Tesla Model S – Cost of Ownership vs. Honda Odyssey • Hacker News Board

Re: Tesla Model S – Cost of Ownership vs. Honda Odyssey

#81

Post by warfangle » Mon, Apr 14, 2014, 7:07 PM UTC

bryanlarsen wrote: post #76

warfangle wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Instead they are putting out a bullshit Gucci gull-wing contraption that is a total let-down. What's a let-down about it? Legitimately curious.

Easy access to third row seating is a solved problem. But sliding doors aren't "cool". So they either get replaced with over-engineered contraptions like those silly gull wing doors, or even worse, they get replaced with standard doors that pretty much render the third row useless, like most SUV's do. (assuming child seats, which is the bulk of your 3 row market)

The original parent implied strongly that it wasn't just the falcon-wing doors (two-hinged; the e.g. delorean had only one hinge) that was a total let down. Made me think they were let down by capacity or clearance or torque or Other Criteria(tm) as well.

> or even worse, they get replaced with standard doors

But we're talking about the X here, which doesn't.

Re: Tesla Model S – Cost of Ownership vs. Honda Odyssey

#82

Post by samstave » Mon, Apr 14, 2014, 8:07 PM UTC

dangero wrote: post #4

I'm pretty skeptical about resale value on the Model S at 5 or more years out just because their newer models will have major technical advances and the cost of a battery replacement. It's hard to speculate on that right now since the car is too new.

How does battery replacement work when you're supposedly pulling up to a station and a robot is installing a new batt to the underbelly of the car?

Shouldn't all batteries be "Netflix for tesla batteries" whereby you simply rent them?

Re: Tesla Model S – Cost of Ownership vs. Honda Odyssey

#83

Post by jdeibele » Mon, Apr 14, 2014, 8:11 PM UTC

warfangle wrote: post #81

bryanlarsen wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Easy access to third row seating is a solved problem. But sliding doors aren't "cool". So they either get replaced with over-engineered contraptions like those silly gull wing doors, or even worse, they get replaced with standard doors that pretty much render the third row useless, like most SUV's do. (assuming child seats, which is the bulk of your 3 row market)

The original parent implied strongly that it wasn't just the falcon-wing doors (two-hinged; the e.g. delorean had only one hinge) that was a total let down. Made me think they were let down by capacity or clearance or torque or Other Criteria(tm) as well. > or even worse, they get replaced with standard doors But we're talking about the X here, which doesn't.

I think a big let-down is that there's still no pricing available for the car. I see estimates from third parties that it's expected to be 5-10% more than a comparable Model S but there's nothing official that I can find.

The doors seem silly. I drive an Odyssey and love sliding doors for the kids or the dog or when I have an armload of groceries. I've seen the sliding doors back up when they bump into something. I know they work. And they're reasonably fast, which is important when you live in Oregon with the rain.

Re: Tesla Model S – Cost of Ownership vs. Honda Odyssey

#84

Post by pbreit » Mon, Apr 14, 2014, 9:07 PM UTC

NickM wrote: post #78

pbreit wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I noted, that's the pre-pay cost. And Tesla itself would disagree as it has stated 70% after 7 years/100k miles. I'd be careful to compare with the Roadster either way.

Tesla itself would disagree as it has stated 70% after 7 years/100k miles. Citation? I've never heard of Tesla claiming anything close to that.

From Tesla S-1: "We currently expect that the Tesla Roadster battery pack will retain approximately 60-65% of its ability to hold its initial charge after approximately 100,000 miles or seven years"

Any citations for whatever you've heard.

Re: Tesla Model S – Cost of Ownership vs. Honda Odyssey

#85

Post by robomartin » Tue, Apr 15, 2014, 5:00 AM UTC

warfangle wrote: post #49

robomartin wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For some reason I can't quite put my finger on I have been viewing everything that comes out of Tesla with skepticism and distrust. I think it started with the attempt to confuse people with "creative" financing options. I know it is a good company. I was waiting for them to revolutionize the SUV market with a true sports-utility electric vehicle. I would have been in line to buy one. Instead they are putting out a b…

> Instead they are putting out a bullshit Gucci gull-wing contraption that is a total let-down. What's a let-down about it? Legitimately curious.

> What's a let-down about it? Legitimately curious.

The problem that needs a legitimate solution is that of the 8 to 12 mile per gallon SUV. What is needed is an electric Suburban. What isn't needed is another $100K class non-S, non-U vehicle.

Try to throw a couple of kayaks, bikes, rowing shells, some lumber or camping equipment on this sorry-ass Tesla design.

All you are getting is more comfortable entry and exit if you use it exactly as you might a car.

If you put anything on the roof the rear passengers are trapped.

I've owned a range of SUV's and minivans over the years. I couldn't even begin to imagine having a real family life with kids with the Tesla offering.

I mean, tomorrow I am going to Home Depot to buy five sheets of plywood for a project. They are getting strapped to yhe roof rack. No problem.

Re: Tesla Model S – Cost of Ownership vs. Honda Odyssey

#86

Post by stcredzero » Tue, Apr 15, 2014, 7:33 AM UTC

jstultz wrote: post #79

stcredzero wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm skeptical of his estimated electricity cost; as a Bay Area resident, $0.12/kwh seemed low, so at first I thought he might be in an area of the country with lower energy costs, but he states he's actually in Silicon Valley. Maybe he lives in Alameda?

Do you mean Alameda county, or actually on Alameda, the island? If the former, I live in Alameda county, so that wouldn't explain it. If Alameda the island, why would costs be lower there? (honest question)

City owns the local power company and gives lower rates to the citizens.

Re: Tesla Model S – Cost of Ownership vs. Honda Odyssey

#87

Post by skorgu » Thu, Apr 17, 2014, 3:10 PM UTC

runako wrote: post #19

Deusdies wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, generally the North American car manufacturers produce cars of much poorer quality compared to the Japanese, Korean, and European car makers.

I think this is a dated perception. JD Power shows a fair showing of American cars in its 2013 initial quality study: http://autos.jdpower.com/ratings/quality/cars.htm

"Initial quality" is the key phrase. You could imagine a car being very appealing in the dealership and falling apart a year down the line.