Sometimes I use the BMW map. Sometimes I use Apple Maps. I find them all to be pretty reliable. I have Waze but rarely use it.
On the i3 the screen isn’t a touchscreen. So it’s idrive or voice. But I rarely use voice.
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Who has or is planning to get an electric car / EV Talk
- Thread starter PracticalMac
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On the i3 the screen isn’t a touchscreen. So it’s idrive or voice. But I rarely use voice.
In Tesla OS, work and home are almost always displayed. If not, you swipe down from the text search box and it will initiate navigate to home, you swipe to the right and it will initiate navigate to work. There are a TON of shortcuts that most people aren’t even aware of, that make something simple, even easier. As mentioned, you can also use voice commands. I will tell you entering a destination in the navigation on screen is easy with the HUGH full keyboard.
Also, if you share your calendar with the Tesla app on your mobile device, and put your appointments in your calendar with addresses, as soon as you step in the vehicle it automatically navigates to your next appointment.
If you just get in a Tesla and drive it a few times I agree it would seem like a nightmare. But, to be fair, it is not designed to function that way. It becomes a part of your everyday life, and just does things for you like a car assistant.
Cloud profiles means when I get in my wife’s TM3 all my settings follow me from my TMY. I haven’t touched the AC controls in more than a year. I set it to 69°F and auto for everything (steering/seat heat). Honestly, I hardly even use voice controls, since everything is already set. The vehicles even have pre-conditioning by GPS location. So leaving to work and leaving from work, the vehicle is already at my desired temperature before I get in. If not at a regularly traveled place, I turn on the ac from the app, and the vehicle is at temp before I get in.
I have not had to adjust my exterior mirrors or steering wheel either. Once they are set, they are set, and move to my cloud profile location (which is stored separately by vehicle type, so the TM3/TMY allow for individual memory functions). I have been the same height for a long time lol. When I get a loaner, I get in, and all my settings (seats/mirrors/steering wheel/other menu settings) are exactly as I set them in my car.
When I do use voice commands, it would be for the odd time I need to navigate to an unplanned location, I just say “Navigate to X in City State” it finds the store/restaurant/… and sets the navigation.
I use navigation for every drive, because I have FSD supervised. When I feel like letting the car drive, I can let it take over and it will follow the route. Without a destination, it will just keep driving on current road.
That was a lot. But, even in my other ICE I had in the past. I had physical buttons, but once everything was set, I never needed to use them (unless I was getting into my wife’s car, which Tesla has solved with cloud profiles). So, my previous MB, Audi, BWM, Jeep, Rams (x2) had a bunch of buttons that I never used…
Also, if you share your calendar with the Tesla app on your mobile device, and put your appointments in your calendar with addresses, as soon as you step in the vehicle it automatically navigates to your next appointment.
If you just get in a Tesla and drive it a few times I agree it would seem like a nightmare. But, to be fair, it is not designed to function that way. It becomes a part of your everyday life, and just does things for you like a car assistant.
Cloud profiles means when I get in my wife’s TM3 all my settings follow me from my TMY. I haven’t touched the AC controls in more than a year. I set it to 69°F and auto for everything (steering/seat heat). Honestly, I hardly even use voice controls, since everything is already set. The vehicles even have pre-conditioning by GPS location. So leaving to work and leaving from work, the vehicle is already at my desired temperature before I get in. If not at a regularly traveled place, I turn on the ac from the app, and the vehicle is at temp before I get in.
I have not had to adjust my exterior mirrors or steering wheel either. Once they are set, they are set, and move to my cloud profile location (which is stored separately by vehicle type, so the TM3/TMY allow for individual memory functions). I have been the same height for a long time lol. When I get a loaner, I get in, and all my settings (seats/mirrors/steering wheel/other menu settings) are exactly as I set them in my car.
When I do use voice commands, it would be for the odd time I need to navigate to an unplanned location, I just say “Navigate to X in City State” it finds the store/restaurant/… and sets the navigation.
I use navigation for every drive, because I have FSD supervised. When I feel like letting the car drive, I can let it take over and it will follow the route. Without a destination, it will just keep driving on current road.
That was a lot. But, even in my other ICE I had in the past. I had physical buttons, but once everything was set, I never needed to use them (unless I was getting into my wife’s car, which Tesla has solved with cloud profiles). So, my previous MB, Audi, BWM, Jeep, Rams (x2) had a bunch of buttons that I never used…
I didn’t try the voice control in the Tesla but then after 12 years using the worst voice assistant in the World (Siri), I do hate them with a passion and I avoid as much as possible lol.
There are a few regular commands that people in Tesla’s use, and they work VERY well. But, I guess if you have a thick accent, it may make it difficult to use (any voice activated assistant). I haven’t had a problem with Siri, Google, Alexa, uConnect, or Tesla. I do have a higher success rate with Alexa vs. Siri, so I can agree it isn’t the best.
