First Ride: 2012 Tesla Model S

[NigelM]

Motor Trend has done a very good write up, summarizing lots of bits and pieces from other smaller articles.

First Ride: 2012 Tesla Model S

As a handful of journalists snapped pictures, poked at touch screens, and flipped open the charging ports on the trio of preproduction (Betas, they call them) Model S's parked outside the Tesla (ex-NUMMI) factory in Fremont, California, I had one solitary thought:


This is it.

 

[AnOutsider]

At this moment, I'm one of Earth's few inhabitants to have ridden in both Fisker's Karma and Tesla's Model S (at least in this pre-production guise), and maybe the most startling difference between them is space efficiency. The Karma's vastly smaller, 20 kW-hr battery runs down the car's spine, dividing the interior so utterly that there's not only room for just two in back, but I'd advise them to be 12 years old. Its trunk? Don't play golf. However, the Model S's battery -- despite being more than four times bigger -- is sort of like a 3- or 4-inch-thick sheet of plywood bolted under the car (and said to be removable in minutes). As the rear-mounted motor and reduction gears are quite small, the result is astonishing.

I was also looking at the Karma specs and sheesh, 50 miles on a charge, and 300 miles max range? Even my gas guzzling sports car can go 400 miles. Doesn't seem to take the best of both worlds.

Moreover, unlike the Volt and Leaf, the Model S's charger is part of the deal, built right into car.

Having not seen the charger in person, I was still unclear whether I had to install something, or if this guy will plug right into a standard wall socket?

All of the photos in that article are of the prototype though

 

[NigelM]

Having not seen the charger in person, I was still unclear whether I had to install something, or if this guy will plug right into a standard wall socket?

All of the photos in that article are of the prototype though

Thread over here.

 

[tdelta1000]

It was a fair assessment of the Model S but I wonder where did he get this information CO2 emissions = 1.16 lb/mile (est)?

 

[TEG]

Moreover, unlike the Volt and Leaf, the Model S's charger is part of the deal, built right into car.

That isn't true. All 3 of those vehicles come with a 'charger' capable of charging from ~100-240V.
Model S will come with a more capable, standard, mobile EVSE capable of up to 9.6kW charging, unlike those other vehicles which have relatively 'wimpy' smaller current chargers, and lower capacity EVSEs.
(USA LEAF included EVSE is only 1.4kW 120V@12A, but can be upgraded to 3.3kW 240V@16A by a 3rd party.)

 

[TEG]

Motor Trend has done a very good write up, summarizing lots of bits and pieces from other smaller articles.
First Ride: 2012 Tesla Model S

...For all I know, Tesla may suddenly go all Solyndra on us...

...Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the middle of next year. And at that point we might finally see if the Model S is the car that makes the electric automobile a force -- or kills it forever.

:scared:

 

[AnOutsider]

:scared:

I think you've got the steps to grieving a bit mixed there

 

[NigelM]

I believe in Tesla and put my money where my mouth is; but I don't think the article is unfair, it's just a reflection of the reality that Tesla is going somewhere no one has been before and that has inherent risk.

 

[Arnold Panz]

I believe in Tesla and put my money where my mouth is; but I don't think the article is unfair, it's just a reflection of the reality that Tesla is going somewhere no one has been before and that has inherent risk.

I agree completely. Reading between the lines, it seems like the author is clearly rooting for Tesla to succeed, but has to throw in cautionary notes that they haven't actually accomplished their goals yet, with which even Tesla would probably agree. He seemed to be as much of a "fan" of the car (and touchscreen) as any theoretically objective journalist could be.

 

[PopSmith]

I thought the article itself was fine. The author seemed to be positive-but-realistic with their feelings on Tesla as a company which is always good to see. The article did contain one error that stuck out to me, though:

Aided by liquid cooling, the motor generates 306 hp at 7000 rpm and 362 lb-ft of torque between 6500-10,000 rpm (redline is 14k!).

Torque in the Model S (according to Tesla) is flat from 0-7000 RPMs and then slopes downward.

I don't understand why they used Alpha pictures when they went to the event and Tesla has lots of pictures of the Beta on their website...

 

[Mycroft]

I don't understand why the used Alpha pictures when they went to the event and Tesla has lots of pictures of the Beta on their website...

I'm sure the author had nothing to do with that. A lazy editor just slapped together the text with some pictures (s)he found on their server.

 

[Todd Burch]

It was a fair assessment of the Model S but I wonder where did he get this information CO2 emissions = 1.16 lb/mile (est)?

I for one wonder where the 14/22 mpg (est) came from...

 

[VolkerP]

It's cool that the article compares the exterior and interior dimensions so precisely to an A7. That way, I can go to the Audi dealer in the next city to test ingress/egress, etc.

 

[PopSmith]

I'm sure the author had nothing to do with that. A lazy editor just slapped together the text with some pictures (s)he found on their server.

That sounds correct to me. Those silly editors and their (very plausible) laziness. :tongue:

I for one wonder where the 14/22 mpg (est) came from...

Those are the exact numbers from the Motor Trend review of the 2012 M5, a couple of values from the table were probably used by accident. It's been fixed now, though.