Update: More than 115,000 Model 3 orders placed in last 24 hours, Tesla says

People who want to be among the first to own an all-electric Model 3 started lining up at 3 p.m. on Wednesday and camped overnight, according to employees of the Tesla Motors Showroom and Service Center on Route 17 north in Paramus. By 10 a.m. today, the line wrapped around the store, and into the parking lot, below.

Editor's note: After unveiling the $35,000 Model 3 in California tonight, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced more than 115,000 orders have been placed for the car in the last 24 hours.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

After a light workout at the gym in Paramus this morning, I drove over to the store where I bought my Model S, hoping to reserve a new, smaller Tesla, and put down $1,000 as a vote of confidence in the company's future.

But pulling up shortly before 10 a.m., I was shocked to see a long line with about 150 people, and a jammed parking lot.

Prospective buyers of the Model 3, which won't go on sale until the end of 2017, clearly are excited about owning a smaller, less expensive version of the best car in the world.

I didn't wait on the growing line today, but plan to reserve a Model 3 online.

Envied by others

I've already enjoyed nearly a year of owning a Model S 60, the entry level when I took delivery in mid-April 2015.

I've enjoyed exclusivity, and have been the envy of every other driver, especially those who fell for the antiquated technology peddled by the German automakers.

In fact, I am hoping to sell my Tesla, and lease a faster dual-motor Model S 70. 

The Model 3 is to be unveiled live tonight in California (11:30 p.m. on the East Coast), which is when you can place a $1,000 reservation online here: 

Reserve online during unveiling

This morning at the Tesla store, owners of lesser cars parked almost anywhere, above and below.

Another first from Elon Musk: Tesla Service Centers won't try to rip you off

The entrance to the Tesla Motors Service Center on Route 17 in Paramus, N.J. 

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Tesla Motors is well-known for putting customers first -- from direct sales to free use for life of a nationwide network of fast electric chargers.

Dealers for traditional automakers -- whether Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota or Mercedes-Benz -- have made buying and servicing a car two of life's most unpleasant experiences.

Think of that last brake job the service writer insisted you absolutely had to have to keep your family safe from disaster (and to line his or her pocket with more commission).

Now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is the first to take the focus off of service as a profit center:

Tesla "intentionally operates its service centers at break-even," Musk says.

"We don't believe in profiting off our product, if it is not working," he said in a message to Model S owners in rolling out Tesla's referral program.

This is what he had to say about service:

"Tesla received the highest customer feedback rating for service of any car brand in production: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/03/best-places-to-get-your-car-repaired/index.htm 

"A big reason for this is that Tesla intentionally operates its service centers at break-even. We don't believe in profiting off our product if it is not working. 

"Our service centers are located throughout North America and Canada, with Mexico coming soon: http://www.teslamotors.com/findus/service 

"If there isn't one near you, no problem: our Tesla ranger service will take care of you wherever you are."

What a relief

I took delivery of a Model S 60 in mid-April, and it's scheduled for service in 12,500 miles or one year.

What Tesla calls the "annual inspection" costs $600, but I bought four years of prepaid service for $1,900.

My only purchase so far has been wheel locks, which cost $60 and were installed free as a goodwill gesture.

Compare that to a $25 labor charge at the Toyota dealer in Hackensack, N.J., to install a $25 cabin air filter in a 2010 Prius -- a job the owner can perform in less than 5 minutes with the help of a YouTube video.

Model S and Roadster owners also get 20% off Tesla-branded merchandise, including hats and jackets. 

Update

We have a 2007 Toyota Prius with HID headlight bulbs that have been a problem for years, flickering on and off or staying off.


The passenger-side bulb was replaced free a total of three times under the warranty or to reward my "loyalty" as a Toyota customer -- we bought four Priuses from 2004-10.


As I was leaving Hackensack Toyota with a new right-side bulb several weeks ago, the service writer told me the driver-side bulb had started to flicker.


I called Toyota national customer service again, but this time they refused to cover the $249 cost of replacing the bulb.


Then, I found a Phillips HID bulb on Amazon.com for about $40. And a retired Toyota mechanic I know installed the bulb for $20.

