Tesla Model S launched! Finally we see what the future of electric cars can be.

I'm really stoked about this car, and it's damn sexy, but the biggest problem I'm seeing with electric cars is the range. Under 300 miles before it needs a charge. While that might be the same range as, say my wifes Saturn, the Saturn only needs about 3 minutes at the pump before it can go another 300 miles.
 
MORE GENIES! said:
I'm really stoked about this car, and it's damn sexy, but the biggest problem I'm seeing with electric cars is the range. Under 300 miles before it needs a charge. While that might be the same range as, say my wifes Saturn, the Saturn only needs about 3 minutes at the pump before it can go another 300 miles.
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Most people will never drive over 300 miles a day. If you have the 240v system, you get around 62 miles per hour of charge. And the goal is to have super charging stations along interstates that will give you roughly half a battery charge in 30 mins. Stopping for 30 mins every 120 to 150 miles is doable on a family roadtrip.
 
WinterBorn said:
Most people will never drive over 300 miles a day. If you have the 240v system, you get around 62 miles per hour of charge. And the goal is to have super charging stations along interstates that will give you roughly half a battery charge in 30 mins. Stopping for 30 mins every 120 to 150 miles is doable on a family roadtrip.
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Maybe for you. Stopping 10 minutes is too long for me, but I'll concede on that point. That'd be roughly a 30minute stop every 2.5 hours.

Now again, I'm not knocking the Tesla. It's the first electric car I would actually own. I'm just being realistic.
 
MORE GENIES! said:
Maybe for you. Stopping 10 minutes is too long for me, but I'll concede on that point. That'd be roughly a 30minute stop every 2.5 hours.

Now again, I'm not knocking the Tesla. It's the first electric car I would actually own. I'm just being realistic.
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I understand completely. I have put more miles on vehicles than anyone I know. My last truck has about a 400 mile range. So did my bladder and my stomach.
 
WinterBorn said:
Most people will never drive over 300 miles a day. If you have the 240v system, you get around 62 miles per hour of charge. And the goal is to have super charging stations along interstates that will give you roughly half a battery charge in 30 mins. Stopping for 30 mins every 120 to 150 miles is doable on a family roadtrip.
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First of all, no family I ever knew of stopped 30 minutes every 2.5 hrs to shop on a long family road trip. With my dad, you might have gotten to stop at 4 hrs. unless the trip was only 5, then you'd have to just hold out. The second point is... do you think you could drive confidently to the end of your charge, without fear of running out, knowing that you had the proper recharge availability ahead, to the point you could cut it that close? Wouldn't you need to kind of factor in a safety zone, so that you don't (heaven forbid) lose your power along the interstate? I don't imagine that would be easy to fix.. it's not like Goober can hook his jumper cables up and have your Tesla on its way. I'm sure they would have special charging trucks, but how many and where? Suddenly, you think everyone is going to invest in these out of nowhere?

Not to mention... there are ranches across Texas that take more than 2.5 hrs to drive across. The same for Montana and Wyoming... and Alaska? Forget about it.

MORE GENIES! said:
I'm really stoked about this car, and it's damn sexy, but the biggest problem I'm seeing with electric cars is the range. Under 300 miles before it needs a charge. While that might be the same range as, say my wifes Saturn, the Saturn only needs about 3 minutes at the pump before it can go another 300 miles.
Click to expand...

Well you know, before they had cars, horses had to rest sometimes overnight, before traveling on. Eventually that's what we'll be back to, because the even bigger point is completely being ignored. Right now, electricity is cheap and plentiful, in the Liberal Utopian world where everyone drives a Tesla, the demand on electricity would cause the price to dramatically increase. The real problem is going to be when you have to PAY for the recharge. OR.. when your Tesla doesn't quite make it to the next available recharge station, and you have to PAY the recharge truck. On top of the $50-100k investment, you'll have the cost of electricity. Now, your home electric, it will increase gradually over time, as more and more people demand this idea, so it will be the most viable option... but you can't always recharge at home, you will need recharge stations which will be operated by capitalists who are in business to make a profit. I would imagine, those people would be pretty much the same people as who are now selling us gasoline, don't you guess?

Don't get me wrong, I like the Tesla, and I think they have a niche market and a place in the future. For metro dwellers and local commuters, this is an awesome thing, although I wonder what kind of range the Tesla gets in a typical LA rush hour situation? This is just not the end-all-be-all solution you wish it were.
 
Dixie said:
First of all, no family I ever knew of stopped 30 minutes every 2.5 hrs to shop on a long family road trip. With my dad, you might have gotten to stop at 4 hrs. unless the trip was only 5, then you'd have to just hold out. The second point is... do you think you could drive confidently to the end of your charge, without fear of running out, knowing that you had the proper recharge availability ahead, to the point you could cut it that close? Wouldn't you need to kind of factor in a safety zone, so that you don't (heaven forbid) lose your power along the interstate? I don't imagine that would be easy to fix.. it's not like Goober can hook his jumper cables up and have your Tesla on its way. I'm sure they would have special charging trucks, but how many and where? Suddenly, you think everyone is going to invest in these out of nowhere?

