RE: Note that the top-selling Tesla is the Y model SUV, starting at around $70k.
What is the cheapest Tesla model available for the average middle class family?
Cheapest available Tesla starts around $47k, but probably none available at that price. Think $50k.
https://electrek.co/2022/03/14/tesla-increases-prices-whole-lineup-cheapest-electric-csr/
The Model 3 starts at $35K that’s cheaper than a S60 Volvo or a 3 series BMW which are its direct competitors in size ,capacity and luxury level. Plus you can “fuel” your Model 3 with 8 cents per kWh power in Texas that’s equal to 2 cents per mile in energy costs. To equal that in petrol at an avg of 30mpg you need petrol to be 60 cents a gallon. Even at 50 mpg to equal 2 cents per mile petrol has to be under a buck a gallon. Plus in sunny Texas two commercial sized 450 watt solar panels can power the avg drive distance per day of the average American with some left over. A Model 3 goes just over 4 miles on one kWh of electricity gross from the plug. The avg American drives less than 40 miles per day that’s only 10kWh worth of energy at 8 cents per kWh that’s 80 cents worth of power. A S60 that gets 30 mpg would need 1.33 gallons at $3.77 I’m looking at a pump right now eating BBQ that’s $5.02 in petrol vs 80 cents in electricity to go the identical distance in miles. This is why EV are the future they are three times as efficient being second law of thermodynamics machines vs third law machines of combustion Mr. Carnot and Sir Newton must be satisfied. It’s down to the laws of physics for those that have the intelligent to understand them it’s clear that EVs are the most efficient way to move a person in an individual vehicle from point A to B. That includes burning natural gas and sending it down a power line. The numbers look like this a ICGT plant is 70% efficient to the HVAC lines in modern plants , transmission losses are 3% for distances under 250km, as was stated it takes 250 watt hours to move a Model 3 one mile. Convert that to BTUs it takes 853 btu per mile going backwards up the power chain add back in 3% plus 30% for a total power plant to wheel BTU usage of 1273 BTU mile. A S60 at 30 mpg is 114,000 btw/gal for petrol divided by 30 = 3800 btu per mile this is exactly the expected result given first law vs second law. Gas turbines with bottoming cycles in dedicated high temp modern turbine plants are the most efficient combustion process man has come up with at 65 to 75% efficiency I chose the median. The end result is as was shown in Texas you can buy power retail for 8 cents a kWh that leads to two cents per mile in energy costs which is equal to 60 cents per gallon at 30 mpg. The future is EVs welcome to the 21st century boomers.