Tesla Model S: The World's Most Expensive Beta Test

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As expensive as these cars are, you'd at least think the company would have hammered out most of these issues by now.

As Model S owners cope with these problems, as well as the firmware updates issued to fix them, they have become more than just drivers — they are testers taking part in the world's first public beta on four wheels. That may be fine for now considering how new and small Tesla is, but how long can the company keep it up?
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Funny, you can say that about just any product. iPhone 5 having battery issues? Don't worry, iOS 6.1.1 will fix it. Windows 8 BSODing randomly? Don't worry, Tuesday patch day will fix it. New game you just got crashes immediately when you start it up? Don't worry, new patch on Steam will fix it.

See a reoccurring issue here? Though with a car there should be 0 excuses, but customers are beta testers. Not just cheap, but they pay for it. SUCKERS!
 
Sorry if you judge things by forum posts everything computer related is broken all the time nothing is reliable and it's never partly the owners fault. Generally people only post things when they have issues(unless they use twitter and tumblr in which case they aren't really people you want to trust in review) and when they(issues group) do they are a very vocal majority.
 
Saw a Tesla Model S last week and it's sure is very rare. No wonder there are issues to iron out, especially when there are lots of electronics involved.
 
Semantics said:
Sorry if you judge things by forum posts everything computer related is broken all the time nothing is reliable and it's never partly the owners fault. Generally people only post things when they have issues(unless they use twitter and tumblr in which case they aren't really people you want to trust in review) and when they(issues group) do they are a very vocal majority.
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I joked about iOS 6.1.1, until I saw this today. Which only makes the joke fumier. :D

I have first hand experience of how final products are really. Generally, you'll always want to wait for products to get refined. Look at Vista, as it was released a piece of crap but by SP2 it's totally fine. But that took two freakin service packs.
 
Well what do you expect when you pay a premium over a gas vehicle equal to the amount of fuel you'd use in 30 years? It's a privilege not a right.
 
Why own one of these at all except for the sports car performance aspect?

My dream road car is a turbo diesel that gets 45-50 on the highway.

My sports car... is a sports car.

The Tesla is neither. It's a fantastically overcomplicated toy. I love technology but can't see how this is helping us develop a new generation of cars. The tech, cost, effort and efficiency to produce these will likely never reach economy of scale.
 
Early adopters ALWAYS pay a premium to use what "MAY" be considered the products of the future. Part of that premium goes to further R&D. If you do not have the disposable income to afford it, don't buy it and don't criticize it. As was properly stated previously, it is a priviledge, NOT a right.
 
Fooshnik said:
Well what do you expect when you pay a premium over a gas vehicle equal to the amount of fuel you'd use in 30 years? It's a privilege not a right.
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Wait what premium? They range in price from 52k to 87k depending upon how much battery capacity you want and some extra bells and whistles. What car are you comparing to for this conclusion of "30 years worth of fuel" ? A Toyota Corolla or Honda Accord? If you're going to make some bold statement give some details man. A 2013 Lexus LS460 costs $72k in the base model. From my point of view, there is no premium over a gas vehicle, because if you're going to plunk down $50k-plus on a car you're probably not shopping in the Corolla section of the dealership.
 
The door handles seems like something that would freeze up in freezing rain. Or if ice forms around the handle. This happens every winter. The car sounds like its made for warmer weather and wouldn't like ice and snow that much.
 
Galvin said:
The door handles seems like something that would freeze up in freezing rain. Or if ice forms around the handle. This happens every winter. The car sounds like its made for warmer weather and wouldn't like ice and snow that much.
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It's a high performance sports car. It shouldn't even BE in ice and snow.
How many Lambos do you see being driven in the winter?

:rolleyes:
 
Galvin said:
The door handles seems like something that would freeze up in freezing rain. Or if ice forms around the handle. This happens every winter. The car sounds like its made for warmer weather and wouldn't like ice and snow that much.
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I don't think a RW drive car with an electric motor that hits full torque almost instantly would be good in anything but sunny/dry weather. My old NA 300zx could barely keep traction in the rain, going easy on the gas. I can't imagine trying to drive this car.
 
Galvin said:
The door handles seems like something that would freeze up in freezing rain. Or if ice forms around the handle. This happens every winter. The car sounds like its made for warmer weather and wouldn't like ice and snow that much.
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These cars would probably spend more time in a garage then sitting outside in freezing rain.
 
face2palm said:
It's a high performance sports car. It shouldn't even BE in ice and snow.
How many Lambos do you see being driven in the winter?

:rolleyes:
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Don't be too quick with that comment... When I said I saw one last week, we're in winter AFAIK ;)

I do agree it's not the right car for the winter.
 
Biznatch said:
I don't think a RW drive car with an electric motor that hits full torque almost instantly would be good in anything but sunny/dry weather. My old NA 300zx could barely keep traction in the rain, going easy on the gas. I can't imagine trying to drive this car.
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Traction control etc etc, these are supposed to actually do pretty well... Especially with the low weight and all the gizmos. Can't back that statement up with experience though :)
 
As a car and motorcycle enthusiast that gets a different "daily driver" auto every couple of years or so and a new bike almost every year, and old enough to have been doing this for decades, this sort of thing crops up with every make and model, foreign or domestic.

Cars are complex mechanical contraptions, with thousands of moving parts and these days millions of lines of code. NOBODY is making a flawless vehicle, and there's a reason why many people are cautious about buying the first year of a new model, as they want the "bugs to be worked out" first. It's not a Tesla Motors exclusive.

It is however typical Gawker Media reporting.
 
Parja said:
Uhh, you mean high weight? The Model S has a curb weight of 4647 lbs. That's about 600-900 lbs more than most mid-size luxury cars.
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I think he meant to say that the 1000 pounds of battery weight was kept low in height, it's actually below the axle line.
 
hcforde said:
Early adopters ALWAYS pay a premium to use what "MAY" be considered the products of the future. Part of that premium goes to further R&D. If you do not have the disposable income to afford it, don't buy it and don't criticize it. As was properly stated previously, it is a priviledge, NOT a right.
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Don't tell us, bro. Go into the Tesla user forum and tell them.
 
Galvin said:
The door handles seems like something that would freeze up in freezing rain. Or if ice forms around the handle. This happens every winter. The car sounds like its made for warmer weather and wouldn't like ice and snow that much.
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The original idea was they would be heated. That didn't pan out. Apparently they changed it to beefed up motors to break through the ice? Up to 8mm according to this post. No idea the accuracy of it though.

http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/show...ld-shoulder-when-I-leave-it-in-the-cold/page3
 
Galvin said:
The door handles seems like something that would freeze up in freezing rain. Or if ice forms around the handle. This happens every winter. The car sounds like its made for warmer weather and wouldn't like ice and snow that much.
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There's no freezing rain where the Tesla offices are :D

face2palm said:
It's a high performance sports car. It shouldn't even BE in ice and snow.
How many Lambos do you see being driven in the winter?

:rolleyes:
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The Model S is not a high performance sports car, it's a luxury sedan. You're thinking of the Roadster which is the sports car... and boy did that have issues too :D
 
sfsuphysics said:
The Model S is not a high performance sports car, it's a luxury sedan. You're thinking of the Roadster which is the sports car... and boy did that have issues too :D
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Actually, I think its priced and its spec sheet indicates it as a High performance sports sedan. I appreciate it for what it is, but there really isnt a replacement for the visceral feeling of a NA Big block. Thats probably why I will keep my car until I can no longer fix it.
 
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