Tags: car reviews / electric cars / Tesla

The 2012 Tesla Model S

- Rabu, 05 Agustus 2015 No Comments

Tesla Model S. Images courtesy of Tesla Motors.

The 2012 Tesla Model S is the electric luxury car that has proven many a critic wrong as it converts even more people into electric car believers. The Model S comes with stunning good looks both on the outside and in, along with the feel of an internal combustion car and the same modern conveniences.

Power for the Models S comes from an array of batteries that are attached to an electric motor. Maximum output is an impressive 362 horsepower and 325 pound-foot of torque, while models with the optional Performance package produce a healthy 416 horsepower and 443 pound-foot of torque. Like other electric vehicles, the full torque output is available from a standstill, meaning the car can launch forward with an exhilarating amount of speed. In fact, the 2012 Model S can accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in just 5.6 seconds. A single speed transmission sends power to the rear wheels.

Tesla gave the Model S a modern four wheel independent suspension setup, with double wishbone suspension in the front and multilink suspension in the rear. An air ride system helps soften the movements of the car even further, delivering an enjoyable riding experience, even when the driver is taking the Model S through a series of tight turns.  

Charging the Tesla Model S can be done either with a regular household 120 volt electrical outlet, or with a 240 volt outlet. Tesla offers an at-home charging station that facilitates the 240 volt charging option. Charging the batteries all the way takes about five hours with the 240 volt electrical connection, or overnight if charging with a 120 volt outlet. A driver can go up to 300 miles on a single full charge, going 55 miles per hour the whole way. The car doesn’t use fuel, but it does achieve an EPA estimate 88 miles per gallon equivalent in city driving and 90 miles per gallon equivalent in highway driving.

Inside, the 2012 Model S provides seating for five, or with an optional two rearward-facing jump seats behind the second row to make it seven. Like with internal combustion vehicles, occupants enjoy amenities such as air conditioning, heated leather seats, a stereo system and Bluetooth connectivity. The driver interacts with many of the car’s features using a 17 inch touchscreen mounted in the car’s center stack. From this touchpad, the driver or front seat passenger can see how much charge the batteries have left as well as estimate how much further the car will drive under present conditions. Cargo is ample, with one trunk in the front and one in the rear, making it a pleasant car to take on the open road (as long as you stop for charging when necessary).

Tags: electric cars / Tesla

Enough With the Tesla Fanatics!

- Senin, 20 April 2015 No Comments

Photos courtesy of Tesla Motors

I like Tesla Motors, I really do. Every time I see a Model S on the roads around here (which lately seems to be just about every other day) I stop and stare longer than normal and point it out to my kids. What Elon Musk has accomplished the past several years has been amazing and is commendable on many levels. 

Still, I'm getting tire of all the Tesla fanatics. 

When I say "fanatics" I mean fanboys, because Tesla definitely has them. Sure, there are Camaro fanboys, Mustang fanboys, Ferrari fanboys, etc. but today I want to address the problem with the extremists who support Tesla in all it does, both good and bad. 

Even though I like Tesla, I wouldn't dream of saying it's a "perfect" company by any means, and I have a feeling Musk wouldn't either. Like any other organzation, it can do things better and improve, so by definition it can't be perfect. 

That hopefully seems like common sense to you, but I've bumped into people who seem to think that pointing out any flaws in their favorite electric car company is blasphemous and must be reconciled with a swift death. I've had such individuals accuse me of being part of a conspiracy, outright hating Tesla, being anti-technology, etc. simply for hinting that the company might be taking the wrong course of action on literally anything. 

I do feel like since the company enjoys a darling position in the public eye and to an extent in the industry, most people don't talk about these annoying Tesla fans without going to the opposite extreme of saying that Tesla is a "sham" or "dead weight." 

Don't even think about saying anything that's less-than-positive about Tesla's direct sales model, because it must've been established by God himself. While I don't think it's right, the fact that Tesla won't use dealer networks like virtually every other automaker is the thing that's kept it from selling cars in multiple states, including here. Elon Musk has said before that the company's current circumstances don't jive well with anything but direct sales, but he's also said that it likely won't stay that way forever. Apparently some Tesla extremists didn't get that memo, because when I once suggested that Tesla would one day use franchised dealers, I might as well have been tap dancing on a burning picture of Jesus in the middle of the Vatican for the way they reacted. If Tesla doesn't want to go that sales route right now, so be it. Tesla likely won't sell as many cars using a direct sales channel, so if the company's okay with that then it is what it is. 

The one thing that will definitely make a Tesla fanboy go ape is to just mention the term "range anxiety." Recently, when Elon Musk said he was about to end range anxiety, and I pointed out that it's a big hurdle for many who might otherwise consider electric cars, a Tesla fanatic tore into me for playing up a "non-issue." Apparently, because that person doesn't personally know anyone out of his five friends and little brother who suffers from range anxiety, the condition simply doesn't exist. As I pointed out in the article, with internal combustion cars you can carry a can of fuel back to a car that has exceeded its range, but you can't really carry electricity back to an electric vehicle. 

