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Tesla 3 Voice Commands, Model S Racing, Experience
TeslaF 

Tesla 3 Voice Commands, Model S Racing, Tesla 3 in Pikes Peak Hill Climb Experience

by Carl Morrison, August 15, 2020
Comments welcomed at:  Carl@TeslaTouring.com
http://teslatouring.com/carl/TeslaF/

PikesPeakTesla.jpg
Tesla Model 3 Performance ready for Pikes Peak Hill Climb, Aug. 30, 2020 (Not ours! but same red color and body.)


This is my Seventh, report on our 2-month-old Tesla Model 3, posted at TeslaTouring.com/carl.  In this report I cover:  1. Voice Commands.  2.   Over the Air (OTA) Software Updates.  3.  Tesla User-Data Site - Teslascope  4.  Inside The First-Ever Tesla Race Car  5.   Pikes Peak Tesla S Winner in 2016, Blake Fuller     6.  Elon Musk Announces the Tesla Model 3 in 2016.  7.  INSIDEEVS Tesla Car Comparison    8.  Third-Party Tesla 3 Evaluation and Comparison   9.   Driving an Electric Car for Maximum Efficiency  10.  Clean Fuel Reward Program, a California Program   11.  Pedestrian Warning System   12.  Least Expensive Model 3


Voice Commands
There is so much to learn for a Tesla owner that it becomes, to me, like taking a college class in which you are very interested.  The big difference is, after reading the owner's manual and learning about a new feature, you can just go outside and try it!  That is why, yesterday, I wondered if I could turn on the rear facing camera through Voice Command.  Before, I would look at the screen and tap the rear camera icon...taking my eyes off the road ahead for a second or two.  So, I had also recently learned from a Tesla YouTuber that you can tap the Scroll Button (Number 2 in the illustration below) on the right side of the steering wheel cross bar, speak your command, tap again and it had gotten the message quicker than touching the microphone on the screen!

SteeringWheel.jpg
"Turn on the back camera" worked!

From the Owners Manual for the Tesla 3, Page 142:

Voice commands are designed to understand natural requests. You can use voice commands to:
• Call a contact.
• Navigate to a location.
• Listen to Internet music.
• Control various aspects of Model 3.

MicrophoneIcon.jpg To initiate a voice command, tap the microphone button on the touchscreen. When you hear the tone, speak your command. As you speak, the touchscreen displays an interpretation of your command. It also displays tips to remind you of the type of commands you can speak. When you finish speaking the command, tap the voice button again or simply wait. (This is the way I used Voice Commands until yesterday, but see below.)


Note:
Voice commands may be spoken in English or French (Canada).

Note:
You can also initiate a voice command by pressing the right scroll button.

• To call a contact on your Bluetooth-connected phone, say “Call” or “Dial”, followed by the contact’s first and/or last name(s). For example, “Call Joe” or “Call Joe Smith”.

• To search for, or navigate to, a location, say “Where is”, “Drive to”, or “Navigate to”, followed by an address, business name, business category, or landmark. For example, “Where is Stanford University?”, “Drive to Tesla in Palo Alto”, or “Navigate to Starbucks on Homestead in Cupertino”. If you have defined a navigation address for your home or work locations, you can use a voice command to navigate there by saying "Navigate home" or "Navigate to work".

• To listen to an Internet music service, say “Listen to” or “Play”, followed by the name of the song, album, artist, or combination. To improve voice recognition accuracy, provide multiple cues in your command, such as artist plus song (for example, “Listen to Yellow Brick Road” or “Play Yellow Brick Road by Elton John”).

• Control various aspects of Model 3 by speaking statements or commands. For example, "Speed up the wipers", "The screen is too bright", "Turn on the driver's seat heater", "I'm cold".

Note: Tesla is continuously improving the ability of Model 3 to recognize voice commands. To support these ongoing quality improvements, Tesla captures short voice recordings anonymously. To protect your privacy, these short recordings are not associated with your personal information or with your vehicle's identification number. Tesla assures that it is not possible to search any system for a recording associated with a specific customer or vehicle.

There's an app for that showing Voice Commands:  https://teslavoice.glideapp.io/

There is also a spreadsheet of Voice Commands:  Source


Over the Air (OTA) Software Updates.

Learned on my Tesla app that update 2020.28.6 was available and did I want to upload it now taking 25 minutes.  I confirmed and it was all done while I sat in my recliner in the house.

UpdateIMG_76FD2093117F-1.jpg 
Screens in order (left to right) "Update notice", "Install Now".

UpdateIMG_6585.jpg

About finished.

