The M3 terrifies BMW

[Garlan Garner]

That's no way to live. Living on the edge is where it's at!

I know ... I know. you are right. I should take more risks. Wait.. my MS was a real risk....financially.

 

[ohmman]

Or if __________ <--- Insert anything you like in here.

Or if my workplace installs a charger

 

[Garlan Garner]

Or if my workplace installs a charger

That would be perfect.....except they would probably ask me to pay for it. Or hand me a 6 foot extension cord asking "Will this work"?

( I have to be careful never to let anyone here know where I work. )

 

[Red Sage]

Or if __________ <--- Insert anything you like in here.

Or a fire, or an earthquake, you get struck by lighting, run out of gas, have a flat tire...? Locusts! It's not your fault!

 

[Garlan Garner]

Or a fire, or an earthquake, you get struck by lighting, run out of gas, have a flat tire...? Locusts! It's not your fault!

That was hilarious.

 

[AustinPowers]

Germany is... er... special, when it comes to both money and cars... But now I digress into those dangerous stereotypes, sorry.

You are right though

 

[EVie'sDad]

Thanks for the comparison. I just noticed that both of the BMWs (REX and 330) want Premium gas! On top of practically no battery.

But, we the smug EV-know-it-alls (including myself here), should be careful dismissing these commercials. They are aimed at the larger population who don't know amps from volts, watts, or KWH, nor what 14-50 or J1772 plugs are. All they know is that you plug things into the wall and they light up. These ads are simply aimed at just getting potential customers into the showroom, where the sales creatures can have at them. I would expect that there's a "talking points" guide given to the dealers to go along with the campaign, which probably has language that aims to rapidly check off the "need for green" items (e.g. charges anywhere), then moves the conversation to the traditional BMW features. Their objective here is certainly not technical accuracy (what ad ever is?), nor promoting EVs. It is to sell cars. Theirs.

Rather, I suggest that we should consider how to more effectively communicate with this same, larger, KWH-ignorant population. Perhaps a series of short "what if" spots that pick up our own talking points? Note the focus here is on what's in it for the customer, not some higher ideal. Hard to sell higher ideals to the general public, when it's their money you're asking for.

- What If: Magic elves could fill up your car every night, so you never have to take time out of your day to visit a gas station?
- What If: You could have a car where stop-and-go traffic didn't kill your gas mileage?
- What If: Your car's gas pedal were as responsive as your thoughts?
- What If: You never had to take time off work to change the oil, replace spark plugs, or get a smog check?
- What If: Every time you stepped on the brakes, your car put some gas back into the tank?
- What If: You could fill up the tank of your big huge SUV and get change back from a $20 bill?
- What If: Add your thoughts here...

Remember the marketing disaster that Pringles brand of potato chips experienced when they were touted as being "new fangled". Nobody wanted new. Things took off when instead they focused on the convenience of the packaging, and so forth. We can't win the EV battle by focusing on KWH and J1772 plugs.

Either that, or a few commercials altering slightly the storyline, to explain why the Supercharger stalls were empty at the parking garage (because SpC takes much less than a 110v connection) or the homeowner comparing prices of the Model S (avail today) versus the 330e and then deciding to purchase the Tesla, as tax incentives and electrical range far exceed anything bmw will offer for four more years.

 

[EVie'sDad]

But not by much

2004 Prius MPG from the logbook. (Complete years only):
2003-2004 -- 50.8 mpg 17,628 miles
2005 -- 52.6 mpg 14,688 miles
2006 -- 56.3 mpg 16,174 miles
2007 -- 57.3 mpg 18,384 miles
2008 -- 59.9 mpg 21,755 miles
2009 -- 61.4 mpg 16,177 miles
2010 -- 65.2 mpg 12,134 miles
2011 -- 66.9 mpg 11,272 miles
2012 -- 69.2 mpg 16,212 miles

The 2015 Tesla is rated at 100 mpg. And is much more efficent than and ice or hybrid.

 

[AustinPowers]

I will have to cede to your experience on what a German buyer in particular does. I think, in general, on TMC there are plenty of base-level Model S buyers with only a few options and I would imagine this to be true in some parts of Europe at least as well. It certainly seems to be true for the U.S.?

By the way, interestingly the D option seems to be almost a given for customers in Germany. According to the KBA statistic, the majority of Teslas registered in 2016 were of the D variant (all 25 Model X this year so far, and 781 out of 838 Model S total, 80 out of 80 in July)

 

[jerry33]

The 2015 Tesla is rated at 100 mpg. And is much more efficent than and ice or hybrid.

Right. I use half the energy in my Model S as I did in the Prius.

