Official Tesla Model S thread

[GRA]

I wouldn't exactly call customers buying a $70K+ 60KW Model S "cheap bastards", but clearly the message is "you have to pay to play", the SC network will initially be optimized for the 85KW cars, that's the initial 100 SC sites nationwide, eventually they will "fill" in other spots.

Initially at least the 40 & 60 KW models will be used more locally... You can get the 2nd optional 10KW charger, if you find a 70 or 75 amp J-1772 EVSE, you can charge at about 62MPH/per hour of charge time, so 2.5 hours for what the SC can accomplish in 30 minutes.

Nope, no one who's ponying up $70k plus for a car is going to be willing to hypermile, watching themselves get passed by 10 year old Toyota Corollas. The location and spacing of the first six Superchargers is designed to meet the needs of the 60kWh version. Can you imagine the uproar if Tesla says "OBTW, even though you spent $2k for supercharger access, you'll have to be driving 55mph or slower in order to reach most of them. On a good day." They'd burn down Elon's house(s)!

Edit - Here's the distances between the Hawthorne and Gilroy SC, for a notional trip between LA and the Bay Area:

Hawthorne to Laval Rd. (Wheeler Ridge) - 92.6 miles.

Wheeler Ridge to Harris Ranch - 116 miles.

Harris Ranch to Gilroy - 112 miles.

 

[LEAFer]

Folsom to Harris Ranch will be tough: 204 miles.

 

[Zythryn]

Nope, no one who's ponying up $70k plus for a car is going to be willing to hypermile, watching themselves get passed by 10 year old Toyota Corollas. ...

I hate it when people use stereotypes to degrade any product and especially people.
This statement of yours is incorrect.

 

[mkjayakumar]

Why would you think GRA is denigrating anyone ..? If you buy a car that can go 0 to 60 in 4.6 and is perhaps the fastest (almost) and smoothest (definitely) family car on the planet, it is only natural that you would want to be on the fast lane. I know I would like to..

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

I didn't find the statement degrading but rather a bit naive. let's see, even with a 300-ish mile pack you get no LED headlights, no heated steering wheel, an energy hungry resistive cabin heater, only a hand full of super chargers even on the west coast, along with the expectation to be able to go "anywhere", and fast, and I guarantee people will be hpyermiling even the $100K+ S P85 on occasion, at least in the winter time...

Nope, no one who's ponying up $70k plus for a car is going to be willing to hypermile, watching themselves get passed by 10 year old Toyota Corollas. ...

I hate it when people use stereotypes to degrade any product and especially people.
This statement of yours is incorrect.

 

[DaveEV]

Why would you think GRA is denigrating anyone ..? If you buy a car that can go 0 to 60 in 4.6 and is perhaps the fastest (almost) and smoothest (definitely) family car on the planet, it is only natural that you would want to be on the fast lane. I know I would like to..

In browsing the forums where Tesla owners regularly hang out - they have few reservations with having to drive slower if it means they will make it to their destination instead of having to take the stinker.

The big expensive battery with 265-mile range simply means that having to drive slower to make it to the next charging point happens a lot less often that it does in a 73-mile LEAF.

 

[mkjayakumar]

For 90% of their drives they can drive as if they stole it. Only on occasions wherein they need to make a trip beyond 220+ miles would they need to slow down. If they need 250+ miles on any trip then hypermiling is the option.

 

[Zythryn]

Why would you think GRA is denigrating anyone ..? If you buy a car that can go 0 to 60 in 4.6 and is perhaps the fastest (almost) and smoothest (definitely) family car on the planet, it is only natural that you would want to be on the fast lane. I know I would like to..

Perhaps I read to much into his words. If it was not intended to imply that every Model S owner doesn't consider energy efficiency important, I appologize.

In any event his statement is incorrect.

I suspect there is a large percentage of owners of any brand of EVs that very often will try to 'beat' the EPA numbers, or their own personal records, or their friends personal records.

This is one of the biggest advantages in terms of increasing fuel efficiency to having immediate feedback. Live MPG readings, energy use, etc.

 

[palmermd]

This is also the beauty of electric drive in an efficient form factor such as the Model S. You can have lots of torque and horsepower (443/415) on tap and still get almost 90 MPGe (or more if you try to beat the epa rating). Try to get that in your M5.

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

It's a little early to say this, IMHO. in the Leaf, I've seen range cut in half in the winter with the heater on. if the S's heater is as hungry as the Leaf's, then that 270 mile range could look more like 140 on the 85 kw battery. around here, that could very well include a trip over the mountains, and with substantial elevation gain and headwinds that could eat a bunch more range. it will be very interesting to see how it plays out in real life now that some S's are on the road in the NW and winter is approaching. I'm thinking, as has been said, hypermiling will happen, just less often than with the Leaf.

For 90% of their drives they can drive as if they stole it. Only on occasions wherein they need to make a trip beyond 220+ miles would they need to slow down. If they need 250+ miles on any trip then hypermiling is the option.

 

[GRA]

Folsom to Harris Ranch will be tough: 204 miles.

True, but I don't see that as a typical trip. To me, Folsom is there for people traveling from the Bay Area to Tahoe or Reno. I don't know, but I'd think that few people would make a trip from So Cal to Tahoe direct. It's certainly not a weekend trip. Whereas lots of people drive LA-SF for a weekend (often extended), albeit it's a long drive.

