Interesting, yes.
Surprising, no.
CSA
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I read a test where Bolts were driven down the PCH from Monterey to Santa Barbara IIRC. The mileage was about 230, about the reported range of the Bolt. The authors got close to SB, then went the last 50 miles or so using regenerative braking. They tooled around a bit afterward and went almost 270 miles and only used regenerative braking near the end. They thought a driver could go over 280 miles using regenerative braking.
I’m curious has anyone figured the cost per mile of the EV using chargeing stations other than doing it at home vs a gas engine at today’s gas price’s?
From earlier in this thread
Tesla now gives 1000 free miles, they estimate the charge for 1000 miles around $90, at $2.50 a gallon if you get more than 27.7 mpg gas is cheaper.
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Thank you barky I must have missed that.
That response from you doesn’t surprise me. You know NOTHING about Tesla or the company. You’ve never owned one or driven one, or even know someone who has owned one or driven one. Based on your countless accounts of how rural of an area you live in I’d be extremely surprised if you’ve even seen one.
When myself of others here make some disparaging remarks against GM at least it’s based on personal experience or countless reviews and dedicated websites about GM’s problems. There’s plenty of data to support our claims.
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Nothing, Mike?
Well. let me tell you! 
Yesterday when I went around a small resort town on my way home from going to buy my Senior National Park pass, I stopped for a traffic light.
The road ahead narrowed from our 2 lanes, down to one, and was a bit unusual (around here) because it was the left lane that was pinched into the right lane, my lane.
On my left at the light was a car who was going to have to merge, but he apparently had no intention of yielding to me and he took off when the light changed. I thought I’d see what he had, so I gassed the Grand Prix and we were off!
It became obvious that he had me so I backed off a bit and gave him room. I asked my wife to see what kind of car it was. She read the back and said, “Tesla?”.
I know one thing. They are definitely quick!
Mike, I’m not at all opposed to electric cars. I’ll buy one when they get some range, charge quickly, and there are places for me to recharge. We’re not there, yet. I think the hype on the ones out now exceeds the virtues of the vehicles.
Note: Although I do live in a remote rural area of lakes, forests, farms, and sparse population), it is a vacation destination and we get tourists. Tourism is the major industry here.
CSA
Well the Tesla does meet that criteria for well over 90% of the US population. I’m extremely surprised since you’re retired the criteria you mentioned doesn’t meet your needs.
It has been said 99.999% of statistics are made up on the spot.
I wonder what happens to that 90% when price is factored in?
CSA might not consider price a factor but I believe it might be near the top for many people.
Not to mention the issues with advertised range I pointed out previously…
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The correct number is 99.99378452.
(sorry. Couldn’t resist. 
)
Of course it is. But that wasn’t CSA’s criteria list.
I think this is a valid point, but it’s true of almost everything. HP Acthar is an anti-inflammatory used to treat people with multiple sclerosis. No one says it doesn’t work because it costs $40,000 for a 30-day supply, even though that price means that unless you’re one of the lucky ones with either a great insurance policy or a few mil in the bank, you can’t have it.
The Model S works great in all the criteria listed as objections by CSA. That it’s expensive is somewhat irrelevant. Sure it is, but then to some people a Hyundai Accent is permanently out of reach. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. Regular cars were stupidly-expensive until the Model T came along. And even then, a Model T cost more to buy than a horse when it came out.
As more and more people buy electric cars, the costs will come down.
With the drastic influx in competition to Tesla in just the past 4 years, prices will just keep dropping.
The biggest cost factor still is the battery. It’s 1/3rd the cost of the vehicle. That needs to change.
Personally I’d like to see government intervention in battery development. Something like the Manhattan project. Get the greatest minds together and come up with a better battery design that is shared by all. But with the way big business has pretty much every politician on their payroll…that’ll never happen.
post can’t be empty
I never said it affected the efficacy of the product. I’m questioning the percentage of people that will find it meets all their criteria- if you include the price. I can find lots of products that meet 100% of my criteria if I limit that criteria to a select few “good” ones! Gee, if only for this one little thing…it’s too expensive for my budget…
Using my drug example again, the drug would be effective in treating the symptoms in X% of the population, whether or not that entire group could actually afford it.
