41–50 of 286 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
doubtful. it's not a real award like COTY or International Engine Of The Year.
Err, exactly what makes those awards more real? Just how many people would concede the point?
Even if Tesla do not survive, ten years from now every new electric car will be a descendant of the Model S in all the major ways - floor-mounted battery pack, lack of physical buttons, etc.
I'm a big Tesla fan, but I disagree. The only way electric cars can possibly make sense is if the batteries are swappable. The electric cars being built now are evolutionary dead ends, IMHO.
Today, I have plenty of range to get to and from work and most activities driving a car with 1/3rd the EPA range of a Tesla Model S. Consider that you can still do long road trips simply by stopping at a quick charge station for a meal and a fillup or you can use some small part of the money you're saving on fuel to rent a car. Given how few road trips I take, I could probably take a limo every time if I wanted.
Tesla is still a niche luxury car, and I still think they will not remain in business in their current form. Several top-name brands are hot on their heels which will put a lot of pressure in their customer acquisition prospects. As for the Automobile endorsement, I don't like how they are misleading consumers with their data. The test vs. M5 was designed to take account Tesla's sweet spot of performance, "...drag ra…
A 0-60 is measured from the time the car starts to move. If you measure from when the accelerator is depressed, the Tesla gains a huge advantage and will beat the M5.
EDIT:
Here's a 0-100 video:
http://ca.autoblog.com/2012/10/09/sport-sedan-shootout-tesla...
Now unless there's some tricks in the video, it's quite obvious that the M5 does much better at the latter half of the drag than the first half. So if a Tesla can beat an M5 at 0-100, it will destroy it at 0-60.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The "Supercharger" already works pretty well. It's the first attempt at such a thing. I would expect that maybe subsequent attempts would be even better? So I don't understand why you are saying "the only way they can possibly make sense" is if the batteries are swappable. There is already sort of an existence proof otherwise, in California, right now.
I think he's referring to 8-year lifetime of the battery pack. Current car economics (used market, resale value, TCO) don't work as well when a few years down the road the car turns into a brick.
70% range on a Leaf or a Tesla battery after eight or ten years is still very valuable for offpeak energy storage applications.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The Model S is a revolutionary car, but I really hope the the big touch display without physical buttons doesn't become the norm. I really prefer the feedback you get from them while keeping your eyes on the road, especially for common functions like the temperature and basic stereo control. People will disagree with me, but I have really grown to like the current iDrive system which lets me keep my looking up high w…
I prefer tactile response as well, however I'd guess that good voice activated controls will be introduced soon enough.
Tesla is still a niche luxury car, and I still think they will not remain in business in their current form. Several top-name brands are hot on their heels which will put a lot of pressure in their customer acquisition prospects. As for the Automobile endorsement, I don't like how they are misleading consumers with their data. The test vs. M5 was designed to take account Tesla's sweet spot of performance, "...drag ra…
Tesla is still a niche luxury car, and I still think they will not remain in business in their current form. Several top-name brands are hot on their heels which will put a lot of pressure in their customer acquisition prospects. As for the Automobile endorsement, I don't like how they are misleading consumers with their data. The test vs. M5 was designed to take account Tesla's sweet spot of performance, "...drag ra…
The M5 may beat the Tesla at 0-60 on paper (3.7 seconds vs 3.9), but in practice the Tesla will beat the M5. A 0-60 is measured from the time the car starts to move. If you measure from when the accelerator is depressed, the Tesla gains a huge advantage and will beat the M5. EDIT: Here's a 0-100 video: http://ca.autoblog.com/2012/10/09/sport-sedan-shootout-tesla... Now unless there's some tricks in the video, it's qu…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The "Supercharger" already works pretty well. It's the first attempt at such a thing. I would expect that maybe subsequent attempts would be even better? So I don't understand why you are saying "the only way they can possibly make sense" is if the batteries are swappable. There is already sort of an existence proof otherwise, in California, right now.
I think he's referring to 8-year lifetime of the battery pack. Current car economics (used market, resale value, TCO) don't work as well when a few years down the road the car turns into a brick.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I prefer tactile response as well, however I'd guess that good voice activated controls will be introduced soon enough.
I'd really hate to have to have to say "increase driver side temperature by 2 degrees" when I could much more easily just turn a knob without looking, thanks to muscle memory & tactile feedback.
Tesla has done a magnificent job of making electric cool and sexy, and that's almost absurdly important with a purchase as emotional as a car.