Further EV adventures: The charge port on my Tesla Model S gives up the ghost

Less than 10 days before a planned trip to Montreal in my Tesla Model S, the door on my charge port wouldn't open.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

When I picked up my Tesla Model S 60 in mid-April, one of the product specialists in Paramus, N.J., advised me to charge the car every day.

But I'm retired and drive 20 miles to 40 miles a day at most, so I often waited two or three days before plugging in the car and scheduling the charging to begin at midnight, when electric rates go down.

Tesla says the battery re-charges more easily, if you follow a daily schedule.

Then, last Wednesday night, which would have been the second night in a row of my daily charging, the door to the charge port wouldn't open using the touchscreen or the universal mobile connector.

I called the Tesla Motors Service Center in Paramus and was told to come in the next day.

No problem found

As sometimes happens when cars malfunction, the problem went away as soon as I drove into the garage off Route 17 north, and the service technician showed me how the door was opening normally.

I declined a car wash, but was told to wait for a few minutes in the lounge while the technician checked fluids and tire pressures.

Then, the service adviser returned to the lounge to tell me that upon further investigation, "an internal electrical fault" in the charge-port assembly was not "disengaging" the door, which is actually part of the tail-light assembly.

(That diagnosis was in the invoice I was given before I left.)

Then, I got the bad news: 

No loaners were available and putting in a new charge-port assembly under the warranty and updating the firmware would take two hours.

I was offered a lift to a nearby Shake Shack or the mall, but declined. That was a mistake.

No TV reception

The Tesla lounge has an LG flat-screen TV on the wall, a Keurig coffee maker, a Poland Springs water dispenser, snack bars and other treats.

But the TV gets only one channel, if you don't lose the signal, which happens frequently.

Tesla employees in the showroom and service center said they knew of the TV problem, but couldn't do anything to fix it.

The flat screen TV in the Tesla Motors lounge on Route 17 north in Paramus gets only one station, and does so intermittently, as the signal keeps cutting out. I spent a couple of hours staring at this photo.

At Hackensack Toyota, where we service our 2007 and 2010 Priuses, a flat-screen TV is tuned to a news station, copies of a daily newspaper are provided, and bagels, espresso and other drinks are free.

You may have spent a lot to bring home Tesla's Model S, but then you save a lot

With dramatically flared front fenders and oval grille, my new Tesla Model S looks like a crouching tiger in the garage.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Boy, I really saved a lot of money when I picked up my new Tesla Model S 60 on Tuesday, but won't realize much of that for a year or more.

Immediately, I saved more than $5,678 in sales tax, which New Jersey forgives on purchases of the all-electric luxury hatchback.

I also received a $7,500 federal tax credit to use next year and next year only. 

If I don't have to pay $7,500 in federal taxes next April 15, I can only use part of it and will lose the rest.

The sticker on the car says "you save $7,750 in fuel costs over 5 years compared to the average new vehicle," according to the EPA and DOT.

My Model S 60 is classified as a large car that is rated at 95 MPGe.

With more than 60 solar panels on the roof of my home, I will spend much less to charge my Model S than other owners.

I usually pay nothing for electricity five or six months a year, and earn money by selling solar credits to my utility, Public Service Electric and Gas Co., through a middleman.

When plugged into a special 240-volt outlet, 29 miles of range is added each hour. To remove the charging cable, car must be unlocked. I admit I pulled and pulled before calling Tesla service to learn that simple secret.

Base  model with options

My Model S 60 was the base model (succeeded by the Model S 70D) with an MSRP of $69,900.

With options -- including $1,500 for red multi-coat paint, $2,000 for supercharging, $1,500 for tan leather seats and $800 for carbon-fiber decor accents -- total vehicle price was $81,120.

That includes destination and regulatory document fees of $1,170 and $4,250 for the Tech Package with Autopilot.

The special 240-outlet in my detached garage cost about $2,000 to install.

Inside, the door pull and handle are elegantly designed.

The Model S 60 has a government-certified range of 208 miles on a full charge.

As I left the Tesla Showroom and Service Center in Paramus, N.J., in my new Model S on Tuesday afternoon, a trucker was unloading more Teslas.

