Journalist runs out of power in a rented Tesla and writes a review.

[ElSupreme]

I think the article was well written.

When trip is 209 miles and car tells it can go 247 miles, average consumer of course thinks he has enough capacity to make the trip.

I would not blame the driver for believing what the car tells to him.

If Tesla wants to sell model E to average consumers, Tesla has to understand this.

I'm driving my friends truck the past week (we might lose my wifes civic). When I filled it up it said I had ~400 miles on the tank. I've driven it about 220 and it is bone dry. It dropped from 60 mile to empty to 7 miles to empty in about 15 miles.

Would you blame me if my fuel gauge is on 'E' and my DTE changed to 7 but still expecting me to go the additional 150+ miles my original estimate gave me?

I understand that seeing 247 and getting 200 is a disconnect, but it isn't any different than ICE cars. The only difference is there normally is a fuel stop every couple of miles. Getting a GOOD charging location is not nearly as easy. Getting A charge spot isn't that hard.

 

[ZsoZso]

Why doesn't tesla display a simple SOC gauge, similar to the good ol' ICE fuel-gauge ? My iMiev has that and I think Leafs have that too. I know the estimated range left is unreliable and hardly ever look at that on my iMiev, I find the charge-level indicator much more useful info. Maybe Tesla went too far in trying to change the experience by omitting that and relying only on the remaining range display.

 

[franklandfield]

Can't wait to see the official data logs from Tesla. Then we will know the facts.

 

[emupilot]

I don't have a Tesla yet, but if you enter a destination in the navigation system, does the car adjust the rated range based on elevation and temperature? If not, why not? Surely if an online EV trip planner can do a good job of estimating actual range the car's computer could do it too. Speed is another matter, of course, but if you start going 80 the car should tell you the range if you keep going 80 as opposed to assuming you will suddenly start to drive the speed limit.

 

[callmesam]

Is that callmesam that he met at the Supercharger?

Yes

 

[franklandfield]

ALL cars should tell you, "you're an idiot", if you run out of fuel, gas or electric.

 

[dsm363]

Why doesn't tesla display a simple SOC gauge, similar to the good ol' ICE fuel-gauge ? My iMiev has that and I think Leafs have that too. I know the estimated range left is unreliable and hardly ever look at that on my iMiev, I find the charge-level indicator much more useful info. Maybe Tesla went too far in trying to change the experience by omitting that and relying only on the remaining range display.

It does. That green battery icon odds that.

 

[callmesam]

Can't wait to see the official data logs from Tesla. Then we will know the facts.

This was a rented car owned by Hertz, not a press loaner, so NO LOGS.

 

[swaltner]

I don't have a Tesla yet, but if you enter a destination in the navigation system, does the car adjust the rated range based on elevation and temperature? If not, why not?

The nav system doesn't currently adjust the range based on your selected destination (posted speed limit on selected route, elevation changes, current weather). Since the Model S gets over-the-air software updates, this won't necessarily always be true. The rumor is that the upcoming 6.0 software will contain this and other features. We won't know for certain until the new software ships.

(edited to correct a typo)

 

[ThosEM]

...but of course he believed the displayed range figure was literally accurate.

In any other car, the displayed range figure would have been literally accurate, assuming recent conditions persist in the future. And why wouldn't anyone jumping into a rented Model S take that prominently displayed number to be the best representation of what to expect in driving the car on their first trip? If that number isn't made more accurate, there will be many more reviewers and owners who conclude that Tesla misrepresents the range of the car, and since that is such a critical parameter for an EV, they'll be out to prove it and publish it. In this case, the applicable maxim is "Seller Beware!"

It wouldn't take anything as fancy as the super duper range predictor that you describe to fix this. (Incidentally, mountain drivers have shown that hills are not a big factor unless there is a net elevation change.) It would only take a simple copy of the existing projected range (based on recent history) from the Energy App to the instrument panel, as the default range display. It could certainly be selectable among projected, rated, ideal, and maybe other more complex predictions that become available. But if the default range display is made more complex than a simple projection, while it may appeal to aficionados like you and me, I fear it will just be more disillusioning to first time drivers.

It's best to be simply transparent in my view. Range advertised should be the best approximation to range expected.

 

[dsm363]

Then the problem shifts to 'the predicted range was off by 3 miles. I needed to go 250 miles and I only went 247'. You really can't win. Maybe Tesla should simply give a green back and kWh left and let people do the math. They'd then complain they have no idea how far they can go.

 

[brianman]

That's the logic Tesla is facing, and Tesla is not, so far, responding to the challenge. Every automobile with a trip computer advertises a remaining range number that is updated continuously on the basis of recent driving consumption, EXCEPT a Tesla. Anyone who watches that number in any other car knows that it changes continuously based on driving conditions and understands quickly that the number is an estimate and not a guarantee, and Your Mileage May Vary.

