Journal: Five Environmentally Friendly Alternatives To The Tesla Model 3

Five Environmentally Friendly Alternatives To The Tesla Model 3

By
April 5, 2016

The over 276,000 pre-orders of the Tesla Model 3 in the first 72 hours after its announcement clearly signal that the driving public wants a mid-size sedan and wants to protect the environment at the same time. We couldn’t agree more with the sentiment, where we take issue, however, is in the execution.

Reduce, reuse, and recycle are words to live by if you want to minimize your environmental impact. It’s a simple fact that by driving classics we are averting the environmental cost of the construction of a new automobile. Steel shipped in from overseas. Coal power and fracking technology used to power our grids that charge new electric cars. All of which trump the long-term environmental cost of enjoying a classic car.

5. Maserati Biturbo Sedan
Price range: $5,000 – $15,000

4. Jaguar XJ6
Price range: $6,000 – $20,000

4. Mercedes-Benz 500E W124
Price range: $17,500 – $30,000

2. BMW E12 5-Series
Price range: $10,000 – $50,000

1. Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlina
Price range: $15,000 to $30,000

Note: Prices estimated using Hagerty valuation tools and the Patina Price Trends dataset

Berlina Photo by Afshin Behnia

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David Young
David Young
2 years ago

This is another reason why I like Tesla. It’s great that there is an environmentally friendly alternative that doesn’t pollute our planet. Recently, the issue of pollution has been very relevant and it is important if each of us takes at least some measures to combat this. I recently did a writing paper on air pollution and this source came in handy for that https://studydriver.com/air-pollution-essay/ This helped me to study this issue in more detail, and I was convinced of how significant this is.

Dorian Gray
Dorian Gray
3 years ago

I am very pleased with this news. It seems to me that we should take better care of the environment. There is now a big air pollution problem that I learned about with the help of essays examples – https://blablawriting.com/essay-examples/environment. I hope that soon humanity will be able to correct the situation and improve the environment.

Alejandro Moreno
Alejandro Moreno
5 years ago

As green as it may be to keep an older classic running, don’t forget that you’re still consuming gasoline or diesel, and still needing to buy engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, etc etc. Yes, it is ”greener” to keep an old classic running vs buying a brand new electric. But let’s not kid ourselves into thinking we’re being ”green” just because you haven’t bought a new electric. That’s just duping yourself into your own greenwashing. The greenest way to go is assuming you are in the market for a car, then buy a used electric. Either that, or convert an old classic into electric, as THAT would be the best way of all.

Per Holmen
Per Holmen
5 years ago

Couldn’t agree more – been doing it for years. Saving the planet – driving classics.
And just think that the price span of the Berlina is up at that level now.

Hans Schoolenberg
Hans Schoolenberg
6 years ago

I only drive in green cars first a MB 300 SE 1989 – I did 150.000 km in it and then I bought 2.5 years ago a 1990 500 CL – I did 125.000 in it – looking again for another green one.

Christophe Zydek
Christophe Zydek
8 years ago

mine is the brother of the 500E…. a 1993 W124 400E 🙂
still getting 25mpg!!

Jeremy DeConcini
Jeremy DeConcini
8 years ago

It is a long term project, but I am going best of both worlds with an electric conversion for my 1972 VW Bus. Recycled, electric, and much faster! I can’t wait…

thesilentdmotorshow
thesilentdmotorshow
6 years ago

I love that. A friend just did the same with a Morris Minor: https://youtu.be/T1JeK6sEhs8

Pavel Kvapil
Pavel Kvapil
8 years ago

I’m environmentalist too, so I drive my Peugeot 605 ES9J4 daily. Savin’ the planet earth!

Berlina1970
Berlina1970
8 years ago

Thanks Afshin, for making me feel good today.

Afshin Behnia
8 years ago
Reply to  Berlina1970

My pleasure! What a beautiful Berlina.

Berlina1970
Berlina1970
8 years ago
Reply to  Berlina1970

Thanks. Doing my best.

Bryan Dickerson
Bryan Dickerson
8 years ago

Sorry for my ignorance but what does POS mean?

