German auto expert says Tesla is at least 4-5 years ahead of its competitors

Germany's Die Welt recently reviewed the Tesla Model 3, quoting automotive industry expert Professor Ferdinand Dudenhoffer as saying that Tesla has a huge lead over the competition. "The technological lead can easily be maintained for four or five years. The range and driving pleasure are unmatched."

Nando Sommerfeldt, an experienced automotive journalist and former EV skeptic at Die Welt, cited Dudenhöffer's comments in his review of the Model 3 Performance. The experienced critic's previous skepticism about electric vehicles was completely dispelled by his experience with Tesla.

The headline of the review was "This Tesla Destroys All My Preconceptions About Electric Cars."

Sommerfeldt pushes back against the notion that electric vehicle powertrains can’t match the driving experience of a conventional car with a clear response:

“Nonsense. The Model 3 drives great. The Model 3 feels like a sports car. Like a really fast sports car.”

The Tesla Supercharger network has left a very positive impression on this former EV skeptic. He shared his own Tesla Supercharging experience after a road trip with his family:

"After my family and I bought ice cream and coffee instead of gas at a gas station, almost 30 minutes had passed. In 30 minutes, the Model 3 had achieved 300 km (186 miles) of actual driving range. Tesla gas stations are widespread, well distributed, and load quickly. That's the secret. I drove 2,000 km. Superchargers eliminate my range anxiety.

Professor Dudenhöffer is quoted in the report as agreeing with Sommerfeld that the Supercharger network is a big part of what makes the Tesla ownership experience special:

"From the beginning, the company had a clear plan for the flow of customers. A Tesla owner can also charge at all the other chargers in the United States. But first, it may be too slow for him. Second, he doesn't need them.

With the new Supercharger V3 technology now starting to roll out at key locations on the highway, the 300 km (186 mi) in 30 minutes that Sommerfeldt experienced on a V2 Supercharger will soon be further improved to around 20 minutes. Last week we saw that a Tesla Model 3 can already regain around 180 miles (289 km) of range in 20 minutes on a third-party high-power CCS charger.

Compared to its closest competitor, the Audi e-tron, this is more than 61 percent higher. And the high-power CCS network (150 kW and above) is still far less developed than the supercharger network.

In the long run, will Tesla's 4-5 year lead continue? If it can attract enough outstanding talent, then this lead may be further expanded.

We recently found that Tesla is one of the most attractive employers for engineering graduates, as well as students from most other majors, while other automakers barely get any attention.