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Hopefully I haven't jumped the gun here and this feature is available to all. Let's find out. 
If you go to your profile, do you see the link to your blogs (2nd from bottom)? Follow that. We'll get it better publicized as we roll out the feature - but this post would be a good solid blog. You can see mine (to-date) at Tesla Motors Club - Enthusiasts & Owners Forum - bonnie1194 - Blogs
If you go to your profile, do you see the link to your blogs (2nd from bottom)? Follow that. We'll get it better publicized as we roll out the feature - but this post would be a good solid blog. You can see mine (to-date) at Tesla Motors Club - Enthusiasts & Owners Forum - bonnie1194 - Blogs
My story is pretty simple. I'd been following Tesla for a couple of years. I thought it was awesome that they were building an electric car that had a range of over 200 miles. It seemed to me that this was the "missing link" that was severely limiting EV adoption. An engineer I was intrigued and wanted to know more about the technology, so I read whatever I could find.
Fast forward a couple of years. I heading to the San Jose area for a conference, and had to come down the day before due to flight schedules. I was sitting in an airport lounge waiting for my next hop, and started wondering what I'd do for the afternoon when it hit me... wasn't Tesla near my hotel? I checked and Menlo Park was all of 15 minutes away.
So after checking in I wandered over. Kicked the tires a bit. I was introduced to Dan Myggen, who showed me around the car. Then he said those fateful words, "Would you like to schedule a test drive?"
Hell yeah! The next day I slipped out of the conference for a couple of hours. I returned with this huge grin that just wouldn't go away. I had successfully slipped out of the conference without anyone noticing, but that was in vain. Everyone noticed the Tesla Grin.
Needless to say I was hooked. The car appealed to my geeky side, spoke to my growing concerns about energy, and not only that it's an absolute blast to drive. Geek, Green, and Testosterone all rolled into one! When they finally announced that the Roadster was available in Canada I placed my order.
Fast forward a couple of years. I heading to the San Jose area for a conference, and had to come down the day before due to flight schedules. I was sitting in an airport lounge waiting for my next hop, and started wondering what I'd do for the afternoon when it hit me... wasn't Tesla near my hotel? I checked and Menlo Park was all of 15 minutes away.
So after checking in I wandered over. Kicked the tires a bit. I was introduced to Dan Myggen, who showed me around the car. Then he said those fateful words, "Would you like to schedule a test drive?"
Hell yeah! The next day I slipped out of the conference for a couple of hours. I returned with this huge grin that just wouldn't go away. I had successfully slipped out of the conference without anyone noticing, but that was in vain. Everyone noticed the Tesla Grin.
Needless to say I was hooked. The car appealed to my geeky side, spoke to my growing concerns about energy, and not only that it's an absolute blast to drive. Geek, Green, and Testosterone all rolled into one! When they finally announced that the Roadster was available in Canada I placed my order.
So I tried to write out the list of reasons why. But none of them seemed compelling all by themselves. Then I went into a lunch and a half philosophical introspective. The real answer is "I DON'T KNOW". All I do know is that I WANT ONE.
I dislike that my car is loud (most of the time). I have a very strong dislike of gasoline, ever since I soaked myself in it on accident when I was 7 or so. And when I learned (in detail) about AC induction motors, and variable frequency inverters in my power electronics class in college I have always wanted to build the ultimate 4WD hill climber. With a separate motor for each wheel. Batteries providing low center of gravity. And using current meters for near instant traction control. I would say I am eco conscience, am I am. But not so much that I drive an electric car to do so. There is a reason I don't drive a Prius. But non of these is why I want an electric.
I haven't even seen a Model S in the flesh, much less driven one. I was 1 day away from seeing a 'skateboard' in the New York City store last Christmas. I remember learning about the Roadster in 2008 or 2009 but never really followed them closely as they were way out of my price range.
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So I tried to write out the list of reasons why. But none of them seemed compelling all by themselves. Then I went into a lunch and a half philosophical introspective. The real answer is "I DON'T KNOW". All I do know is that I WANT ONE.
I dislike that my car is loud (most of the time). I have a very strong dislike of gasoline, ever since I soaked myself in it on accident when I was 7 or so. And when I learned (in detail) about AC induction motors, and variable frequency inverters in my power electronics class in college I have always wanted to build the ultimate 4WD hill climber. With a separate motor for each wheel. Batteries providing low center of gravity. And using current meters for near instant traction control. I would say I am eco conscience, am I am. But not so much that I drive an electric car to do so. There is a reason I don't drive a Prius. But non of these is why I want an electric.
