Support NeoGAF

[Bebpo]

People who look at a Tesla as a pure $$$ spent on gas over time question are completely missing the point.

The fact that you save money on gas is basically the least awesome part of the Tesla. I don't have one, but my coworker does, and good lord is everything about this comic 100% accurate:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla_model_s



It's like when the first iPhone came out and some couldn't understand just how far ahead of the competition it really was because they focused exclusively on battery life or something.

Yeah, when I read that comic a few months ago it made me really want one. Unfortunately I hardly spend money on gas because my work is 1 mile commute and I walk/jog most of the time, so it does feel a little bit like not the best value proposition for my situation.

Still, gonna be real tempted when this comes out.

 

[Team Top Hat]

Work just installed electric charging stations. Everything is aligning up!!!!

 

[J-Rzez]

If this is <35k and has a 200 mile range it is going to sell gangbusters. I wonder if they will be able to meet demand at that price.

How the fuck did Tesla come out and make such awesome cars so quickly? And why haven't the big manufactures put out something equivalent to this yet?

Once my car dies I would love to get a Tesla to replace it.

If the car is around that price range (which should be possible by then), there's no way possible for them to meet the demand by their current and near future production capacities.

Tesla's first roadster was a bit of a flop, some major quality control issues, and they had major deliver issues due to this upsetting many-many people. But they were a start up company. They've come a long way in that time where they almost went under, and have become respectable in that time period.

Depending on the price, I have no doubt that SUV will be backordered for for months, if not years. Hell, I just ordered a new car myself and it's a 3 month wait, let alone those things.

I'm glad they're doing this though. Hopefully it inspires the tried and true makers to get their acts together. I wouldn't mind having a quality EV, one that won't burnt to the ground from simple road debris and such.

Besides, I say everyone on GAF should buy an EV so that there will be enough gas for me and other petrol enthusiasts to last us through our lifetimes for the cars we love, with the beautiful symphony of gases they bellow.

 

[jay23]

200 miles per charge is really nice.
How long do the batteries last? How much would it cost to replace?

 

[Incognito]

Just saw the 35k price point. Wow. Already counting down the days.

 

[Enron]

If this is <35k and has a 200 mile range it is going to sell gangbusters. I wonder if they will be able to meet demand at that price.

How the fuck did Tesla come out and make such awesome cars so quickly? And why haven't the big manufactures put out something equivalent to this yet?

Once my car dies I would love to get a Tesla to replace it.

Zero chance this is going to be less than 35k. The fact that they are calling it a 3-series competitor tells you that this isn't a car to get the everyday joe into an EV. Tesla still needs that regular-car breakthrough, competition for mazda 6/honda accords/hyundai sonatas/ford fusions etc.

 

[AuthenticM]

I'll never buy an electric car until it can let me travel at least 600km with a single battery charge.

 

[belvedere]

I'll never buy an electric car until it can let me travel at least 600km with a single battery charge.

This line of thinking is completely relative to your needs. Do you have a 300 km commute in each direction without charging stations? What role would your car serve mostly? The range could be 30 km and it would make no difference at all if you used your EV for commuting 10 miles to work each way with available charging stations.

 

[Sobriquet]

Will buy at $35,000.

 

[The Lamp]

How the hell do you do road trips? Surely charging stations aren't widespread enough?

 

[Settin]

I'll never buy an electric car until it can let me travel at least 600km with a single battery charge.

I won't buy in until the charge times are reasonable. Even the 75 minutes on Tesla's supercharger is insane for a range of 305 miles at 55 mph (Model S 85 kWh).

 

[To Far Away Times]

You can see the turning point in the automotive industry. This is it.

 

[greatestjediever]

I won't buy in until the charge times are reasonable. Even the 75 minutes on Tesla's supercharger is insane for a range of 305 miles at 55 mph (Model S 85 kWh).

They've actually been upping the throughput of the superchargers lately. I think the current max is about 120 kW per hour, so you can probably top off your car in 40 min or so.

Assuming the Model 3 is lighter, smaller and the battery not as energy sense (say 60 kWh max) it might be able to completely top off in 30 min. Pure speculation on the battery sizes though, just guessing since the 200 mile range is getting thrown around.

