Teslas in Movies & TV

[wdolson]

A model S was on Reverie last night, driven by Alexis. When she approached the car it looked like she clicked on the fob and there was a double chirp. Can the S be programmed for that or did the sound editors go overboard?

After she drove off she was followed by her disgraced ex-partner who was kicked out of the company. He was driving a Volt. Coincidence? I think not.

I've never seen anywhere you can program that. It was probably "Hollywood magic".

@mspohr I saw that sign the other day on the PDX Tesla Facebook page. Someone else commented they test drove a Bolt and was offered oil changes for life for an additional $1500 up front.

The last season of Casual takes place a few years in the future and has a lot of future car tech like fully autonomous Ubers with no driver and some funny bits trying to get the car to understand what the passenger wants. One of the other main characters is shown driving a Bolt and he pulls up on the street in front of his kid's pre-school in front of an original nose Model S.

 

[mspohr]

I've never seen anywhere you can program that. It was probably "Hollywood magic".

@mspohr I saw that sign the other day on the PDX Tesla Facebook page. Someone else commented they test drove a Bolt and was offered oil changes for life for an additional $1500 up front.

That's a ripoff! Last ICE car I bought I was offered "free" oil changes for life for $500... oh, wait... a Bolt?

 

[ai4px]

I've never seen anywhere you can program that. It was probably "Hollywood magic".

@mspohr I saw that sign the other day on the PDX Tesla Facebook page. Someone else commented they test drove a Bolt and was offered oil changes for life for an additional $1500 up front.

The last season of Casual takes place a few years in the future and has a lot of future car tech like fully autonomous Ubers with no driver and some funny bits trying to get the car to understand what the passenger wants. One of the other main characters is shown driving a Bolt and he pulls up on the street in front of his kid's pre-school in front of an original nose Model S.

We have a MS and a bolt... my friendly chevy dealer sent me a post card reminding me I had two free service visits and it was probably time for an oil change.... I may just take them up on it.... lol

 

[f-stop]

In the pilot episode of ABC’s new TV series “A Million Little Things” you can see one of the main characters, Rome Howard (played by actor Romany Malco), drives a Model S

 

[israndy]

The same guy who was trying to kill himself as despite apparently having everything he was in remarkable pain. I can identify with that. I always feel "I really want this ONE thing, and if I get that I will never need anything else again." The Tesla has been my lust for the last few years and now that I have it you would think I would be lusting after something else, but oddly, instead, I am excited to see what is in the next software update. WIth new software every two weeks or so I am perpetually excited about my car.

-Randy

 

[TEG]

Yeah, I pinch myself regularly about having the Model 3 now. It is some kind of "dream came true."

I am starting to see so many of them around where I live/work now, so it doesn't feel very unique/exclusive, but I end up appreciating it for the wonderful design/engineering attributes.

 

[f-stop]

The same guy who was trying to kill himself as despite apparently having everything he was in remarkable pain.

Good point, perhaps the producers/writers were thinking that when they decided that character should be driving a Model S.
Meanwhile, I notice that one of the other main characters, Rome's buddy Gary, drives a small Toyota.

just noticed IMDB has a better photo of Rome and his Model S than my screenshot above

an aside: apparently the show is filmed here in Vancouver - wonder if I've seen that black S with MA plates driving around (there are too many Tesla's here to count)

 

[Zapped]

That's a ripoff! Last ICE car I bought I was offered "free" oil changes for life for $500... oh, wait... a Bolt?

Sorry I gotta ask. Don’t we have change the oil in the single speed gear box ? Some time ?

 

[wdolson]

Sorry I gotta ask. Don’t we have change the oil in the single speed gear box ? Some time ?

Tesla services the drive units every 4th inspection (for most people once a year) and they change the oil at that time.

Scroll down to "What happens during my annual service inspection?"
Maintenance Plans | Model S and Model X

 

[RogerHScott]

Good point, perhaps the producers/writers were thinking that when they decided that character should be driving a Model S.
Meanwhile, I notice that one of the other main characters, Rome's buddy Gary, drives a small Toyota.

just noticed IMDB has a better photo of Rome and his Model S than my screenshot above
View attachment 343283

an aside: apparently the show is filmed here in Vancouver - wonder if I've seen that black S with MA plates driving around (there are too many Tesla's here to count)

When he stands up does it turn out he's permanently dented/creased the aluminum hood?