After the download, I queried the Owner's Manual, "Where can I find information on the latest software updates?"
Answer:  You can find the latest information on your car’s software in the release notes. Tap the Tesla ‘T’ at the top center of your car’s touchscreen to access. After a new window opens, tap 'Release Notes' on the bottom right hand side of the page.
https://www.tesla.com/support/software-updates    
IMG_6586.jpg
So, I can now talk to Big Red in Polish?!

I had seen YouTubers talk about this version of the software, but they seemed to know more, so I went searching for what the "minor improvements and bug fixes" were.

Why did I get an update but don’t see any changes?
Tesla cars receive regular software updates, both large and small. Minor software updates may not result in any noticeable changes to the driving experience.
https://www.tesla.com/support/software-updates

Tesla User-Data Site - Teslascope
Model3Colors2.jpeg    Model 3 Names.jpeg
Any image with a gray or neon border can be clicked for a larger copy.

Favorite colors (above left) of those who have signed up for this website, and names for their Model 3 (above right) of the members at Teslascope.
You might find other interesting Tesla Stats. at
https://teslascope.com/about


Inside The First-Ever Tesla Race Car - Electric GT Series

In my last report I mentioned Formula E racing.  Now there is Tesla racing of Tesla Model Ss!  You've heard a lot about Tesla's being able to beat all others in drag races, but soon there will be Teslas racing on road courses competing against other Teslas and other EVs in the future.  Here is the full story:

TeslaSRacecar.jpeg

CLICK HERE for a video explaining this exciting race circuit. 
The main problem to solve first:  Thermal Management

TeslaSChanges.jpeg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZcMX4yAMak   

TeslaGT.jpg
Carbon fiber body, 1,000 lbs. interior taken out.  Driver impressed with how quiet it runs.

Former Formula 1 driver tests a Tesla  GT Series P100DL car in Barcelona July 3, 2018.  Go to 1:54 to see just the GT car's test ride:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nkqMZBR-ak




Pikes Peak Tesla S Winner in 2016, Blake Fuller

PikesPeakWinner.jpg
 
Tesla S Winner 2016 Pikes Peak (On ice before the race)

DirtTrack.jpg
No. 3 on dirt track.  Pikes Peak is paved.

Blake Fuller won the 2016 Pikes Peak Hill Climb in his P90DL Tesla S (above).
See an interview about how that all happened by "Now You Know" creators, Zak and Jesse.
  Click Here


So Blake and Zak, of  "Now You Know" on YouTube, want to try the Pikes Peak run again in a Model 3.  Their new YouTube Channel, Electric Performance, about the car is:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_kaY0JOJ7Q

Development of the Model 3 for Pikes Peak Hill Climb 2020

Model 3 Race Car Build - The Road to Pikes Peak


Racer1.jpg

Racer3.jpg

Racer4.jpg

The full episode where they have the standard red Model 3 wrapped as a race car with spots for contributor's names. Source.



PikesPeakLogo.jpg

Home page of the Hill Climb set for the last Sunday of August, this year.

 http://ppihc.org/fans/



Elon Musk Announced the Tesla Model 3 in 2016.


I always wanted to buy a Tesla, but not until 2016 when the Model 3 was announced at $35,000 was there any hope that I could afford it.  The first edition of any Tesla is always the expensive model, later they begin to offer less than premium models. 

IMG_6593.jpg
Elon Musk announces the Model 3 in Q1, 2016.

IMG_6594.jpg
History of Tesla Motors:  1.  Roadster - Low Volume, High Price

IMG_6595.jpg
2.  Model S - Mid Volume, Less-High Price

IMG_6597.jpg    IMG_6599-2.jpg
3.  Model X - High Volume, Less-High Price

IMG_6600.jpg
4.  Model 3 - High Volume, Affordable Price

IMG_6602.jpg     

Included in the Model 3 will be:  Autopilot Hardware (Model S and X owners knew what that means.), and Fits 5 Adults Comfortably

IMG_6605.jpg    IMG_6607.jpg
Supercharging Capability which means Freedom of Travel

IMG_6608.jpg
Planned Super and Destination Chargers by end of 2017
As of this writing there are 16,103 chargers at 1,826 stations and 23,963 Destination chargers at hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers.

IMG_6610.jpg
At that time 500,000  cars a year were to be built in the Fremont Factory.

IMG_6614.jpg
In 2016, His first Gigafactory was the world's largest lithium cell producer of the most advanced batteries in the world.


We owned a 1956 Chevy show car and I reasoned that if I could sell it, that would be a nice down payment on a Model 3.  I started trying to sell the Chevy when they were offering the first editions of the Model 3, but the sale didn't  happen as quickly as I had hoped. 