How the hell do you do road trips? Surely charging stations aren't widespread enough?

The distribution right now is not bad actually. By the end of the year and early into 2015 most of the US will be within 200-300 mile range of a supercharger. You'd still have to somewhat plan your trip, especially if you're not going through population sense areas, but if you're going between major cities you probably shouldn't have an issue.

Just bought a used 3 series to hold me over until the Model 3 comes out. Model S is a little too large for my preferences but a Model 3 could be perfect. Can't wait.

 

[Sobriquet]

How the hell do you do road trips? Surely charging stations aren't widespread enough?

Hopefully they will be by 2017.

 

[Settin]

They've actually been upping the throughput of the superchargers lately. I think the current max is about 120 kW per hour, so you can probably top off your car in 40 min or so.

Assuming the Model 3 is lighter, smaller and the battery not as energy sense (say 60 kWh max) it might be able to completely top off in 30 min. Pure speculation on the battery sizes though, just guessing since the 200 mile range is getting thrown around.

Tesla's site says the new superchargers drop that 33%, so it goes down to 50 minutes for the model S 85 kWh. It's still not at a point where I can just dump roughly an hour to fill up my car. Also, 200 miles is at 55 mph. The model S loses roughly 30% of its range at 70 mph (the highest their calculator goes...?) so applying that to the model 3 I'll get roughly 150 miles with my driving. I like that Tesla is pushing the industry forward but it's just not in the ballpark of my needs yet.

 

[Elfforkusu]

How the hell do you do road trips? Surely charging stations aren't widespread enough?

 

[AuthenticM]

This line of thinking is completely relative to your needs. Do you have a 300 km commute in each direction without charging stations? What role would your car serve mostly? The range could be 30 km and it would make no difference at all if you used your EV for commuting 10 miles to work each way with available charging stations.

From where I live to my parents' home, it's 500km. In between it's mostly forests; there won't be charging stations for me. If I can't get to my parents' house where I can recharge the battery, there's no point in me having such a car.

It's par for the course in Canada, I guess.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

This is literally the 30th time they've announced that they're obviously making a smaller, cheaper vehicle.

 

[captive]

I'll never buy an electric car until it can let me travel at least 600km with a single battery charge.

That's really not that much. My Jetta TDI gets 600 miles on a tank, typically.


Model 3 might be my next car, just wish it were coming out next year. Its either a Tesla or a Passat TDI.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

How the hell do you do road trips? Surely charging stations aren't widespread enough?

http://www.teslamotors.com/supercharger

This is perfect. I'm going to be getting out of school in around two and a half years. Hopefully I can get a decent enough job right out of the shoot to support and justify this purchase, as I will most likely be living in either Boston area or California.

 

[jet1911]

I look forward to a future in which I can use a Tesla in Canada.

I took a cab two weeks ago and the dude's car was a Tesla. In Quebec City. At 4:30 in the morning. I was a little surprised.

 

[duderon]

If the car is around that price range (which should be possible by then), there's no way possible for them to meet the demand by their current and near future production capacities.

Tesla's first roadster was a bit of a flop, some major quality control issues, and they had major deliver issues due to this upsetting many-many people. But they were a start up company. They've come a long way in that time where they almost went under, and have become respectable in that time period.

Depending on the price, I have no doubt that SUV will be backordered for for months, if not years. Hell, I just ordered a new car myself and it's a 3 month wait, let alone those things.

I'm glad they're doing this though. Hopefully it inspires the tried and true makers to get their acts together. I wouldn't mind having a quality EV, one that won't burnt to the ground from simple road debris and such.

Besides, I say everyone on GAF should buy an EV so that there will be enough gas for me and other petrol enthusiasts to last us through our lifetimes for the cars we love, with the beautiful symphony of gases they bellow.

The Model S is a quality EV. It's the EV that is compared to all other cars, in fact. The fire meme is so overblown it's absurd. ICE fires are so commonplace there is no news on them, but Tesla is under a microscope because it is offering new technology.

The car is stupendous. Just drive one. If you have a driver's license you can test drive.

http://www.teslamotors.com/models/drive