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TheVerge - Living with the Tesla Model S in the real world

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Probably just me, but I've only had the car a few months and already feel that it's weird to hear "my" navigation companion in someone else's car.

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Video referenced above:

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As we're becoming used to, a few errors throughout the second video (describing the transmission as automatic rather than single gear, 20" wheels, etc.) and at least one I noticed (only skimmed) in the article ("dealerships").

It was amusing to -- after the surprises he had with the Model S perf, etc. -- hear him say things like "I don't think an EV can ever have the road feel [of an ICE]" (or something like that). Whether he's right or wrong, he didn't even think of mentioning the Roadster which is very similar to the Elise he used in the discussion of that topic. A bit weird not to make that connection on his part.

There was another comment in that same train of thought about how it feels sporty but isn't a sports car. "Right...it's a sedan, genius." ;)

I think he still has some cognitive dissonance regarding his experience with the S, and his history with and appreciation for "cars of old".
 
Nice video, decent article. He likes the car; he's not a big fan of the touch screen. But the biggest disservice he does Tesla is alluding to a "multi-year" waiting list.

I guess we're going to have to live with journalists running the battery down to nearly nothing just to see what happens, but it makes no sense that they're willing to pass up charging opportunities to do it. If you want to run the pack flat, drive in circles in a parking lot; don't do it on a public highway.
 

This reporter even admits that running out of power would make a good story so I'd imagine the NY Times reporter was thinking the same thing
I kept going, partly out of stubbornness — I’d set out earlier in the day running the numbers and never doubting that we’d be able to make it all the way — and partly out of the masochistic belief that running out of power would make for a good story.
 
Oh, I had been responding only to the first video. I didn't realize there was article or second video. (Note to self, don't post so late at night.)

I did notice he made a claim about the Morro Bay charger being the only one in town or such. Having done that route I can say that its almost technically true (there is at least one private charger on Plugshare as well) but there are plenty of public chargers back a a few miles in San Luis Obispo and along the way, so there was no need for him to push through to Morro Bay like that. He says "Settling in for the 200-mile drive to Morro Bay (with plenty of stops in between for lunch in Santa Barbara, coffee, and gratuitous video and photo ops)." Santa Barbara has plenty of charge spots, even a 70amp one where we like to stop next to a pleasant restaurant and a hip bowling alley/tavern.

Point is, I think you're exactly right stevezzzz, these reporters seem to pass up perfectly convenient opportunities to add charge preferring to push the battery to the limit to add drama. A real owner would likely do the opposite. I've been asked the farthest I've gone on a single charge and my answer is why would I do that when I'm passing chargers and have to stop and pee and grab snacks anyway, so I choose to grab little charges more often and avoid the drama.
 
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Met these guys at the Gilroy supercharger the day after I picked up my car. They mentioned me in the article, which was a cool surprise!

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But the biggest disservice he does Tesla is alluding to a "multi-year" waiting list.

I'm possibly where he got that idea, since I told him when I reserved, and that I had just picked up my car. I guess he didn't realize that making a reservation a year before production starts is different than making a reservation when production is already ramped up.
 
... He says "Settling in for the 200-mile drive to Morro Bay... Santa Barbara has plenty of charge spots, even a 70amp one where we like to stop next to a pleasant restaurant and a hip bowling alley/tavern. Point is, I think you're exactly right stevezzzz, these reporters seem to pass up perfectly convenient opportunities to add charge preferring to push the battery to the limit to add drama. A real owner would likely do the opposite. ...

It seems as if Tesla is pitching the whole idea of a SC drive. Many that's why they are myopically trying so hard to only use that option. He had the plughshare app, why not Recargo and use them?

Anyone else having problems with this video? It only will load/play a few moments at a time -even when pause is clicked it keeps playing in bursts every minute.
 
Did it grate against anyone else the way he just spat his gum out the car window onto the supercharger floor? :cursing:

The review itself didn't strike me as particularly good or bad. But the fact that it was not bad/overly negative makes it ok in my books.

But for the gum thing he should be fired :rolleyes: (only partly joking...)
 
This first half of the trip was of particular interest to me for the reason I will give in a moment.

Over all, the video showing the trip from L.A. to S.F. was somewhat informative, but I totally agree that there was a not so honest attempt to build drama about range and maybe even an attempt to run out of juice completely. As somebody here pointed out, if this was a real trip done by a model S owner they would not have put themselves in this situation at all. There just is no need to do so.

First, as pointed out again by another, the major stop often used by most people going from LA. to S.F. (using the coast route as opposed to Interstate 5) or even just going to San Luis Obispo/Morro Bay area is Santa Barbara. It is a great place to take a bathroom break, get some coffee or lunch, do a little shopping or just get a stretch by walking and see some beautiful old buildings.

It is clear that he did stop in Santa Barbara as he was shown pulling out of a parking structure, which probably had a charger in it. There are several in S.B. Why not then use the time that he used to feed his face to feed the batteries? Not doing so makes no sense at all and suggests another motive.

Further, there are numerous chargers in between S.B. and Morro Bay. They have them in Goleta, Solvang, Lompoc, Santa Maria and a ton in San Luis Obispo. He drove past about 15 chargers from S.B. to Morro Bay "sweating" if he was going to make it or not. That wasn't honest and nobody in reality would cover this trip like this. There is just no logical reason.

I've been making the trip from L.A. to Morro Bay in a gas car several times a year, often several times a month, since 1968. However, I'm looking forward to doing it in a Model X and will have no problem or range anxiety whatsoever because it is an easy trip to make the the 85 kWh battery with no more inconvenience to me or altering of my trip habits than a gas car. I'm really looking forward to it.
 
They are forthcoming in the article:

We intentionally didn’t seek out a charger in Santa Barbara because we wanted to push the Model S’s battery to its limits: the Performance model is rated for 265 miles, it’s about 200 from LA to Morro Bay, and Tesla warned us that we’d lose a little range with a car full of equipment and people, perhaps getting 250 miles out of it. Also, we were being generous with the accelerator and running up and down some fairly hilly terrain, another knock on our total range.

When I talked to them in Gilroy, they said they were going to make the return trip to Hawthorne along I-5. Wish they had talked about that part of the trip.