A Year with Tesla Model S

[Bob]

This is a good read for anyone wondering about what life is actually like with a Tesla.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/109 ... iles-later

[kevm14]

After almost four years of waiting, those first days after delivery were euphoric. As I recall, the words "greatest freaking car in the entire freaking Universe" (or thereabouts) passed my lips on several occasions during the honeymoon period.

Where does this come from? Have these people not owned nice or fast cars before? The actual value of having an expensive car that uses much less energy to move around is questionable for folks who can actually afford said cars. So is the excitement not so much a practical one as an emotional "this could really turn into something, someday" type of argument? I think people were just as excited about the EV-1 in 1997.

I will read the rest of the article (skimmed the first page).

[Bob]

The rest of the article isn't quite as euphoric or fan boy-ish and gets into some real data on the costs of operation. I really want to drive the Model S. I think there is something special about being able to go fast with that level of powertrain refinement.

[kevm14]

I just get the feeling that the biggest demographic is not really car enthusiasts but more technology enthusiasts, with a lot of disposable income. So I always have to weight their testimonials accordingly.

And I'm still bothered by all the "perks" mentioned in every article like this. If you are selling the future, I think it's unrealistic to expect everyone can enjoy that level of customer service, and things like free charging everywhere. If, on the other hand, the articles are written for like-minded individuals with a lot of money, then that's just fine with me. I'm just not sure of the intended audience.

[kevm14]

Ahhh....

While a recent software update reduced the vampire draw substantially, I still lose anywhere from 3 to 10 miles of range every single day. My Volt has no vampire losses whatsoever. In fact, no other electric car has vampire losses, as far as I know.

Is this the same guy who had the Volt before? I remember this guy. He compared and contrasted both cars. It would be interesting for an update specifically in that department. Unless I haven't gotten there yet.

[Bob]

It is the same guy who had a Volt before. I am wondering if the vampire issue, or self-discharge to use a more technical term, is the result of making the batteries more high rate charging friendly to work with the supercharger network. It sounds like they have released some updates to address it, but it isn't fully gone.