Styling and performance

When I looked at my new Tesla in the garage and driveway, I saw styling cues from Ferrari, Aston Martin, Corvette and other cars, new and old.

But overall the Model S, which debuted in mid-2012, still looks fresh and like nothing else on the road.

And though it is billed as a premium car, the firm suspension, adjustable steering effort and all that torque from the electric motor puts it firmly in the category of a performance car.

Many green-car buyers will find federal tax credit of $7,500 not such a big lure

In New Jersey, buyers of Tesla Motors' Model S can save about $5,000 or more, because they won't have to pay the 7% sales tax on their zero-emission vehicle.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

If you've bought a hybrid or fully electric car or are still kicking the tires, you've probably heard how a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 will "reduce" the price of the car.

But buyers of many popular hybrids and EVs no longer qualify for the tax credit, which ends for each carmaker when they sell 200,000 cars.

The full $7,500 tax credit is still available for Tesla's Model S, a four-door luxury hatchback with an MSRP of about $70,000 for the base model.

Still, you can't claim the credit until you are filing your federal tax return, and then, you'll only be able to use it to reduce the federal taxes you owe.

If you don't owe the government $7,500 in taxes, you can't use the full credit.

Consumer Reports Auto Issue: Prius is best Green Car, Tesla Model S Best Overall

Tesla Motors' Model S on display at the Time Warner Center in Manhattan.

The Model S plugged in at the Tesla Showroom and Service Center on Route 17 north in Paramus, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Consumer Reports has anointed the Toyota Prius as the magazine's top pick for Green Car nearly 15 years after the gas-electric hybrid was introduced in the United States.

"The purity of the Prius' functional excellence dictates that -- although almost at the end of its model cycle -- it remains atop our list as the best green car," the editors wrote in the April 2015 Annual Auto Issue.

And Tesla Motors' Model S was crowned Best Overall:

"For all of the impressive new vehicles released in 2014, none was able to eclipse the innovation, magnificence, and sheer technological arrogance of the Tesla.

"That's why it's our best overall pick for the second consecutive year.... The Model S is a ... high-performance electric vehicle with usable real-world range, wrapped in a luxury package."

Does the opinion of anyone else matter? Consumer Reports is the only publication evaluating cars that does not accept advertising.

Consumer Reports praises the Prius for "affordability, stellar fuel economy, smart packaging, and blue-chip reliability."

I'd agree, but point out the four Priuses we've owned have been the subject of more service campaigns and recalls than any of our previous cars.

And my Toyota dealer could never find the source of some annoying squeaks and rattles from the dashboard and cargo area of my 2010 Prius.

The 2010 Toyota Prius I drive has an engine-braking gear.

The Prius is the best-selling hybrid in the world.

From Prius to Model S

After driving a Prius for more than 10 years, I expect to take delivery of a Tesla Model S in May.

I put down a $2,500 deposit on the base model, with a 60 kWh battery and an EPA range of 208 miles, plenty for my retired lifestyle.

I've received emails from Tesla Motors staff on financing options, service packages and the need to have a 240-volt outlet installed in my garage, allowing a recharge of 29 miles per hour.

The Model S is bigger and more luxurious than my 2010 Prius, but they are both hatchbacks.

And the Model S' quiet operation is similar to when my gas-electric hybrid operates only on the battery and electric motor or when the gasoline engine goes off when stopped at lights. 

You won't have to deal with any fast-talking car salesmen in a Tesla showroom

A Tesla Model S at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack, N.J., where owners of the all-electric luxury hatchback spend the thousands of dollars a year they save on gasoline.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The contrast between buying a Tesla Model S and a Toyota or any other car couldn't be starker.

Even more remarkable, you rarely read about the many high-pressure car salesmen that give a black eye to all of the major automakers.

We bought four Toyota Prius gas-electric hybrids between 2004 and 2009, and paid list for each one. 

I guess I should be thankful I wasn't hit with "added dealer markup" for models that are in high demand and short supply.

I'll be paying list for my Tesla Model S 60, but was able to pick options and place a $2,500 deposit online, using a credit card.

My car will be delivered in late April.

California-based Tesla Motors sells its cars directly to the public, and doesn't employ any fast-talking car salesmen or women.