Now, for people living in Sacramento who want to drive to LA, it's definitely a problem. I said some time back that Tesla would need an SC around Santa Nella, which would cover both the people taking I-5 (via 580 instead of 101) from the Bay Area as well as those doing SAC-LA. Santa Nella is 114 miles from SAC, 111 from S.F. I expect Tesla decided to cover the majority of the LA-Northern California trips for now, and will fill in as necessary.

There is, however, a problem for the 60kWH owners going to Las Vegas - it's 151 miles with a 3,800 foot climb along the way, and presumably they'll be using AC. They will definitely have to slow down to make it, especially once the battery's aged. Tesla needs an SC at either the Valley Wells rest area or a couple of miles east at the service station at Cima Road, 87-90 miles from Barstow, and at a low point between the two peaks of the biggest climb from either direction. 5-10 minutes there should do it.

 

[GRA]

Why would you think GRA is denigrating anyone ..? If you buy a car that can go 0 to 60 in 4.6 and is perhaps the fastest (almost) and smoothest (definitely) family car on the planet, it is only natural that you would want to be on the fast lane. I know I would like to..

Perhaps I read to much into his words. If it was not intended to imply that every Model S owner doesn't consider energy efficiency important, I appologize.

In any event his statement is incorrect.

I suspect there is a large percentage of owners of any brand of EVs that very often will try to 'beat' the EPA numbers, or their own personal records, or their friends personal records.

This is one of the biggest advantages in terms of increasing fuel efficiency to having immediate feedback. Live MPG readings, energy use, etc.

I'm not implying that no Tesla owner will be concerned about energy efficiency, just that most people who can drop that kind of money on a CAR place a fairly high value on their time. And some certainly place a high value on image, too - let's face it, for most people, cars are sold on image, not need. If they weren't, the auto companies wouldn't be spending hundreds of millions per year on advertising.

The Tesla is a bit different, because spending that kind of money is currently the only way to get that kind of range with a BEV; still, to pretend that image and status aren't part of the buying decision for a Tesla (even more so for a Fisker) would be naive. So, while there may be some Tesla owners who are willing, even eager to drive 55 on I-5 and wave at the rusted-out pickups who pass them, I strongly believe that they will be a very small minority. YMMV.

 

[ebill3]

If I ever get an S (I'm a rather late reserver), I suspect I will drive it similar to the way I drive the LEAF. Generally obey speed limits (maybe fudge a little on a freeway), coast when appropriate, and make good use of regen for slowing and stopping. Doesn't seem smart to throw energy away, no matter where it comes from or how little it costs me.

 

[mitch672]

It's a little early to say this, IMHO. in the Leaf, I've seen range cut in half in the winter with the heater on. if the S's heater is as hungry as the Leaf's, then that 270 mile range could look more like 140 on the 85 kw battery. around here, that could very well include a trip over the mountains, and with substantial elevation gain and headwinds that could eat a bunch more range. it will be very interesting to see how it plays out in real life now that some S's are on the road in the NW and winter is approaching. I'm thinking, as has been said, hypermiling will happen, just less often than with the Leaf.

For 90% of their drives they can drive as if they stole it. Only on occasions wherein they need to make a trip beyond 220+ miles would they need to slow down. If they need 250+ miles on any trip then hypermiling is the option.

I believe I read that the heat and A/C on the Model S is a heat pump, so we will be getting some reports soon on the heat from the Northeast, "synergy" (Ben) over on the TMC forum had his Model S delivered today, here is the delivery video if you want to take a peek, he was a former Roadster owner as well.

https://new.livestream.com/accounts/1473684/events/1600222" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[ebill3]

"synergy" (Ben) over on the TMC forum had his Model S delivered today, here is the delivery video if you want to take a peek, he was a former Roadster owner as well.

https://new.livestream.com/accounts/1473684/events/1600222" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Now that is the way to take delivery of a $75,000 to $100,000 car. No fancy showroom, scantily clad beauties, Champaign, or hors d'oeuvres. A big semi truck parked in a cold, wet parking lot. :lol:

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

"synergy" (Ben) over on the TMC forum had his Model S delivered today, here is the delivery video if you want to take a peek, he was a former Roadster owner as well.

https://new.livestream.com/accounts/1473684/events/1600222" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Now that is the way to take delivery of a $75,000 to $100,000 car. No fancy showroom, scantily clad beauties, Champaign, or hors d'oeuvres. A big semi truck parked in a cold, wet parking lot. :lol:

gotta be in WA, i DEFINITELY recognize the weather! but hard to complain; first measurable rain since 2nd week of July. we had a great Summer

 

[palmermd]

gotta be in WA, i DEFINITELY recognize the weather! but hard to complain; first measurable rain since 2nd week of July. we had a great Summer

Boston

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

gotta be in WA, i DEFINITELY recognize the weather! but hard to complain; first measurable rain since 2nd week of July. we had a great Summer

Boston

oh ya cool i refer to Boston as "Dyslexic Seattle"

 

[padamson1]

gotta be in WA, i DEFINITELY recognize the weather! but hard to complain; first measurable rain since 2nd week of July. we had a great Summer

The Red Sox shirt and Mass plates on the cars in the lot say different.

Note that the car was delivered with a 50% charge. Kinda wish Nissan dealers were trained to keep the car at < 80% until the customer comes to pick it up...

 

[grommet]

I believe I read that the heat and A/C on the Model S is a heat pump

Yes, the Model S has an efficient heat pump design... like 2013 LEAF will offer.