WHILE SOME MAY APPLAUD THE TESLA'S MY OPINION IS NOW A BIT DIFFERENT!

[chief38]

I've got a few friends that own Tesla's but what prompted me to post this was my unfortunate experience last Tuesday.

First the good:

Tesla's are stylish, good looking cars packed full of all kind of technological advances. They are just about autonomous, usually have very very low maintenance and of course they use no gas or oil. The price on some models has come down to where they are now in the realm for many people. If you are into speed, many of the models will leave gasoline powered vehicles in the dust due to their instant torque! Milage per charge has gone up to where most people do not have to pull over to charge them except on a long trip. I believe they go 250 to over 300 miles without charging - not bad!

So here is the bad side and the reason I am posting here:

Last Tuesday on the way out to the Range, I was in my friends Tesla SUV. About half way out his left rear tire suddenly blew out and we pulled over. I said to him let's break out the spare and get it on - - - he said, "guess what - there is no spare"! He called Tesla service which was suppose to bring a "loaner tire" but when they showed up an hour later they said there was no spare available. OK - so they put the vehicle on a flat bed tow truck and towed it to the Dealership where they dinged him for almost $400 for a new tire.

Other dislikes I have:

The front part f the roof over the front passengers is made of glass. While it is tinted it certainly does NOT do an adequate job on blocking the sun when rising or setting as you are droving in to it. the sun visor they put in the vehicle is totally inadequate so you wind up having to hold your hand in front of your face.

While the car is very technologically advanced, the ride comfort and noise level inside is noisier and bumpier than my gas powered Yukon SLT SUV! That really surprises me considering this Tesla is well over $100K! As far as a vehicle itself - the car is just OK, certainly nothing special and doesn't really have any features a normal high end SUV doesn't. Other than the obvious electric vehicle and high tech autonomous features, the Tesla is a bit of a disappointment to me.

Personally, I would NEVER own a car that did not have a spare tire - but thats just me. I would not want to ever sit on the side of a road like an idiot waiting for a tow truck that can't even change the tire! BTW - there is not even room in the vehicle for an after market spare!

So that's my Tesla rant/post. Some may agree and some high tech guys may think I am being to harsh. YMMV!

 

[JJEH]

First the good:

Tesla's are stylish, good looking cars...

Sorry, the designs are so boring I wouldn't even look at them if they would cost half of what they cost today. Seems like their head designer runs on valium...

I have a thing for Fisker and he has released his all electric SUV, the Ocean. Now when it comes to design Fisker is my guy. I even pre ordered an Ocean. But I'll pull out of the order, I love the design but I'm not ready to go 100% electric.

I'm not sure if Tesla uses specialty tires and has special rims that require special tools and a special price to be paid by the special customer. This might be very well the case and just another reason not to buy that product, because I always put my own kind of tires on my vehicles.

EV's are the future, autonomous driving too (unfortunately) but I don't want to foot the bill by paying premiums and being the test object.

Here's my thread if you are interested:

2022 Fisker Ocean

 

[Telecaster]

Oh but they do use oil. That electricity to charge it up doesn’t come from pixie dust.

 

[Ziggy2525]

Not a fan of electric cars. The raw materials to make the batteries are sourced from Africa and China. Seems like a possible national security issue. The batteries are a chemical fire hazard, probably worse than gas. And the batteries need to be charged from a power plant that’s running on coal/oil/gas/hydro.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Battery powered vehicles are fine for local fleet use, but a five minute refuel is what I need for my all-day driving trips. If the hydrogen infrastructure spreads beyond California, a vehicle like the Honda Clarity looks good.

2021 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell – Hydrogen-Powered Car | Honda

 

[THE PILGRIM]

So if I have Tesla tire trouble out in the Boonies,
Sounds like I need a Satellite Phone and camping equipment!

 

[df06]

I’ll look at them when they have 800 or mile range. I don’t just go a couple miles to pick up a quart of milk. And I want to know the operational cost per mile. How does it compare to gas powered cars. I’m guessing that I’ll finish this life in a gas powered vehicle.

 

[yeti]

I tell folks that offer a condescending comment about my choice of petrol powered vehicle that they really have a coal powered vehicle. Some of these eVehicle jockeys think they are the smartest folks they know and they should be making decisions for you too. Obnoxious. I don't tell them what to drive!