What you will find are product specialists whose patience appears to be infinite when addressing all of the questions and concerns you might have.

If they have to meet the end-of-the month quotas so common at car dealers, I never heard about them.

I had many discussions with Tesla employees at a boutique in Garden State Plaza and the new showroom on Route 17, both in Paramus. 

I recall the nail-biting negotiations in October 2009 at Hackensack Toyota, where I traded in my 2007 Prius and purchased a 2010 model.

Despite its efficiency and environmental benefits, the Prius is a hard sell on the private market, and dealers always pay you less on a trade-in to leave room for their big profit.

Behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S 60 demonstrator at a showroom at 530 Route 17 north in Paramus, N.J., below.

Cheap gas, hybrid discounts

The April 2015 issue of Consumer Reports says, "Today's low gas prices could actually benefit hybrid buyers."

"Hybrids aren't selling as quickly as dealers would like, so they're offering big discounts on them."

The magazine reports, "At press time, you could easily find a $2,500 discount off a $25,o25 Toyota Prius or a $3,500 incentive on a loaded $32,950 Kia Optima Hybrid."

In April 2004, when I bought my first Prius, a gallon of Mobil regular was selling for $163.9 a gallon. I still paid MSRP.

By February 2007, when I replaced that car with a new Prius, Citgo regular was going for $209.9. Again, I paid list.

Tesla's one-price policy

At Tesla, there are no discounts and no incentives. Consumer Reports' invoice service and Costco Wholesale's buying club can't help you.

You don't get a better deal if you are a college student, and you don't have to worry that the salesman is hiding factory-to-dealer incentives.

Everyone pays the same price. What a concept.

Now for some real EV news: I've put down a $2,500 deposit on a Tesla Model S 60

On Monday, I test drove an all-electric Tesla Model S 60, the base model, from the company owned showroom and service center on Route 17 in Paramus, N.J., above and below.

Today, I logged onto the TeslaMotors.com site and placed a $2,500 deposit on the Model S 60 I had configured a few weeks ago. My luxurious four-door hatchback is scheduled to be delivered in late April.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

After I take delivery of my Tesla Model S in late April, the only reason I'll have to visit a gas station is to adjust tire pressures.

With several options, my 60 kWh Model S will cost $79,120, including a "destination and regulatory documentation fee" of $1,170.

I won't have to pay New Jersey's 7% sales tax (take that, Governor Christie, you're no friend of the environment).

And in a year or so, when my accountant prepares our 2015 tax return, I will able to claim part or all of a $7,500 federal tax credit.*

*The caveat is that I have to have a tax liability that meets or exceeds the $7,500, and I have to use the credit in the 2015 tax year or lose it.

The Model S is the most expensive car I have ever bought, and might very well be this retired senior citizen's last car.

We'll be keeping our 2007 and 2010 Toyota Prius hybrids, our stepping stones to the all-electric Model S.

On Monday, I visited Tesla's showroom and service center on Route 17 north in Paramus, and spoke to Andrew, a product specialist, about battery warranties and other concerns.

Then, I went for a test drive on Route 17 north and took an exit to experience the quiet Model S on some of Bergen County's winding two-lane roads.

Tesla Motors has eliminated most of the buttons and switches found in conventional cars with this 17-inch touch screen in the Model S.

One option I chose is Red Multi-Coat Paint ($1,500) as seen on this Model S on display at the Time Warner Center in Manhattan.

Red paint, other options

The Model S 60 has a base price of $69,900.

The options I chose are Red Multi-Coat Paint, $1,500; Tan Leather Seats, also $1,500; Carbon Fiber Decor, $800; and Tech Package with Autopilot, $4,250.

My Model S 60 has an EPA range of 208 miles on a full charge, a 380-horsepower electric motor and a 120 mph top speed, and will go 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds.

But I'm part of the cruise-control generation, and often use that aid in local driving and on highways, where I set my speed about 5 mph over the limit and watch lead-footed drivers pass me on both sides.

This year, I won't be able to drive my Model S 60 the 350 miles to Montreal for the International Jazz Festival, because there is only one Tesla Supercharger on the New York State Thruway.

