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

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191–196 of 196 posts

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

#191
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're going that fast, you'll have to stop every 1-2h to refuel in just about any car, ICE or EV. On the one hand, yeah you might have to stop for a little longer in a Tesla, but on the other hand you're going to save shitloads of money: driving that fast is massively inefficient, so you're going to spend a lot of cash on fuel in an ICE, whereas the superchargers are free.

Heh. The BMW 535d mentioned has a 70L tank, and even on worst-case drives (sporty behaviour, not highway), it's quoted (by users) around 15L/100. On standard highway (not unlimited-speed autobahn, euro highway 120~130km/h) it's quoted (again by users) around 7~8L/100. edit: and do note: your 5~10mn refuelling break on a normal car brings you back to full range, on a Model S it's 170 miles not the original 260-ish. [0…

Heh.

250km/h for 2 hours on a 70 litre diesel tank in a BMW 535 would require > 73% efficiency of the engine, which car engines don't reach.

Calculations assume: Coefficient of rolling resistanc) = 0.01 Mass = 1700kg Coefficient of drag = 0.25 Frontal area = 2.2 m^2

...and those numbers are on the kind side to the car.

On the other hand, 150km/h would require Writing calculations is a bit tiresome, so I'm not going to worry about it unless/until someone provides some calculations producing significantly different numbers.

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

#192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

People seem to be missing your point, time is money. To those with lots of money time necessarily isn't as much money. Hence, the Tesla buyers have the luxury of time. Going on a vacation for us means, the less time we spend getting there the more time we have on vacation since we have to work it in between what work allows. Still I cannot believe even on this site all the people justifying stopping every couple of h…

[deleted]

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

#193
post #190
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

After moving to California 3 years ago I've seen stretches of Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, and of course California I'd never have seen without a car. Gotten to go to places impractical with any other transportation. I can't really imagine not having a car for my weekend trips. I get not wanting to stay in a car for 40 minutes each way on a weekly commute, but being trapped in a city like LA or San Francisco with no…

The thing is you'd only be "trapped" with no access to the natural beauty because everyone opts for cars instead of public transport. Norway has a population density about 1/10th of the US (to get away from the "but the US is so big" argument that inevitably comes up), yet when I lived in Oslo, I could stroll along the main central city streets, and catch light rail to pretty much the middle of the woods in 20 minute…

The youth of today tend to focus way too much on the impracticalities and expense of driving. I have friends that live in SF and never drive anywhere, but they also don't like to do anything that isn't city related. Going to Yosemite or the middle of Utah on a whim would never cross their mind. Going on spontaneous road trips to places without public transit is something I do regularly.

I'm not trying to solve the public policy problems--just pointing out that cars have immense practical value and aren't just metal coffins.

When I went to Norway for vacation I was able to go to the wilderness on ferries like you suggest, which is great.

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

#194
post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

> You're being needlessly aggressive. The first line of the abalone's post was needlessly insulting. I'm not saying that tit-for-tat is OK, but I can see what provoked the outburst.

Disagree. This kind of disproportionate outburst is not fit for HN. "Go fuck yourself" and "A-hole of the thread" have no place here.

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

#195

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…

There's a part of this comment which makes me think I'm missing something. According to their website, the Mercedes A180 CDI ECO gets 78.5mpg. 78.5. I own a car I would consider sporty, and I can still get over 35mpg when driving on motorways at a sensible speed. I'm in the UK. Are we using some other metric to establish MPG or are cars in the USA really that absurd that they get your quoted 25mpg on a long journey?

Uk gallons are slightly largers than US Gallons.

(4.54 L vs 3.78 L)*

*(note how I used the universal 'Liter' measurement to stunn you all! ;-) )

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

#196
post #120
post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's one more factor: Dont I have to do a mandatory roundtrip so that I can return the individual batteries to Tesla? Thats the way their battery swap program works at the moment.

The article isn't about their battery swap program. Its about their fast charge network.

Oops, I totally missed that part. It sounds more realistic now.
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