Not to mention... there are ranches across Texas that take more than 2.5 hrs to drive across. The same for Montana and Wyoming... and Alaska? Forget about it.



Well you know, before they had cars, horses had to rest sometimes overnight, before traveling on. Eventually that's what we'll be back to, because the even bigger point is completely being ignored. Right now, electricity is cheap and plentiful, in the Liberal Utopian world where everyone drives a Tesla, the demand on electricity would cause the price to dramatically increase. The real problem is going to be when you have to PAY for the recharge. OR.. when your Tesla doesn't quite make it to the next available recharge station, and you have to PAY the recharge truck. On top of the $50-100k investment, you'll have the cost of electricity. Now, your home electric, it will increase gradually over time, as more and more people demand this idea, so it will be the most viable option... but you can't always recharge at home, you will need recharge stations which will be operated by capitalists who are in business to make a profit. I would imagine, those people would be pretty much the same people as who are now selling us gasoline, don't you guess?

Don't get me wrong, I like the Tesla, and I think they have a niche market and a place in the future. For metro dwellers and local commuters, this is an awesome thing, although I wonder what kind of range the Tesla gets in a typical LA rush hour situation? This is just not the end-all-be-all solution you wish it were.
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Dixie, this has never been the end all answer. I have no delusions about it being a utopian answer to anything.

But there are several things that have me really stoked concerning the Tesla.

First, this is an actual startup car company. Manufacturing autos is a hugely limited business. The last time we had a car company start up was Chrysler 80 some odd years ago. If Telsa gets off the ground fully, we will be seeing a new business grow and a new manufacturing game in the US.

Second, the electric auto has always been tiny, utilitarian, and ugly. Look at most of the attempts in the last 50 years and you see golf carts with some extras. They have been slow. Their range has been limited to 50 miles. And they have been butt-ugly.

I was stoked when I read the spec on the Tesla Roadster. It was a monster on the track and had range in the 250 to 300 mile arena. Now they have created a sharp looking sedan that will carry 5 passengers in style. The car goes from 0-60 in under 5 seconds! (The Chevy Volt does the 0-60 in 9.2 seconds and beats both the LEAF and the Prius.)

The Tesla Roadster was basically a Lotus with an electric motor. The Model S is built from the ground up as an electric car, and made to be a real car.

As for the cost of electricty, yes that is a factor. Yes, with increased demand the price will probably rise. But is that really an issue? Look at what the oil companies do. We've seen the THREAT of a hurricane cause gas prices to jump.

And if the Tesla is not the perfect car for a family vacation, then use some other means of transportation for that 2 weeks a year. The other 50 weeks the Tesla is humming along.
 
I don't think the systems shut down on the Tesla when sitting still. You'd still have a/c and such. You would be draining battery power without getting anywhere.
 
WinterBorn said:
Most people will never drive over 300 miles a day. If you have the 240v system, you get around 62 miles per hour of charge. And the goal is to have super charging stations along interstates that will give you roughly half a battery charge in 30 mins. Stopping for 30 mins every 120 to 150 miles is doable on a family roadtrip.
Click to expand...

LOL drive 2 hours, stop for half an hour! Awesomeness!
 
WinterBorn said:
I don't think the systems shut down on the Tesla when sitting still. You'd still have a/c and such. You would be draining battery power without getting anywhere.
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I wonder what the range of a Tesla would be in January in Iowa when the temperature outside is is 35 below zero.....
 
Dixie said:
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Right now, electricity is cheap and plentiful, in the Liberal Utopian world where everyone drives a Tesla, the demand on electricity would cause the price to dramatically increase.

This is just not the end-all-be-all solution you wish it were.
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Dixie,
It really would be a utopian world if everyone could afford to drive a Tesla. We know that is not happening.
Here are some facts though.

1. With an electric drive motor, the Tesla uses energy at 90% efficiency. Gas engines burn at 20% effiency (meaning 80% of the fuel burned is expelled from the vehicle as waste heat). Electric rates could increase significantly before the cost to operate an electric car approaches that of a gas car.

2. Electric cars will generally be charged overnight. This is a known time of low demand for electric companies. Increased use of electric cars will help balance the load
(real good for electric companies) and enable more rapid integration of a smart grid (good for all electric consumers nationwide).

As to your final comment, true, there is no one single silver bullet. Solving our energy crisis will require ALL options. Those waiting for the one perfect solution will have a long wait indeed, unless Tom perfects his thorium fanny pack reactor very soon.
 
I like what Honda is doing. I am not as excited about hybrids as most "greenies" are. They whole "I'll use less gas" is not the same as using none. Its an improvement but not an answer.

Plus, being a tall man, and having tall kids, I like the roominess of the Tesla.
 
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