Sue and I  first saw a Model 3 at the Fashion Island Tesla Store in Newport Beach, California, and decided it was what we wanted.  We then took a test drive at the Brea, California, Tesla store, near hour home. 

Chevy%20and%20X.jpg

In 2018, after registering the Chevy for the Hot August Nights Car show and driving it and friend, Steve's Model X (above) to the show in Reno, I had an offer on the Chevy, and put money down and ordered a Model 3.  However, that deal fell through and I canceled the order. 

Eventually, in 2020, the Chevy sold and I put down my order for a Model 3, again.  This 2020 deal was for less money than my 2018 deal, since they dropped the price at the end of the quarter and they were selling more than the Premium model. 


INSIDEEVS Tesla Car Comparison
TeslaComparisons.jpg
Any image with a gray or neon border can be clicked for a larger copy.

Above is the answer to, "Why didn't you buy a "Y"? Our Model 3 is on the far left.

Other EV and hybrid Comparisons at INSIDEEVs website.



Third-Party Tesla 3 Evaluation and Comparison

Tesla 3 owners have already done the research and decided it was the best EV on the market for the best price.  However, if you want to give someone considering an EV a place to go for a comparison website with independent evaluation, send them to  Plug in Cars 2018 comparison site:   https://www.plugincars.com/cars?sort_by=field_msrp_value&sort_order=ASC&field_isphev_value_many_to_one=pure+electric

PlugInCarsComparison.jpg
I like the option to select only Battery EV, since I am not interested in Plug-in Hybrids, and SORT in many ways.
In all cases, I am interested in taking our EV on a long trip and know that no manufacturer except Tesla has a 1,400+ network of Superchargers.  So are we talking in all other cases, not ever taking your EV on a long trip of 1,000 or more miles?

3Evaluation.jpg

On the Model 3 page (shown above), click "
Full Review" (https://www.plugincars.com/pictures-tesla-model-3.html)

Perhaps the most futuristic interior of any EVs (or proposed EVs) is the Bryton M-Byte with a 4 FOOT wide screen with screen on the steering wheel and center console for the passenger.  (https://www.plugincars.com/pictures-and-video-byton-m-byte.html).

Finally, rather than showing research, just say a Tesla is:  Easy to drive, no gears, single pedal, quick, good for the environment and cheap.  (Maybe not cheap, but with talk of a Model C for $20,000, maybe that is closer to cheap.)


Driving an Electric Car for Maximum Efficiency

Try for over 4 kWh per mile. [I believe the average for Teslas is 4.15 kWh.] 
Although written in 2014, perhaps for Prius cars, these tips for obtaining maximum efficiency in an electric car still apply.  I will give some tips from this article, but for the full article, go to the Source below.


"Learn to anticipate stops and slowly coast toward a red light with your foot off the accelerator pedal [With regenerative braking, feather the pedal so you stop at the light.]. When taking off from a stop, gently ease down on the pedal until gradually reaching your desired speed. Aggressive driving is estimated to reduce efficiency by about 30 percent.  On the highway, stay as close as possible to the speed limit. For every 10 mph of speed over the posted limit, it roughly costs you 10 percent of efficiency (and therefore range).  Employ more energy regeneration and less friction braking—especially on downhill stretches.  Look up your car's recommended tire pressure and check regularly with a gauge [or the built in gauge] to ensure the correct level. A vehicle's fuel economy goes down by about 1 percent for every 3 pounds of pressure missing from its tires.  Pick a highway route with gentle gradients, minimal intersections, and light traffic [Not easy to find in suburban Southern California].  Try getting to a comfortable temperature by using your car's ventilation system to cool or warm the cabin—rather than blasting the AC or heat.  Open windows drastically affect the aerodynamic flow of a vehicle, often decreasing its fuel economy even more than running the air conditioning.  In cold weather, try to rely as much as possible on heated seats and a heated steering wheel (if available) to warm your body, rather than heating up the entire cabin.

The key measure of efficient driving in an electric car is miles-per-kilowatt-hour (kWh). Most electric car dashboards provide efficiency stats as miles-per-kWh—either on a trip or lifetime basis. Efficient EV drivers should aim to go four or more miles on a kilowatt-hour of juice, while wasteful driving results in three miles or less on that same kWh."

Our Tesla 3 does not give miles-per-kilowatt-hour anywhere on its many computer screens, but these Tesla Forum contributors tell you:

1.  In the lower left part of the car's screen - slide to the right or left (over the windshield graphic). One side is tire pressure. The other is efficiency stats and history.  Or hit the up arrow on the bottom of the screen to see current mileage and projections.

