As there are no Tesla dealerships in NH, VT, ME, or CT we opted to pick up our new Tesla model 3 "Jarvis" in Mt. Kisco NY. If you pick up your car in MA you have to pay their state taxes. The other option was to have it delivered to our home in NH, but it would take an additional 3-4 weeks.

We turned this into a fun weekend adventure for Tanya an I, as it started with a one way Enterprise rental car, arranged by Tesla - we got a Hyundai Sonata. I was joking on the ride down that it's Sonata very good car, Sonata very powerful, Sonata very fun to drive, etc. (In a strong fake Italian accent, Sonata sounds like "It's a not a" to me - enough Dad humor). I think Tesla uses this particular car and model so you appreciate your new car that much more once you take delivery. We dropped off Lauren and Sean at my parent's house in CT, and made our way to Mt. Kisco NY in the pouring rain. We arrived a bit early for our 5 PM appointment, the last 20 miles were an adventure as we made 4 route changes due to 4 separate accidents due to the intense down pour.

We checked in at the showroom and service center, completed the paperwork, a process that took about an hour and a half. We then followed the shuttle (a beautiful Model X) to the enterprise rental car location to drop off our Sonata very fun car. (last time I promise) Then we opened the gull wing doors on the model X, hopped in for a short ride, and were driven right up a ramp and into the warehouse where they prepare the cars for delivery. We hopped out, and checked out the 30 or so various Tesla vehicles in process in the warehouse. There were a few blue cars, but none with white interior, so we knew ours wasn't already inside. As the deliveries are so high, it took about 45 minutes for our car to be driven into the building (which is why it's wet in the image above). The woman who showed us all about the car, Brianna, walked us through how to use the main features of the car, the touch screen, how to charge, etc. Super easy, and I just kept thinking how many switches, knobs, wires and molded plastic parts are no longer required - which saves on cost, due to fewer materials, parts, assembly time and even troubleshooting and repair. Whatever could be automated has been, including the wipers, high/low beam headlights, etc. Also, with two electric motors, you don't need to worry about coolant temperature, oil pressure, what gear you are in, there is no traditional transmission (the car has 4 physical gears, that creates two gear meshes - one on each motor and one on each axle). There is no shifting between gears, the motor simply spins faster depending on how fast you want to go. The motors and gears have been designed to and have been tested to more than 1 million miles.

Tanya and I took a short road trip through New Jersey, stopping at Thomas Edison's workshop (while driving a Tesla, wearing a Tesla jacket - quite the irony). We picked up the kids on Sunday, and headed home. We take friends for test rides almost daily, and so far have had 50+ passengers who have never had a Tesla ride. I'm thinking that we may have converted a few people over to electric cars as their next vehicle.

After having the car for 6 days, and having put 1000 miles on it, we LOVE IT! It's by far the most fun car we have ever owned, or even driven. It's incredibly quiet, just a slight electrical whirring noise. When you accelerate, it feels like launching in a modern roller coaster - you are pushed back in the seat and can feel it in your guts. We've used a few super chargers, and it's very simple to get a recharge while traveling. We've had fun with the classic Atari games too, where you can use the steering wheel and thumb buttons to control the games.

While I love my truck, if I could I would immediately trade it for a Tesla truck if possible - the Tesla truck should be coming out in 2019 or 2020. I'm really seriously thinking that the traditional auto manufacturers & stealerships are in serious trouble. If they don't adapt immediately, gas powered cars will be "quaint" like traveling by horse and buggy. Their time is limited if they don't change.