Afshin Behnia
8 years ago

It can mean Point of Sale, but I think Christopher meant Piece of Sh**

Christopher Dizon
Christopher Dizon
8 years ago

???? My roof generates ~10MWh/yr more than my house can consume. How do I fuel a POS ICE with that?

Afshin Behnia
8 years ago

Sell it back to the grid to reduce coal consumption.

Bryan Dickerson
Bryan Dickerson
8 years ago

Questions for Guitar-

3) No chance for solar power like Tesla is using for their battery factory?

4) Can’t the rare earth be recycled?

Also, where are you getting your info about the unreliability of the Teslas? I’d like to know more and the only place I’ve heard about this is from you multiple times.

Guitar Slinger
Guitar Slinger
8 years ago

The ugly truth behind TESLA and the 3

1) That $35k price tag is a pipe dream at best . All bets are it’ll end up more like $50-75k
2) The 2017 delivery date is pure Elon delusions . Assuming it ever sees the light of day .. 2018 at the earliest is more realistic
3) E/V’s do not eliminate pollution . They displace it .. from the the cities to the rural where the power plants reside . Which in CA’s case .. is every state but California
4) E/V’s from cradle to grave create more environmental damage [ especially with a manufacturing and disposal of the Li batteries and all those rare earth minerals used in the motors etc ] than ten equivalent ICE’s
5) E/V’s because they use Li’s do not function as advertised above 80f .. below 45f .. or at altitudes exceeding 3000 feet .
6) At present NO emergency services in the US/UK or EU are prepared to deal with Li fires along with the many other problems
7) Orders are not sales . And with some 90\% of all TESLA S’s sold winding up on used car lots within 18 months of purchase ..] because 86\% of them wind up trailered to the garage for serious repairs on average of four times per year re;AW CR et al ] you can bet many of those orders will be cancelled .

But hey classic car enthusiasts ! Despite the realities of E/V’s … don’t delude yourselves into thinking your classic … any classic is in any way shape or form environmentally friendly . Fact is … your classic is so unfriendly many cities across the world already have laws waiting to be passed outlawing the use of classic cars within the city limits … with many more in the process of considering such bans . And trust me … like the current bands on motorcycle use within cities worldwide currently under consideration … those laws will pass … much sooner than later … consider this a friendly ‘ warning … from one who knows 😉

Fact is … one 1960’s Porsche 912 or VW Beetle if you prefer puts out more pollutants and does more environmental damage [ leaking gas/oil etc etc ] … per mile …. than 50 .. yes 50 vulgar full sized AWD/4WD SUV’s and Pick Ups . So yeah .. that banger in his donked out Cadillac Escalade … is 50 times more friendly to the environment that you are

Which is to say … ya’ll kind of … stinks … literally .. but hey … I loves ya anyway …. to a point .

Afshin Behnia
8 years ago
Reply to  Guitar Slinger

One more for your list:

EV subsidies steal from the middle-class and give to the top 1\% who actually buy these cars.

Tom DesRochers
Tom DesRochers
8 years ago

This. So much this. This is one of the reasons for restomodding the Maverick. It’s just waiting funds to start the work. The only big decision left is whether to:

A) Turn it into a neo-musclecar with floor-shift manual and bucket seats.

-or-

B) Preserve the column shifter and bench seat because modern cars don’t have those anymore.

Christopher Gay
Christopher Gay
8 years ago
Reply to  Tom DesRochers

Column shifter and bench seat gets you much closer to your honey. No brainer. Have fun.

Guitar Slinger
Guitar Slinger
8 years ago
Reply to  Tom DesRochers

Make it work AND be more environmentally friendly . Put a new Ford fuel injected crate motor V8 under the hood …. and for the love of all things GearHead … dump the never worked worth a damn anyway column shifter and those less than worthless bench seats and go with the buckets an floor shifter .

Jeeze Mr Gay ! Seriously ? Y’all got an S&M complex [ column shifter ] and a need to repeat those Adolescent deeds only a bench seat will allow ?

Tom DesRochers
Tom DesRochers
8 years ago
Reply to  Tom DesRochers

Absolutely, Mr Slinger. Unfortunately the Coyote 5.0 won’t fit because the overhead cam layout makes it too wide to fit between the shock towers. The most likely choice will be some form of pushrod 5.0 as seen in the Mass Air Flow equipped 88-93 Fox Mustangs. That motor is literally nothing more than a multiport 302, which was an option on Maverick. So I know it fits.

