Shows how non-rational investors are. This is hardly news. Anyone can flatbed an EV if they don't know what they're doing, and everyone with a brain should have known that Tesla's range claims were silly. I doubt Tesla can survive but so far it has surprised me, and if it doesn't survive it will be because there aren't an unlimited number of people willing to pay $100,000 for a commuter car, not because they can't drive across the country.

 

Like the Volt, silly in winter, conservative in summer. The deciding factor may be a big, roomy, quiet ride that can be configured at the price of other nice roomy cars.

 

The article is pretty hard to refute, it isn't a horrible hit on the Tesla but it does point out some of the current best BEV's fall short. Not having a range extender means BEV's are pretty iffy for road trips in freezing weather and even if there had been more fast chargers the trip would still have been a pain with the driver needing to stop so frequently due to the temps.
265 miles of stated range disappeared awfully quickly, and Tesla didn't exactly help their cause during their conversations with the driver as the range just kept going south, so to speak, and they failed to prepare the driver for what was likely to happen.
I have long thought that if a car maker can bring a car with 200+ mile AER at a price below $35k they will start to sell in really large numbers as a nearly full utility car. But that word "nearly" doesn't change the fact that even a 265 mile AER isn't enough with the current distance between fast chargers, so better pack conditioning, longer ranges and more fast chargers are needed.
But EREV's are above that kind of worry...

 

TSLA has a very high percentage of it's outstanding stock (25%) sold short. It has a high beta (unstable) so moves of this type are common Obviously somebody in marketing screwed up However the actual news is that they reached their production goals and those actually owning the car are happy campers. Range anxiety is a concept for idiots dreamed up by morons. Notice that gas gauge as the number of retail gas stations plummets and gas theft rises.

 

There is a significant market for impractical cars that are fun to drive. Try buying a new Ferrari without a long wait.

Tesla has a nice order backlog and plenty of happy owners.

I think the idea of a network of dedicated EVSEs makes as much sense as the old networks of dedicated ATMs, but that's a side show. Even if the 300 miles is really 200 or 150 depending on weather, you can have a lot of fun with a true EV sportscar.

 

Elon Musk posted on his twitter that the car was logged during this test, and that the "tester" did not charge the car fully before the test began, and took a longer route than necessary. It sounds like a rigged test to me, if Elon is right.

 

I forgot to plug in my Volt a number of times. Do you know what? It didn't matter. I just used a bit of gas. I also don't always take the "correct" route. Sometines it is better to take the road less travelled even if you end up not knowing where the h*ll you are. I am just happy knowing that I most likely won't end up with my car on a flatbed.

 

Whether the route was contrived to be hard to meet or not, it illustrates the inherent limitation of even the best of the BEVs. You either need to have a very extensive recharging ecosystem (supercharger stations) or rely upon an already existing, extensive ecosystem (gas stations).

As for the trip, it is clear that drivers will not want to drive with a freezing interior to make a trip. They will not want to drive overly slowly to conserve range. Customers are always right about the route they take. Things change and you might want or need to take an alternative route.

Tesla (and all BEVs) need a new ecosystem to be viable for long distance travel. The Volt obviously relies on the existing ecosystem for longer trips and the largest and most pervasive ecosystem available (home electricity) for most of the trips. Personally, I think the Volt concept has more viability in the short term (<10 years) and even medium term (10-30 years).

 

Here's another recent article:

http://seekingalpha.com/article/1172471-think-twice-before-test-driving-a-tesla?source=google_news

 

When I drove back from Florida in January, I left without a full charge, but still made it all the way back to Toronto with electrical miles in reserve.
We have just had a huge snowstore, and a Tesla driver would have been nuts to venture out on a long trip. Too many variables (nuts stuck in the snow for example). If I had been caught mid trip in a bad snowstorm, it wouldn't have meant any change in how we completed the trip. I like that the Volt can be driven for real, not in some fantastical new world environment that doesn't exist.
BTW, back to Florida this Friday for another week in the south. Tesla that!

 

I recommend Elon Musk to add a "battery heater" below the floor and up front in case the Tesla loses battery charge and drive range due to the cold. It could be a bottle of propane gas (like the one sold for copper pipe soldering) and a wide flame tip. While traveling at a high speed, start the gas with an electric valve, use an electronic spark generator to ignite the flame, and have the hot gases pass directly under the battery pack floor, so the hot gas will heat the pack and increase the range. If the Tesla slows down, turn the gas off.

I will send Musk my invoice for the idea. It will add a few ounces of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every time it is used.

