Checkout what I drove today: A Tesla Roadster.

[RawAlex]

yeah, just remember that you can't ever go more than about 30 or 40 miles from home before you have to turn around, because otherwise you will need the biggest boost in automotive history. electric cars are just not yet ready for prime time.

[EmporerEJ]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

yeah, just remember that you can't ever go more than about 30 or 40 miles from home before you have to turn around, because otherwise you will need the biggest boost in automotive history. electric cars are just not yet ready for prime time.

Says you.
And the tesla has a longer range than that.

Not only that, but 40 miles in a tesla will make you forget about most things.

[RawAlex]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

Says you.
And the tesla has a longer range than that.

Not only that, but 40 miles in a tesla will make you forget about most things.

Failed basic math?

40 miles going there, 40 miles coming back = 80 miles. there are all sorts of claims about 250 mile range, 300 mile range, etc. But the reality is that it would damage the batteries to completely charge them every time, and you should never push it much lower than about 20% charge (bad for the batteries), and the range only happens when you drive like the EPA highway test. For real humans, the effective range is at best about 100-120 miles (based on numerous road tests I read). One car magazine gave it a nice thrashing on a German autobahn, only to discover that vigorous play lead to a range that would be lucky to get the 80 miles, more like 60 - 70.

Remember, for the good it is, the batteries store about the same amount of energy as a gallon or two of gas. Can you imagine setting out in the morning with your gas light on, and driving all day hoping like hell you don't run out? Running out puts you in an 8 -12 hour penalty box (don't interrupt the charging, as it can damage the batteries!).

Paying 6 figures for a car that can't make it from Vegas to a legal whorehouse and back seems pretty silly.

[EmporerEJ]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

Failed basic math?

40 miles going there, 40 miles coming back = 80 miles. .

I wasn't aware you traveled in strainght lines out, and straight lines back. Where are these roads at?

Maybe we should call you "Ray-Man?"

(Did you get the funny little double entendre there with the math/savant reference?)

I love you chicken and egg guys.....glass is always half empty.

The average american travels less than 20 miles from home on a daily basis. and....wait for it...are you just gonna drive all day? Gonna drive to the whore house, and turn around and come back? How about you stay a while...plug in, and recharge?

(See, I made another little double entedre reference there?)

Man, you don't get this much funny when you PAY for it in Vegas.....

Hey, know what? Doesn't matter...can't get one anyhow. They can't make 'em fast enough to keep up with demand. So you won't have to worry about making a bad decision.

[RawAlex]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

I wasn't aware you traveled in strainght lines out, and straight lines back. Where are these roads at?

Gee, I dunno, usually when I go somewhere, I tend to want to come back. Nothing about a straight line, but the distance TO some place is typically similar to the distance coming FROM the place. Unless of course you are just buying an electric car to drive around in circles and show off how "green" you are.

Most places won't let you plug in to recharge, and just as importantly, battery life is compromised with partial charging. So you don't want to plug in for an hour, and shave 6 months off the life of the battery overall.

But you knew that, right?

[2muchmark2]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

Most places won't let you plug in to recharge, and just as importantly, battery life is compromised with partial charging. So you don't want to plug in for an hour, and shave 6 months off the life of the battery overall.

This is not correct. Old batteries such as the Delco batteries in the GM EV-1 had this problem, but this has been solved. The battery and charging system have no "memory" problem like you are describing.

The Tesla Roadster doesn't just have 1 batter - it has thousands of small "notebook" batteries. It is normal for some of them to fail but they are guaranteed for 3 years to lose no more than 20% of their ability to retain a full charge. When it comes time for service, a diagnostic program tells the "mechanic" which batteries are dead or dying, and are replaced.

I asked the sales rep who let me drive the car (Hans) about this though. He says that he charges his car every day by plugging it in at home. For long trips though, he has to plan his route so that he can stop at places to plug-in and charge his car.

As for places not letting you plug-in, thats possible, but its too bad for them. The total cost to charge the car is a whopping $4.00 of electricity. It won't be long before some enterprising companies setup Electric charging stations in various locations around the country. It currently takes 3 hours to fully charge a Tesla. This is a fantastic opportunity for "truck stops" to become full service stops that would include Hotels, long-dinner restaurants, movie theatres, parks, etc.

I'm excited for the future. Can you tell?

[2muchmark2]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

Failed basic math?

