) car and you’ve begun to consider Tesla as an option, it’s easy to get swept away by the rave reviews. More likely than not, Tesla has already done what many, many carmarkers have tried to do for years: produce a completely gas-free, all-electric vehicle at arguably affordable pricing.

But, before you get sucked into the chatter, remember to consider that when there are pros, there are also cons.    

Some cons to consider with Tesla:

1. In the same vein of its electric glory, Teslas are indeed entirely electric. There are no hybrid models, no offering of gas as backup fuel, and no other mix-match type engine configurations. If plugging in your car to charge its battery will bother you, a Tesla is not the car for you.
2. Range: this refers to the amount of miles a Tesla battery has per full charge. If you have to drive an excessive amount of miles per day, a Tesla might not be the right choice. Similarly, when it comes to driving to a vacation destination, if stopping to charge the car for ~45 minutes is not manageable for you, then don’t consider the Tesla as a next car option. 
3. Parts: I’m referring to parts of a Tesla if something breaks or you get into an accident. Parts turnaround time is not always the fastest. These cars are still newer to large scale production, so getting in that new front bumper or new set of headlights might take a bit longer than if it were just another Toyota Camry. 
4. Options: When it comes to color, wheels, and interior, there aren’t as many options to choose. Tesla has been working towards mainstreaming the production process as much as possible, and this requires the amount of options and specs on the cars to be limited. If you’re looking to get a decked out, souped up car, a Tesla might not be right for you. 
5. Wait time: the demand for most of the Tesla Models is pretty outrageous. If you were to pre-order a Model Y Long Range right now, your estimated wait time would be approximately December 2022. That’s nearly an entire year. If you want a car right now, the wait time might not be realistic for you. 

Although Teslas seem to be constantly improving, there are still many cons to consider before going all-electric. If these possible downfalls to owning a Tesla don’t scare you away, then maybe it’s the right car for you.