Tesla Model S

That's very cool but a pretty bold statement to make "Free Forever!"

 

 

I dont think someone who spends 100k on a car is packing some food, staying with friends and leaving their wallet at home..

http://jalopnik.com/what-almost-brought-el...dium=socialflow

It just gets better.....

Note: $100k invested in Tesla a year ago is $300k today.....

 

http://insideevs.com/video-automotive-news...t-a-revolution/

It just gets better.....

Note: $100k invested in Tesla a year ago is $300k today.....

 

Yeah counld'nt be happier with Tesla stock, we bought stock right before the consumer report results and almost doubled in value right after.

 

 

Damn, this car is a fcuking tank!

 

http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Shoppers/5...nufacturer=151#

 

One of the best all purpose cars I have ever bought.

 

damn, front windshield didn't shatter in the head on...

Scotty/Fikse, Tesla is offering a 4 year service plan for about $3200 here, covering everything except tires. This sounds like a lot to me, there shouldn't be much service needed the first years imo.

 

A normal service cost $1000, which is also steep unless it includes a lot of parts (which would be weird for a new car). Prices here are higher than US (where this cost $1900 and $600 I think), but still...

 

What are your experiences regarding service and maintenance?

Scotty/Fikse, Tesla is offering a 4 year service plan for about $3200 here, covering everything except tires. This sounds like a lot to me, there shouldn't be much service needed the first years imo.

 

A normal service cost $1000, which is also steep unless it includes a lot of parts (which would be weird for a new car). Prices here are higher than US (where this cost $1900 and $600 I think), but still...

 

What are your experiences regarding service and maintenance?

 

I would not do it, service has been incredible, most service is software upgrades that are done via 3G in the car, so nothing for you to do. I had my Tesla Roadster for 2.5 years and had no major service issues other than my son hitting a huge deer with it..... Lol. There are no fluids to change, not sure what you could do other than tires in 4 years. Battery is covered forever, so to me, I would pass.

I would not do it, service has been incredible, most service is software upgrades that are done via 3G in the car, so nothing for you to do. I had my Tesla Roadster for 2.5 years and had no major service issues other than my son hitting a huge deer with it..... Lol. There are no fluids to change, not sure what you could do other than tires in 4 years. Battery is covered forever, so to me, I would pass.

Yeah, about what I'd firgured. Most or all electronic stuff should tell you if something is wrong. So what you should be left with is a pretty small checklist of mechanical parts that need checking.

 

I know previously there was some talk of the Fister's burning to the ground. Yesterday, there was a car fire that set half the mountain by my house ablaze. Today as we came home, a Tesla Model S, had burned to the ground in pretty much the exact same location.

the Tesla caused the fire?

 

Independent testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has awarded the Tesla Model S a 5-star safety rating, not just overall, but in every subcategory without exception.

 

http://www.teslamotors.com/about/press/rel...car-ever-tested

 

 

the Tesla caused the fire?

 

Independent testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has awarded the Tesla Model S a 5-star safety rating, not just overall, but in every subcategory without exception.

 

http://www.teslamotors.com/about/press/rel...car-ever-tested

I may be wrong. The news is reporting it was Dick Van Dyke in a Jaguar? I was passing on the otherside and it sure looked like a Tesla. I can find out his son is my neighbor.

http://www.tmz.com/2013/08/19/dick-van-dyk...cle-fire-smoke/

Hmmm, not sure what to make of this versus the millions of man-hours that MB, Volvo, and the other big safety mavens have accumulated over the past 80+ years of data accumulation.

 

Yes yes, I know, Tesla employs "NASA ENGINEERS" (air quotes). Hooray! Zoidberg! But honestly, you don't think the others do as well? And have employed hundreds of that level employee for decades?

 

Surprising regardless of your take, and begrudgingly impressive as well.

 

http://www.teslamotors.com/about/press/rel...car-ever-tested

 

Tesla Model S Achieves Best Safety Rating of Any Car Ever Tested

Sets New NHTSA Vehicle Safety Score Record

 

Monday, August 19, 2013

 

Palo Alto, CA — Independent testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has awarded the Tesla Model S a 5-star safety rating, not just overall, but in every subcategory without exception. Approximately one percent of all cars tested by the federal government achieve 5 stars across the board. NHTSA does not publish a star rating above 5, however safety levels better than 5 stars are captured in the overall Vehicle Safety Score (VSS) provided to manufacturers, where the Model S achieved a new combined record of 5.4 stars.

 

Of all vehicles tested, including every major make and model approved for sale in the United States, the Model S set a new record for the lowest likelihood of injury to occupants. While the Model S is a sedan, it also exceeded the safety score of all SUVs and minivans. This score takes into account the probability of injury from front, side, rear and rollover accidents.

 

The Model S has the advantage in the front of not having a large gasoline engine block, thus creating a much longer crumple zone to absorb a high speed impact. This is fundamentally a force over distance problem – the longer the crumple zone, the more time there is to slow down occupants at g loads that do not cause injuries. Just like jumping into a pool of water from a tall height, it is better to have the pool be deep and not contain rocks. The Model S motor is only about a foot in diameter and is mounted close to the rear axle, and the front section that would normally contain a gasoline engine is used for a second trunk.