 

[mspohr]

Tesla services the drive units every 4th inspection (for most people once a year) and they change the oil at that time.

Scroll down to "What happens during my annual service inspection?"
Maintenance Plans | Model S and Model X

Not sure what "drive unit service" includes. It's not listed in the chart and the description is vague.

 

[wdolson]

I saw somewhere else that when they inspect the drive units they check, top up, and/or replace the fluids as needed.

The oil in a drive unit isn't subjected to the rough environment that ICE engine oil and radiator fluid have to tolerate. The typical ICE is only 25-30% efficient and most of the waste energy is turned into heat. There are around 33 KWh of energy in 1 gallon of gasoline and the average ICE gets 25 mpg. That means for every 25 miles driven, the engine fluids need to absorb and get rid of about 23 KWh (around 78500 BTU) of heat. The average 2000 sf house in a warm climate needs an AC unit around 75000 BTU.

The transmission in an ICE is a very complex mechanism that not only needs to transmit the energy from the engine, but has lots of gears and clutches to handle all the gears. Transmissions don't need to absorb as much heat as engines, so the oil lasts longer, but it still needs to be changed. Because it's a complex mechanism, as the gears wear, flakes of metal collect in there and get circulated in the oil, causing more wear. Changing the oil gets the metal flakes out.

In an EV, the fluids are subjected to much lower extremes than an ICE. The gearbox is vastly simpler with fewer gears and gets less wear. The motor assembly should never get anywhere near as hot as the average ICE during normal driving. Most of the coolant use in an EV is keeping the batteries cool, but the temperature range only goes a little higher than human environments For good battery life, it it recommended to keep li-ion below about 113 F, though you can probably get away with 120 F. But even if charging without any kind of coolant a li-ion battery probably won't go over about 140F and you would have to really abuse it to get it up to that temperature when discharging.

An ICE routinely gets much closer to the boiling point of water and will easily go over without anti-freeze.

Under normal operation going down the highway an ICE has to get rid of almost 1 KWh/Mi while the total energy consumption of an EV is usually less than 0.3 KWh/Mi with around 80% of that energy turning the wheels. What heat is being dissipated, a high percentage is going to the tires. An ICE is dissipating just as much through the tires, but it's a much smaller percentage of the whole.

Though I think we now can classify this sub-topic as very off topic from the original intent of this thread...

 

[HerrJones]

Lost In Space (2018), S1E2 - pretty sure the sound of the Chariot vehicle’s gull wing doors is actually that of the Model X falcon wing doors.

 

[Kira]

Apparently vampires drive Teslas - well, at least the one in A Discovery of Witches does in Season 1 - Episodes 2 and 3.

 

[wdolson]

Apparently vampires drive Teslas - well, at least the one in A Discovery of Witches does in Season 1 - Episodes 2 and 3.

Which would give a new definition to the term "vampire drain".

 

[Kira]

Which would give a new definition to the term "vampire drain".

Nice one!

The car is in episode 4 as well. It definitely seems like they’re highlighting/showing it off, though that could just be my bias talking. I do think they’ve boosted/added some sort of noise for the exterior driving shots.

 

[Nikxice]

One of Elon's possible motives for developing a FSD vehicle is revealed in the first minute of this "Meanwhile" riff on Tuesday's Colbert.

 

[wdolson]

I think Stephen Colbert has said he's owned a Model S for a few years. Those pictures may have been his car.

 

[Bruinfan]

My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, latest episode, Season 4 Ep 6.

Nathaniel is standing next to his brand new Model S (no license plate), midnight silver, on the side of the road. Someone he knows sees him and pulls over
paraphrasing:
Heather: What are you doing here?
Nathaniel: I forgot to charge my car last night, and now I'm stranded, and I'm trying to get an uber, but they all keep cancelling on me
Heather: Oh, you must have a zero rating.
Nathaniel: The ratings work both ways????? That's so unfair!


I'm annoyed that they highlight the 'forgot to charge', which would feed into the range anxiety 'myth'. I get it's to further the plot... but not helpful for EV adoption.

 

[ATC@LWSK]

A black Model X featured in Panic at the disco's new video: