CBC National News TV Feature on Tesla and Road Trip Capability Coming soon...

[Doug_G]

Congrats on the story. Right off the top the first photo caption is really outdated, e.g. two years outdated:

The Tesla Model S is the first electric vehicle to earn Car of the Year honours from Motor Trend magazine. The model with an 85 kWh battery provides a range of nearly 500 km at 90 km/h, and will sell in Canada for $85,900. Models with 40 kWh and 60 kWh battery packs will sell for $64,500 and $75,200 respectively. (Tesla Motors)

The article was pretty good otherwise. The comments are pretty bad, though; I've responded to a couple of the FUD postings.

 

[Grendal]

Congrats on the story. Right off the top the first photo caption is really outdated, e.g. two years outdated:

The article was pretty good otherwise. The comments are pretty bad, though; I've responded to a couple of the FUD postings.

Yikes. 1200 comments so far and almost all are full of FUD. It feels like reading the comments of Jalopnik three years ago. The same old fear based talking points we've been arguing about for years....

 

[Beckler]

It airs tonight, for Earth Day!!!! Just got this from CBC:

Here is a direct link to the text story: Earth Day 2014: Electric cars at a 'tipping point' - Technology Science - CBC News

I don't think I've seen a story as commented as the above one! Of course most comments are apparently from simple folk with their big 'ol pickup trucks that them EV's ain't never gonna replace...:cursing:

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

I don't think I've seen a story as commented as the above one! Of course most comments are apparently from simple folk with their big 'ol pickup trucks that them EV's ain't never gonna replace...:cursing:

Step 1: Patience
Step 2: Tesla builds the X, with 4WD and a tow rating.
Step 3: Model E is launched, Tesla expands the Supercharger network to match, halving average distance between Superchargers
Step 4: Tesla builds Model P concept, that looks nothing like a conventional pick-up

 

[Doug_G]

I don't think I've seen a story as commented as the above one! Of course most comments are apparently from simple folk with their big 'ol pickup trucks that them EV's ain't never gonna replace...:cursing:

I've posted a few replies but the FUD goes on and on and on.

I think the only way to bring them around is to actually show them that it's better.

 

[ThortsMD]

I couldn't take it, too, and responded with the following:

Just to refine one gallon of gas takes as much electricity as it takes to drive my Tesla Model S 30 miles. So, if a gas car gets 30 miles per gallon, it uses as much of the same dirty electricity as an electric car. That does not even account for the nat gas used in refining, nor the energy used in transporting the gas, nor the actual burning of the gasoline. Using an electric vehicle is MUCH cleaner than using gas, even if the electric vehicle uses dirty electricity. I have solar panels on my home, and my local electricity supply is 94% renewables. So I make almost no green house gases, even using grid power. Your long tail pipe argument is FALSE.

UPDATE with link: http://gatewayev.org/how-much-electricity-is-used-refine-a-gallon-of-gasoline

 

[Vger]

Here is the video piece: Plugging In: The Future of Electric Cars - The National - CBC Player

Dominant coverage for Tesla, but curmudgeonly comments from O'Dell. He will look silly in ten years, I predict!

 

[ThortsMD]

I hope you're right, Vger, but I think he's probably right. The best hope is a great success for Model E that forces Ford, GM and Toyota to make similar models and further roll out of rapid charging technologies. Nice to see the Burlington, WA supercharger in the piece, though.

 

[ZBB]

Here is the video piece: Plugging In: The Future of Electric Cars - The National - CBC Player

Dominant coverage for Tesla, but curmudgeonly comments from O'Dell. He will look silly in ten years, I predict!

Congrats on the story Vger!

 

[Canuck]

I was really impressed by you and your wife, Vger. You seem like really great, down to earth, people. Perfect for Salt Spring Island!

 

[gpetti]

Here is the video piece: Plugging In: The Future of Electric Cars - The National - CBC Player

Dominant coverage for Tesla, but curmudgeonly comments from O'Dell. He will look silly in ten years, I predict!