 

For the side pole intrusion test, considered one of the most difficult to pass, the Model S was the only car in the "good" category among the other top one percent of vehicles tested. Compared to the Volvo S60, which is also 5-star rated in all categories, the Model S preserved 63.5 percent of driver residual space vs. 7.8 percent for the Volvo. Tesla achieved this outcome by nesting multiple deep aluminum extrusions in the side rail of the car that absorb the impact energy (a similar approach was used by the Apollo Lunar Lander) and transfer load to the rest of the vehicle. This causes the pole to be either sheared off or to stop the car before the pole hits an occupant.

 

The rear crash testing was particularly important, given the optional third row children's seat. For this, Tesla factory installs a double bumper if the third row seat is ordered. This was needed in order to protect against a highway speed impact in the rear with no permanently disabling injury to the third row occupants. The third row is already the safest location in the car for frontal or side injuries.

 

The Model S was also substantially better in rollover risk, with the other top vehicles being approximately 50 percent worse. During testing at an independent facility, the Model S refused to turn over via the normal methods and special means were needed to induce the car to roll. The reason for such a good outcome is that the battery pack is mounted below the floor pan, providing a very low center of gravity, which simultaneously ensures exceptional handling and safety.

 

Of note, during validation of Model S roof crush protection at an independent commercial facility, the testing machine failed at just above 4 g's. While the exact number is uncertain due to Model S breaking the testing machine, what this means is that at least four additional fully loaded Model S vehicles could be placed on top of an owner's car without the roof caving in. This is achieved primarily through a center ( pillar reinforcement attached via aerospace grade bolts.

 

The above results do not tell the full story. It is possible to game the regulatory testing score to some degree by strengthening a car at the exact locations used by the regulatory testing machines. After verifying through internal testing that the Model S would achieve a NHTSA 5-star rating, Tesla then analyzed the Model S to determine the weakest points in the car and retested at those locations until the car achieved 5 stars no matter how the test equipment was configured.

 

The Model S lithium-ion battery did not catch fire at any time before, during or after the NHTSA testing. It is worth mentioning that no production Tesla lithium-ion battery has ever caught fire in the Model S or Roadster, despite several high speed impacts. While this is statistically unlikely to remain the case long term, Tesla is unaware of any Model S or Roadster occupant fatalities in any car ever.

Hmmm, not sure what to make of this versus the millions of man-hours that MB, Volvo, and the other big safety mavens have accumulated over the past 80+ years of data accumulation.

I think that's part of the problem, they are stuck with their old philosophies and methods, not thinking new quick enough. I'm sure that even when designing a brand new car, the big companies copy some structrual concepts from previous models.

 

Also Tesla has a lot to prove as a very young company. Cars crumbling in crashes or catching fire all the time would be an instant killer for the whole business.

Had mine for a week now, loving it so far! A truly great DD with lots of power. Will be interesting to see how it handles the winter.

Had mine for a week now, loving it so far! A truly great DD with lots of power. Will be interesting to see how it handles the winter.

Purple Lambo, and a pink tesla - you're a curious fella!

The Tesla Model S battery-electric luxury sedan is a remarkable car, and it's elevated the public perception of electric cars to a new level.

 

It's won awards, thrilled thousands of buyers, and demolished a lot of stereotypes.

 

But among the things you may not know about Tesla is this: The Model S requires almost no maintenance.

 

Like pretty much any battery-electric vehicle, a Model S lacks many of the components that go wrong in gasoline cars.

 

Without the valves, camshafts,a crankshaft, connecting rods, gears, clutches, and more found in a gasoline car, the Tesla Model S, like any battery-electric car, needs almost no almost no regular adjustment.

 

About the only parts that need regular replacement are four tires and two windshield wiper blades.

 

Even brake pads, which you might expect to need regular replacement on such a high-performance car, last many times longer than those on comparable gasoline cars.

 

That's because the bulk of a Tesla's slowing power comes from regrenerative braking, or turning the motor into a generator to recharge the battery pack, slowing the car in the process.

 

The friction brakes are still there for hard or panic braking, of course, but they're used only a fraction as much.

 

(The same is true for hybrids, by the way. Ask your nearest Prius owner how long their brake pads last.)

 

A German study found that over eight years, battery-electric cars will be one-third less expensive to maintain--and many analysts view that as conservative.

 

Under its $600 annual service and update program, Teslas technicians will inspect the cooling systems for the battery pack, drive motor, and power electronics to ensure that everything's in good working order.

 

And they'll make any running updates that Tesla has decided older Model S cars should be retrofitted with.

 

Otherwise, there just aren't that many moving parts in a Model S to go wrong.

 

In fact, Ford compiled a list of all the parts its Focus Electric doesn't have, showing just how little maintenance the car needs.

 

That fact has a number of forward-thinking car mechanics very, very worried.

 

But we tend to think they'll have lots of work left for decades keeping older German luxury cars on the road.

 

Ask anyone who's ever tried to keep an older Audi, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz in full working order, and they'll know exactly what we're talking about here.

 

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1087086...quired-actually

I'm not in an area where you see a lot of nice cars. But I have seen at least 4-5 Tesla S around here. I do think they look good!

I love mine more and more each day. The app to control the cars temperature remotely is a must have item. It. Is so inexpensive to drive. About $4.00 for 150 miles. Even the insurance is inexpensive.

I am liking this car more and more, I will get one for my wife when they get here.

I've been an employee for Tesla for about 2 months, and the one thing that still gets me is the acceleration. IMO, there's nothing quite like it.