According to the hardcore Tesla fans, nobody (and I mean nobody) needs to drive more than 200 or maybe 300 miles without waiting 15 minutes or more to drive that same distance, or almost as far again. Sorry, but that's simply narrow-minded. While many people on a daily basis don't drive that far, there are people who drive around as part of their living, such as real estate agents, Some of us live where there aren't public chargers all over, making recharging a vehicle a bit of a fiasco. Sure, you adjust, but a fair amount of consumers look at those adjustments at best as a significant inconvenience. After all, how would you like to hang out by a charging car with cranky kids who just want to go home? Slitting your wrists and swimming through a pool of iodine would be less painful. Being able to refuel a vehicle in under five minutes is a real godsend, trust me. 

I do believe that Tesla and other automakers will overcome the challenges they face right now. Battery tech will move forward, allowing for greater range and shorter charging times, electric cars will become even more common and droves of consumers will buy them. Denying the challenges that face the technology right now doesn't help push for real solutions to problems. Instead of engaging in a big group-think session about why electric powertrains are perfect, let's come together and figure out how we can design vehicles that work well for everyone.

Tags: electric cars / Model S / politics / Tesla / Utah

Tesla Loses in Utah

- Selasa, 10 Maret 2015 No Comments

Tesla Model S - photo courtesy of Tesla Motors

Just a quick update: you still can't buy a Tesla car here in Utah. I've lived in Utah for well over a decade and used to be under the impression that people here were all about free markets. That perception has changed in recent years as I've realized that such talk isn't as prevalent as I had previously thought.

There was a bill in front of the legislature here in Utah that would've allowed Tesla to start running its new location already built here in Salt Lake City. It's dead now. The whole Tesla thing is just another example of the fact that there are powers that be who will stop at nothing to keep an edge in the market, even if it means eroding freedom.

Part of me wonders if Tesla will finally give in and use franchised dealerships like everyone else. Elon Musk has made some statements hinting that eventually the company will do just that. Another part of me is annoyed that my local government wants to tell me how I can buy a car, when the method being proposed isn't unethical or immoral.

I suspect that part of the Tesla battle has to do with class division. The Model S is an expensive luxury car. Seeing Internet comments about the effort to sell it in Utah has once again shown how many people have serious disdain for it because it's marketed to the rich. That resentment is keeping at least some people from feeling even a little sympathetic to Tesla's cause. The thing is that the car will continue to be purchased by people here, only they'll go to neighboring states and contribute tax dollars there. I see a Tesla Model S just about every day now, and I suspect in the near future they will become even more popular.

But for now there will be no buying them in Utah.

Tags: drag racing / Ferrari / Tesla

Tesla Model S P85D Versus Ferrari F12

- Jumat, 06 Maret 2015 No Comments

By now everyone's see the video of the Tesla Model S P85D spanking a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat on a dragstrip. While the win was a result of the Dodge driver's goof, it was still historic since it set a new quarter mile world record for an electric car. The Tesla's back at it again on the same dragstrip, this time against a Ferrari F12

The Tesla explodes off the line when it's put into "Insane" mode, with people demonstrating that it will make an unsecured iPhone go flying back against the seats. A good jump off the line is important in a race, but top-end power is also key. This video demonstrates that the Model S P85D can indeed bleed. It's not a dishonor to lose to the F12, which is a pretty potent vehicle. If anything, it's impressive that the Tesla holds its own so well.

As a side note, the Ferrari sadly burned to the ground after the race, while cruising through a Florida neighborhood at 30 mph. Just kidding, but it totally could've happened.

Tags: Tesla / videos

Tesla Model S P85D Acceleration

- Rabu, 21 Januari 2015 No Comments

Photo courtesy of Tesla Motors

Raphael Colantonio, a proud new owner of the Tesla Model S P85D, decided to show off his car to some friends. He also chose to have them video tape their experience as he accelerated quickly from a standstill. As you can see below, this man is a genius.

In case you aren't aware, the Model S P85D is the all-wheel-drive, super-fast version of Tesla's electric luxury sedan. Yesterday I posted a controversial video of it smoking a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat on a drag strip. People have posted videos of the car beating out Ferraris and other exotic vehicles in races, proving that just because it's silent doesn't mean that car can't move quickly.

Some of the friends' reactions are just plain priceless. People laugh, cuss, and act like they've had their breath taken away. Of course, it's for a good reason, considering that the powertrain's full torque is available off the line, making it feel like you are being shot out of a gun, only it's silent. The best reaction is the guy's dog. Check it out:

Tags: Dodge / drag racing / electric cars / muscle cars / Tesla

Tesla Versus Dodge Drag Race: My View

- Selasa, 20 Januari 2015 No Comments

A video is spreading around the Internet like wildfire right now. It features a Tesla Model S P85D drag racing a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. The big deal is that the Tesla, which is an electric car, absolutely destroys the Challenger. Quite a few people without any real knowledge of both cars are throwing around ignorant, poorly-formed opinions about the race. Considering that and my expertise as an automotive writer, I cannot help but jump in and give my two cents, so here we go.