Set AC to XX Degrees
Navigate to XX in YY
Open Glovebox (I have a pin set to the glovebox, so it brings up the numeric keypad)
Those are really the only ones I have ever used more than once. But there is a list provided by Tesla, and I did find a google sheets document that was crowdsourced which has all commands ever created (the list is a lot longer than what Tesla displays):
Model Y Owner's Manual | Tesla
Learn how to use voice commands in your vehicle and view examples of common voice commands.
www.tesla.com
There are a few regular commands that people in Tesla’s use, and they work VERY well. But, I guess if you have a thick accent, it may make it difficult to use (any voice activated assistant). I haven’t had a problem with Siri, Google, Alexa, uConnect, or Tesla. I do have a higher success rate with Alexa vs. Siri, so I can agree it isn’t the best.
Set AC to XX Degrees
Navigate to XX in YY
Open Glovebox (I have a pin set to the glovebox, so it brings up the numeric keypad)
Those are really the only ones I have ever used more than once. But there is a list provided by Tesla, and I did find a google sheets document that was crowdsourced which has all commands ever created (the list is a lot longer than what Tesla displays):
Model Y Owner's Manual | Tesla
Learn how to use voice commands in your vehicle and view examples of common voice commands.www.tesla.com
I have a fairy posh middle class English accent so it’s nothing to do with me not being understood lol. I’ve just always found Siri to be incredibly unreliable across a dozen or so devices. Some of the reminders I set are hilarious. Alexa is much better though which is incredible really.
Alexa is definitely better than Siri (but I also haven’t had too many issues with my AWU or iphone 13 Pro Max). I wonder if British English vs. American English can play a role in the success rate. I imagine there are a lot more American English users vs. British English users (but I could be wrong). I know a lot of people with non-English (British or American) accents have a hard time with all these voice activated features (unless it is changed to their language)
Tesla’s voice features work well enough that I never noticed it not working, which to me, means it is good enough. We easily remember when things don’t work, and usually forget all the times things just worked.
Nice free car, yeah i'd have one if it was free lol
I just got rid of a diesel Navarra only had it 2.5 years, never had a diesel, a month after I got it the price went to to $2.40 a litre, over 50c more than unleaded, still 20c more now.
Not sure what it's like there but every diesel fuel pump handle here is always covered in diesel lol
Glad to be back on unleaded.
Solar is not as good as once was here, They are starting to charge you here for putting kw back into the grid far out.
Gone from 60c to 20c to lucky to get 10c kw back now.
It's only good if you are using it up during the day, batteries are still like 20K and will only run your house for a few hours at night anyway.
We got our's 8 years ago on a 2 year interest free deal so the money I save off the bill payed for the system.
That's the truth!
I am assuming that a lot of consumers have already been "hooked" to all the bells and whistles incorporated by the manufacturer into the automobiles. Agree with you about your i3; I was surprised at how lightweight it is. In contrast, look at the over 9,000-pound Hummer 😀 It has an enormous battery, but if you load it with cargo or tow heavy trailer, its drive range is quite limited, because it has to carry it's own weight, plus the weight or a heavily-loaded trailer. I would say the same about the ugly Cyber truck... risking being crucified by some of the forum members.
~Those concerned, please forgive me😇
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Another option and prob one of the more "fun" EV cars out there, both to look at and drive is the Mini Cooper E, both the new and older generation. A nice alternative to the Fiat 500e.
I did a comparison yesterday when looking specs, took one of my all time favourite EV's the BMW i3 (i3s in this case) and the Fiat500e. Rangewise the 500 is better but it isn't as spacious.
The 500e do get great reviews. Sure, its a Fiat but and Italian cars aren't German quality (well, goes for their motorcycles too) but they are usually fun experience and wouldn't say they are any worse than French cars or Chinese either.
It's a shams BMW stopped developing the i3, especially the REX version. They might have been a bit to early in the EV game but a lot of the tech prob lives on in their newer EVs being offered.
We wouldn’t have had one if it hadn’t been free, it’s just a try surprise for us. I was vocal on here about not going electric yet, but last May the wife was promoted and an EV was part of her package.
Petrol and diesel are within £0.10p a litre of each other here but global fuel prices have fluctuated so much the last couple of years that diesel has sometimes been cheaper than petrol on occasion. I only generally drive 130 miles a week unless I travel up country with work every now and then.
Solar here had the same thing happen. It was well worth it about 10 years ago with loads of government grants and higher financial returns, but all good things come to an end.
I was against EVs before I was for them. I never would have brought one, unless my son did first. My typical usage over the last many years is a commuter car. I drive about 40 miles a day. I got a cracking deal last year on a dual motor. My insurance is flat compared to my last car. In order to get the performance (and premium feel) of a dual motor TM3 you have to start spending serious bucks (or euros). The TM3 cost me under $2/day to "fill-up". And as we know, gas stations are a thing of the past. The farthest "road trip" in a day was 200 miles and I didn't worry about battery. I don't normally road trip but in the northeast and southeast there are supercharger locations a-plenty.