Like those two Jalopnik guys in Revenge of the Electric car who gave their opinions on Tesla and the model S at the end of the movie. I can't remember the specifics of what they said but I hope they cringe if they watch it now.

 

[ElectricFarmBoy]

I agree, Vger and his wife really represented Tesla owners very very well. Made me be very proud to be part of the club.

And wow, the comments on that CBC text article are really amazing. What a fierce debate. It is interesting how passionate the haters are. But I was equally pleased to see so many counter arguments coming from a wide audience too. If nothing else, people are at least getting engaged in the debate, which, if you believe as I, has a clear rational conclusion, is only a good thing.

Exciting days. Planning to use the Supercharger (yes, with my "A" battery, and I'll be happy anyway) that Vjer was shown using a week from today during a drive to Seattle to catch a plane. A drive I wouldn't have considered doing without my Tesla EV -- I'd have just flown from YVR and paid the extra $$$.

 

[apacheguy]

Had one heck of a time to get it playing on my ipad, but it was well worth it. Nice job Vger!

 

[Grendal]

It was really only a year and a half ago that any Tesla article comments section was flooded with similar fear based naysayers. In the USA, the Model S has shut most of them up. It is just that great a car. For Canada it seems most of the public still needs to learn the truth.

 

[Mayhemm]

For Canada it seems most of the public still needs to learn the truth.

Just give us a year or two to get with the times. After all, what can you expect? We live in igloos. :wink:

 

[moollar]

It was really only a year and a half ago that any Tesla article comments section was flooded with similar fear based naysayers. In the USA, the Model S has shut most of them up. It is just that great a car. For Canada it seems most of the public still needs to learn the truth.

Australia is also in the position with the naysayers that Canada is in. Hopefully, once it goes on sale here, the naysayers can be silenced here too.

Not a bad video!

 

[Duckjybe]

I think this was a great unbiased documentary for educating Canadians. A teacher at our school saw the documentary and made an enthusiastic point of mentioning it to me in passing despite never showing any interest in the Model S.

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it". Elon Musk is on it.

 

[Beckler]

Here is the video piece: Plugging In: The Future of Electric Cars - The National - CBC Player

Dominant coverage for Tesla, but curmudgeonly comments from O'Dell. He will look silly in ten years, I predict!

He looked pretty silly right now, actually. I believe he mentioned what he thought would happen long-term (2050?) Truth is, there's no way to predict that sort of time frame and if you come down that hard on the side of gasoline, I suggest it's because you're heavily biased - it's your job, your hobby, it's what you like and you don't want it to change. Same as film v. digital cameras 15 years ago. I read articles to the effect that film is here to stay; isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Well it did exactly that (went completely exctinct) and very quickly. Model E actually happens and the same thing can very well happen here too.

 

[Vger]

It was really only a year and a half ago that any Tesla article comments section was flooded with similar fear based naysayers. In the USA, the Model S has shut most of them up. It is just that great a car. For Canada it seems most of the public still needs to learn the truth.

It is all just exposure. Distribution of Model S has been constrained in Canada, so many people have never seen one, let alone ridden in or driven one. That is starting to change. Tesla Vancouver is delivering about 5 cars a day now, and that is before they even have a gallery like TO has had for some time. The Vancouver gallery opens in a prime spot on the most fashionable shopping street in downtown next week. Then we will see how the west was won!

 

[mknox]

It is all just exposure. Distribution of Model S has been constrained in Canada, so many people have never seen one, let alone ridden in or driven one. That is starting to change. Tesla Vancouver is delivering about 5 cars a day now, and that is before they even have a gallery like TO has had for some time.

I'm in Southern Ontario and have had my Model S for over a year now. Back when I got it, people had no idea what it was. It was a complete unknown. I even had two cops approach me in a Starbucks wanting to know what it was and "how I got it registered for road use in Ontario". They had no idea it was electric. Flash forward a year and now everyone knows about Tesla and these Model S's are everywhere. On one hand, I'm sad because I don't feel "special" any more, but on the other hand I am glad that EVs in general and Tesla specifically are becoming widely recognized and admired.