Tesla

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No one is going to tow a totally empty Tesla to an RV park just to refill the batteries, but I guess that they will have to start putting up signs at all the RV parks saying no Teslas allowed.

Solar electricity is about as free as you can get. The Tesla I drove has one of the most comfortable rides I have ever experienced.
 
Lou Schneider said:
.  Campground owners would be justified in recouping that cost especially since your other electrical consumption will be the same as someone not recharging their car using the campground's  electricity.
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They don't charge the millions of Prius owners that come into the parks.......is it because a Tesla is beautiful and a Prius is ugly and they feel sorry for them ?
;)
 
Electric = Instant torque.  Full torque @ 1 RPM.  When (not if) they get a 300 mile range and a 5 minute recharge, I'm in.  I'm an old school gearhead and love the sound of an old school V8.....but give me that "pin you in the seat" torque, and it will put a big smile on my face. 
 
TonyDtorch said:
They don't charge the millions of Prius owners that come into the parks.......is it because a Tesla is beautiful and a Prius is ugly and they feel sorry for them ?
;)

I'm not sure they could have made a Prius any uglier if they tried.  With much better looking hybrids out there, I can't understand why anyone would buy one.  And don't give me that "Toyota quality" nonsense.  We had them in the rental fleet, and they aren't trouble free, no matter what the Toyota fanboys tell you.
 
Well, as I said, TESLA cars, according to the best info I have, can not be towed 4 down... But I suspect if any of several forum members, myself included, were to sit down with a tesla engineer for about 1 cup of coffee, that could be addressed.

I have an idea that might change the range as well.. but that one I'm keeping to myself.
 
    To the  posters that haven't driven a quality electric car, I have to disagree with some of your assumptions. I own and daily drive a Nissan Leaf; 2 years, no problems, good and comfortable ride, no worse a ride than my "all, the bells and whistles" Jeep Grand Cherokee. Instant torque to get me out of any sudden uncomfortable or dangerous traffic situations. I don't consider it an unattractive car, nor did I the Prius I owned for 5 years prior. To each his own. I'd rather have a vehicle that is well made, with a comfortable ride, and very fuel efficient to boot. At 65, I no longer feel a need for a "chick magnet". Not to mention, the Prius carried as nearly as much gear, people, etc. as my Grand Cherokee. Now to address the coal burning generation of the electricity to charge an electric car------I have a photovoltaic system on my house that not only runs my home, garage, out buildings, and all my tools, but also, charges my car completely from a 0  charge to 100% in 4 hours. If all I need is enough for a 50 mile round trip or less, the time to 85% charge is less than 2 hrs.. Again, I state that of all the cars I've owned (including sport cars, pickups, suvs, family sedans, a hybrid, 2 muscle cars, and my Leaf), the Tesla I test drove is the best made, most fun, most comfortable, most interesting ride I've ever had, coming in 2nd only to the Piper Cherokee I've flown for years. As for appearance, I've never heard a disparaging comment about the Tesla vehicles. As for the cost of charging a Tesla, it's still less energy and cost than the gasoline used in most of our cars.
 
greensleep - Don't confuse the haters with logic. :p In a few years they will all be driving electrics. There is no reason to drive a polluting gas guzzling monster once the charging stations are everywhere.
 
As a lifelong gearhead ...I consider the Tesla and other electric vehicles as the future of automotive. The first time I drove a Tesla I knew is is the beginning of the end of gasoline powered vehicles.

It appears that Rexhall is in the business of making electric city busses, and the rumor is we may soon have an electric class A motorhome.

I am excited to see a major change in the automotive world.
 
TonyDtorch said:
As a lifelong gearhead I consider the Tesla and other electric vehicles as the future of automotive. The first time I drove a Tesla I knew is is the beginning of the end of gasoline powered vehicles.
All you have to do is drive one and the future becomes very obvious.
 
SeilerBird said:
greensleep - Don't confuse the haters with logic. :p In a few years they will all be driving electrics. There is no reason to drive a polluting gas guzzling monster once the charging stations are everywhere.

You're ignoring the time to recharge. A couple of hours (or 4 or 5) at home is one thing, but on a trip that's unacceptable to go 200-300 miles then spend 2-6 (or more) hours recharging before you can continue.

Now if they got charging down to 10-15 minutes for a full charge with at least a 300 mile range (with reserve)...
 
Comparing a Tesla to a $30k car that gets a paltry 20 MPG your break even point is over 800k miles  That's just stupid.  Teslas are status symbols.

Tesla cost per mile .03. (Real world figure, not from Teslas advertising)

Car cost per mile .09. (At today's prices)

Difference .06

Divide the cost difference, I.e. $50K by the .06 difference and you'll get 833K.

Electric rates are increasing, gas prices are volatile.  But the arithmetic doesn't change much.  It still doesn't make sense to buy an $80K car to 'save money'.