 

Elon isn't happy:

[video]http://finance.yahoo.com/video/elon-musk-nytimes-article-teslas-201500282.html[/video]

 

another link with a Elon rebuttal
http://www.cnbc.com/id/100439335

But Musk told CNBC that after downloading the vehicle logs following the test drive, "it showed in fact (the author) had not charged up to the maximum charge in the car. It's like starting off a drive with a tank that's not full."

And instead of driving to the next Supercharger station to recharge the car, the drive took an extensive detour through Manhattan and drove at speeds which decreased the car's range, Musk said.

In response, to Musk's charges that the article was misleading, the New York Times issued a statement, calling the article completely factual.

"Any suggestion that the account was 'fake' is, of course, flatly untrue," the statement said. "Our reporter followed the instructions he was given in multiple conversations with Tesla personnel. He described the entire drive in the story; there was no unreported detour. And he was never told to plug the car in overnight in cold weather, despite repeated contact with Tesla."

That sounds like a pretty big Duh on the part of the NY Times.

 

Don, as usual your research is lacking.

http://www.iihs.org/laws/speedlimits.aspx

55 mph is still widely enforced on two lane US and state highways in many states including here, and in many urban areas on divided roads. This doesn't get into commercial and residential roads where it is lower.

 

Key in Musk's televised comments was the observation that the same thing would have happened with a gasoline car. Tank not filled, wandered around, and raced to get to destination on time. In the case of the gasoline car the driver would be labeled an idiot, but because this is an EV, the battery range is to blame.

This is prime Exxxon propaganda.

 

While I love my volt, and seriously considered a Model S (though I'd still be waiting for it), there is a huge difference -- the distance to the next gas station is not something the other car manufactures have determined, and there are few places where that range is 200miles. More signficnatly, the driver was talking with Tesla repeatedly during the trip.


What I found surprising what the information Telsa provide the driver.. and what they did not.
Telling them not to use CC? Not telling them to plug it in overnight?
Oddly, Musk is not addressing those issues -- those, and the planning of stations so far appart, are failures on the company's part. The car dying on the road, is the a failure on both sides.

Leaving when the car says you have enough range, even if not totally full, is till at least partially the cars's fault.
Draining the battery overnight is so non-intuitive you cannot blame the driver on that. Heck I would not expect he car to further deplete the battery just sitting there.

THe driver clearly has some of the blame, but I don't think Telsa is blameless either.

 

There really is very little new here.
The reporter gave the range shown after each charge, and that range was not the full range.
The reporter also mentioned driving around Manhattan.

What we didn't know is that the reporter was told to charge fully, and didn't. That we was told to stick to the speed limit, and didn't, and that he was advised not to make detours.
Malicious or incompetent at following directions, you decide.

 

Elon just finished talking on Bloomberg. Recap of the same points, making the media tour, so I imagine he's pretty sure of his position.

 

A Tesla would be perfect for me. I can't remember the last time I drove more than 200 miles in one day. Temps in South Florida are ideal for battery charging and use, and the terrain is basically flat. We took my buddy's signature series to a local car show yesterday and it was enthusiastically received...with the trunk and frunk lids opened, lots of people couldn't figure out where the engine was located! If they don't work well up north, then sell em all down here in the southern states.

 

This is prime Exxxon propaganda.

It is sometimes valuable to examine the history of a writer to detect ulterior motive. John M. Broder has also recently authored:

A Detour on the Road to an Electric Future

A small municipal electric provider in Connecticut says its experience with electric vehicles leaves room for skepticism.

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/08/a-detour-on-the-road-to-an-electric-future/?ref=johnmbroder

Hands Off, Oil Industry Warns Government

The head of the American Petroleum Institute says that a rosy oil future depends on the federal government's not raising taxes on companies or imposing new environmental rules.

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/hands-off-oil-industry-warns-government/?ref=johnmbroder​

 

mileage

If you drive a tesla like it was meant to be driven, ie heavy foot and 75+ on the freeway, I would guess less than 200 miles in warm weather, substantially less in winter, as the volt.
I am trying to hype the idea of a 200 mile race between a Volt and a $110k tesla, which the volt would win handily, at 95+ mph.
Nonetheless, the tesla is magnificent, but the negative media narrative against the Volt is ridiculous

 

Yes lets see a YOutube video of a 200 mile race!! Seriously! The Volt could win, especially if it were a 250 mile race... The question is, could a volt go more than 300 miles if the driver were exceeding 85 mph!??!

