Went to the Seattle Tesla dealership to see the Model S prototype on tour.
The Model S Design Prototype Tour: Seattle, WA | Events | Tesla Motors
Here's my impressions
- This car is WIDE
- ~4200 lbs - yikes. Combing that with brake regen - the back tires are expected to last ~10k miles, which is similar to the Roadster. Ugh.
- Brembro brakes were recommended for those with the 300 mile bat pack. Why? The extra weight just begs for more braking power.
- Prototype had the same tire sizes on the fronts as backs - Alpha and beta will have different size tires
- The prototype had near zero leg room in the back seat. They mentioned the Alpha and beta will have more leg room. I sure hope so!
- Tesla is scheduled to open a satellite sales store in Bellevue, WA "soon-ish". The Seattle Tesla dealership will be predominately for service.
- Upgrading the battery pack will add ~10k per upgrade. So ~57k for 160, ~67k for 230, and ~77k for 300 mile battery pack
- After 8 years the you loose ~5-10% range per year
- I'm _VERY_ concerned about the interior. In much the way the Roaster had a cheap interior, history is repeating itself. Its very bland and the leather looked cheap. With so many people geeking out over the 17 inch monitor the aesthetics/creature comforts of the cabin are left profoundly underdeveloped.
- Panoramic sun room was really cool
- Retractable door handles we're covered with fingerprints!!! Normally this would NOT be worth mentioning, however if your CONSTANTLY showing them off because they're retractable - thats the first thing people will notice.
- The red/cinnamon color is ... well ok. Color is very subjective.
- repeated charging from a 440V charging source WILL damage the battery. 220V is strongly recommended for everyday charging.
- doors looked very think and heavy
The biggest buy question I had was "If Tesla was able to quickly iterate with the Roaster - why shouldn't I wait till 2015/2016 when the Model S 1.1 or 1.5 is out?" I got the response of "We've learned alot from the Roaster and we'll get it right the first time around".
Overall the big picture was really encouraging. However, polishing needs to take place. Hopefully the Alpha and Beta runs will address. Totally support early adopters, but for me, I'm gonna wait until Tesla has learned from few years of 'S' production under its belt before committing.
The Model S Design Prototype Tour: Seattle, WA | Events | Tesla Motors
Here's my impressions
- This car is WIDE
- ~4200 lbs - yikes. Combing that with brake regen - the back tires are expected to last ~10k miles, which is similar to the Roadster. Ugh.
- Brembro brakes were recommended for those with the 300 mile bat pack. Why? The extra weight just begs for more braking power.
- Prototype had the same tire sizes on the fronts as backs - Alpha and beta will have different size tires
- The prototype had near zero leg room in the back seat. They mentioned the Alpha and beta will have more leg room. I sure hope so!
- Tesla is scheduled to open a satellite sales store in Bellevue, WA "soon-ish". The Seattle Tesla dealership will be predominately for service.
- Upgrading the battery pack will add ~10k per upgrade. So ~57k for 160, ~67k for 230, and ~77k for 300 mile battery pack
- After 8 years the you loose ~5-10% range per year
- I'm _VERY_ concerned about the interior. In much the way the Roaster had a cheap interior, history is repeating itself. Its very bland and the leather looked cheap. With so many people geeking out over the 17 inch monitor the aesthetics/creature comforts of the cabin are left profoundly underdeveloped.
- Panoramic sun room was really cool
- Retractable door handles we're covered with fingerprints!!! Normally this would NOT be worth mentioning, however if your CONSTANTLY showing them off because they're retractable - thats the first thing people will notice.
- The red/cinnamon color is ... well ok. Color is very subjective.
- repeated charging from a 440V charging source WILL damage the battery. 220V is strongly recommended for everyday charging.
- doors looked very think and heavy
The biggest buy question I had was "If Tesla was able to quickly iterate with the Roaster - why shouldn't I wait till 2015/2016 when the Model S 1.1 or 1.5 is out?" I got the response of "We've learned alot from the Roaster and we'll get it right the first time around".
Overall the big picture was really encouraging. However, polishing needs to take place. Hopefully the Alpha and Beta runs will address. Totally support early adopters, but for me, I'm gonna wait until Tesla has learned from few years of 'S' production under its belt before committing.
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