Tesla

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

I was visiting a mall in Denver and came across a Tesla showroom.

This it a pretty awesome car. Fully electric, 0 to 100 in 5.9 seconds, a range of about 450km, plugs into a standard wall outlet.

The battery takes up the entire bottom of the car, and the motors sit between the rear wheels.


Because there is no complex petrol engine, there is storage under the hood as well as in the back.

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http://www.teslamotors.com/models/features

[mycoolcar]

Tell me about the snow in Denver? Do you like that shit?

Go to Vail.

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

No, I didn't like snow.

As an Aucklander, I can't handle that shit.

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[mycoolcar]

You're in the suburbs?

Go hit up 16th street. They call it a mall, but is really just a street.

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

Yesterday I watched the St Patricks Day parade (it sucked), then went to 16th Street for lunch (it was great).

But I'm down in south Denver for work. Going back to NZ on Wednesday.

[Cowwie]

[mycoolcar]

Go here http://www.wingsmuseum.org/

Its awesome.

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

Go here http://www.wingsmuseum.org/

Its awesome.

That looks cool.

I won't have time this time, but I might be coming back in a months time, so I can go then.

[mycoolcar]

The aquarium is also ok, not as awesome as planes, but still ok.

[Pyromanik]

Top thread. Will read again.

[Bounty Hunter]

Monkey just wants to appease Elon Musk.

edit: I was hoping this thread was about the father of the modern world.

[Pyromanik]

That guy is a wanker.

Cool tech car though.

[BerG]

Car is fucking awesome.

Why is this tech not mainstream?

[Pyromanik]

Expensive. Low yield. Oil.

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

The car is expensive, between US$52,000 to US$87,000.

And its range is impressive for an electric car, but it wouldn't get you from Auckland to Wellington on a single charge, you need to stay a night in Taihape.

Not available yet in NZ anyway, but it will be in Australia at the end of this year.

[Black Heart]

Still waiting for the aquada, don't give a crap about electric cars.

[The Demon Lord]

Car is fucking awesome.

Why is this tech not mainstream?

Because if I have a choice between a $50,000 car that can do everything that I need it to do and an $80,000 car that can't do everything I need it to do - I am going to choose the $50,000 car...

personally I think the whole Electric Car idea (with current battery technology) is a pipe dream. I have some ideas, but these aren't public forum ideas.

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

Because if I have a choice between a $50,000 car that can do everything that I need it to do and an $80,000 car that can't do everything I need it to do - I am going to choose the $50,000 car...

personally I think the whole Electric Car idea (with current battery technology) is a pipe dream. I have some ideas, but these aren't public forum ideas.

Electric Cars are the future.

The cost of petrol will gradually increase, while the cost of battery technology will come down. There is a point (and I think not too far off) where electric cars will be cheaper, then demand for them will soar.

Also, what does the Tesla not do that you need it to do?

[The Demon Lord]

Electric Cars are the future.

The cost of petrol will gradually increase, while the cost of battery technology will come down. There is a point (and I think not too far off) where electric cars will be cheaper, then demand for them will soar.

Also, what does the Tesla not do that you need it to do?

Refuel from empty in less than 5 minutes - which means any long distance journey above the initial range of the Tesla requires a recharge stop which takes either an Hour (on supercharge) or overnight (full recharge)

Its not the cost or the weight of the Electric/battery cars that is the issue. its the recharge time of the car.

My main thing with Electric cars is that they are trying to be just that - an Electric car - I personally believe there is a solution but as above - its not one that I will discuss in public.

[Apostrophe Spacemonkey]

My main thing with Electric cars is that they are trying to be just that - an Electric car - I personally believe there is a solution but as above - its not one that I will discuss in public.

 
Why not? What is the big secret?


If Range is an issue, a Holden volt is always an option.

New Zealand is pretty small, that's a benefit to having an electric car, for most people range will not be a big issue.

[Bounty Hunter]

Electric Cars are the future.

The cost of petrol will gradually increase, while the cost of battery technology will come down. There is a point (and I think not too far off) where electric cars will be cheaper, then demand for them will soar.

Also, what does the Tesla not do that you need it to do?

There was a battery conference in the states not long ago (2 months? - trying to find a link with some info) where they were discussing what format future cars will take, all graphs currently tell us that with the leaps and bounds in ICE economy and the new type of batteries coming out the "micro" hybrid will be the best option, this is a car with start/stop, a little bit of regen braking and maybe a small DC motor. they also discussed the possibility of increasing car voltage to 48v

Lithium is simply too expensive, the pressure on the grid would be too high (unless fusion actually works in the next few years - but the implications of that are far greater than what car we drive), the full electric vehicle will be a niche market of extremists

[The Demon Lord]

Why not? What is the big secret?


If Range is an issue, a Holden volt is always an option.

New Zealand is pretty small, that's a benefit to having an electric car, for most people range will not be a big issue.

PM sent with my view point

[mycoolcar]

Issue of going electric isnt that important. What is more important is the generation of the power for the vehicle. There is no point having electric cars if the power for them comes from coal power stations. All it does is move the point source of the pollution.

However, if we had power generation though an entirely renewable & sustainable grid, then we are talking.

Also, SM, Highlands Ranch?

[Bounty Hunter]

Issue of going electric isnt that important. What is more important is the generation of the power for the vehicle. There is no point having electric cars if the power for them comes from coal power stations. All it does is move the point source of the pollution.

However, if we had power generation though an entirely renewable & sustainable grid, then we are talking.

Also, SM, Highlands Ranch?

That's where micro-hybrid wins.

and if it doesn't, this might. https://lasers.llnl.gov/about/missions/energy_for_the_future/index.php

[Pyromanik]

Why not? What is the big secret?


If Range is an issue, a Holden volt is always an option.

New Zealand is pretty small, that's a benefit to having an electric car, for most people range will not be a big issue.

What we really need are electric helicopters.
You wouldn't be around to care if you tried to go that extra mile before recharging then.