2.  Take the roughly 250 Wh/Mile figure shown on the screen and divide it into 1,000 to get the value in the miles per kWh units you're asking for. If you see 250 Wh/mile on the screen that equates to 4 miles per kWh.

Applying the steps above:

IMG_6623.jpg
Trip A (left) 1,000/242= 4.13     Last 30 mi. (above) Avg. 1000/254 avg Wh.mi = 3.93  Projected (above right) 1000/202 =  4.95

IMG_6624.jpg

Since I have owned the car for 1,421 miles and used 344 kWh, I am getting 4.13 miles per kilowatt hour.





IMG_6626.jpg

Today I took a short trip of 25 miles and used 195 Wh/mi which is 5.128 mpkWh and I went over the speed limit to pass trucks before my exit came up, but stayed speed limit otherwise.



Clean Fuel Reward Program, a California Program

As mentioned in an earlier report, I applied for the $1,000 rebate from our Southern California Edison electric power provider.  August 10, 2020, I received this notice:

Dear Carl Morrison,

Congratulations! Your Clean Fuel Reward Program (CFRP) application #....  has been approved for your Tesla Model 3. We anticipate that we will mail your [$1,000] rebate check within approximately 45 days of application approval.

I had to send them the official registration, which took some time to receive from the state, and copies of the vehicle’s purchase/lease agreement.  Even though I missent one form, they responded quickly and I submitted the correct form.  Even vehicles purchased before 1/1/2019 can receive $450.  Other states might have a similar program under a different name.


Pedestrian Warning System (Owner's Manual Pg. 79)

When showing the Tesla to someone at their home, when I backed out of their driveway, I noticed a sound.  Thinking it was the A/C coming on, I didn't realize:

The Pedestrian Warning System causes Model 3 to emit sound when driving below 20 mph (32 km/h). Electric vehicles operate quietly and this sound helps to alert pedestrians of your oncoming vehicle. The sound, which activates whenever Model 3 is shifted out of Park, and gets louder as speed increases.
The touchscreen displays this indicator when the Pedestrian Warning System is not active.

Note: The Pedestrian Warning System is not available in vehicles manufactured prior to September 1, 2019.
[This must be the date that a law went into effect.]

Warning: If sound cannot be heard, pedestrians may not be aware of your oncoming vehicle, which may increase the likelihood of a collision resulting in serious injury or death. If the Pedestrian Warning System is not operating, immediately contact Tesla.



PWS.jpgThe Pedestrian Warning System causes Model 3 to emit sound when driving below 20 mph (32 km/h). Electric vehicles operate quietly and this sound helps to alert pedestrians of your oncoming vehicle. The sound, which activates whenever Model 3 is shifted out of Park, and gets louder as speed increases.



[There is an issue with increased noise pollution.]
Source.   
Located near and in front of the right front tire.











Least Expensive Model 3
LeastExpensive3.jpg

As we read Tesla 3 articles, they might be as much as 3 years old so trying to find out the current  price might be a challenge. 

The Graphic to the right is the least expensive Model 3 currently available at $37,990 (August, 2020).  You might say, "I thought it was $35,000."  It is and they used to say that in the order form, but you then chose RWD or AWD and that added $2,990 for RWD, the least expensive.  (Other options in the "Select Your Car" graphic below, center.

To keep it at minimum price you next select color.  Pearl White is standard, any other color is $1,000 more except red, and it is $2,000 more.

Next is wheels, as shown on the right, 18" Aero Wheels are standard.  19" sport wheels are $1,500 more.

Next is Interior,  All Black Partial Premium Interior is standard, Black and White is $1,000 more.

Autopilot is included.  Full Self-Driving Capability is $8,000 more.

So you end up with the car in the graphic to the right plus taxes and fees. 

(Sales Tax, Registration/Transfer /Titling Fees, License Fee, Tire fee, and Electronic filing Fee amounted to over $4,000 for our car).  That will get you out of the dealership showroom, but later add Insurance. We went with Tesla insurance only available in California at the time of our purchase.)

Tesla calls the Model 3 "Near-Luxury" and with those prices, that is the appropriate name.  Their Models S and X are "luxury cars".

I believe Tesla will come out with a, more affordable for the masses, $20,000 smaller commuter car, perhaps from their China or German factory.



Cost.jpg

Standard Range Plus has 250 mile range.  Long Range is 322 miles.  Performance has 299 mile range.

The best way to follow these prices is to use my referral number to go to Tesla.com, then click Model 3 (or any model) and follow through the steps/options.



My Referral Number is  https://ts.la/carl41979  Just click the URL to the left to go to the Tesla.com site that will explain the benefits of using a referral number:

Referral%20Screen.jpg




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