 

[spottyq]

By the way, interestingly the D option seems to be almost a given for customers in Germany. According to the KBA statistic, the majority of Teslas registered in 2016 were of the D variant (all 25 Model X this year so far, and 781 out of 838 Model S total, 80 out of 80 in July)

That doesn't surprise me at all, and I'd guess it would be the same in other countries, since the only way to order a Tesla without the D is to order an MS 75kWh or less. All MX are D, and MS 90 is also always D.
It would be more interesting to compare the MS 60, 70 and 75 vs. MS 60D, 70D an 75D. And then again, it wouldn't be really representative since is only concerns the lower-end of Tesla's offering.

 

[Spidy]

That doesn't surprise me at all, and I'd guess it would be the same in other countries, since the only way to order a Tesla without the D is to order an MS 75kWh or less. All MX are D, and MS 90 is also always D.
It would be more interesting to compare the MS 60, 70 and 75 vs. MS 60D, 70D an 75D. And then again, it wouldn't be really representative since is only concerns the lower-end of Tesla's offering.

Exactly. It's not that everyone wants AWD. It's that the 90D only comes with AWD and with our Autobahn speeds a S75 really restricts you especially if you are used to premium cars. Also since the network is very extensive (not just one interstate trough the desert) some Supercharger locations are not that great to reach depending on the route and the 90kWh battery offers more flexibility.

 

[Garlan Garner]

Efficient Heating

If my car breaks down on the expressway....I at least want some heat.

 

[Saghost]

Efficient Heating

If my car breaks down on the expressway....I at least want some heat.

Where are you going with this? Some EV failures will leave you without heat, some will leave full heating available.

Some ICE failures will leave you without heat, some will leave nearly full heating available.

I'd argue that it's much more likely to have an ICE problem that leaves you stranded without heat, given how integrated the heating is with the engine and the lower reliability of the parts involved.

 

[MassModel3]

The leaf didn't have the range I needed.

My job is exactly 49.3 miles from my driveway.

Seems you need a much longer driveway!

 

[garsh]

Efficient Heating
If my car breaks down on the expressway....I at least want some heat.

Then I suggest getting heated seats. Using them is more efficient, simply because the heat is being applied more directly to your body. While I never use the heater in my Leaf, I do use the heated seats & steering wheel all the time - it has no effect on range.

 

[EaglesPDX]

No. We are freaking out over BMW offering pitiful electric vehicles and crippled plug-in hybrids.

Chuckle...20 pages of hysterical rants over the BMW 330e say otherwise. BMW's 330e is for people who want to cut their GHG emissions now by 30-100% vs. three years from now, run on pure EV for 60% of their driving and (so important to some Tesla fans) have a "performance" car that can do red light racing and merge lane mania plus have the status of being expensive as a Tesla.

72 MPGe for the 330e
89 MPGe for Tesla 70D.

The 330e's 14 miles on pure EV would mean, even charging just from home, average person (12.6 mile one way commute) could do their AM commute as an EV cutting their daily emissions by 60%. Work charging and they are 100% EV for 50% of their driving. Likely near 80% of their driving (local market, kids school and sports) in EV mode. Nice work and high tec, high status car (important issues to many Tesla and BMW owners alike).

The only thing "crippled" is the one-dimensional thinking of some Teslarati snobs.

 

[SΞXY P100D]

Then put your money where your mouth is and buy one. See if you can prove us wrong.

 

[Krugerrand]

... (so important to some Tesla fans) have a "performance" car that can do red light racing and merge lane mania plus have the status of being expensive as a Tesla.

...and the utility to carry up to 5 adults and 2 children, or a bunch of Ikea furniture, pull a small trailer, take family trips and use the Supercharger Network to get to their destination with zero fuel costs, all the while being encapsulated in one of the safest vehicles ever produced, and do it in comfort and style via a unique AP system, air suspension, ability to preheat/precool the cabin, BIO defense filter system because I might have a passenger with breathing sensitivities etc., etc., etc.,...

Yep, the 330e covers all those bases too.

*insert calling you a name because I'm having a self-righteous moment and think it'll make me sound clever and right*

 

[S'toon]

Chuckle...20 pages of hysterical rants over the BMW 330e say otherwise. BMW's 330e is for people who want to cut their GHG emissions now by 30-100% vs. three years from now, run on pure EV for 60% of their driving and (so important to some Tesla fans) have a "performance" car that can do red light racing and merge lane mania plus have the status of being expensive as a Tesla.

72 MPGe for the 330e
89 MPGe for Tesla 70D.

The 330e's 14 miles on pure EV would mean, even charging just from home, average person (12.6 mile one way commute) could do their AM commute as an EV cutting their daily emissions by 60%. Work charging and they are 100% EV for 50% of their driving. Likely near 80% of their driving (local market, kids school and sports) in EV mode. Nice work and high tec, high status car (important issues to many Tesla and BMW owners alike).

The only thing "crippled" is the one-dimensional thinking of some Teslarati snobs.

I haven't seen a single "hysterical rant" in this thread, except by one person who bashes the rest of the board. Somehow every threat they are involved in devolves into 20 pages or so of people debunking what they say.