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Tesla Completes L.A.-to-New York Electric Model S Drive Chargers

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Re: Tesla Completes L.A.-to-New York Electric Model S Drive Chargers

#161

Post by mturmon »

NickM wrote: post #91
rdl wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually it doesn't look that bad. http://www.automobile-catalog.com/economy/2014/1900655/bmw_5... Fuel consumption: in liter / 100 km Estimated fuel consumption by constant speeds on top gear, steady ride without acceleration or braking, flat concrete or tarmac surface, no wind by 50 km/h (31 mph): 8 l/100 km by 60 km/h (37 mph): 6.8 l/100 km by 70 km/h (44 mph): 6.5 l/100 km by 80 km/h (50 mph): 4.9 l/100 km by 90…

Your link says that those are "estimated fuel consumptions", but I'm somewhat inclined to doubt the veracity of these estimates: between 120 km/h and 240 km/h wind drag is going to quadruple, and ICEs get lower efficiency at higher RPM. So if the efficiency falls by less than 50% when you double the speed, then that implies that tire drag and internal friction represent the majority of the force you're overcoming at…

   ...between 120 km/h and 240 km/h wind drag is going to quadruple...
Your figures here are an idealization. Real results are not going to match this because air resistance and fuel consumption are not a smooth process. (Some versions of the Tesla S even have active suspension, which really makes things interesting.) I expect you'd need some pretty serious finite element modeling, and engine modeling, to really understand the linkage.

Re: Tesla Completes L.A.-to-New York Electric Model S Drive Chargers

#162

Post by oinksoft »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #128
GarrettBeck wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's 1.44 metric tons of CO2 emission. A Tesla may not be as practical, but it extends the longevity of our planet for damn sure. [EDIT] I used this website to calculate http://calculator.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx?tab=4

I offset the carbon emissions through Terrapass ( http://www.terrapass.com/ ). It's not perfect, I know, but I can't afford a Tesla at the moment without liquidating my TSLA stock. Total cost to offset ~2 metric tons of CO2: ~$20 ( http://www.terrapass.com/shop/ )

That's an interesting service, it makes me wonder what other indulgence-style businesses could exist for wealthy people ...

  +--------------------------+------+--------+
  | Name                     | Qty. | Price  |
  +--------------------------+------+--------+
  | Littering                |    1 |  $6.95 |
  +--------------------------+------+--------+
  | Water lawn in drought    |    1 | $34.95 |
  +--------------------------+------+--------+
  | Let's do this mega-trip  |    1 | $19.95 |
  | in a sports car! And     |      |        |    
  | drive really fast too!   |      |        |
  +--------------------------+------+--------+
Guilt is so 2006.

Re: Tesla Completes L.A.-to-New York Electric Model S Drive Chargers

#163

Post by encoderer »

mturmon wrote: post #158
encoderer wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disingenuous? Hey buddy, GFY. Last year I drove from Florida to San Francisco. We did it over 5 days, my wife and I with our dog. We stopped as-needed and always more than 10 minutes. Just filling the tank & handling payment takes that long. But in reality, you NEED to clean the windshield to clear off the bug splatter. And you NEED to use the facilities. Probably you and your passengers. And you really WANT a moment…

You're being needlessly aggressive. The comment to which you are responding was raising a reasonable point.

You can raise a point without an ad hominem attack, mturmon. Happily standing-by my comment.

Re: Tesla Completes L.A.-to-New York Electric Model S Drive Chargers

#164

Post by protomyth »

001sky wrote: post #159
protomyth wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Going 65 on a 75 highway is going to be a problem since your speed difference with most cars is what causes the problems in highway driving. Breaking flow of traffic is not a good idea. I can assure you that doing 65mph on I-90 through South Dakota is a really, really bad idea. Its listed as 75mph and that would be the low-end for what people do. Nevermind the wind that is probably going to kill your range.

Nevermind the wind that is probably going to kill your range This is a good point, I wonder what the energy burden is going to be from that. You also need to factor in the impracticality of travel in the winter season (ie, near 0 deg F) in the east, or the very cold desert west of the Continental divide, particulalry at night (which is also extended in the winter).

> winter season (ie, near 0 deg F)

It gets into the negatives for a lot of the winter. As I type this, it is -4F in Sioux Falls (just off I-90) with a mild 5-10mph wind with an expected low of -8F tonight.

There are a lot of windmills near I-90 since you can pretty much guarantee a constant wind.