I haven't even seen a Model S in the flesh, much less driven one. I was 1 day away from seeing a 'skateboard' in the New York City store last Christmas. I remember learning about the Roadster in 2008 or 2009 but never really followed them closely as they were way out of my price range.
I dislike that my car is loud (most of the time). I have a very strong dislike of gasoline, ever since I soaked myself in it on accident when I was 7 or so. And when I learned (in detail) about AC induction motors, and variable frequency inverters in my power electronics class in college I have always wanted to build the ultimate 4WD hill climber. With a separate motor for each wheel. Batteries providing low center of gravity. And using current meters for near instant traction control. I would say I am eco conscience, am I am. But not so much that I drive an electric car to do so. There is a reason I don't drive a Prius. But non of these is why I want an electric.
I haven't even seen a Model S in the flesh, much less driven one. I was 1 day away from seeing a 'skateboard' in the New York City store last Christmas. I remember learning about the Roadster in 2008 or 2009 but never really followed them closely as they were way out of my price range.
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So I tried to write out the list of reasons why. But none of them seemed compelling all by themselves. Then I went into a lunch and a half philosophical introspective. The real answer is "I DON'T KNOW". All I do know is that I WANT ONE.
I dislike that my car is loud (most of the time). I have a very strong dislike of gasoline, ever since I soaked myself in it on accident when I was 7 or so. And when I learned (in detail) about AC induction motors, and variable frequency inverters in my power electronics class in college I have always wanted to build the ultimate 4WD hill climber. With a separate motor for each wheel. Batteries providing low center of gravity. And using current meters for near instant traction control. I would say I am eco conscience, am I am. But not so much that I drive an electric car to do so. There is a reason I don't drive a Prius. But non of these is why I want an electric.
I haven't even seen a Model S in the flesh, much less driven one. I was 1 day away from seeing a 'skateboard' in the New York City store last Christmas. I remember learning about the Roadster in 2008 or 2009 but never really followed them closely as they were way out of my price range.
Charged_Up
Member
So some background - I'm not old,old, but old enough to have had to wait on gas lines in the wake of the 1970s Arab oil embargo and young enough (barely) to still be prone to a mid life crisis (more on that below). Some twenty years ago or so , I had a letter published in the Wall Street Journal bemoaning the lack of a coherent energy policy and our willingness to send hard earned cash to people who loved the cash but hated our way of life and who used our money to fund those who would destroy us. Pretty amazing and sad how little has changed in a couple of decades.
I keep up on technology even though that's not my business (did some programming just before PC's came into existence) and read about the Roadster - what caught my eye was the range and the relative simplicity of the powertrain. So just before Model S was announced, I decided to take a test drive in the Roadster event though I really didn't want an impractical sports car - I had gotten used to driving a larger sedan and since I had driven a number of sports cars as a relative youngster (MGB, Fiat Spyder, Datsun Z, Honda Prelude) - my mid-life crisis was not about downsizing, but about change.
Boy, was that test drive fun! I loved the acceleration, the regen, and the relative quiet. As Will Smith said in Independence Day about the alien fighter craft - "I got to get me one of those!" - but I really didn't want a tiny sports car (even though my teenage daughter was begging me to go for it). When Model S was announced, I followed it closely and as soon as it was obvious to me that the company was getting the DOE loan, I put down a Signature Deposit - was late December 09 or Jan 10 - can't quite remember. The truth is that I was smitten with the idea of electric - 100% torque off the bat, no emissions, using electricity generated from domestic resources (some renewable) and not foreign oil, and clean. Now every time I am in a city I can't help but think that every delivery vehicle should be electric today! - as they all run in a circle and go back to a barn at night. I think Elon is right - once battery capacity exceeds about 500 miles, there will be few excuses for preferring a combustion engine over an electric powertrain.
So now I wait for the promise to be fulfilled- and having test driven the "S" twice (shhhhh) - I can say that from a driving standpoint, it has met its objectives. Still much to determine on the service side and that will be critical for Tesla to succeed, but I hope that the electrification trend is big enough to fight off the entrenched oil interests and give us the best chance to really make a strategic change in our energy policy of relying on fanatics. Part of me hopes for the day when we can tell certain countries to "take their oil and shove it..." and be more secure as a nation. I've been fortunate enough in business to be able to afford a Model S at the beginning of the cost curve, and someone has to go first - so even though it's not the most cost effective transportation solution for me - it's still worthwhile and for a good and selfish cause.
