Synful Serenity
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2004
- Messages
- 1,256
griffinhart said:I'd guess that brakes will need to be serviced more often since it's estimated that this tesla will weigh some 2500lbs more than a Ford Fusion.
No, you hardly ever use the brakes since once you take your foot off the accelerator, regenerative braking kicks in and it's quite potent, charging back up to 60kW and only needing to brake at the very end.
99% of the time I am commuting to and from work, so it is best to have a car that benefits the most for that situation, and having a full charge every morning means never having to stop for gas or anything, ever....If on a long trip, then I would be stopping every 3-4 hours anyway so having to charge for free for around half an hour is not a problem for me. The major highway routes all have superchargers the whole way, people who have drove NY to FL added only a few hours to the trip, totally worth it if you ask me.
There is also no battery longevity issue as far I am concerned.....I don't think any Roadster owner has seen less than 90% range after 6 years, and the Model S uses a superior custom battery chemistry and active heating/cooling to greatly increase longevity to the point that at 60,000 miles there can be as few as 4 miles range loss as one owner saw, and the packs can last for hundreds of thousands of miles, which will take many years for most people. By that time, they will be better and cheaper even if not under warranty after 8 years. I don't know if you'll still be able to get $7500 subsidy by the time the Model 3 comes out, but right now the top carpool lane privileges Teslas come with are worth the price of the car to some folks, and I fully expect the Model 3 battery to continue the trend of improvement.
There's also no transmission, fuel pumps, oil pumps, water pumps, head gaskets, fuel injectors, cylinder misfires, exhaust, timing belts, valve leaks, various airflow sensors, and a host of dealer service items that make up the bulk of their profits. The amount of things you learn that can go wrong after owning a gasoline car for years is staggering, and for the $100k+ German sedans that these cars compete with, very expensive to fix. And if you're going the zero-emissions route, why settle for a more complex hydrogen system (unless all you do is take road trips....mea culpa) that can still be supply-constrained by energy market manipulators and still cost $40 - $50 a fillup with no infrastructure? And instead of converting electricity or gas to hydrogen back to electricity, why not just use electricity directly, and with your own home solar/wind array or at the superchargers, do it for free?
CreepyUncleGoogle said:Mmm, more explode-y batteries and catch-y on fire cars.
50,000+ cars and not one fatality? 1 fire from a moron thief crashing into a building at 100MPH, 2 fires after 25+ tons of force from heavy metal debris piercing 1/4 inch armor that would kill someone sitting in its path in another car, and now there's titanium armor and deflecting shields that anyone can have retrofitted for free....One other fire in Mexico at 100+MPH after going AIRBORNE through a CONCRETE wall and then hitting a tree, yet everyone in the car not only lived, but was uninjured enough to actually run away. Any other damage involving charging has only been from faulty wiring or installation and not the charging system itself, and Tesla even proactively provided new adapters, again for free, to reduce the risk from improper installation or current draw.
Don't forget the 4/2/13 head-on collision between a Honda Accord and Tesla in which both occupants of the Honda were killed, while the Tesla driver not only suffered minor injuries, but the Tesla was intact enough that the driver could open the door on his own and walk out. And....NO FIRE....5/2/14 in PA, a Tesla was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler and pushed 100 feet....The big rig was disabled and needed to be towed - the Tesla driver drove his car home. The car is cheap to insure in spite of its price and more costly aluminum collision repairs because of its safety record and the lack of medical and personal damages claims which make up the majority of what insurers pay out. Deathtraps indeed.