Roadster on Top Gear - Page 23

vfx · 12-23-2008, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vfx

(And when looking at total miles traveled, should you include reduced-speed miles?)

Building on this thought.

It should be argued that the Tesla with it's smart energy system actually saves you from running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere.

Say you go racing through the hills buring up gasoline in your Lambo and without warning, you run out of fuel, Next thing you know you are walkin in the pouring rain begging for a red can. Knowing that that one gallon will only get you 4.1, maybe 11 miles down the road.

Try doing the same day of fun in the Tesla and if you were to run out, no surprises. It just powers lower to conserve and lets you drive to the nearest plug safe and dry. As you charge while eating lunch the Lambo guy trudges in cold and muddy.

malcolm · 12-23-2008, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by just-an-allusion

........it's a good thing that the BBC recanted their on screen insinuation that the Tesla ran out of juice.........

Link already posted yesterday: http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/17512-post209.html

just-an-allusion · 12-23-2008, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malcolm

Link already posted yesterday: http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/17512-post209.html

Yeah, I hate it when that happens....

vfx · 12-23-2008, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsquared99

I would thinki even a dry conservative could understand and agree with that rant.

Guess not

JRP3 · 12-23-2008, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vfx

Guess not

Too bad he missed the whole point of the original rant.

vfx · 12-24-2008, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRP3

Too bad he missed the whole point of the original rant.

I almost did not post it because it was such a waste of time. he even asked for comments but sometimes I just say, why bother?

doug · 12-24-2008, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpeilow

Quote:

Originally Posted by doug

Well I'm glad the car blogosphere seems to be picking this up. I don't think Tesla should push too hard, though, since it could back fire. This victory added to the fact that most of the review was quite positive is indeed a great result.

It is good that the car blogosphere has picked up the story, but Top Gear apparently has a global audience of 385 million. I'm sure this has hit Tesla's brand in the wider market - in a way that it will be hard for internet sources to undo.

When I mentioned the car blogosphere, I meant in terms of the Roadster's US reputation. I'm assuming those here that saw the episode saw it online, and most of those people probably also read car blogs. You're certainly right to consider the wider market.

At any rate, the "controversy" is now outside the internet nerddom, and may be raising Clarkson's ire.

Jeremy Clarkson in Top Gear fakery row over electric car - Telegraph

Quote:

But Clarkson denied the programme ever showed the car had stopped running.

"We never said once that the car had run out of power. The car had to be pushed into the warehouse because you are not allowed to drive cars into a building.

"We calculated that it would have run out of power after 53 miles but they can't argue with that because that is a fact."

And speaking about the allegations of misrepresenting the brake failure, the outspoken presenter: "Nobody gives a flying **** how the brakes failed. Whether it was a blown fuse or not, they were still not working."
...
A spokesman for Mr Clarkson said he did not want to comment further.

doug · 12-24-2008, 09:10 AM

The car had to be pushed into the warehouse because you are not allowed to drive cars into a building.

I suppose that's because of the exhaust fumes, of which the Roadster has none. Certainly feels like they used that footage as a deliberate misrepresentation.

graham · 12-24-2008, 09:14 AM

Awesome Clarkson photo...

I hope it does not go much farther than this with the he-said/she-said bit. Tesla will lose this battle. a) Clarkson has the bully pulpit, and will be much louder than Tesla and will cast them in a very childish light. b) While TG did exaggerate the problems, the fact remains that the Roadster did have problems. The "brake failure" (no matter how minor) is still unacceptable.

Tesla's best hope to come out of this is the quick admission that TG exaggerated some of their complaints (which they currently have) - don't push Top Gear further than that, or it will backfire.

vfx · 12-24-2008, 11:32 AM

Exactly, you don't want to get him mad.