I keep up on technology even though that's not my business (did some programming just before PC's came into existence) and read about the Roadster - what caught my eye was the range and the relative simplicity of the powertrain. So just before Model S was announced, I decided to take a test drive in the Roadster event though I really didn't want an impractical sports car - I had gotten used to driving a larger sedan and since I had driven a number of sports cars as a relative youngster (MGB, Fiat Spyder, Datsun Z, Honda Prelude) - my mid-life crisis was not about downsizing, but about change.
Boy, was that test drive fun! I loved the acceleration, the regen, and the relative quiet. As Will Smith said in Independence Day about the alien fighter craft - "I got to get me one of those!" - but I really didn't want a tiny sports car (even though my teenage daughter was begging me to go for it). When Model S was announced, I followed it closely and as soon as it was obvious to me that the company was getting the DOE loan, I put down a Signature Deposit - was late December 09 or Jan 10 - can't quite remember. The truth is that I was smitten with the idea of electric - 100% torque off the bat, no emissions, using electricity generated from domestic resources (some renewable) and not foreign oil, and clean. Now every time I am in a city I can't help but think that every delivery vehicle should be electric today! - as they all run in a circle and go back to a barn at night. I think Elon is right - once battery capacity exceeds about 500 miles, there will be few excuses for preferring a combustion engine over an electric powertrain.
So now I wait for the promise to be fulfilled- and having test driven the "S" twice (shhhhh) - I can say that from a driving standpoint, it has met its objectives. Still much to determine on the service side and that will be critical for Tesla to succeed, but I hope that the electrification trend is big enough to fight off the entrenched oil interests and give us the best chance to really make a strategic change in our energy policy of relying on fanatics. Part of me hopes for the day when we can tell certain countries to "take their oil and shove it..." and be more secure as a nation. I've been fortunate enough in business to be able to afford a Model S at the beginning of the cost curve, and someone has to go first - so even though it's not the most cost effective transportation solution for me - it's still worthwhile and for a good and selfish cause.
you can also get access to them from the home page ... at the bottom is a listing of all the stats and one of them is a the number of blogs which also serves as a link to the list of available blogs ...
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/blog.php?do=bloglist
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you can also get access to them from the home page ... at the bottom is a listing of all the stats and one of them is a the number of blogs which also serves as a link to the list of available blogs ...
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/blog.php?do=bloglist
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hmmm the reply with quotes feature is not setting up the quoted text for me. Is anyone else seeing this?
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hmmm the reply with quotes feature is not setting up the quoted text for me. Is anyone else seeing this?
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/blog.php?do=bloglist
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you can also get access to them from the home page ... at the bottom is a listing of all the stats and one of them is a the number of blogs which also serves as a link to the list of available blogs ...
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/blog.php?do=bloglist
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hmmm the reply with quotes feature is not setting up the quoted text for me. Is anyone else seeing this?
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hmmm the reply with quotes feature is not setting up the quoted text for me. Is anyone else seeing this?
Done.Hopefully I haven't jumped the gun here and this feature is available to all. Let's find out.
If you go to your profile, do you see the link to your blogs (2nd from bottom)? Follow that. We'll get it better publicized as we roll out the feature - but this post would be a good solid blog. You can see mine (to-date) at Tesla Motors Club - Enthusiasts & Owners Forum - bonnie1194 - Blogs
View attachment 9811
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Emphasis mine. The number (presently "4") is about the hardest-to-find link to a web site feature I've ever seen. But you're right. It does go to the page with the blogs on it.
Nicely done! For those of you interested, Daniel's blog is over at Tesla Motors Club - Enthusiasts & Owners Forum.
following that gives me "Invalid Blog specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator"
Babylonfive
Power12
My story goes a lot further back. I am the son of a physicist, who generally helped breed in me a skeptical curiosity in science and technology. Throughout the 60s and 70s (I was a teenager) we built little projects together, culminating in 1975 in a DIY Electric Car.
