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The Tesla car what do you think?

post #1 of 27
7/19/09 at 10:29pm
Thread Starter 
Do you guys like the look of it? I think it looks kind of slick, sort of like the Maserattis.

What impact are these expected to have on the mass market?
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post #2 of 27
7/19/09 at 11:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SField View Post
Do you guys like the look of it? I think it looks kind of slick, sort of like the Maserattis.

What impact are these expected to have on the mass market?

I'm concerned about the eventual environmental impact from the disposed batteries.
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post #3 of 27
7/19/09 at 11:29pm
pretty minimal impact on the overall industry, but they are very cool looking and driving. i hope to get a chance to test out the roadster soon. i believe they just were awarded a big chunk of cash to build a new assembly plant in CA.


check out fisker automotive too. they are producing a similar styled car, but not as fast.
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post #4 of 27
7/19/09 at 11:31pm
I think they look cool and the concept is awesome. But, last I read, the reality of production wasn't as easy as the theory and promise.
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post #5 of 27
7/19/09 at 11:43pm
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Originally Posted by Piobaire View Post
I'm concerned about the eventual environmental impact from the disposed batteries.

I never thought that I would agree with Piobaire on an environmental issue, but he has a point.

Other then the Roadster, which is nice looking golf cart - I've driven them quite a few times too - the Tesla company as a whole makes some nice vaporware.

Fail.
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post #6 of 27
7/19/09 at 11:53pm
Sedan allegedly in the works. Has promise, although my current wish for an environment-friendly car is a clean diesel (such as those from Mercedes and VW) by Saab.
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post #7 of 27
7/20/09 at 12:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by farfisa23 View Post
I never thought that I would agree with Piobaire on an environmental issue, but he has a point.

Other then the Roadster, which is nice looking golf cart - I've driven them quite a few times too - the Tesla company as a whole makes some nice vaporware.

Fail.

What environmental issue do you disagree with me on?
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post #8 of 27
7/20/09 at 1:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Piobaire View Post
What environmental issue do you disagree with me on?

It was more a political point of view, rather than one issue on the environment I disagree with you on,
That said, I do agree with you on batteries.

With electric and hybrid cars, people don't think of where those batteries go. While LiOn is somewhat better than the old school Nickel batteries, they are still dirty to use and recycle.
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post #9 of 27
7/20/09 at 1:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by farfisa23 View Post
Other then the Roadster, which is nice looking golf cart - I've driven them quite a few times too - the Tesla company as a whole makes some nice vaporware.

Fail.

+1. I see a lot of them here in the Bay Area, and even toured and knew people who worked at the San Carlos facility. I'm a fan of the Elise, so the design is nice, but the rest of the car is bleh. Tesla is the master of marketing and making vaporware. They'll talk about how affordable the sedan is and about its great range, but they also try and hide the fact you toss out affordable to buy the heavy, larger, long-range battery pack. I'd rather grab Fisker's electric car over the Tesla. As for the future of electric cars, I guess there could be a good use for these glorified golf carts for city use, but until something like quick charging, like they're researching with capacitors, takes off, it's not all that viable. Driving from SF to LA takes me 5 hours without a gas stop, but in a Tesla, it would take a day, because I would need to stop someplace to charge it overnight. The other issue is that the current incarnation of electric cars will be difficult to be accepted by people living in apartments, because I don't think too many people want to run a long extension cord across a parking lot or to the sidewalk to their parked car.
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post #10 of 27
7/20/09 at 1:41am
Meh.. I think they're over hyped.
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post #11 of 27
7/20/09 at 1:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roikins View Post
+1. I see a lot of them here in the Bay Area, and even toured and knew people who worked at the San Carlos facility. I'm a fan of the Elise, so the design is nice, but the rest of the car is bleh. Tesla is the master of marketing and making vaporware. They'll talk about how affordable the sedan is and about its great range, but they also try and hide the fact you toss out affordable to buy the heavy, larger, long-range battery pack. I'd rather grab Fisker's electric car over the Tesla. As for the future of electric cars, I guess there could be a good use for these glorified golf carts for city use, but until something like quick charging, like they're researching with capacitors, takes off, it's not all that viable. Driving from SF to LA takes me 5 hours without a gas stop, but in a Tesla, it would take a day, because I would need to stop someplace to charge it overnight. The other issue is that the current incarnation of electric cars will be difficult to be accepted by people living in apartments, because I don't think too many people want to run a long extension cord across a parking lot or to the sidewalk to their parked car.