The Model S would work perfectly for me, if I could afford one. I can’t, but that doesn’t change the fact that it would be a great car for me.
I see where you’re coming from, but all of the objections that CSA has brought up would not be objections for the vast majority of the driving public.
If you want to object that it’s too expensive, I’m right there with you and will continue to be until I can afford one! That’s why I think once the price comes down (which it inevitably will) a lot of people will be perfectly happy to switch over to EV even if no further technological developments as far as utility/range/etc have at that point occurred.
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Personal experience often reported here took place decades ago and soured them on a brand. Yet, they continue to act as if that experience is a valid reason to complain about the brand today. That happens here with GM, Volvo, and perhaps a few others I don’t remember at the moment. I could complain about Ford because of unsatisfactory experiences with 3 Ford vehicles, but I don’t. All were bought more than 20 years ago. I don’t want to mislead someone about my experience wth Ford, because it no longer applies for anyone but me.
Sorry, I should have explained, but I didn’t mention cost for the very reason you both explained.
These cars are in their infancy, so of course the range and charging issues are sure to improve. That’s why I said “We’re not there, yet.”
I didn’t discuss the cars being too expensive because since the cars aren’t ready for prime time, yet, I had it figured that the prices would fall into the future. By the time I’m ready for one it should be more affordable.
In fact, that Model-3 brought out tons of people willing to pay to be on a waiting list. Many of them were on the sidelines when the Model-S was available to them because of cost, I believe.
Competition is sure to reduce the cost of EVs, too. We’re not quite there, yet, as far as many manufacturers competing. However, we’re getting there.
I purchased the large Litton “The 500 Series” countertop microwave oven (with mechanical “temperature” and timer) in my kitchen that I use every day was purchased new in, I believe 1979, but I paid $419 big 1979 dollars for it (at a discount appliance store). It has been unbelievably dependable (no service required)!
The prices on microwaves tumbled, once the competition and demand got going. I expect EVs to do that.
What appeals to me about EVs is that I look forward to an AWD vehicle with way fewer moving parts than an ICE vehicle.
CSA
As I tour my neighborhood in my mind, I see numerous monstrous SUVs and pickups that cost much more than the new Tesla and never haul more than a few bags of lettuce. While sitting in my driveway birdwatching, a buddy and myself used to comment on a ginormous 4X4 crew-cab Ford with duallies on the rear that never went much past the corner store. There’s a guy just up the street that only goes to the grocery store a couple of times a week, but has a huge 4X4 crew-cab pickup. I should note that these are both really nice people, they just like huge trucks. I think the Tesla price is being criticized out of context.
The new Tesla would be great for me. I don’t drive far since I retired, and even when I commuted I would have stayed well within the minimum range.
The bottom line is that Tesla has made EVs realistic. And, compared to some of the other cars in my neighborhood, even competitive. If there were a place locally to buy them, I suspect they’d be far more commonplace.
But there are those who find all kinds of reasons to attack them. They simply don’t trust the new technology, and don’t believe anything good written about them. But that’s true of every new product that comes along. These people will never buy a Tesla, no matter what. And that’s okay. We’re all different.
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Mike,
Elon Musk is NOTORIOUS for making outlandish claims, and failing to get there. He’s a self-promoter. He routinely does stuff like put out a “safety-critical” item, such as Autopilot, in insufficiently-tested “beta.” Or explode a rocket on the pad by using a “supercooled” fueling technique already dismissed by NASA as “too dangerous.”
EM epitomizes the sort of fella who has never heard the adage, “The cutting edge is the bleeding edge.” It is, therefore, expected for his company to do something akin to make bold claims for range…and hope that the engineering gets there by press time.
He’s a “risk-loving” ort of guy, who runs his companies in a “risk-loving” (some might say “imprudent”) sort of way. To a certain extent, that’s a side-effect of “dreaming big.” BUT, given that sort of culture, it really isn’t surprising that Tesla gave an “overly optimistic” range number, whereas GM gave a “cautious” one. Tesla is “optimistic”; GM is “cautious.”
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