We built it out of military surplus materials, including contactors, switches, silver-plated connectors, and a wazoo jet starter motor. In that time there was no motor controller technology available to hobbyists, so we simply switched in and out sets of tractor batteries. It was wedged into a junked-out Sunbeam, taking up the back seat, and controlled by a set of rotary multi-deck switches attached to a piece of painted plywood. My dad built the mechanicals, and the battery charger (out of a city transformer heavily modified) and I built and wired the control board with switches, meters and lights. It was wonderful to see it zoom down the street.
He drove it to work at his job at a university-based defense contracting facility, a place full of scientists and engineers. It got perhaps 40-50 miles on a charge of the six huge batteries. It was sweet as far as I was concerned.
From that time on, I've wanted to either build my own EV or buy one.
It's too bad that I lost my Dad a long time ago,... he'd be so impressed and amazed at Tesla, and maybe a bit disappointed I didn't build my own EV after all.
Now what am I going to do with that 48V DC Jet starter motor?
David
We built it out of military surplus materials, including contactors, switches, silver-plated connectors, and a wazoo jet starter motor. In that time there was no motor controller technology available to hobbyists, so we simply switched in and out sets of tractor batteries. It was wedged into a junked-out Sunbeam, taking up the back seat, and controlled by a set of rotary multi-deck switches attached to a piece of painted plywood. My dad built the mechanicals, and the battery charger (out of a city transformer heavily modified) and I built and wired the control board with switches, meters and lights. It was wonderful to see it zoom down the street.
He drove it to work at his job at a university-based defense contracting facility, a place full of scientists and engineers. It got perhaps 40-50 miles on a charge of the six huge batteries. It was sweet as far as I was concerned.
From that time on, I've wanted to either build my own EV or buy one.
It's too bad that I lost my Dad a long time ago,... he'd be so impressed and amazed at Tesla, and maybe a bit disappointed I didn't build my own EV after all.
Now what am I going to do with that 48V DC Jet starter motor?
David
Of course, any body who is reading your post probably already read my post, and the blog entry is just a copy of that post.
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There are still people building DIY EVs.
As a retired Air Force guy, after being notified that a nephew of mine in the army was due to go back on a third tour to the middle east, I decided it was time to quit complaining and try to do something personal to change the situation. Getting off of oil seemed to be the only direct action I could take. I started looking on-line to see what was available. The Prius "electric" was the only thing I'd heard of before I started looking, but I soon ran across the Tesla name and got to their web site to see this remarkable Roadster being presented to the world. I'm not a sports car guy but I do live alone, so the size of the car didn't matter much. After two days of investigating the car and the company, in November 2007 I put down a $5000 deposit and then spent 18 months watching the soap opera that the Tesla operation became at that time. The truck delivering my #652 roadster arrived on 31 July 2009. Other than the 10 minute drive around the block in production car #2 on the day of the Los Angles store opening, it was the first Tesla I'd seen in person. Before the roadster arrived, I had a 6.12 Kw solar system installed on my house to offset the added electricty draw from the system. My other vehicle is a GEM golf car, which I can use to do errands in the neighborhood, except I find the roadster so much fun to drive, the GEM only gets used when Tessie is in the shop. In the 3 years I've been driving electric, I've had to go "gas" four times when I've had to transport visitors from the airport to my home and spring training baseball games. So I think I've been successful in my own personal goal, now if my doing this helps, even a little, the nation get away from using oil, I"ll feel good about it. Of course, every once in a while it dawns on me that driving the roadster isn't much of a burden.
Long (?boring) and probably not exactly enlightening story.
In 2000 I moved from Alaska to Southwest Missouri. Gas prices were still pretty low and I was still driving a Ford Expedition I purchased in 1996-97...great SUV, very roomy and comfortable and powerful.
My commute was/is about 15 miles each way and the Expedition got ~12-13MPG, so I was burning up at least 2 gallons of gas a day, often more, just going to and from work. At some point around 2002that fact struck me as pretty stinking wasteful. Mind you environmental issues, cost, tree hugging, the Middle East situation (despite 9/11) really didn't factor in, it just seemed stupid to be burning that quantity of gasoline. Sometime in late 2002 or early 2003 I saw a blurb in a magazine about some car called the Toyota Prius hybrid, it had some cool technical information about how it worked and how it got such great gas mileage and I was really intrigued by the technology and the logic of it all utilizing the battery as an energy buffer to permit the use of a lower power highly fuel efficient ICE. I test drove a 2003 Prius and a Honda Civic Hybrid. Found them both to be "OK", but they had some impracticalities, lacked some power/speed and room and I had a family with twin boys that were likely to only get bigger and the Expedition was still running well.
