Funniest Tesla Question Thread

[DMLou]

OK, not a dumb question but uninformed information. I was telling people how much oil EVs save (it was on the video at the SC). Guy pipes up 'Those don't save any oil due to the amount of oil used to make electricity.' I needed to look it up (didn't know how to use Google yet). Only .5% of all electricity in the US is from oil. One half of one percent! I haven't been able to get back to him yet. I did mention that in CA we use mostly natural gas for elec. production.

Not just that though. Even if all the electricity was generated by oil, power plants are much more efficient than ICE engines. The "oil per mile" used via electricity is much less than that used by burning the oil as gasoline in an engine. Same thing for the carbon footprint.

 

[zarman]

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!

You should have invited her along for the trip. She would have been impressed. (just don't use auto pilot - it freaks out new riders)

 

[SVMike]

"Isn't it dangerous if the battery gets wet?"

Ask them how their ICE car is able to use a battery to turn the starter motor to start their car when it is wet.

An EV is just like that. But has such a big starter motor that it doesn't need a gas engine.

Mike

 

[Andy7]

A top speed of 60 mph would be a deathtrap and cause mayhem, especially on fast California freeways (in free-flowing conditions, obviously).

Snarky reply-(and our son lives in LA)-they have free-flowing conditions? We actually have not always been stuck in traffic when we visit, but the conditions are often classic LA.

 

[SVMike]

Wait, it doesn't use gas? Like not at all?

Actually Tesla can;t drive anywhere without the use of gas.


Spoiler


Spoiler


The tires are full of air in the gas state

 

[SVMike]

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%

The 8% number probably refers to the total energy captured by regen during some test run, such as the EPA city test.

Given that a car is driving down the road and you begin slowing via regen you might capture 30% or even 50% (when going a steep downhill) of the kinetic energy back into the battery. But on your average drive you might go many miles without doing any regen

 

[SageBrush]

The 8% number probably refers to the total energy captured by regen during some test run, such as the EPA city test.

Given that a car is driving down the road and you begin slowing via regen you might capture 30% or even 50% (when going a steep downhill) of the kinetic energy back into the battery. But on your average drive you might go many miles without doing any regen

Exactly

The Prius peaks at ~ 33% regen but the Teslas do much better, up to ~ 65%

 

[Bill_Baron]

I drive a Roadster, so sadly my answer is "No."

 

[Mr-T]

I’ve been asked quite a few questions about my M3AWD. I see it as an opportunity to be an ambassador for this car we all love so much. There are no dumb questions. I patiently and enthusiastically answer each, no ,after how silly it may seem, because the person really wants to know. I’ve met some interesting people in the parking lot this way. I’ve had a few who have Made statements to me that were not “EV-friendly” but those statements almost always come from mis-information or general ignorance. I seek to educate and inform. I have made one hard-core conservative a believer, by focusing on the tech, the merits and efficiency of electric motors and the autopilot/fsd tech. Arrogance among Tesla’s drivers, thinking people are stupid because they don’t know Physics or electrical engineeering,etc. is not the way we want to be seen. We want wider adoption of EVs, and especially Tesla’s.

so if someone asks me “What’s an electric car? (real question), I simply tell them. No judgment.

 

[SMAlset]

.... In the meantime everyone in the office laughed her out of the room. She walked out in tears but I think it was deserved.

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

Better yet show her the frunk and cargo space. Educate! and then yes apologize (as she was embarrased by all the laughter) and take her to lunch.

....
She has criticized me buying a Tesla from day 1, so it was nice for my co-workers to have my back

Missed opportunity for her to change her mind about the car. And we've found out that some size pizza boxes don't fit in our frunk. Your co-workers probably already know more about the car than she does. Have you driven her anywhere in it? Honestly lots of people have a lot of misconceptions about EVs and Teslas (all BEV) as this thread so aptly illustrates. Great thread BTW.

 

[nuclearfusion]

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

Sure not needed on the Autobahn but a reasonable question in Oz.
You could use the question as an opportunity to explain how remarkably versatile the Tesla is. For more adventurous road trips I carry a 20 mtr 15 AMP extension cord along with the mobile connector. Sometimes only way of reaching the nearest power-point.
In remote areas the nearest Supercharger may be more than 2,000 kms away but the camping ground or showgrounds will usually have 15 amp points.

 

[SWUtah]

Someone asked me if my Tesla has a heater. I guess they assumed that since in an ICE car the heater works by pumping hot air generated by the engine, Teslas must not have a heater.

Another one was "How many batteries does it have?"

B

 

[SWUtah]

For the # of batteries question, I give the accurate answer, 4416. That usually results in more questions.

 

[JamesOfKirkwd]

"Does it charge while you're driving?"

Actually, that's an excellent question. Wouldn't it be nice if the car could have a solar roof.

 

[brucet999]

That pizza room one kinda makes sense actually. For years, the batteries in hybrids took a lot of storage space. Imagine a vehicle that had 10x the batteries, no space left!

So, you think it reasonable that she thought there was no trunk space and also didn't know that there is a passenger seat in front and three seats in back?
It makes sense if she thought he drove an electric Harley.

 

[SMAlset]

I was a little put off by one person who asked...
"Your Chinese battery caught fire in that thing yet? I've heard those cars suck"

I did not take the time to educate them.

Too Bad! Could have replied well the batteries are Panasonic (a Japanese company) and produced here in the U.S. Chances of them catching fire are less than gas cars catching fire. As far as sucking, well the car has been named Car of the Year by many car publications and other organizations, so No it doesn't suck at all! It's one of the reasons a high percentage of other cars manufacturers have lost sales to Tesla by trading in their cars to buy one.

 

[brucet999]

Well in in Germany we would ask how much beer can you load.
In my younger days it would have been Kegs of beer.
I will try to do the experiment to find out. sorry pizzas

Nimmt ein Paar Kisten Fürstenberg für mich.
Prost!

 

[brucet999]

… I remember stuffing so many 30 packs of Keystone Light in ….

But he said beer.

 

[Ciaopec]

It's been done. This guy got, from what I can tell, at least 9 full size kegs in the back of a Model S.

Probably a lot more fun than the dishwasher I had in the trunk of my MS.

 

[SMAlset]

Someone told me they heard that Teslas could charge while they were driving. No I'm afraid they don't do that. They insisted. It took a while to figure out they were talking about regen.

Hate to say it but that should have been more obvious to you. More people have heard about regen from Prius, Leaf and Bolt owners.