Save the planet?  Probably not.  Batteries are toxic as heck, electricity has to blue generated somewhere, coal or gas or nuclear or Hydro.

Got solar?  Got enough solar to charge the car daily?  Figure the cost of the panels into that break even point and it makes even less sense.  (1.2 million miles!)

As I said, status symbols.
 
Not only do I have enough solar to charge a Tesla and continue to run my home, I'm considering adding another kilowatt to run a well pump I'm installing, and for, as yet, unforeseen electric additions to my life. Not everyone is focused on "the bottom line"; yes, my system will take (at today's and rising costs of energy) years (over a decade) to completely "pay itself off" and then become, basically, free. I am aware of how environmentally "dirty" the lithium batteries are to manufacture for electric vehicles. Their disposal may eventually become an issue to deal with also. Some might consider me a "prepper", but I believe that my expensive efforts are helping lessen the negative impacts of our overpopulation on the earth (read resources), especially, my immediate and near environments. Science and technological advancement continue, despite some's inherent fear of change, and will have to solve the problems we experience with transportation and pollution or we perish. I hope I've begun to help.
      I can't take my toys nor money with me when I die, but I can spend now to, hopefully, improve what I leave behind.
 
John From Detroit said:
I am told it can not be towed 4 down..
Of course, they will also have to find a way for the towing of it to charge it up. Or will they already do such (for downhill, etc) ? I have never owned one of those battery operated cars, so I know very little about them.

I heard Harley is trying to put a battery-operated motorcycle in production that seems quite decent.

-Don-  SSF, CA


 
Larry N. said:
You're ignoring the time to recharge. A couple of hours (or 4 or 5) at home is one thing, but on a trip that's unacceptable to go 200-300 miles then spend 2-6 (or more) hours recharging before you can continue.

Now if they got charging down to 10-15 minutes for a full charge with at least a 300 mile range (with reserve)...
No one is ignoring the time to charge, you are misinformed on the subject. The Tesla Supercharging stations are fast charging stations delivering 480 volts dc to give an 85 kWh Tesla a 170 miles in a 30 minute charge or 75 minutes for a full charge. Being as charging time is the biggest problem that electric cars currently face it is the problem the engineers are working the hardest on. Faster chargers, longer range and more efficient batteries are all high priority items. It is only going to get better.

Then there is battery swapping. Teslas are designed do the battery pack can be swapped out in 90 seconds. Eventually they will make it financially feasible just to swap batteries at the charging stations if you are in a hurry.

Tesla is installing the Supercharger stations at shopping malls, restaurant parking lots, movie theater parking lots, rest stops, visitor centers and other places that will make it so that you might have something to do while waiting for the charge. Of course if you are the type of person that must drive 12 hours straight then obviously electric cars are not for you so you can just keep on buying gasoline.
 
8Muddypaws said:
Comparing a Tesla to a $30k car that gets a paltry 20 MPG your break even point is over 800k miles  That's just stupid.  Teslas are status symbols.
Not for me. As I have stated earlier I am not buying a Tesla to save on gasoline. I only spend $10 a week on gas so that would be stupid. I want a Tesla because they are dead quiet, super smooth and with less than 100 moving parts, they are extremely reliable. Tesla is also the safest car on the road. I don't consider wanting a safe car a status symbol. Oil changes, tune ups and brake jobs are a thing of the past. Most car repairs have been eliminated, like changing a water pump. Overheating engines are thing of the past. Since it is the safest car in the world insurance rates will be lower.

So you save on gas, save on repairs, save on insurance and get a tax break. Not exactly a status symbol.
 
Again----Money. More important stuff out there. If one can give up relatively small conveniences for a simpler, cleaner, lifestyle. Why wouldn't you? Why choose to hoard $$$? If you can afford a large RV and are retired or still working, you can probably live quite comfortably without trying not to change and not to open up to the possibilities of a "greener" life. As Seilerbird has pointed out, in the end, owning a device like the Tesla will actually prove, if not cheaper, at least less problematic. I doubt the towing issue will be around long. These cars are showing up all over the place now; I'm sure RVing folks own some and Elon Musk isn't a slackard.
 
I want my Mr. fusion powered car and I want it NOW!  Until then we're only moving the pollution from one place to another.
 
We all abide by certain status symbols.    In as much as untttered cloths and clean shoes, or to many just a clean car projects to the public.

And others drive a really nice car as a different kind of status symbol....like a Lincoln or Cadilac.

And then there are guys that drive cars like Porsche because it's an incredible car to drive.

Ive owned a bunch of Porsches,  but l did not buy them because  Porcshe has become a status symbol, l bought them because I loved them.

and if I could buy a Telsa , most people I know would be impressed mainly by the quality, comfort, and one of the top performing production cars ever made......( and then, it's also drop dead gorgeous  )....
 

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