It's true long trips have to be planned more than ICE or PHEVs but that is the way it is. ICE vehicles who get super-mileage have to pay to fill up the tank and hybrids and PHEVs who get super-mileage typically perform like snails. So for me there are those trade-offs. I personally can't drive for more than 2 or 2.5 hours without a break anyway. ICE or EV makes no difference. Might as well use the rest stop to top-off.
It's my opinion that I do like EVs that are built ground up to be an EV more, as opposed to manufacturers who take an existing gas vehicle and retro-fit the battery and other components.
But as we all say and admit here, YMMV.
I agree the best EV’s are designed as that as opposed to ICE cars manufactured with a battery instead. Although I suppose many cars nowadays are designed to be both.
Had my first charge at a Tesla Supercharger today.
The problem is you’re treating the Tesla voice control as a voice assistant. You are correct it’s way less intelligent than Siri. It has zero intelligence. It does not understand what you’re saying. It’s has specific commands that are reprogrammed into it. The words are meaningless. You just have to learn the specific commands and stick to those without any kind of interpretation or understanding. Think of it like telling a dog to sit.
I absolutely would never go back to ICE after having a Tesla Model 3. It’s so smooth compared with ICE.
Most of the things people say against electric vehicles are either misinformed or don’t make sense at all. The biggest problem is some people feel electric vehicles are being pushed on them so they are responding like a kid that’s told to do something by wanting to do the opposite. I’m personally against EV mandates because it’s not necessary. Technology will progress. To my knowledge, no one was mandated to trade in the horse for a car but here we are.
I think if people would try one for a month with an open mind most would absolutely love it.
That is the big thing, changing the mindset from what we are used to have and have been used to for our entire lives and our parents lives. I don't have an EV, hoping in the next couple of months to get a Y. In the research I have been doing and reviews and all that, I can certainly see the need to change how you think and plan things out. None of it looks difficult, just different.
Also, I think it depends on your specific use case. If you’re someone that frequently makes cross-country trips, you might want to hold off unless you just enjoy stopping and smelling the roses while you’re charging. I might go across the country once every year and I like making frequent stops because I am not one of those that tries to continuously drive even with an ICE vehicle.
If you’re new to it, perhaps consider a slightly used Y. You can get them considerably cheaper and you’re not going to take the big depreciation hit if you decide it’s not for you. Of course always always have someone inspect it and I would recommend buying it from Tesla if possible.
They didn’t mandate a switch, but they did take away access to specific roads (most). You can’t just run your horse and buggy on I95 and travel from CT to FL.
The problem with not having some sort of mandate is, it is cheaper to keep going as is. The switch to EV is going to cost money and lots of it. (I can’t wait, I love my 2 EVs)
I do like the consept of a net MPG mandate per manufacturer. You can have a gas guzzler, but you have to offset it with an EV.
It would be through work I get the vehicle. I don't really have any concerns personally and love the self driving options. About an hour commute down country roads each way every day, will make it nice for sure. I also like tech and really enjoy farting sounds when I use the turn signals. I am ready to jump right in and just embrace the EV life.
I only buy used. I got a TM3 and TMY last year and love them. I got them before the price drop (my TMY LR with AB and FSD was more than a brand new performance now). I‘m still happy with my purchase and if I was looking today I would absolutely 100% buy used Teslas.
I like buying from the manufacturer to get CPO or the added warranty. Tesla added 1 year or 10k to the factory bumper to bumper.
I’ve never tried using voice commands in a Tesla. Siri is awful but as Apple users we are used to that on our phones, watches and iPads.
From my experience there are different perspectives and a lot of it is due to people not wanting to embrace change.
Some of it though is the cost. Like for like carries quite a premium with EV’s when it comes to brand and luxury. So many people drive ICE BMW’s, Mercedes, Audi’s etc and the EV equivalents are rather expensive. My Dad isn’t going to trade his 2021 Audi A6 for a similarly priced Tesla Model Y for example as it would feel like a significant downgrade.
There is also the assumptions all your charging needs to be down publicly which is only really the case for 35% of our population. EV’s will only really convince the mass market once they achieve 600+ mile ranges and can be charged quickly and conveniently for those who can’t have home chargers. Most towns and villages still aren’t equipped for that yet.
I think the future is a mix of EV and gas guzzlers. There are many places around the planet that will never have the infrastructure needed to support the populations all switching to EV.
It is still early days for EV and with that as a new tech the price is always higher. I remember when DVD players came out and the prices they cost at the beginning. Now they are basically cheap enough to buy a new one with every movie. As the tech increases and all the processes are refined they will get the range up, get the charging down and grow.