My Perfect Automobile » Test Drive

Tesla, 1. New York Times, 0

Larry Bell — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:54:58 +0000

Tesla Model S

New York Times reporter John Broder’s boss has backed away from her employee’s review of the Tesla Model S. Broder apparently took the car from New York to Boston under real-world conditions. CNN, CNBC, and Consumer Reports have all replicated the trip, taken better notes, made clearer documentation of their journeys, and reached a different conclusion than Broder did. Tesla CEO Elon Musk thinks something is not right with this picture. He took the newspaper to task with a letter that virtually deluged the Times with accurate data about the car, as opposed to the unreliable, questionable report by Broder.

Tesla Model S: CNN’s Test Drive

In light of the fact that the New York Times has admitted their review of the Tesla Model S fell short in the areas of judgment and precision, have a look at a more thorough, balanced, and professional review of the car from CNN’s testers, who took the Model S for an extended trip very similar to what the New York Times reporter attempted. In this case, however, CNN documents all of its stops, driving habits, and itineraries along the way. If you have not driven a Tesla Model S, the reviewers’ comments are quite enlightening, providing a real-world experience via the magic of video.

Tesla Model S

Calling the Times story “a fake,” Musk went on to provide factual data from the car’s log which essentially proved that Broder either did not take authentic notes, or was merely guilty of “imprecision,” as his New York Times editor put it. The fact of the matter is that combustion cars and electric ones both lose range in very cold weather, up to about 10 percent in typical cases. Broder’s poor judgment, according to his boss, led to a review that could not be relied upon. In case you are interested in a complete, objective review of how a Tesla Model S holds up on the New York to Boston journey, see the video clip above.

For more about Tesla Motors, and to see some gorgeous photos of the Model S, Model X, and the Tesla Roadster, see the company’s official corporate website:
http://www.teslamotors.com

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

Tesla Motors Set for Historic Week

Larry Bell — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 02:35:34 +0000

Tesla Model X

Tesla Motors will announce the exact release date for its fourth-quarter 2012 earnings statement this week. Having already booked 13,000 customer orders for the Model S electric sedan, Tesla will likely sell every car it manufactures in 2013. Tesla Motors is also in the process of fitting the U.S. highway system with a network of charging stations designed specifically for its vehicles. Many of those stations are already in place on the East Coast and throughout California. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, has predicted that 2013 will see a profit margin of 25 percent for his firm.

Tesla Motors: Video

View the clip below for a complete look at the interior of the Tesla Model X, which was on display at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. As the reviewer mentions, the 17-inch touch screen definitely dominates the view from the driver’s seat. As he tests the controls, notice that virtually everything, from door locks and climate control, to lights and seat adjustment, are a part of the display’s command language. A triple-row SUV that can hold up to seven passengers, the Model X is an impressive work of EV engineering.

Tesla Model X

Latest news from the automaker says the Model X production line will start up toward the end of 2013, and aims for customer deliveries early next year. Before federal and local tax credits and any other incentives, unofficial price estimates for the Model X hover in the $75,000-$85,000 range, though the company has not verified pricing for the car yet. One thing is certain, namely that the Model X will be offered with a choice of all-wheel-drive or rear-drive. In addition, as with the Model S, Tesla Motors will sell Model X in two different battery-pack sizes.

For more about the U.S.-based electric carmaker, see the official Tesla Motors website:
http://www.teslamotors.com

Larry Bell

Tesla Model X: Get Ready

Larry Bell — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:34:24 +0000

Tesla Model X

Deliveries for the Tesla Model X will begin in calendar year 2014, when the luxury SUV electric car will be competing in the price range of Audi, Volvo, BMW, Lexus, and other high-end models. With optional all-wheel-drive, the X seats seven and features a very low center of gravity. The electric SUV leaps to 60 mph in a tad under 5 seconds and will be unique among production cars with its gull-wing doors.

Tesla Model X: Video

Here is a rare treat, in the form of a video test drive of the Tesla Model X electric car. Join the driver as he spends a bit of time tooling around with a carload of passengers in the X, all the while delivering a verbal review right down to the feel of the seats and the solidity of the control buttons. Because there is not nearly as much media attention on the X right now, as opposed to the Model S, this test ride is a good preview of things to come. You need not be a Tesla fan to appreciate the futuristic styling and elegant design flourishes on the Model X.

Tesla Model X

As the very definition of ‘cutting edge’ technology, the Model X achieves 90 mpg-equivalent. Anticipated pricing for the X is thought to be in the $62,000-$100,000 range, which will run from base model to top of the line, loaded version.