40 miles going there, 40 miles coming back = 80 miles. there are all sorts of claims about 250 mile range, 300 mile range, etc. But the reality is that it would damage the batteries to completely charge them every time, and you should never push it much lower than about 20% charge (bad for the batteries), and the range only happens when you drive like the EPA highway test. For real humans, the effective range is at best about 100-120 miles (based on numerous road tests I read). One car magazine gave it a nice thrashing on a German autobahn, only to discover that vigorous play lead to a range that would be lucky to get the 80 miles, more like 60 - 70.

Remember, for the good it is, the batteries store about the same amount of energy as a gallon or two of gas. Can you imagine setting out in the morning with your gas light on, and driving all day hoping like hell you don't run out? Running out puts you in an 8 -12 hour penalty box (don't interrupt the charging, as it can damage the batteries!).

Paying 6 figures for a car that can't make it from Vegas to a legal whorehouse and back seems pretty silly.

Hi Alex,

Are you sure you're reading reports about the Tesla? I can only find good things about this car, except for what that silly BBC show said.

6 Figures for this car is more than I would like to pay, but they are coming out with a $50k sedan in a couple of years.

And besides, you're missing the point. Even if the batteries only store the same amount of energy as 2 gallons of gas (where did you get that?), more than 90% of the energy from gas is lost in a typical car anyway to heat, combustion, torque conversion, and the shear weight of the extras required for the car itself (Starter, oil system, coolant system, brake system, and on and on).

[2muchmark2]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

... 40 miles in a tesla will make you forget about most things.

VERY TRUE!

Remember seeing a Sci-fi movies like Logans Run and Bladerunner as a kid and saying "Wow.. the future!!!" ? That weird tingly feeling is what I got driving this car. Fast, Sexy, Reliable, Safe are easy... but Electric? Quiet? Wow... I can't say enough about this car. Even if you don't like the style, who cares? ELECTRIC is cool.

[softball]

Originally Posted by 2muchmark2

VERY TRUE!

Remember seeing a Sci-fi movies like Logans Run and Bladerunner as a kid and saying "Wow.. the future!!!" ? That weird tingly feeling is what I got driving this car. Fast, Sexy, Reliable, Safe are easy... but Electric? Quiet? Wow... I can't say enough about this car. Even if you don't like the style, who cares? ELECTRIC is cool.

What I wanna know is did you buy it?

[EmporerEJ]

Originally Posted by 2muchmark2

VERY TRUE!

Remember seeing a Sci-fi movies like Logans Run and Bladerunner as a kid and saying "Wow.. the future!!!" ? That weird tingly feeling is what I got driving this car. Fast, Sexy, Reliable, Safe are easy... but Electric? Quiet? Wow... I can't say enough about this car. Even if you don't like the style, who cares? ELECTRIC is cool.

I remember Jenifer 5, and the new you. Logan's Run was one of my "formative" movies, and the "dial your sex partner" was a partial influence on my development of the VSM.

[2muchmark2]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

I remember Jenifer 5, and the new you. Logan's Run was one of my "formative" movies, and the "dial your sex partner" was a partial influence on my development of the VSM.

Wasn't it Logan 5? Jessica 6? Francis 7? Anyways, yes. I saw that movie in the threatres. I think the moment I actually hit puberty was when Logan turned on the dial-a-babe / Transporter gadget, and Jessica appeared in that super-short skirt. Wow.

[EmporerEJ]

Originally Posted by 2muchmark2

Wasn't it Logan 5? Jessica 6? Francis 7? Anyways, yes. I saw that movie in the threatres. I think the moment I actually hit puberty was when Logan turned on the dial-a-babe / Transporter gadget, and Jessica appeared in that super-short skirt. Wow.

Damn, I think you're right.
I did have that wrong.
5, 6, 7.

She was most definitely Hot. Gotta love a society that has clothes designed to come off easy.

I owned it on VHS, and DVD. And I read the book. (Which was slightly different, but still good)

[2muchmark2]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

yeah, just remember that you can't ever go more than about 30 or 40 miles from home before you have to turn around, because otherwise you will need the biggest boost in automotive history. electric cars are just not yet ready for prime time.

No so, Alex. The Tesla Roadster gets about 288 miles to a 3 hour charge. Here in Montreal, that's enough to get me from home, to work and back again more than 25 times.