Then in May of that year the 2004 Gen II Prius was announced with a complete radical redesign and dramatically improved fuel economy, room and other specs and I was sold. I managed to 'steal' a Prius Pioneer slot to grab one of the first Gen IIs on the road and took delivery in Oct. 2003. Many of the people on this forum know me from my long-time moderation on Priuschat as I've been a Prius "Maven" and am even a "Prius Expert" on Toyota's official Prius Facebook page.
As the Prius proved itself, the battery proved it's long-term durability and as I watched hybrid and EV technology grow I started wanting more as regards efficiency. The aspects mentioned above (environment, foreign oil, tree hugging, etc.) became more important to me as I became immersed in the alternative automobile culture. I kept waiting for Toyota to produce a legitimate Prius Plug-in hybrid or, ideally, a Prius EV...but that never happened and it was made clear to me that they had no intention of doing so unless and until forced to by compliance standards. At some point I watched "Who Killed the Electric Car" and I was livid. Gas prices were continuing to go up with no sign of stopping, the situation in Iraq and Afganistan were not improving and the skys were getting no cleaner and I began looking more and more in to Plug-in conversions, EV conversions and watching the EV horizon. Unfortunately none of the available options were practical or reliable for someone who needs a reliable family vehicle with enough range to accomodate the relatively rural area where I live and to take longer trips about once or twice a month.
I knew about the Roadster and watched that drama unfold, but clearly that was not in the budget and had no room for a family. I knew about the possible "White Star and Blue Star" plans, but who knew if that would every really happen. In 2009 when word started coming out that maybe it really was going to happen I waited and as soon as Tesla announce, in March, that it really was going to happen I made my deposit and have been committed every since.
I don't believe EVs are for everyone and even doubt they'll be the most common personal transportation in 20 years, but I do believe we, who have the financial wherewithall and the willingness to be early adopters need to be the ones who take the reins and drive this technology foreward so that it can come down in price, improve in quality and become accessible to a much wider audience to start addressing all the concerns mentioned above. We're early in the "alpha" phase of this with the available EVs and plug-ins, but the Tesla is a huge step into the "Beta" stage.
In 2000 I moved from Alaska to Southwest Missouri. Gas prices were still pretty low and I was still driving a Ford Expedition I purchased in 1996-97...great SUV, very roomy and comfortable and powerful.
My commute was/is about 15 miles each way and the Expedition got ~12-13MPG, so I was burning up at least 2 gallons of gas a day, often more, just going to and from work. At some point around 2002that fact struck me as pretty stinking wasteful. Mind you environmental issues, cost, tree hugging, the Middle East situation (despite 9/11) really didn't factor in, it just seemed stupid to be burning that quantity of gasoline. Sometime in late 2002 or early 2003 I saw a blurb in a magazine about some car called the Toyota Prius hybrid, it had some cool technical information about how it worked and how it got such great gas mileage and I was really intrigued by the technology and the logic of it all utilizing the battery as an energy buffer to permit the use of a lower power highly fuel efficient ICE. I test drove a 2003 Prius and a Honda Civic Hybrid. Found them both to be "OK", but they had some impracticalities, lacked some power/speed and room and I had a family with twin boys that were likely to only get bigger and the Expedition was still running well.
Then in May of that year the 2004 Gen II Prius was announced with a complete radical redesign and dramatically improved fuel economy, room and other specs and I was sold. I managed to 'steal' a Prius Pioneer slot to grab one of the first Gen IIs on the road and took delivery in Oct. 2003. Many of the people on this forum know me from my long-time moderation on Priuschat as I've been a Prius "Maven" and am even a "Prius Expert" on Toyota's official Prius Facebook page.
As the Prius proved itself, the battery proved it's long-term durability and as I watched hybrid and EV technology grow I started wanting more as regards efficiency. The aspects mentioned above (environment, foreign oil, tree hugging, etc.) became more important to me as I became immersed in the alternative automobile culture. I kept waiting for Toyota to produce a legitimate Prius Plug-in hybrid or, ideally, a Prius EV...but that never happened and it was made clear to me that they had no intention of doing so unless and until forced to by compliance standards. At some point I watched "Who Killed the Electric Car" and I was livid. Gas prices were continuing to go up with no sign of stopping, the situation in Iraq and Afganistan were not improving and the skys were getting no cleaner and I began looking more and more in to Plug-in conversions, EV conversions and watching the EV horizon. Unfortunately none of the available options were practical or reliable for someone who needs a reliable family vehicle with enough range to accomodate the relatively rural area where I live and to take longer trips about once or twice a month.