Your assertion might be true today about Tesla not providing a recent-driving-consumption based number on the instrument cluster (though I don't know about the every automobile other than Tesla part). It wasn't true in older versions of firmware. I still want "Projected on the Instrument Cluster" feature that I had when I first got the car. I miss it far more than I did "Air Suspension - Low" when it was disabled.

TL;DR: Tesla, please give us back a setting to display Projected/30miles/average in the intrument cluster just below the digital speed centerpiece.

 

[ElSupreme]

Why doesn't tesla display a simple SOC gauge, similar to the good ol' ICE fuel-gauge ?

You mean the SOC gauge directly behind the indicated miles on the dash with ticks every 10%?

 

[callmesam]

I did meet Nate on his road trip. It was day one of my coast to coast trip. There had been monsoon rains that day, pushing my wh/m up over 400 even on the flats. It was the first time I had any issues with getting to Las Vegas from Barstow, but I was able to make it by moderating my speed to just under 70mph.

When I arrived in Kingman, Nate didn't tell me he'd run out of juice. He just told me he'd rented the car and was doing a story on the Supercharging Network.

I told him about the start of my trip. He didn't know ANYTHING about the car. Didn't know which version he was driving. Didn't understand rated vs ideal miles. Didn't know to check the trip icon to show average wh/m since last charge. Didn't understand instant vs. average on the 5, 15, and 30 mile tabs.

Nate usually writes about architecture, not cars and he just jumped in the car and went. Maybe this was a bit reckless on his part (clearly the results bear that out) but I don't think the article was based on animus.

Driving the Supercharging network requires some advanced Tesla training, especially for the longest distance between Superchargers being your first experience with the car.

He called me after I got back and told me he'd run out before meeting me. I told him he was going to get raked over the coals by owners for being "a dumbass" but he seemed nonplussed. The only thing I wish he'd printed is that I drove a MS60 (with a much shorter range) coast to coast. Big deal.

Also, not super impressed that he found quotes from GM who is probably in last place when it comes to electrifying their fleet.

I'm more convinced that the Supercharger network is excellent if you make the effort, but his lack of training, preparation and care are pretty typical of humans and a cautionary tale to anyone who doesn't understand how EVs work.

 

[Doug_G]

One post moved to Grammar Misteaks, Spelling Misteaks, and Bad Puns )

 

[brianman]

you lose that last 10% of battery on your iPhone awfully fast if you spend it all as talk-time. People probably don't expect that in a car.

I definitely don't expect talking on the phone to burn down my Model S battery quickly.

 

[abasile]

Another Supercharger station in Needles would certainly help. Even then, many travelers are oblivious to the fact that Kingman is more than 3000' above Needles, and Barstow is above 2000'. The danger is that some travelers, if driving a Tesla, might not realize their charge is inadequate until after they've passed Needles.

The best solution, for road trips undertaken by the "masses", would be for the car to generate a range estimate based on the intended route, anticipated weather conditions, and desired speed. The "training" would then consist of getting drivers to input their destination and desired speed (or use an existing EV route planner).

 

[Yuri_G]

Rather than a gauge, or a number or a graph, I'd rather see the estimated range displayed on the map as concentric circles centred on the car's present location.

You could have the usual options to make the circles just outlines or shaded with different levels of transparency (the default). And just like a target in archery the outermost circle has the lowest value - 50mph, the next 70mph and the smallest 90mph (these could be set to other values if preferred - and the circle radius would adjust accordingly).

I suppose there could also be an optional fourth circle (contrasting outline) based on your previous five/ten miles of driving.

As the battery drains, all circles shrink.

As you recharge/supercharge they grow (and the colours/text could change so that the smallest circle shows "Range Now", the next one out shows "Projected Range with a further half an hour of charging from now" and the largest shows "Projected range with +1 hr of charging from now"- based on your most recent driving behaviour. Again other preferred values could be selected/set here as well).

Cold weather shrinks your circles as does pack age, charger dial back etc. But the car's systems would know all this.

Would be great if this could duplicate to your phone as well.

Something like this would help a lot, I think. Visual cues to make the driver aware the car will travel fewer miles when traveling at higher speeds would solve most of these issues. This is a must for mass adoption.

 

[Electroman]

Just wondering if the number of Superchargers were to increase by a factor of 10 to say a 1000 super chargers in about 4 years before Gen 3 hits the streets, would you all think then these problems would simply go away ? A supercharger within a radius of 30 miles (except in remote areas) would be just about right.

Not an impossible goal, IMHO

 

[CatB]

But isn't that what the energy graph shows you? Based on interval (30 min avg, 15, instant etc.) expected miles remaining should be clear enough, imho.