I do like some of the Tesla models and the torque benefits of electric drive. Maybe as a second car someday?
However, until the ranges improve and they can rapid charge in the time it takes me to hit the head and grab a sandwich, I will stay with petrol.

Towing the boat with an all electric SUV could be fantastic, but range may not be so hot...yet. Plus the buy-in would be huge.

 

[JH1951]

Oh but they do use oil. That electricity to charge it up doesn’t come from pixie dust.

How true, Telecaster!
It is a fact that the power to build and charge these things must come from somewhere..... Without fossil or nuke fuels to do that, these things would not exist.

 

[DeathGrip]

Nothing says luxury like a Continental Kit.

 

[Iggy]

So did that car have a Honda generator and gas can in the back to charge the battery if it runs down in the desert?
Video+of+Tesla+and+Honda+generator+and+empty+gas+can.&atb=v1-1&iax=videos&ia=videos&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D-MJfjrgEq34

If so, was there gas in the can?

 

[LoboGunLeather]

An automobile with an electric motor and batteries is powered by plugging in to the local electricity grid with electricity generated using coal, natural gas, hydroelectric, or nuclear.

Every time energy is converted from one form to another form there is a net loss of energy. Every time electrical power is transmitted from point of origin to point of use there is a net loss of energy. When the source is fossil fuel the energy used by the electric automobile is greater than the equivalent energy use of a comparable internal combustion vehicle. Always somewhat less than a zero sum game.

The next question that is sure to arise is how long it will be until the loss of federal, state, and local tax dollars usually collected on fossil fuels sold for vehicular usage results in newly created federal, state, and local taxes on electric vehicles. Assuming the average private automobile is driven 10,000 miles per year and delivers 25 miles per gallon of gasoline, there will be 400 gallons less gasoline sold and $100 to $200 less fuel taxes collected for each average electric vehicle in use; I do not expect our government entities to ignore those revenue losses for very long.

Another question that might be considered is how long electric utilities will continue to increase production and delivery of electricity to charging stations without looking for ways to increase prices; and that assumes that electric utility companies will be capable of providing the added power demands when/if electric vehicles become a significant percentage of private transportation.

While these issues are sorted out by the powers that be, all of us continue to pay increased costs in order to subsidize these new technologies that have not yet developed into cost-effective energy sources and cannot exist without such subsidies.

By the time all these little kinks are worked out I suspect that there will be a lot of electric vehicle owners with dead batteries incapable of recharging, facing the options of paying tens of thousands of dollars for battery replacements or tens of thousands of dollars to pay for ecologically friendly disposal of their dead cars.

 

[BRL40]

...he said, "guess what - there is no spare"! ... towed it to the Dealership where they dinged him for almost $400 for a new tire... That really surprises me considering this Tesla is well over $100K!...

One hundred grand and no spare???

...ok.

 

[JH1951]

Lobo is right on the mark.
And seriously, if it wasn't for tax revenues, cigarettes would have been banned long ago. I don't think gasoline is going far away too soon.
Beyond fuel taxes, the maintenance on automobile emissions systems seems to be an industry of its own... again, a first hand experience just several days ago.

 

[Rodan]

EV discussions aside, there are a LOT of newer vehicles that don't come with spare tires...

I'm always surprised how many people don't even know it until they need one.

 

[ladder13]

Not to worry, windmills and solar panels power will provide energy to make batteries.

 

[billwill]

That spare tire was on the Tesla truck stuck in the "charge here" line at the E-station.

Surprised that thing doesn't have some brand of 'run flats' that will at least get you fifty miles to someplace. Like the 'coal powered car' comment! Lithium batteries leave some nasty stuff in the manufacturing process.

 

[STCM(SW)]

What's new?
My 2011 BMW & 2002 Corvette had no spare.
I changed all the tires out on the BMW and fit a spare in the trunk.
Can't even do that on the Corvette!

 

[peh_7]

I have a Buick (made in Germany) that doesn't have a spare. You can't get one as an option either. BUT, there is an included system with sealant that lets you re-inflate the tire in the event you do get a flat. It seems that Tesla should have something like this included. Maybe it's an option or an after market product is available. Or, maybe most Tesla owners can't be bothered with fixing a flat?

 

[Ματθιας]

I don't know much about teslas, but I'm wondering if they have a bolt pattern that would be compatible with donut spares that can be found at a salvage yard or bought online.