In 2016, a second Supercharger will make that trip possible in one day.

The rest of the year, I drive locally and probably won't have to charge the car at home but once a week.

A new and a used Bugatti at Manhattan Motorcars on 11th Avenue.

Bugattis and black cars

California-based Tesla Motors is selling more and more all-electric cars at a time when conventional manufacturers still indulge in such excesses as a 1,200-horsepower Bugatti and increasingly larger SUVs that often are used as black cars and limousines.

At Manhattan Motorcars on Saturday, I stared in disbelief at the sticker on a new Bugatti.

MSRP is $2,790,000. Top speed is listed as 256 mph.

The two-seater gets 8 mpg (combined city/highway), and the federal gas-guzzler tax is $6,400 -- hardly a disincentive to anyone who can afford this technological relic.

Then you'll have to deal with a young saleswoman who wears tight jeans and too much make-up.

You might hear her talking loudly on the telephone to a customer, instructing him to wire her $10,000 as a deposit on a sports car, which, of course, is such a "great deal."

More gas guzzlers in the showroom of Manhattan Motorcars, above and below.

On the streets of Manhattan, new, bigger models of the Chevrolet Suburban and Cadillac Escalade are being pressed into service as black cars and limousines.

All of them carry New York plates beginning with "T" and ending in "C."

Their drivers, along with those in smaller, black Toyota Camrys used by car services, can be seen parked and double-parked near expensive restaurants and party venues into the wee hours.

Scurrying through the city's darkened streets, they resemble hundreds of oversized cockroaches. 

Tesla Model S owners are taking a break at new juice bar on Route 17 in Paramus

The new Tesla Motors Showroom and Service Center, above and below, are at 530 Route 17 north in Paramus, the shopping capitol of the Northeast, near Paramus Park Mall. 

The Tesla gallery at New Jersey's biggest mall, Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, will remain open.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Got juice?

For owners of all-electric cars, the availability of juice or electricity is the key to their extended mobility.

Now, Tesla Motors has opened a new showroom and service center on Route 17 in Paramus, where eight Superchargers are available 24 hours a day to Model S and Roadster owners.

A 20-minute charge adds 170 miles to your range, and a full charge takes an hour. 

The cost? It's free. There's no charge to recharge. Get it?

But the opening of the 20,000-square-foot building this month is also big news for prospective Tesla owners, because new cars will be delivered there.

Until the Paramus service center opened, new owners had to travel to Springfield Township, southwest of Newark, to pick up their cars.

Superchargers at the new Paramus service center are available 24 hours a day, unlike the two Superchargers at Garden State Plaza.

Inside the Route 17 showroom.

The entrance to the gallery at Garden State Plaza.

Far from a 'stripper'

The most affordable Model S is the 60, a reference to the size of the battery in kilowatt-hours -- a measure of energy -- but it has the same 380-horsepower electric motor and is mechanically similar to the more expensive 85.

The Model S 60 has an EPA-certified range of 208 miles, longer than I can go without stopping to go to the bathroom or grab a cup of coffee to keep me awake.

The Model S 60 has a base price of $69,900, and is eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit that you apply for when you file your next return.

I've seen blogs and other accounts that claim the tax credit "reduces" the price of the car by $7,500, but that is just media hype and has no basis in reality.

In addition, New Jersey residents who buy a Model S don't have to pay the 7% sales tax.

There is a two- to three-month wait, if you custom order a Model S, which is made in California.

Roadster gets new life

On Friday, the day I visited the new Tesla showroom, Tesla announced a prototype 3.0 Roadster package that company officials say will extend the two-seater's range to 400 miles.

That's a 40% to 50% range improvement over the original Tesla Roadster, which came out in 2008, according to the Tesla blog.

The package includes a battery cell with more energy, an aero kit to reduce drag; and new tires and improved wheel bearings to reduce rolling resistance.

No price tag was announced, but Tesla was quick to note the 3.0 package "applies what we've learned in Model S ... and no new Model S battery pack or major range upgrade is expected in the near term."

Tesla Motors Showroom-Service Center, 530 Route 17 north, Paramus; 201-225-2544. Showroom open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Sundays.