The EcoBoost 2.3 is also tempting, but the sound of a wastegate popping off doesn’t do it for me.

Christopher Gay
Christopher Gay
8 years ago
Reply to  Tom DesRochers

Ha. Maybe so.

Actually, I have done a lot of time in two ’65 El Caminos, and two ’89 Suburbans. One El Camino was more of a hot rod and had buckets, and the other had a six that you could barely hear running, and it also had bench seats. The six with the benches was WAY more comfortable to deal. So easy to drive and great gas mileage to boot.

One Suburban has buckets and the other a bench. The bench is just SO much cleaner. It’s a preference. I ain’t racing around in these vehicles, just gettin’ from point A to B and haulin’ some “junk” in between.

I would do a bench. Kids love ’em and I bet pets do, too.

Avinda Perera
Avinda Perera
8 years ago

Some of them are biodegradable as well! Lol seriously though the w124 would be my top and probably only pick from this list…though the others are equally lovely. W124=tank=bombshelter.

Christopher Gay
Christopher Gay
8 years ago

I finally broke down and got a “new” vehicle about 5 years ago to be my daily driver… a 1989 Suburban.

Guitar Slinger
Guitar Slinger
8 years ago

… and that proclamation in any way should be considered …. a good thing ? So what … you hate your kids and hope they have no future what so ever ?

Andrew Golseth
Editor
8 years ago

Christopher, my parents had several generations of Suburban. There’s really no equal replacement in terms of towing capacity and space. Good choice!

Christopher Gay
Christopher Gay
8 years ago

GS, I don’t understand what you are trying to say here, if this is a response to the Suburban.

Branden Ushijima
Branden Ushijima
8 years ago

Absolutely agree with this post – of the 22 cars I’ve owned in my life so far, only two were bought brand new and I doubt I’ll ever buy a new car again (zero-emissions or otherwise). There are just too many interesting vehicles in automotive history and it’s good to see that I own two cars on this list (500E and Berlina)!

Simon Taylor
Simon Taylor
8 years ago

There may not be zero emitions but who knows the long term consequences of batteries in 10 years time? Analogue cars can be maintained for decades, digital cars will die when their electrics do!

Guitar Slinger
Guitar Slinger
8 years ago
Reply to  Simon Taylor

The consequences of those Li’s … rare earth mineral infused motors etc etc etc are already very well known and fully documented .. by science … not the Net . Problem is governments across the world are ignoring those facts … with many officials heavily invested in E/V technology … which is why the EU etc are mandating E/V’s when in fact each and every manufacture’s engineers vocally deplore E/V’s claiming rightly that /E/V’s have no future . Oh …. and then there’s the problem of our over strained and vastly out dated electrical grids worldwide that every major provider has stated cannot accommodate an influx of E/V’s along with all the other demands being place on the gird .

In other words .. make your choice … either heat/cool/light your home [ not to mention in most cases cook in your home ] .. or drive your E/V

Ahhh … science , reality and fact … all once again ‘ Trumped ‘ [ pun intended ] by commerce and greed

Amir Kakhsaz
Amir Kakhsaz
8 years ago

I don’t know what you’re talking about, it says ZERO EMISSIONS on the back when you buy the car.

Ted Gushue
Ted Gushue
8 years ago
Reply to  Amir Kakhsaz

(We’re making a joke 😉

Amir Kakhsaz
Amir Kakhsaz
8 years ago
Reply to  Amir Kakhsaz

Ted, I know…I was trolling him, 😉

Guitar Slinger
Guitar Slinger
8 years ago
Reply to  Amir Kakhsaz

A quick reality check Mr Kakhsaz . Even you or I on a bicycle are not a Zero Emissions vehicle . There is no such thing . Its a moniker misused for pure marketing hype in the name of a Green Movement … that morphed into the Green Industry for Profit Only benefits be damned years ago

Guitar Slinger
Guitar Slinger
8 years ago
Reply to  Amir Kakhsaz

@ Ted . So thats what passes as a joke amongst your generation ? Hmmmm

😉

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