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A Tesla S estate would be very interesting.
Where'd you get that idea from Tinas? What type of motor is in the Tesla?
What's the weight difference between fully charged and fully discharged then? I imagine as more charge is used, the energy required to move the car is less?
Well, every day is a school day! I shall go back to grumbling about people beeping. 🙂
nice, but where do I charge one?
we have a whopping two charging points at work (in a 6 storey multistorey car park), and there's one other carpark in town with a coupleof charge points that... get this... is only available during working hours!
spose I can get a permit to park in the street, and just hope that I can park in one of about 2 or 3 bays closest to the door, and dangle a power lead down from the 4th floor.
I think I'll stick with 98 octane for now. At least I can get to the alps for skiing and MTBing on less a tank, without having to scour the internet to find a point to refill.
@phiiil regarding outlook I met a guy a couple of weeks ago who made a lot of money via one of the early internet payments companies after he focused on online gambling very early. I work in investment mgmt but he explained how tech guys like him and Zenstrom / Skype just look a long way into the future with huge optimism and energy. Yes many blow up / run out of VC money but when it goes right it can go spectacularly well. Whether that will work with cars I don't know but it might
Does anyone know if the range issue has been sorted out since he infamous top gear review?
Ohh they do it in white with panoramic sunroof, SOLD (with the ludicrous drive setting)
What's the range in winter when the battery is heating the car and working the wipers etc? Google suggests up to 40% less.
http://teslaliving.net/2015/02/11/winters-effect-on-range-for-the-model-s/
nice, but where do I charge one?
At home. A 200 odd mile range should be enough for commuting and day trips. Not so handy on your holidays mind.
I think I'll stick with 98 octane for now. At least I can get to the alps for skiing and MTBing on less a tank, without having to scour the internet to find a point to refill.
And much like bikes people still want to one for the exception not the rule 😉
Never mind a plane, which as discussed, might not accelerate that fast owing to it weighing many many tonnes, but keeps going to about 600 mph. Instead, watch it rinse not only pretty much the fastest 4-door saloon on the planet, but then a proper race car too...
*Pulled up in (insert trail center name) in his Tesla and carbon frame bike....
Mark these words for future STW stereotype scorn.
Here in Norway the number of Teslas is insane. In a 15 minute commute I expect to see at least one or two. It's all to do with the taxes on petrol and diesels plus the fact they can use the bus lanes, don't have to pay the road tolls, and can park for free in the electric car charging areas. It all adds up to it being a toss up between a Tesla and a mid-range BMW.
I have heard that some people find their passengers can feel car sick due to the way the car pulls away though.
My friend is a very frequent flyer. He can now park his Tesla for free at Heathrow . They will valet it and make sure it's all charged up for him.
^^^ That Aussie video is with the P85D with Insane mode; the newer P90D with Ludicrous mode is even faster... 🙂
When cycling on the road I'd prefer motorists to be driving something with the emissions of the Tesla but the sound of an old diesel cab!
Fair warning? Maybe fit it with external speakers and a selection of audible tones. Think ring tones for cars: Noisy engine tone? Music? Intermittent beep? Death metal?
I don't think the noise is an issue at speed; you mostly hear tyre noise in normal cars anyway. Different story in car parks though.
nice, but where do I charge one?
At home.
and summarising the rest of my post in fewer words...
by dangling a power lead from the 4th floor, and hoping I can park in excatly 1 of 3 on-street parking spaces
now for the current Tesla range, that's probably not much of an issue since they're so damn expensive that if you've got one, you've probably got a fully detached house and gravel drive with a double garage.
but for the 25 grand one, assuming it wasn't actually an April Fools, that's a niche reserved for those with a suburban semi with a drive way, that commute in to town, rather than city dwellers driving out.
So yes all electric might be the future, but that future is still a long way off.
Fair warning? Maybe fit it with external speakers and a selection of audible tones.
but then how will I know when the ice cream van is coming?
Last place I worked had them as pool cars (on free loan from Tesla), I had one on loan for a couple of months – it was fast, when you could get in it, when the screen booted up, when the motors hadn't died, when the charging was working etc…. Build quality was appalling with trim falling off left right and centre. You could only use the pool cars if you were visiting a local postcode, not because of the range but more the cost of the taxi you'd probably need to get back to work. They were all replaced with Volvo plug in hybrids which were significantly more reliable. This was about 3 yrs ago, I understand they have improved since.
The thing is, I don't need a car that does 0-60 in <5secs, I want one that goes when I want to get in it. Would I pay >80k of my own money for one, no, if I did want a performance saloon I'd get something like a 340 and spend the 40k saving on petrol, tax and congestion charge.
Not sure what you point is? Of course it's not the solution for everyone, for a range of reasons not just that one. I don't think anyone's said everyone must get a Tesla.
Doesn't stop them being good for a lot of other people, does it?
I don't think the noise is an issue at speed; you mostly hear tyre noise in normal cars anyway. Different story in car parks though.
I've certainly noticed quieter engined petrol cars suprising me when either walking or cycling. Not had experience with electric cars, and it may be that an electric motor is actually louder than the 1.2l hatchback that near-silently flattened me at 25mph a couple of days ago (must get hearing checked.) Early days yet for assessing verge-hugging E-car enthusiast/cyclist interface potential
but then how will I know when the ice cream van is coming?
Because 'Pop Goes The Weasel' is accessible only to those with an Ice Cream Vendor license. True fact.
Its the law in Italy for all hybrid/electric vehicles to emit an audible "Bong" every 2 seconds when travelling under 30kph...
Can't see many Teslas travelling under 30kph from what most have said on this thread (or the other one) Most seem too interested in scoring "pull your face off acceleration faster than the speed of CERN" to worry about other road users.
But how unseemly to have to emit a "bong" sound eh, dreadfully unseemly. 🙄
Not had experience with electric cars
It can be pretty amusing in car parks and similar. Sometimes people don't hear you creep up close, but when you're already close then using the horn tends to scare the crap out of them. Fun when it's teenagers, however we once followed some old dear on a country lane for about half a mile, worried that horn would give her a coronary.
Had a ride in the model S P90D the other day. In the Cheshire lanes. Acceleration set to ludicrous. By virtue of using my stopwatch I can confirm 0-60 of approx 3 seconds. Initial kick snapped my head back something rotten, and there were four of us in the car. Also the owner had downloaded the self drive update so we cruised along a winding A road with car steering itself. Surreal. Definitely the future though I suspect there's a few twists and turns to come
As above my friend took one on test drive and his wife smacked her head on the headrest when he floored it. Result 😀
molgripsIt can be pretty amusing in car parks and similar. Sometimes people don't hear you creep up close, but when you're already close then using the horn tends to scare the crap out of them. Fun when it's teenagers, however we once followed some old dear on a country lane for about half a mile, worried that horn would give her a coronary.
You need a bell 🙂
The Ampera has a second horn button that gives a cheery quieter "toot toot" expressly for the purpose of warning oblivious pedestrians.
We had a nissan leaf at work and even that was a hoot of the lights.
Id love to have a go in one of these