I knew about the Roadster and watched that drama unfold, but clearly that was not in the budget and had no room for a family. I knew about the possible "White Star and Blue Star" plans, but who knew if that would every really happen. In 2009 when word started coming out that maybe it really was going to happen I waited and as soon as Tesla announce, in March, that it really was going to happen I made my deposit and have been committed every since.
I don't believe EVs are for everyone and even doubt they'll be the most common personal transportation in 20 years, but I do believe we, who have the financial wherewithall and the willingness to be early adopters need to be the ones who take the reins and drive this technology foreward so that it can come down in price, improve in quality and become accessible to a much wider audience to start addressing all the concerns mentioned above. We're early in the "alpha" phase of this with the available EVs and plug-ins, but the Tesla is a huge step into the "Beta" stage.
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My interest in the environment goes back as long as I can remember. The foundation of it lies in the concept of leaving the world a better place for the next generation.
My focus on the environment dovetails very well with my fiscally conservative values. The waste inherent in the internal combustion engine is awful. Add to that the money the US is bleeding each year due to the oil part of our trade deficit (300-450 Billion per year) as well as the cost of stabilizing oil producing parts of the world (both in lives and money) and I could see no other choice than to drive as efficiently as possible.
I know I cannot solve these problems single handedly. However, I very strongly believe in doing no harm. So while I can't solve the issues, I can make a decision not to contribute to them.
I also can't imagine how I would explain to my nephew, or nieces, or neighborhood kids, when they ask me why I didn't do more to prevent the disaster they are facing. I expect they will be asking those questions sometime in the next 10 to 30 years (if they are not already).
I hope to add support to those forward thinking companies by being an early adopter.
The most important quote I have ever heard, and try to live my life by, is a Native American saying: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children".
My focus on the environment dovetails very well with my fiscally conservative values. The waste inherent in the internal combustion engine is awful. Add to that the money the US is bleeding each year due to the oil part of our trade deficit (300-450 Billion per year) as well as the cost of stabilizing oil producing parts of the world (both in lives and money) and I could see no other choice than to drive as efficiently as possible.
I know I cannot solve these problems single handedly. However, I very strongly believe in doing no harm. So while I can't solve the issues, I can make a decision not to contribute to them.
I also can't imagine how I would explain to my nephew, or nieces, or neighborhood kids, when they ask me why I didn't do more to prevent the disaster they are facing. I expect they will be asking those questions sometime in the next 10 to 30 years (if they are not already).
I hope to add support to those forward thinking companies by being an early adopter.
The most important quote I have ever heard, and try to live my life by, is a Native American saying: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children".
Jaff
Active Member
My son and I were attending the Toronto Auto Show in Feb of 2010...we were looking for an entry level all wheel drive vehicle for hime to drive back & forth to work.
The first booth inside the show was Tesla's...they were in attendance courtesy of the Toronto Star newspaper.
We stopped and spoke with a rep who was up from California to help man the booth...I explained to him that as my wife works in the environmental field for a town near Toronto, out last two vehicles had been Lexus' hybrids...the orange Roadster in the booth was very nice, but impractical for our family's needs.
The rep started to tell us about the new Model S that was coming in a couple of years...sounded very interesting so that night, I started to read about it in various places on the net.
The following Monday, I enrolled into the queue on the Model S waiting list.
When our 2007 Lexus GS 450h was due to be replaced later that summer, I was unsure what to look for in a replacement vehicle...Lexus had the small hybrid sedan (I think it is the 250h), but I was unimpressed with it's lack of performance (the GS 450h moved along pretty well!)
About this time, I was contacted by Tesla with the option of leasing a Roadster "until the Model S was ready, then we could return it to TMC if we wanted to"...seemed like a perfect solution to me, so after a bunch of pleading & begging to my wife and a test drive, she finally caved.
As the delivery of our Model S approaches, she knows that the Roadster "ain't goin' nowhere"...I think she knew that all along!
The first booth inside the show was Tesla's...they were in attendance courtesy of the Toronto Star newspaper.