For up to date news from Tesla Motors, see the company’s official website. Unlike many auto manufacturers, Tesla uses its corporate site to release breaking news items about its vehicles. Besides that, the site is packed with some stunning photography of the Roadster, Model S, and Model X electric cars. Green transportation enthusiasts have been known to spend hours perusing the Tesla Motors website, so be warned. It is addictive!
http://www.teslamotors.com

Larry Bell

Tesla CEO Talks EV Future

Larry Bell — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:56:01 +0000

Tesla Roadster: Greenest

Speaking in the aftermath of a hard-fought U.S. presidential election, Tesla Motors CEO, Elon Musk, said he thinks the outlook for electric cars will not go backwards, but may advance a bit in the next year or two. In a related comment, the entrepreneur took the opportunity to mention a pet cause, namely federal tax credits for electric vehicles. Musk would like to see the federal share of such credits rise to $10,000, but whether that happens or not, the automaker will be installing fast-charge stations around the U.S. throughout 2013. After his Model S won the Motor Trend Car of the Year award this week, Musk is in demand at media events and automotive gatherings.

Tesla: Video

For a look back at where it all began, view the following video clip, which features a short profile of the Tesla Roadster’s origins. As the narrator points out, July of 2006 was when the world got its first clue about what was to come, when Tesla Motors announced its plans for the Roadster. A lucky few, the clip’s narrator among them, was invited to the Tesla plant to test drive the car. Considering how far the company has traveled since those early days, it is interesting to note the same feel, the same sense of wonder that all Tesla cars inspire. Just watching the film of a Roadster climbing along mountain roads imparts a sense of what the company is all about.

Telsa

The Tesla Model X, a crossover vehicle, should see showrooms by sometime in 2014. After that, the company will be building its long-awaited entry for the mid-price range, a $30,000 EV that is yet unnamed. Some have suggested “Model E,” to connote the word “electric,” but also to complement the other two models, the S and the X.

For more information about Tesla Motors, and plenty of gorgeous photographs of the Roadster and Model S electric cars, see the company’s official corporate website:
http://www.teslamotors.com

Larry Bell

Tesla CEO Optimistic, Repays Loan Early

Larry Bell — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 15:25:47 +0000

Tesla Roadster

The CEO of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk, announced this week that the company is not only financially healthy, expecting positive cash flow by the end of the year, but will begin repaying its government loan obligations earlier than planned. The U.S. Dept. of Energy requested an early repay plan and the automaker readily agreed, having set the formalities to paper just this week. In June of 2009, Tesla received $465 million as part of the government’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program.

Tesla: Video

Meanwhile, back at the track: Just another day on the oval for a screaming-yellow Tesla Roadster Sport, driven by a non-professional at some harrowing speeds. The video below actually features a passenger’s view of the trip, but due to the speed and perspective, you will easily get the feeling that you are along for the ride. With virtually no narration, we simply see the car prep for the run, do the lap, and recharge at the end. Now that electric cars are no longer oddities, it’s fun to look back at the first electric sports car ever made, and see it in high-speed action.

Tesla: The Future

Just last month, Tesla Motors released more stock in a successful effort to raise additional funds. Amid recent political news that some of the nation’s start-up automakers are struggling, it appears that Tesla is looking to defuse that sort of talk with quick setup of the repayment plan and release of the new stock. Though the rollout of the company’s Model S went a bit slower than anticipated, Tesla shows no signs of slowing down. Musk was quoted discussing the stock issue: “We raised the funds simply for risk reduction.”

For all the latest news about Tesla electric cars, plus some of the best photos on the net, see the company’s official corporate website:
http://www.teslamotors.com

Larry Bell

Tesla Model S: The Verdict

Larry Bell — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 04:29:22 +0000

Tesla Model S: Talk of the town

Now that most major news outlets have weighed in with their numerous Tesla Model S test-drive reports, it is safe to sum them up in one word, and that word is ‘dreamlike.’ The electric sedan that also offers a Signature Performance model is on the lips, and headlines, of every automotive and news magazine this week. What seems to knock the socks off most reviewers is the car’s quietness. Keep in mind that people who test and write about cars for a living are used to loud noise accompanying speed and acceleration. In Tesla’s case, fast just means fast, it doesn’t mean loud.

Tesla Model S: Price

The base price for the Model S is $49,900 after the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. The Signature can run up to the $100,000 range. The car is 196 inches long and weighs in at 4,642 pounds, with a wheelbase of 116.5 inches. Its zero-to-sixty time is a blazing 4.4 seconds, and the S features a top speed of 130 mph, at which point the electric speed-governor on the car kicks in and prevents anything faster.