Re: Tesla Completes L.A.-to-New York Electric Model S Drive Chargers

#165

Post by [deleted] »

encoderer wrote: post #108
protomyth wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Going 65 on a 75 highway is going to be a problem since your speed difference with most cars is what causes the problems in highway driving. Breaking flow of traffic is not a good idea. I can assure you that doing 65mph on I-90 through South Dakota is a really, really bad idea. Its listed as 75mph and that would be the low-end for what people do. Nevermind the wind that is probably going to kill your range.

Aside from perhaps Montana/etc I've never seen a highway with a single 75MPH speed limit. There is always a lower limit for big trucks, usually 55 or 65mph. You in a Tesla driving 65 in the right lane is not going to affect traffic much. In the wide open spaces, there's enough room it doesn't matter. In cities, there's enough traffic to push realized speeds below posted limits anyway.

[deleted]

Re: Tesla Completes L.A.-to-New York Electric Model S Drive Chargers

#166

Post by 001sky »

protomyth wrote: post #164
001sky wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nevermind the wind that is probably going to kill your range This is a good point, I wonder what the energy burden is going to be from that. You also need to factor in the impracticality of travel in the winter season (ie, near 0 deg F) in the east, or the very cold desert west of the Continental divide, particulalry at night (which is also extended in the winter).

> winter season (ie, near 0 deg F) It gets into the negatives for a lot of the winter. As I type this, it is -4F in Sioux Falls (just off I-90) with a mild 5-10mph wind with an expected low of -8F tonight. There are a lot of windmills near I-90 since you can pretty much guarantee a constant wind.

Interesting visualization of wind-energy across USA

http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/maps/chap2/2-01m.html

Re: Tesla Completes L.A.-to-New York Electric Model S Drive Chargers

#168

Post by chiph »

jcurbo wrote: post #60
rdl wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The nice thing is most US states have reciprocity with Germany, so you don't actually have to take the tests. I noticed a fair number of "bad" (by German standards) drivers on the southern Autobahnen over the past few weeks, but they were mainly non-Germans; I'm 99% sure the drunk guys in the 15 year old Honda were US military, and by the plates, most of the other bad drivers were also not German. So it's not foolpro…

Worth noting that US military that are stationed in Germany must take a test before receiving a US Army Europe license (they run the program for all US military in Germany) in order to drive in Germany. Based on my experience (got there in 2004), the test was not that easy and did require a bit of studying, especially for road signs and the rules at intersections, which are a little bit different than US rules, from…

The USAFE/USAREUR driving test is way more difficult than any test in the states. But still far easier than the tests the Germans themselves have to pass.

The priority road concept, with unmarked intersections, is one that wouldn't work all that well in the US.

Re: Tesla Completes L.A.-to-New York Electric Model S Drive Chargers

#169

Post by coreymgilmore »

Good to see the network growing. I may still be sorta impractical, but at least Tesla is putting a foot forward and expanding their charging network. In the end, this alone could push their sales higher since no other vehicles (brands) can charge on the supercharger network.

So in, lets say, 5 years...would you rather buy an electric car with an established and easy to use charging network. Or a different brand electric car that is just launching their charger network? Tesla for the long term

Re: Tesla Completes L.A.-to-New York Electric Model S Drive Chargers

#170

Post by pkulak »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #98
atourgates wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just doing some quick numbers (not related to current specific locations of quick chargers and gas stations), stopping 30 minutes every 170 miles would add a bit over 6 and a half hours of stopping to a LY->NYC trip. LA -> NYC is about 2,800 miles. If you had to stop for 30 minutes every 170 miles, that'd be 16.5 stops, for a total of about 8.25 hours of charging stops. If you assume 25mpg in a car with a 12 gallon t…

I just drove from Chicago to Tampa, stayed for two weeks in FL, and then drove back over the last two weeks. I did both sprints straight through in a 2008 Infiniti G37, which has a six-speed auto, V6 engine, and 20 gallon tank. At an average speed of 85 mph, the car averaged about 24mpg, giving me a range of around 420 miles per gallon (with ~60 mile reserve). This is an edge case of course. I'm 31, and drove the ent…

So you spend $325 on gas for that trip. Which is about a third of the monthly payment required for a Model S.

I used to really want a Model S, but I just don't think paying for that much battery is worth it as long as your commute isn't over 60 miles. Instead of a Model S, you can lease a Leaf for city driving and buy luxury gas car for road trips, both combined for a smaller total payment. Plus you now have two cars!

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