Many people have not had the opportunity yet to drive an electric vehicle. But, Tesla has made the price of the Model 3 more within reach to the masses. So, many are considering the new car and are liking the idea of going greener at the same time. If a person is ready to make that jump to an electric vehicle, here three things they need to know before buying the Tesla Model 3.

1. Instant acceleration and regenerative braking

The first thing a driver needs to know about the Tesla Model 3 is that the gas pedal is not for gas. Instead, it is for the throttle. There is no gas in this car. However, blipping that throttle will result in instant and silent acceleration. Interestingly, when you let go of the pedal in a Model 3, the car begins braking immediately, even without your foot on the brake pedal. While decelerating, the car uses the regenerative braking system to absorb energy. The car does still have a brake pedal, though. As always, be prepared to use it.

2. Tesla Driver-assist systems

No system from any manufacturer can truly claim to make a car a totally autonomous vehicle yet. So, saying that a vehicle will drive itself is overreaching. However, the Tesla Model 3 does have some driver-assist programs.

From Tesla’s website,

“Autopilot enables your car to steer, accelerate, and brake automatically within its lane. Full Self-Driving Capability introduces additional features and improves existing functionality to make your car more capable over time including:”

Those additional features are active guidance from onramp to an offramp, automatic lane changing, the ability to summon your car from the parking lot, and automatic parking. 

It is important to note that drivers should always keep their hands on the steering wheel.

3. The supercharger network

The Tesla Model 3 does come with a charging cable. The cable can be plugged into a normal household plug. Charging this way is slower than using Tesla’s supercharging network. Tesla’s charging network currently has over 16,000 locations, which your Model 3 can make you aware of. For example, a driver can put a destination into the center display, and the car will show the closest superchargers on the trip based on the remaining charge. The car also remembers past superchargers used before with the Model 3. 

BONUS: 4. A referral link

Once a person purchases a new Tesla from Tesla, a referral link is provided to the owner from the company. That referral link is good for extras. Those extras could be reduced supercharging fees, or even free supercharging. But the purchaser has to provide it to a person who eventually purchases a Tesla. Simply handing the referral out is not enough. On the flip side, if a person is considering purchasing a Tesla Model 3, or any Tesla, they should reach out to a current owner and see if they will permit them to use their referral link. It would be very neighborly of them. 

The three things that anybody considering purchasing their Tesla Model 3 should consider regarding the ownership experience is that instant acceleration and regenerative braking will give a different facet to driving when considered against vehicles with internal combustion engines. There is also a suite of driver-assist systems to make trips more enjoyable. Additionally, the Model 3 comes with its own charging cable, but supercharging at one of Tesla’s stations is available too. Finally, Tesla’s referral links are handy for savings. All these things may be new to people considering purchasing their first electric vehicle. But, they are good to know ahead of time so that it does not surprise or distract from the Model 3 buying and ownership experience.