Social media influencer exposes problems that come with owning a Tesla Model 3

01/09/2023 / By Arsenio Toledo

Luke Erwin, a social media influencer from Australia, exposed the many problems that come with owning a Tesla, specifically a Tesla Model 3, in a TikTok video that has since gone viral.

Erwin, who has over 1.2 million followers on his Tiktok account, is best known on the social media platform for videos of giving back to people in his home country. Last month, he got a Tesla Model 3, one of the world’s top-selling electric vehicles (EVs) – he immediately regretted his purchase. (Related: Trial involving Tesla’s autopilot could decide if tech or driver is responsible for fatal crashes.)

One of the main flaws Erwin pointed out is that the inside of the vehicle can get “boiling hot” because of the sun shining directly into the car through the car’s glass roof. He said the roof helps reduce cabin noise and makes the car “feel brighter and spacious with extra headroom.” Unfortunately, the glass roof does not open “as a typical sunroof would.”

Because of this, Australia’s hot summers feel even hotter in the car. In fact, when filming this video for his TikTok account, Erwin appeared hot and sweaty as he spoke directly to the camera.

Erwin further noted how weird it was that Tesla owners had to pay to unlock feature upgrades. He talked about how self-driving features like Smart Summon or Full Self-Driving required additional payments of between AU$5,000 to AU$10,000 ($3,441 to $6,881) to unlock.

Erwin did praise some features of the car, including its front-mounted touchscreen that helped control all of the car’s features, including its “Sentry Mode” feature that allows owners to continuously record from cameras on all sides of the car. The car also had a wireless smartphone charging pad for mobile phones and USB-C outlets in the center console.

Difficulty of charging EVs biggest issue with Tesla Model 3

One of Erwin’s main concerns with the Model 3 is Tesla’s Superchargers, which provide Level 3 quick-charging at designated stations – but only if Tesla owners are willing to pay. Erwin was led to believe that charging a Tesla would be free and was surprised that this was not the case.

“If you think the Tesla Superchargers are cheap or free, they’re actually not,” he said. “To charge this car would cost about $30 [$21] for 30 minutes to 100 percent.”

“I think my biggest disappointment was I thought that all the charging was free until I got the car and found out the Tesla Superchargers actually charge like crazy,” he added.

Erwin’s concerns regarding charging EVs come as Tesla drivers all over Australia have been forced to wait in 90-minute queues at charging stations, especially in the states of Victoria and New South Wales, where the number of EV charging stations has not caught up with the number of electric cars that have been purchased in recent months.

“There are 11 petrol stations in Wodonga, multiple outlets for every major brand, and only one place to charge EVs, which is just outside the council offices,” said one resident in the city of Wodonga on the border between New South Wales and Victoria.

In a follow-up video, Erwin noted how stressful it was to plan trips because he would have to stay close to a nearby Supercharger. “I’d rather own a petrol car again,” he said.

Learn more about electric vehicles and their deficiencies at RoboCars.news.

Watch Luke Erwin’s full video detailing all of the terrible things about the Tesla Model 3.

This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com.