If you drive a tesla like it was meant to be driven, ie heavy foot and 75+ on the freeway, I would guess less than 200 miles in warm weather, substantially less in winter, as the volt.
I am trying to hype the idea of a 200 mile race between a Volt and a $110k tesla, which the volt would win handily, at 95+ mph.
Nonetheless, the tesla is magnificent, but the negative media narrative against the Volt is ridiculous

 

True, but if you believe Elon's statement that the author loitered and didn't start with a full charge, it defeats the stated purpose of the Supercharger network. If you say that you are providing a means for a Tesla S owner to get from one point to another, it should be assumed that you are not providing anything more than that service. The author's complaint amounts to buying a plane ticket from Manhattan to Connecticut and not being satisfied because he wasn't able to stop over at Boston.

 

Musk said (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-11/tesla-falls-after-n-y-times-model-s-test-drive.html)
"Broder made three errors in his test drive, including not fully charging the car, driving into Manhattan during rush hour and driving over the speed limit, Musk said in an interview with Emily Chang on Bloomberg Television."

I don't consider driving into manhattan during rush hour "loitering".

The NYT article reports
"I went off for lunch at the service plaza, checking occasionally on the car’s progress. After 49 minutes, the display read “charge complete,” and the estimated available driving distance was 242 miles."

So if the charge was not complete, either the reporter lied or supercharger stopped early (e.g. because of the temp of a battery that was just used, or something else?). I'm sure tesla will post logs, but I doubt they will answer that. However, sine the car said 242 miles of range EPA is 265 for full charge), for what should be 200 miles to the next destination, it must be a pretty full charge.

Now if the reporter was seriously speeding for most the trip, then its on them. If they were doing the speed limit, then its not. The NYT articles say "cruise control set at 54 miles per hour " when he was 68miles from the charger (or about 1/3 of the trip), so if there was speeding it was limited in duration.. We'll see what shows up on the blog site.

 

The full truth probably lies somewhere in between, sure, but based solely on the initial tone of the initial article, the author seemed to trying to make a point. Sometimes the evidence is made to fit the crime, as they say.

 

If they just added another large battery in the "Fronk" then that would add more range...but these electric cars are just better for warmer weather, and just dont do as well in the cold...

 

I'll bet the people over at Cadillac are watching with interest this hubbub over the Tesla that died. I recall one of their higher-ups, while discussing the ELR at the time of its auto show debut, said something to the effect that true luxury does not have 'worry' attached to it. You can bet that they will be beating this drum when the ELR hits the showrooms.

 

To conserve battery life, I have not used the Range feature for 100% charge. Charging overnight during a long trip is a must. During the trip to Vegas, I chose to park overnight at the KOA at Circus Circus for $20. That allowed the EV to be "stored" for 24 hours and use the NEMA 14-50 for a 40 amp charge.

After parking without charging in freezing weather, the battery is warmed if necessary for greater efficiency. When starting the Model S after sitting in the cold, the display shows, "Battery is Heating - Power will improve as you drive." The use of battery power to heat the pack provides extra range than if the pack was not heated at all.

After an extended lunch and visit at the Stratosphere, the above message appeared. I drove to the Venetian to top off, but all charge stations were in use. With 222 miles remaining, the 158 miles to Barstow at 71 mph was successful. The Energy App in the vehicle accurately indicated how many miles remained based on speed. Rather than driving slow, I chose to lower the heat in the last 30 minutes to guarantee the arrival at Barstow with 21 miles remaining. Another driver arrived with one mile remaining. It's the accuracy of Tesla Motors energy display that allows for confident travel if the driver monitors battery range. Driving a BEV is like flying an airplane, you have to pay attention to the gauges for a successful outcome.

 

Driving a BEV is like flying an airplane, you have to pay attention to the gauges for a successful outcome.

Nice point to ponder - with a BEV, the accuracy of its gauges would seem crucial to a peaceful driving experience. Those driving a LEAF with its infamous Guessometer have got to be adventurous souls, or like a celibate priest, they're simply people capable of living in denial.

BTW, I enjoy following your experiences with your Model S, the only BEV I lust after. I'm rooting for Tesla to make it as a successful operation, and as for Elon Musk, he's a breath of fresh air in an industry as difficult and entrenched as the auto business is. I don't know how responsible he is for all the fresh ideas his company is bringing to the fore, but he's the guy signing off on it all, and I can't help but cheer him on.

 

According to Elon... They did not fully charge the car before starting the trip and they took a detour that was not mentioned in the article. Tesla plans to release the GPS track data and show that the car was not fully charged. NYT lied.

 

Musk: Tesla to publish car logs from NYT test drive

Interesting interview w/Elon regarding the NYT article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/musk-...-from-nyt-test-drive/2013/02/12/c911f654-74b3-11e2-9889-60bfcbb02149_video.html