Dumbest Tesla Question Thread

[nimbuzz]

More cute than dumb, years ago my 9 year-old son heard me say that using the brakes in our hybrid recharged the battery. He asked why I didn't drive with the brakes on all the time to keep the battery fully charged. I considered explaining about entropy, the second law of thermodynamics, perpetual motion machines, and the like, but ended up just saying that it was an interesting idea ;-).

This is not a dumb question but rather a dumb answer--perhaps pop doesn't know the answer to this good and appropriate tech question?? The answer is that regenerative braking only recovers a fraction of what the motor uses up so the car would come to a stop before charging the battery enough to keep going.

The question is good and penetrates into the relevant tech. I don't know exactly what % a Tesla can recover but I doubt it is a whole lot different than a Prius that only recovers 8%

 

[Hack]

I find the best way to educate/impress doubters or the curious is to simply take them for a ride. I have both 2019 Model 3 and a 2017 Chevy Bolt. The features on the Model 3 are almost overwhelming. Even the Bolt impresses for those who don't know about EVs. I gave a guy a friend a ride back to his house in my Bolt and punched it from 10 to 30 mph. His reaction was that powerful. It was not the 10 to 30 speed but the way instant acceleration pushed him back in the seat.

The factoid that seems to impress people is that if in our two EVs we drive 1000 miles a month, it will cost us around $30. They do the math for the gasoline model in their heads.

The biggest worry is about finding a place to charge when you are away from home. I cite the 650 mile trip from Indianapolis to Eden Prairie, MN. I show them the display on our Model 3 that plots the route and indicates the places to charge. BTW, I would be challenged to take the same trip in the Bolt. Superchargers are great. I don't understand the system of charging for a Bolt when away from home. Too many indefinites.

 

[SteveGardner]

"do you need an extension cord.
have no idea how to answer that"

Try: "No, do. you? Where do you put it?"

 

[nimbuzz]

I'm sure that all of you, like me, have received a laundry list of dumb questions about your car.
My typical list is:
Can you drive it in the snow? "It's a 4,000 lb AWD vehicle. What do you think?"
Did you know it can easily catch on fire?
What happens if the starter fails?
What happens if you run out of power?

Today I had a new award winner that takes the cake for me.
I buy 6 pizzas for my guys at work every Thursday. My Aunt works in the office for me. Usually she goes to pick up the pizza but since it was snowing I figured I'd go get it.
Of course she started off with "Oh you can drive it in the snow?'"
When I basically laughed at her about that question she responded with:
"Do Teslas have room in the cabin or the trunk for 6 pizzas?"

I was so stunned by her question that I couldn't come up with a sarcastic response for ten seconds. In the meantime everyone in the office laughed her out of the room. She walked out in tears but I think it was deserved.

Some of you must have some doozies. Please share!

 

[Stavesacre21]

"Ya know its all fun and games until you get electrocuted while driving in the rain or snow. I heard theres more power in those cars than a power line carries".

-Random stranger in a restaurant parking lot

 

[Audi2000]

It's sad that people who drive around with flammable liquids as their source of fuel think that an EV spontaneously catch fire.

 

[gigawatt1010]

My favorite answer to the age old question "what happens when you run out of charge?"

"Same thing as your ICE when you run out of gas - dumbass!"

 

[rallybob]

I like it when they ask "what if the power goes out. You won't be able to charge."
I say, when the power goes out, what are you going to do to get gas when the pumps are electric?

Years ago, I got stuck once when a tornado went through the town I was in to get gas. Power was out for hours.

 

[travellerva]

"do you need an extension cord.
have no idea how to answer that"

How about: "Well, in the 2014-15 cars they only included a 250 mile cord, but in the new cars, they gave us a 300 mile cord to use..."

 

[RooMaster]

It was not.
Apologize, and take her for a ride followed by a nice lunch.

I’m very high up on the Model Y waiting list.

I thank you for sharing this thread because it will help me prepare to be the change I want to see in the world.

 

[StealthP3D]

I really like the crazy questions, easy to answer.
it stuff like how far can you go on a charge, that
a hard one , winter, summer, 100mph, 70mph, 50mph,
wind snow rain.

I like to keep it simple:

It's rated to go 310 miles but, like a gas car, it will go further if you drive slower or less if you drive faster.

 

[StealthP3D]

Similar to a previous one, but: “what mileage does it get”? I answered with what I guess was just too complicated a response because she had this look on her face like Zoolander’s “but why male models?”...

I keep that one simple too:

It costs about 1/4 or a bit less in electricity compared to what I was spending on gas. No oil changes either.

 

[CSDunford]

"How often do you have to get the oil changed in that thing?"

 

[Jack007]

I ubered in the Tesla model S 75D AP1 for about 2 years. Is it good in the snow, asked while driving in several inches of snow...
Of course who knows how many times asked about gas,
but even if ignorant about the Tesla I would get these same 3 comments.
OOH, I've never ridden in a Tesla before,
LOOK AT THAT SCREEN,
by the end of the ride,
I WANT THIS CAR.
I drove probably 2000 people, 90% were very positive/excited.
Tesla also earned me a 4.97 rating.
Had a former dealership guy rate me a 1, even though his family had a GREAT time during the ride.

 

[StealthP3D]

As I was driving her home, my ex-mother-in-law said: "Doesn't Tesla make a gas car you can buy?"

Not yet, but I heard they were working on it but they want to start with a gas-powered cell phone first. Baby steps...

 

[Genedr]

My fave:
Guy seeing it plugged in a supercharger in Oklahoma: so what’s it run on?
Me: Electricity. It’s all electric.
Guy: So it’s propane?
ME: No, electricity. Like a light bulb.
Guy: So it’s some kinda natural gas.
ME: No it’s electric.
Guy: So can you fill up anywhere.
Me: ‍

 

[Hack]

A lady was walking around my car and asked me “where do you put the gas”
I told her it runs on electricity, I plug it in at home. She replied she knew Tesla’s were electric but how do you fill it with gas.

A good way to solve/deflect the question is to pop open the charge port and show them where the cable plugs in.

 

[TesSBD]

"How are you going to charge if the power is out for days?"

Uh...How you gonna pump gas with no electricity for the pump? ***Mind blown***

 

[StealthP3D]

Trying to reply to crazy questions post I’m new at this but so many people ask how can you afford it like is a Lamborghini

I tell them a Model has about the same cost of ownership over a 6-year period as a Honda Accord or a Toyota Camry. But it's more convenient and a lot more fun!

 

[MacGreiner]

Yep. I'm a smidge too young to remember those -- just missed that time. But a lot of people in the Boomer (and perhaps older X) generation still seem to think that almost all electric cars are like that. When I was mentioning to one that I was considering one of the Volkswagen ID offerings (before I decided to go with a Tesla), saying that I'm looking forward to fun Volkswagen handling, she was like, "You can't get that with an electric car." At least Tesla has managed to salvage the notion, at least among some, that you can have really good performance with an EV.

And as for more modern EV pieces of crap, there's this one:

Modern, yes, with a top speed of about 65... and based on a hacked up Chinese Smart ForTwo knockoff...

Thats is possibly the best review I have ever watched.