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Despite what a freshman physics text might tell you, the reality is that a rubber tire on pavement will give the best traction with a small (~5%) degree of wheelspin. It's highly dependent on a number of factors, not the least of which is the particular pavement surface in question, so it's...

Something tells me that its coefficient of drag is substantially higher than that of the Model S, too.

Then what would they do with all the used 60 kWh packs? Vicious cycle, that...

Yikes. Does that cost include one season of wheel storage? That would make the price somewhat more reasonable.

At the risk of splitting hairs over a tragic situation... Looking at the front end of the Tesla, I'd say it was much closer to the 40% overlap crash scenario, albeit likely at a higher speed than the test protocol.

I'm guessing that you missed the recent Poll Validity Wars. If you want, I can try to find some of the better examples. They were a hoot.

That, and arguing. But seriously... I read Michael's take on CU's data collection a few years ago, and it's a big reason why I take their information with a large grain of salt.

Totally spitballling ideas here... perhaps the interpretation of ECE R85 dictates that the stated power be the maximum drawn for 30 minutes that will limit the voltage drop to 5% of nominal?

I've noticed this with every BT audio system I've ever used.

They're not scientific. Duh...

Yeah, but what fun would that be? The danger in feeling compelled to whip it out and compare size is that one runs the risk of it being trod upon.

Plus, the roof of the Silverdome is either down or off right now. Okay, maybe not right now... but it was two minutes ago when I walked out in the parking lot of my office.

One small point of order - If one were to actually put the P85D on a four-wheel dynamometer, it would not measure anywhere near 550 hp/410 kW. While that is the maximum power rate that the battery can output, there are losses in the inverter, the motor, the reduction gear, and all the other...

Having been a part of designing a vehicle structure to perform well in a small-offset crash, I can tell you that only one of those cars possibly experienced an impact similar to what's modeled in the IIHS test - The seventh picture down, with the car sitting in the grass.

Yikes... It's one thing for Tesla to want to cut ties with a guy who could have proverbially come in off the street and bought a Model S, but it's entirely another to be willing to alienate a previous buyer who has had a deposit down on a Model X for 2+ years.

It looks like you're calling the tire OD 58 cm... I believe that should be 72 cm, give or take.

It's one thing to try something different. It's another to let Not Invented Here syndrome rule every decision that's not dictated by USDOT code.

I'd hope (and bet) that you're right. To not have it so would be the most monumentally stupid idea in automotive design since the Pontiac Aztek's exterior styling.

Speaking strictly for myself, the issue is that I'd kinda like to see Tesla succeed and inject some life into the automotive industry. They're not going to do that by shooting themselves in the foot.

The debate is on the verge of moving to the question of whether the third row can be stowed with the second row still in a usable position.

Well... no. When ABS first hit the major market, it was expected to drastically reduce crashes. In fact, there was no benefit from the implementation. There were myriad complaints to service departments about malfunctioning brake systems, since drivers felt the ABS pulsing in the pedal during...

Ha! We have both Buick and Chevy versions of that abomination here in the 'States. Is the Vauxhall version built in Korea, too? --- and --- Was there a Gorn present at the photo shoot?

It was raspberry jam. Duh...

Huh... I was about to spout off the conventional wisdom about warranties not applying to OE tires, but then I actually read the fine print of the Michelin warranty description. Good on them for extending warranty coverage to OE fitments.

Not even close: Electric car - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The bigger issue would be Tesla's ability to move down-market. The perception, right or wrong, that the Model S and Model X are 'rich man's toys' will still exist, but when a potential buyer in 2019 is weighing a Model 3 against a Toyota Avalon Hybrid, the stories of unkept promises and shoddy...

Are you comparing Elon to Geraldine Carmichael?

If anyone has followed CR's history, they'll find that they're typically swayed by agendas that they aren't always willing to commit to ink.

True story: I have a hole in my rear fascia that came from the headlamp wiper on a BMW 325iC.

S'okay. We cool. ;)

To be fair, he obviously wasn't stopped.

Holding the brakes (on hydraulic pressure only) requires zero output from the battery. Any other method of stationkeeping requires some output.

This:

Sorry. I'm fairly new, here, and I'm still negotiating each poster's stance on 'The Goodness of Tesla'.

Well, yeah... that's what makes Tesla different from Legacy carmakers.

Are you, in fact, insane? Tesla is a publically traded corporation. They are in no way whatsoever a charitable organization.

My best guess? The car wigged out because you were doing something that Tesla's development crew never bothered to try. I'd bet good money that you did no harm.

Super... that still doesn't explain being charged $70 for literally three minutes of labor.

I'm sorry... did you miss the missing paint on the panel behind the glass?

And that's why this particular service campaign was hypothetical. ;)

I was, indeed, considering differential replacement as a (much cheaper) analogue to drive unit replacement. Based on the very unscientific DU replacement poll conducted here, I'd say that 10% is a reasonable SWAG at the frequency of Model S replacement. Throw in the relative cost, and Tesla's...

It's a gear set that takes a single power input from one shaft and distributes it to the two wheels on an axle, while allowing for a speed differential between the two wheels. Now answer the question! ;)

Honestly? I pulled it out of... somewhere. I didn't intend it to be scientific, but based on anecdotal accounts of the frequency of drive unit replacements (and the relative cost of a differential versus a drive unit) I'd say it's a pretty conservative comparison.

Well... isn't a residential transformer typically rated for 30 kW? I'd have to think that half a transformer, rated for 22 kW in a non-contact setup would have to be pretty substantial, even if it was only intended for a ~10% duty cycle.

Absolutely, the dealership bills the manufacturer for warranty work... but when's the last time that 10% or more of a particular Toyota (or Ford, or Nissan) model needed to have its differential replaced under warranty?

This is very similar to my feelings on the P85D stated power issue - if a legacy carmaker had marketed an undeveloped car, they would have been eviscerated in the media. Tesla figured they'd be able to get by on customer enthusiasm and good will (and I'd say they have so far) but I don't see it...

You seem to have glossed over my point - what would be considered 'normal' for a Tesla service center would be considered extraordinary for any traditional dealer's service department. Yes, there are X dollars set aside from every car for warranty work and service bulletins, but we're not...

Everyone has heard the stories about multiple motor replacements, corrections of items that the owner didn't even think was a problem, and all the other good things that service centers do... yet TM's balance sheet doesn't show a drastic hemorrage of cash on the Service line. Perhaps it's...

I'll thank you to not disparage bourbon.

Thus lending credence to those who believe that the -L upgrade was what was originally intended as the OTA upgrade to the P85D...