We seem to have drifted off topic from swappable batteries to seating but what the heck. Seating for 7 isn't of interest in our family. It's just me and the Mrs. with a boy about to graduate college. However, I like the idea that I can have a sedan with storage space comparable to that of an SUV. I Leased a Blazer once and it was handy but so 80s. Now I've got a 2003 Infiniti G35 6MT. It gets 30mpg highway, but I live in Center City Philadelphia where my average speed is 11mph and there's a traffic light or stop sign almost every block so the mileage where I drive most is around 12-14mpg. Plus the pinched nerve in my neck and the arthritis in my left knee coupled with living in a place where I have to drive with one hand always moving the stick among the 3 lowest gears are starting to sour me on shifting. Oh well, it was fun when I got to take it out in the sticks, but it's time for more of an "old man" car but it's gotta be something special. No Buick Park Avenue like my old man drives. Remember, 60 is the new 40, or is it the new 37?. Anyway, any reasonable hybrid would give me a nice bump on my city mileage but there isn't one I would have ('cept maybe a Lexus, but that's not a big enough leap). A nice, big, fast Model S will give me lots of cool stuff to make up for the "seat of you pants feel" I'll be giving up. The S is actually a little faster than the G, but the car doesn't need me to accomplish that. I'm ready for some luxury and some space and solar panels on my house so at least my car has a zero carbon footprint (excluding manufacturing). I'm looking forward to leaning back, stretching out, driving a big 'ole Benz sized sedan that's one of the coolest, smartest cars in the world, not an obnoxious example of conspicuous consumption. I may be closing in on 60 years old but I'm not packing it in just yet, just starting a new phase of life. I've got a lot of living to do and the Model S fits right in with my new theme. I'm not saying the S is specifically an "old man" car. I wish I could have gotten a Model S instead of the 89 Pontiac SSI that I bought when I started my family. That was a sweet family sedan, though I tended to grab my 80 Honda Prelude for non family driving. The Tesla Model S should have very wide demographic appeal.
There you have my completely superficial, unvarnished, unapologetically judgmental, materialistic, status symbol skewed view of the car. I'm generally not this critical. I am motivated by my belief and faith that the Tesla is important, profound and hopefully a real game changer in the stagnant, myopic automobile industry. That's really why I'm buying it. It could be as revolutionary as the Model T was in it's day, without all the nasty tailpipe emissions Henry taught us how to mass produce at a pace that would enable us to nearly destroy our planet's atmosphere in about a century. Well, it's a new century and thanks to Tesla, Americans can still love their cars, without ruining the planet.
QC will be key for success. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the practicality of the swap system at this point. I hope they develop better batteries by delivery time. 160 miles won't do it for me I need 230 minimum and would like 300-500 miles. Hey, maybe we should carry a little portable gasoline powered generator under the capacious bonnet to guarantee strand proofing. (Sorry, that was cynical, I'm joking. That would make a Tesla a Volt with a much cooler body:wink
