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Tesla responds to "bricking" issue

teslamotors.com

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Re: Tesla responds to "bricking" issue

#71

Post by [deleted] »

tfb wrote: post #57
nuclear_eclipse wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Running out of gas doesn't "brick" a car. You can either push or tow it to a gas station, or you can deliver more fuel to it, and it will continue working without missing a beat. Letting a Li-ion battery discharge completely damages the battery, which means you have to replace the entire battery, not just fill it back up. This is physics; Tesla can't change the laws of chemical reactions.

What about not keeping enough fresh oil? I believe keeping a minimum charge on an EV is analogous to the common knowledge of maintaining a gas-powered vehicle's oil. The problem is that people don't have experience with EVs. I'm sure in the early days of gas-powered vehicles, plenty of engines seized up because people were unaware they had to change the oil and keep it at a certain level. And it certainly still happe…

[deleted]

Re: Tesla responds to "bricking" issue

#72

Post by abruzzi »

fr0sty wrote: post #8

I wonder if as much digital ink would have been spilled on this whole kerfluffle if the original article had not used the term 'bricked'. Bricking, at least in my mind, is something that happens suddenly usually when attempting something at least slightly risky. Jailbreaking iPhones, replacing your laptop harddrive, desoldering components in an audio amplifier and other 'warranty voiding' all carry some 'bricking' ri…

It need not be risky or warranty voiding. Bricking has been applied to software updated pushed out by vendors in the past, so I don't think it implies anything more than something that causes something to lose all function and become inert, like a brik.

Re: Tesla responds to "bricking" issue

#73

Post by solsenNet »

quote "spreading a rumor"

turns out in this case the rumor is true...

well the first automobiles needed to be started with a crank on the front grill. sometimes the crank would catch and whip around an break the user's arm.

its a neat thing that even in this day and age, people aren't completely shielded from being on the cutting edge.

the 2020 Teslas are going to be amazing.

Re: Tesla responds to "bricking" issue

#75

Post by mbowcock »

blhack wrote: post #36

Here's one of the problems that I have with this whole thing: My iPod goes dead all the time, so does my phone, so does my laptop, my camera, my remote, my everything. I think that every single battery-powered device I've ever owned has, at some point, gone "dead" (as in it won't power on). NONE of these things have ever been completely incapacitated because of this. I've never had to replace my laptop because I let…

I believe all lithium-ion batteries have a low-voltage threshold that once crossed they can not be charged again. It's similar to a fuse - once tripped - there's no* getting around it. This protection is to guard against shorts in the internal circuitry. With the current technology there is no way around it.

* Edit. Missed the 'No'.

Re: Tesla responds to "bricking" issue

#76

Post by absconditus »

blhack wrote: post #36

Here's one of the problems that I have with this whole thing: My iPod goes dead all the time, so does my phone, so does my laptop, my camera, my remote, my everything. I think that every single battery-powered device I've ever owned has, at some point, gone "dead" (as in it won't power on). NONE of these things have ever been completely incapacitated because of this. I've never had to replace my laptop because I let…

You have never had to replace batteries in those items because they are not completely dead when they will not turn on. They are designed to prevent users from killing the battery.

Re: Tesla responds to "bricking" issue

#77

Post by JS_startup »

jd wrote: post #68
blhack wrote: post #36

Here's one of the problems that I have with this whole thing: My iPod goes dead all the time, so does my phone, so does my laptop, my camera, my remote, my everything. I think that every single battery-powered device I've ever owned has, at some point, gone "dead" (as in it won't power on). NONE of these things have ever been completely incapacitated because of this. I've never had to replace my laptop because I let…

I'm not going to point out how Tesla car batteries have to follow the laws of physics. Other people did that already. Tesla cars aren't mass market products (yet). They're for early adopters who can afford what is essentially a $100.000+ toy. If you then don't read the manual and leave the car on a parking lot for months , then yes, you can ruin the battery. So let's compare it to other early adopter technology. It t…

>So let's not lose perspective here. If you forget to plug in your roadster before you go on holiday, in the absolute worst case scenario you have to replace the battery. No big deal.

Have you read the original blog post? (http://theunderstatement.com/post/18030062041/its-a-brick-te...) Battery replacement costs $40k in cash and all of Tesla's documentation only gently "suggests" that the car be plugged in when convenient.

That article includes an incident where someone parked their car at a garage and the battery died within less than 2 months.

Re: Tesla responds to "bricking" issue

#78

Post by xixi77 »

URSpider94 wrote: post #2

This is PR mastery. Nowhere in the release does Tesla refute that owners have "bricked" their batteries. Nowhere in the release do they say that the battery can not be bricked by leaving it for a long period without a recharge. All they say is that it would take a period of weeks for a Tesla roadster to reach 0% charge, and that the Model S has battery disconnect technology that can extend this to several months. The…

IMO, this was horrible, horrible PR. They basically confirmed all allegations, while still coming out as snotty jerks (talking about "unfounded rumors"?!). Linking the ad-hominem attack was just low.

They are in a difficult situation, as the problem is real, and difficult to address. In fact they are clearly doing a lot trying to address it, which is to their credit -- now if instead of downplaying it, they presented it clearly, and focused on what they are doing and planning to do, and thought about more solutions, it would do them much good.

And solutions don't have to be just technical -- offering insurance (even if high-deductible) would do quite a bit to calm some fears, as would the GPS based service if explained and offered right. Either way, without some kind of fix for such problems, they will never see any adoption beyond the "toys for the rich" market.

Re: Tesla responds to "bricking" issue

#79

Post by teamonkey »

tocomment wrote: post #21
Mvandenbergh wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, because the systems for disengaging the wheels from the drive train won't work without power.

Is that a fail-safe or the opposite of a fail-safe? I can't decide...

Consider a battery failure while parked on a hill

Re: Tesla responds to "bricking" issue

#80

Post by sek »

miker64 wrote: post #23

If you don't do the basic, fundamental things to maintain your vehicle, it will no longer work. If you are, in fact, unable to grasp that, then you will pay the cost. How is this even a thing?

Who says they don't inform a buyer about these things, it's nothing to make a promo video about.

Who just leaves his car for 12 months somewhere, without caring about it? I know someone who left his motorcycle outside for too long and now rust killed it.

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