Cars & Bikes, Driving & Riding

Postby **NTP66** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:20 pm

Didn't Tesla just slash the prices of some of their models by up to $15k?

Postby **offsides** » Fri Mar 15, 2019 4:47 pm

If I was much younger, I would definitely be looking at electrics. Instant power with zero maintenance. Probably also have an extremely long life compared to internal combustion motors. As soon as the battery issues get solved they should be great. That being said I am still a die hard gas powered V8 with a manual transmission guy. As the saying goes, it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

Postby **tifosi77** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 12:02 pm

Anyone driven a Tesla? Reviews?

I've been driven in an S (Uber), and it was magical.

Postby **tifosi77** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 12:09 pm

Tesla really missed the mark with 3. Even with the recent price reduction, the starting price of the 3 is around $43,000.

That said, they are now delivering 50k of the things a quarter. Where I live, they are certainly more ubiquitous than just about any VW. (Especially since the test cheating scandal a few years ago)

Postby **Factorial** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:35 pm

Tesla really missed the mark with 3. Even with the recent price reduction, the starting price of the 3 is around $43,000.

That said, they are now delivering 50k of the things a quarter. Where I live, they are certainly more ubiquitous than just about any VW. (Especially since the test cheating scandal a few years ago)

VW's new electric car platform (MEB) is not out yet. 2020.

Postby **NTP66** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:43 pm

I’d be all for an electric vehicle, but not until they do a better job with mileage. If I can’t drive from Philadelphia to a Pittsburgh on a single charge, I’m not interested. I know I don’t make the trip as often as I used to, but that’s the kind of range I’m looking for. The Model S is the only one that I know of that can do that, but it comes with a hefty price tag.

Postby **NTP66** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:45 pm

In other news, after replacing my rotors and pads last week, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m too old for this **** anymore.

Postby **Factorial** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:50 pm

How much did you save doing it yourself?

Postby **NTP66** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:53 pm

That’s a good question. I haven’t had a shop do my brakes in so long that I don’t know how long it would take them. Figure $95/hr for labor. I just don’t enjoy working on cars anymore. I did speak with the shop manager at the place I take my car for other things, and he has no problems getting the rotors and pads I want if I go that route in the future, which is nice.

Postby **offsides** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 2:19 pm

In other news, after replacing my rotors and pads last week, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m too old for this **** anymore.

Yeah, it does start getting pretty tough. For me, even waxing one is a chore anymore.

Postby **dodint** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:18 pm

My buddy with the beach house we crashed in for the last week has a neighbor that does social media for for a local brew pub. We lent them the car for a few minutes to get some fun promo pics:

Does this make me, like, an influencer?

Seriously though, having extroverted friends can be fun. Rolling up in front of a bar on Friday night at 7pm on St. Patricks weekend and just throwing the doors open is very much not a thing I would do on my own.

Postby **NTP66** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:29 pm

Postby **offsides** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 5:02 pm

My 61 is coming along. Basically except for wheels, the painting is done. Have to put doors back together, install hood and install new weatherstripping. Can't wait for spring.

Postby **NTP66** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 5:14 pm

Okay, you get two of them:

Postby **mac5155** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 2:31 pm

I’d be all for an electric vehicle, but not until they do a better job with mileage. If I can’t drive from Philadelphia to a Pittsburgh on a single charge, I’m not interested. I know I don’t make the trip as often as I used to, but that’s the kind of range I’m looking for. The Model S is the only one that I know of that can do that, but it comes with a hefty price tag.

Phi to Pit is 304 miles. Tesla Model 3 has a range of 325 miles. Maybe I didn't read the fine print

Postby **NTP66** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 2:35 pm

I was going off the standard model, which has a range of 225 miles, and had not realized that they had a "long range" version. So, that would be an option. I still don't particularly care for the looks of the 3, though.

Postby **Lemon Berry Lobster** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 2:43 pm

Does this make me, like, an influencer?

Asks that man that says he isn't a millennial.

Postby **mac5155** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 2:52 pm

I would love a Tesla. I think it makes a lot of sense for me. I drive 150 miles round trip per day to work. I have free EV charging at work. But I just think a Honda is a better option at this point.

Postby **DigitalGypsy66** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 2:58 pm

It makes even more sense for me with my eight mile round trip commute. No EV charging in my lot, but the city does have some a block or two over. I really want a Tesla X.

Postby **mac5155** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 3:00 pm

You need a Vespa.

Postby **tifosi77** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 3:00 pm

I’d be all for an electric vehicle, but not until they do a better job with mileage. If I can’t drive from Philadelphia to a Pittsburgh on a single charge, I’m not interested. I know I don’t make the trip as often as I used to, but that’s the kind of range I’m looking for. The Model S is the only one that I know of that can do that, but it comes with a hefty price tag.

Not sure about the new Roadster, but the other Tesla models are all right around 300 miles in range. (The X is a bit under, the 3 is a bit over, all varying somewhat depending on trim spec and battery pack)

To me, the biggest hurdle isn't necessarily range as it is charging time. If you could top off an EV in the same amount of time it takes to fill a gas tank, or swap out a battery pack, a 280-mile range isn't any hurdle imo. But the fact that it takes actual hours to reach that charge makes an EV for anything but around-town commuting untenable for most people. Even here in CA, where charging points are plentiful, they aren't realistic for most people outside of that short-haul context.

That's why I've said the person who invents a way to store or deliver electricity outside of the current understanding of a battery is going to be the first self-made trillionaire off of an IP.

Postby **CBear3** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 3:17 pm

I’d be all for an electric vehicle, but not until they do a better job with mileage. If I can’t drive from Philadelphia to a Pittsburgh on a single charge, I’m not interested. I know I don’t make the trip as often as I used to, but that’s the kind of range I’m looking for. The Model S is the only one that I know of that can do that, but it comes with a hefty price tag.
Phi to Pit is 304 miles. Tesla Model 3 has a range of 325 miles. Maybe I didn't read the fine print

Range is at something like 70*.
At 30* you can expect a 25% drop-off, so that 325 is really 250 in winter and there's some fall-ff over 90* as well with the A/C cranking.

We were talking about this at our halfway stop yesterday on our drive back from vacation.
Our drive from Longmont, CO to KC is 650 miles. Even with three kids under ten we made it in 9.5 hours. That same trip on Tesla's trip planner is 12.5 hours because you have to stop 5 times, once for a whole hour.

Postby **robbiestoupe** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 3:21 pm

Source of the post But the fact that it takes actual hours to reach that charge

Super chargers are more like 20 minutes.

And if you live in an area where you can get electricity cheaper during non-peak hours (in some places, it's free), you charge at home for a minimal cost while you sleep.

Postby **NTP66** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 3:26 pm

My daily commute is under 3 miles, so an electric car would make a lot of sense for me. CBear pointed out a few things that I hadn’t thought of initially. A hybrid would probably fit the bill.

Postby **Factorial** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 3:26 pm

I was going off the standard model, which has a range of 225 miles, and had not realized that they had a "long range" version. So, that would be an option. I still don't particularly care for the looks of the 3, though.

Now you're up to $50K.