To start off, I should let everyone know that I like Tesla. I live in an area where every winter the air becomes so polluted that on some days it's hard to see two miles away, making it blatantly obvious that we need to do something to clear the air. Much of our pollution here is related to driving vehicles that burn fossil fuels, particularly since there are multiple refineries to the north that kick out an amazing amount of pollution. Tesla is helping push for change in the industry, and it's starting to really work. On top of that, the Model S is a genuinely beautiful car and an amazing piece of tech.

I don't have a dislike of Dodge, but I have to admit I'm not a huge fan, either. There is something primal inside of me that loves to see a muscle car, hear the growling V-8 engine, and know that the thing is raw and untamed in so many ways. They're fun to watch, particularly on the drag strip where you don't have to worry about losing control and hitting an innocent vehicle carrying a family, etc.

The Challenger SRT Hellcat is an incredibly powerful car, but so is the Model S P85D. There are some big differences between the two, namely that the Dodge is rear-wheel drive and the Tesla has all-wheel drive and a setup that makes spinning the wheels impossible, or so I've been told.

To the uninitiated, the act of performing a burnout before a drag race just looks like chest-thumping, which is what some Tesla fans have insinuated about the Dodge. The reality is that doing a burnout comes with some distinct benefits, as long as it's not done at the line. It cleans off debris from the tires, which  is a big deal if you or subsequent racers use slicks. Doing a burnout also heats up the tires, making them grip better and helping with launches and the overall quarter-mile time. The problem is that the guy who is driving the Challenger SRT Hellcat does a burnout at the line, causing him to lose valuable seconds for his run. It also gives the Tesla driver a huge advantage is it rockets forward with a perfect launch, turning out a great time of 11.68 seconds on the quarter mile. It's an impressive performance.

The Dodge, on the other hand, finishes the race at 17.46 seconds. I can honestly tell you I've seen naturally-aspirated (that means without a turbo or supercharger) Honda Civics put up that kind of a time at a drag strip. Anyone who thinks the race is representative of how fast the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is knows woefully little about the car. It puts out 707 horsepower and, according to Car and Driver, turns out a quarter mile in 10.85 seconds. Of course, that's with an experienced driver behind the wheel, not some fool who can get off the line in even relatively decent fashion. That kind of time would also best what the Tesla turned out at this race.

I 've heard all the accusations, including a "green" car blog I follow on Facebook saying that all the "dino juicers" are just going to make excuses about the results of the race. When I've written honest articles for different publications that don't shower Tesla with praise for every last thing it's ever done, these homers come out in droves and accuse me of being part of the "conspiracy" to keep electric cars down. What these people fail to realize is that I am a fan of electric cars and want them to succeed, but I also have to report the facts instead of just spreading around propaganda.

We've seen the Tesla Model S P85D destroy Ferraris and other cars in road races, which are a seriously stupid idea. We know the car is fast, but the above video is not the way to prove that it is faster than the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. It's an unfair representation, plain and simple. Is it funny to watch? Sure, because the Dodge driver is beat hands-down, but it does not indicate which car is quicker.

Perhaps with all the controversy swirling around the video, someone like Car and Driver will stage a drag race between the two cars, but with skilled drivers behind both wheels. Then we can all see which is truly quicker at the quarter mile and settle this thing once and for all.

Tags: electric cars / new cars / Tesla

Tesla Model X Delivery Postponed. Nobody is Shocked.

- Minggu, 09 November 2014 No Comments

2015 Tesla Model X. Photos courtesy of Tesla Motors.

At this point, it's pretty much a given that the Tesla Model X will be delayed. The Model S was as well, leading critics a few years ago to call the luxury electric sedan "vaporware." So anyone who has plunked a deposit down on a Model X is going to have to wait even longer, again.

It's not easy getting an automaker off the ground these days, what with stiff competition, stiff regulations and considerable money and resources to even have a chance at making it. To say that the rise of Tesla is anything short of amazing would be a lie. But it's also disappointing that the Model X won't be available to consumers until the third quarter of next year. So the earliest the electric crossover will be out is July of 2015.

Just how much will the Model X affect Tesla's position in the market? Right now, it's pretty much a one-trick pony, and the current climate of the industry is pork up or die. Automakers are actually populating their lineups with quite a few new models. This is partially due to exploding interest in crossovers like the Model X, and partially because of the recent advent of modular platforms that make it easier to spawn multiple vehicles from the same basic design.

There's been considerable anticipation about the Model X. Now that everyone's waiting even longer for it, the vehicle better be nothing less than amazing. The big holdup has to do with internal validation and quality testing. Considering how impressive the Model S has been, a high bar has been set for the crossover, so hopefully the company is making sure it blows everyone away.

We'll all see if that's the case or not within a year from now.