NYT article: Stalled on the EV Highway

[vfx]

Are those "Angel/Devil Horns"?

[dsm363]

With minimal effort, the Model S is the perfect day trip car. With modest effort, it is a decent road trip car. It will take a long time until travel with an EV is as easy as an ICE car but those kinds of trips are uncommon for many people. For those people that need a long range, no compromises car then maybe an ICE or hybrid is the way to go.

[Beavis]

The guy is an automotive journalist, not some uninformed clown, right? Clearly, as a journalist he is supposed to investigate and report. His excuse that "Tesla didn't tell me to (fill in the blank)" doesn't fly with me. He should have done his homework, familiarized himself with the manual, and then driven the car like a real owner would. A real owner would range charge and not park the car in extreme cold without plugging in. A real owner would not leave a charging station with less projected miles than it takes to get to his destination. In that sense, his report is disingenuous at best. The skeptic in me says he set this up intentionally to sell papers but that Elon is also overstating his position to sell cars. We'll see when the logs are released.

[Krugerrand]

But that's not what "road trip" conjures in the average American's mind; culturally, we think "Vegas on a moment's notice".

Well, perhaps it's time for the average American's mind to culturally mature and get over it already. The spoiled rotten brat is going to be stamping their feet in a tantrum when gas prices continue to rise.

Instead, Elon should have been in a position to say "guy's a nimrod; we told him not to take that trip, but he did it anyway. You should ask him why." But even if he's within his rights to do so, Elon can only cry "fake" so many times before people hear "wolf".

Disagree completely on what Mr. Musk's position should be and your last is entirely unfair. He's always been open to criticism and welcomes it regardless of how it's delivered if it makes a legitimate point. He doesn't go around crying fake. Perhaps you just think he does because he carries a big stick and swings it liberally when he feels he's been wronged?

You have to be an idiot of the dictionary kind to leave that hotel without enough charge. I wouldn't care if Mr. Musk himself was on the other end of the phone telling me I could go 75 miles when the car only indicated I had 35 (or whatever those figures were). I get up in the morning, see that, and I'm all over putting my jammies back on and ordering room service for breakfast, while the car charges. When there's enough charge I go on my way, and when I reach my destination I view how much charge I have left and if all the extra charge I put on is still available, then I'm back on the phone with Mr. Musk saying, 'Dang, I don't know how that happened, but you were right.'

Trust, but verify. Yep, that's a good moto to live by under all sorts of circumstance.

[CapitalistOppressor]

I still can't understand taking off with less range than you need to make your trip though 32 miles of range for a 65 mile trip).

Me either. None of the other issues resulted in the car being towed. The best interpretation (for him) is that he was still thinking the pack was cold soaked and had more power than it said. Unfortunately, that was true at the hotel, but not true after sitting for half an hour with the heat running, then driving 11 miles, then charging for an hour.

As to the rest, he claims he knew the difference between a Standard charge and a Range charge and just chose not to do it because he didn't think he needed it, and because he didn't want to damage the battery. No real explanation for not charging longer at the second SuperCharger except that he didn't think he needed it.

My problem with the initial story is that he never points out that he continually made decisions to not fully charge the car. Most readers are left with the impression that he is exploring the limits of the car, when in fact he is just exploring the limits of his own ignorance.

[vfx]

... Range charge and just chose not to do it because he didn't think he needed it, and because he didn't want to damage the battery.....

First time in recorded history that someone with a loaner cared about the long term damage to the car?

[anticitizen13.7]

One thing that I hope that the automotive journalism world picks up on is how vociferous a defense actual owners of the Model S are making for the vehicle. I think that says a lot for both the general quality and exceptional experience that the Model S provides for its drivers.

[Beavis]

You are assuming the driver understands the importance of the "Max Range" button on a 200 mile trip.... maybe he assumed it was an easy trip because it's just 200 miles which can be accomplished in an ICE without thought.[/URL]"

I'm not buying this. I would assume that someone who is a professional and writing a review of a car with new technology is smart enough and diligent enough to familiarize himself with the most basic operation of the vehicle before heading out on a road trip.

[Beavis]

My problem with the initial story is that he never points out that he continually made decisions to not fully charge the car. Most readers are left with the impression that he is exploring the limits of the car, when in fact he is just exploring the limits of his own ignorance.

I love this. That's exactly it.

[evchels]

One thing that I hope that the automotive journalism world picks up on is how vociferous a defense actual owners of the Model S are making for the vehicle. I think that says a lot for both the general quality and exceptional experience that the Model S provides for its drivers.

And that's exactly the experience I'd prefer to see featured by all EV co's in their marketing and PR efforts.