+1,000.

People get emotional when you discuss this car and god forbid, it should be anything disparaging. Roikins, I toured the old factory and knew a lot of people that worked (everyone got canned in a bad, bad, bad manner) for them. The company on a whole is a joke, even with Daimler's investment.

I saw two at the Stanford mall a few weeks ago and thought to myself "Fail"
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post #12 of 27
7/20/09 at 3:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by farfisa23 View Post
+1,000. People get emotional when you discuss this car and god forbid, it should be anything disparaging. Roikins, I toured the old factory and knew a lot of people that worked (everyone got canned in a bad, bad, bad manner) for them. The company on a whole is a joke, even with Daimler's investment. I saw two at the Stanford mall a few weeks ago and thought to myself "Fail"
Yeah, the people working there got dumped hard. My sister was good friends with one of the techs/mechanics, and he was bitching about it. Funny, last week I saw a blue one parked in the Stanford Mall lot by the Macy's. I wonder if they just park it there for free marketing since they have the "dealership" on El Camino down the block. I love that it has the massive parking lot and is completely empty, save an e36 M3 and a few car covered car trailers. The week before, I ended up next to a Tesla at a stoplight and lightheartedly asked the driver if he wanted to drag. The guy looked over and says, "I can beat a Ferrari." I say then my M3 shouldn't be a problem, but it'll be fun. He shakes his head and says, "I can't; I have a 70 mile drive home, and it would kill my battery." I was stunned for a second, and then I had to laugh. Why would you want an electric "sports car" that you can't actually drive in a sporty way?
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post #13 of 27
7/20/09 at 3:32am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roikins View Post
Yeah, the people working there got dumped hard. My sister was good friends with one of the techs/mechanics, and he was bitching about it.

Funny, last week I saw a blue one parked in the Stanford Mall lot by the Macy's. I wonder if they just park it there for free marketing since they have the "dealership" on El Camino down the block. I love that it has the massive parking lot and is completely empty, save an e36 M3 and a few car covered car trailers. The week before, I ended up next to a Tesla at a stoplight and lightheartedly asked the driver if he wanted to drag. The guy looked over and says, "I can beat a Ferrari." I say then my M3 shouldn't be a problem, but it'll be fun. He shakes his head and says, "I can't; I have a 70 mile drive home, and it would kill my battery." I was stunned for a second, and then I had to laugh. Why would you want an electric "sports car" that you can't actually drive in a sporty way?

Because drag racing is dangerous and makes you look like a douchebag.
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post #14 of 27
7/20/09 at 3:52am
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Originally Posted by SField View Post
Because drag racing is dangerous and makes you look like a douchebag.
That's why I said it lighthearted to the guy, but you don't have to drag race your car to be driving it "sporty." If you need to baby your roadster and drive it slowly and carefully to save precious battery power, you might as well be driving an electric SMART car. Besides, I've never and will likely never see a Tesla show up at any track event I'm driving at, so might as well see his golf cart silently speed away to 45mph.
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post #15 of 27
7/20/09 at 4:47am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roikins View Post
That's why I said it lighthearted to the guy, but you don't have to drag race your car to be driving it "sporty." If you need to baby your roadster and drive it slowly and carefully to save precious battery power, you might as well be driving an electric SMART car. Besides, I've never and will likely never see a Tesla show up at any track event I'm driving at, so might as well see his golf cart silently speed away to 45mph.

I see what you mean but who gives a shit? He likes how the car looks, he most likely bought the thing with his own money and isn't contributing to the pollution of the earth (assuming that we'll come up with a proper method of disposal for the batteries) in the same manner as someone driving a regular sports car. I'd bet that over 95% of people who own high performance cars never come even close to using their car's potential, nor do they drive in a way that comes even close to exploiting what the car can do. It looks like, it makes them feel good, and that's probably the reason they own it... same with this guy most likely.
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