We stopped and spoke with a rep who was up from California to help man the booth...I explained to him that as my wife works in the environmental field for a town near Toronto, out last two vehicles had been Lexus' hybrids...the orange Roadster in the booth was very nice, but impractical for our family's needs.
The rep started to tell us about the new Model S that was coming in a couple of years...sounded very interesting so that night, I started to read about it in various places on the net.
The following Monday, I enrolled into the queue on the Model S waiting list.
When our 2007 Lexus GS 450h was due to be replaced later that summer, I was unsure what to look for in a replacement vehicle...Lexus had the small hybrid sedan (I think it is the 250h), but I was unimpressed with it's lack of performance (the GS 450h moved along pretty well!)
About this time, I was contacted by Tesla with the option of leasing a Roadster "until the Model S was ready, then we could return it to TMC if we wanted to"...seemed like a perfect solution to me, so after a bunch of pleading & begging to my wife and a test drive, she finally caved.
As the delivery of our Model S approaches, she knows that the Roadster "ain't goin' nowhere"...I think she knew that all along!
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mnx
2018 M3P
First a little bit about me. I spent many of my teenage years on a computer, and when it was time to go to university I decided to study Computer Engineering. So I'm a big geek...
My first vehicle was a 600cc sport bike ('95 kawasaki ZX-6). It was a blast to drive, had tons of power and decent fuel economy. Very engaging to drive. As I started my first job I needed a car to get around as the bike didn't make a whole lot of sense in Canadian winters... I quickly became annoyed with the lousy fuel economy and volatility of gas prices... (Hurricane Katrina was a huge wake up call). On top of that my car was a piece of junk and the costly repairs after emission testing were annoying. I modified my car by stripping 300lbs of weight from it but it didn't make much of a difference, I decided I wanted to convert it to electric.
This project was very short lived as I replaced my car with a Honda civic and my bike with a 50cc scooter. I enjoyed a couple years of low running costs and maintenance. I started to become more of a "gear head" during this time and started reading autoblog and autoblog green and watching top gear. I also had a lot more disposable income at this point... In August 2009 I reserved a Model S, and I test drove the roadster a couple of times in 2010. I was very close to buying one, but logic prevailed and I held off. A 2 seater would get very limited use as I work from home and have kids. I picked up a BMW 335d in June 2010 to tide me over until my Model S was ready. I figured a diesel with boatloads of torque from very low rpm was the closest I could get to an electric car in the mean time.
In short I became interested in electric cars to save money, but love Teslas because they're awesome performers. Can't wait until I get my Model S!
My first vehicle was a 600cc sport bike ('95 kawasaki ZX-6). It was a blast to drive, had tons of power and decent fuel economy. Very engaging to drive. As I started my first job I needed a car to get around as the bike didn't make a whole lot of sense in Canadian winters... I quickly became annoyed with the lousy fuel economy and volatility of gas prices... (Hurricane Katrina was a huge wake up call). On top of that my car was a piece of junk and the costly repairs after emission testing were annoying. I modified my car by stripping 300lbs of weight from it but it didn't make much of a difference, I decided I wanted to convert it to electric.
This project was very short lived as I replaced my car with a Honda civic and my bike with a 50cc scooter. I enjoyed a couple years of low running costs and maintenance. I started to become more of a "gear head" during this time and started reading autoblog and autoblog green and watching top gear. I also had a lot more disposable income at this point... In August 2009 I reserved a Model S, and I test drove the roadster a couple of times in 2010. I was very close to buying one, but logic prevailed and I held off. A 2 seater would get very limited use as I work from home and have kids. I picked up a BMW 335d in June 2010 to tide me over until my Model S was ready. I figured a diesel with boatloads of torque from very low rpm was the closest I could get to an electric car in the mean time.
In short I became interested in electric cars to save money, but love Teslas because they're awesome performers. Can't wait until I get my Model S!
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I commute ~120 miles a day so it was a no-brainer that I needed an alternative fuel vehicle after the California hybrid stickers expired in July 2011. I decided to go both natural gas (Honda Civic GX) and electric. The only electric car that had the range was the Tesla Roadster. It was a bonus that it has great acceleration and looks exotic but the main reason I got it was to use the carpool lanes on the highway. I got a white color to match the alternative fuel vehicle stickers so they aren't so distracting but then again the CHP find it hard to notice them too!
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