Tesla Model S: Video

The brief video above will give you a rough idea of what it is like to drive a Tesla Model S. With an estimated highway electric range of 265 miles, as well as seating for seven, the S is in a class by itself.

Note the size of the electronic display. It is the largest available on any passenger car in the world at the present time. Those who criticized the Roadster, Model S’s older brother, can rest assured that CEO Elon Musk and Co. learned many lessons about production, styling, and power along the way. The Roadster was out of reach for most budgets, but the Model S is the fruition of a long road for the company that is now the proud maker of the world’s best and most beautiful car.

For more about Tesla Motors, see the company’s official corporate website:
http://www.teslamotors.com

Larry Bell

Tesla Roadster vs. Toyta Prius – Crash Test!

Charles — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 08:53:36 +0000

What’s Stronger – a Toyota Prius or a Tesla Roadster in a crash test?… Well a Tesla Roadster was ‘bound to crash sometime with all that torque – so we caught one on camera.

Quote: “An Autopia reader spotted this accident involving a Tesla Roadster, Volkswagen Tuareg and the Toyota Prius. The story goes the Tesla was stopped behind the Touareg at a red light when a Prius rear-ended it and pushed it under the SUV. From what we know all passengers were fine.

Tesla Roadster Vs. Toyota Prius Crash

Tesla Roadster – Safety Features

Tesla Roadster Crash Test

Tesla has been engaging in intensive durability and validation testing of final prototype cars.
As part of this final testing – a Tesla Roadster ran for 245 miles on the combined EPA cycle on a single charge (235 on the EPA highway cycle, 255 on the EPA city cycle.)
Separately – a validation prototype Tesla Roadster successfully passed static and dynamic side-intrusion crash tests, the only tests that were not passed in the earlier prototype phase.
In other performance testing – a validation prototype Tesla Roadster accelerated consistently from 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds.

Tesla Motors has initiated a unique program – inviting customers to participate in durability and validation testing by road-testing our validation prototypes and providing feedback to marketing & engineering teams. Customers have shared their feedback on the Tesla Motors blog and with other customers in a members-only online forum.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

The announcement of this production schedule represents a change from the previously stated goal of fall 2007. In the last letter to customers in August, former CEO Martin Eberhard indicated that the production schedule was subject to successful completion of crash testing and durability testing. This new schedule represents the decision to continue with additional durability and validation testing prior to start of production and shipping of cars to customers.
In an announcement earlier this year, Tesla notified customers that the EPA range of the car was not likely to reach the original goal of 250, & instead would be closer to 200 miles based on progress at that time. Since then, Tesla engineers have worked diligently to improve on this critical performance metric – and the results of the effort over the last months have been extraordinary.
The EPA cycle test result was observed by CARB (California Air Resources Board) staff & is expected to be formally certified by EPA in the near future – as is standard procedure.
The range of the Tesla Roadster is by far the highest range ever achieved by a production EV. The next closest was the 1999 EV1 using nickel metal-hydride batteries, which achieved a 140 mile range rating. No other EV currently being developed has completed an official test for range using the EPA standard protocols.

Tesla Roadster – Break Test

In a battery-powered electric vehicle, regenerative braking (also called regen) is the conversion of the vehicle’s kinetic energy into chemical energy stored in the battery, where it can be used later to drive the vehicle. It is braking because it also serves to slow the vehicle. It is regenerative because the energy is recaptured in the battery where it can be used again.

The kinetic energy stored in a moving vehicle is related to the mass and speed of the vehicle by the equation E = ½mv². All else being equal – if your car is twice as heavy it has twice the kinetic energy & if it is moving twice as fast it has four times the kinetic energy. Any time your car slows down the kinetic energy stored in the vehicle has to go somewhere. Let’s take a look at where this energy goes. There is always some kinetic energy consumed by the rolling resistance, mechanical friction, & aerodynamics of your car. These bits of energy go into heating the road, the surrounding air – and various spinning parts in your car. But the vast majority of the kinetic energy is converted into heat by your brake pads when you stomp on the brakes. In the Tesla Roadster, regenerative braking recovers some energy that would otherwise have been wasted in the brakes.

How much energy does it recover?

Unfortunately, the adage “your mileage may vary” applies to regen as well. The amount of energy you can recover depends on how and where you drive. From the powertrain point of view it looks pretty good. The energy conversion efficiencies from chemical to electrical (battery), DC current to AC current (inverter) – electrical to mechanical (motor) – and torque to force (transmission and wheels) are all quite high and work just as efficiently returning energy into the battery. The bigger problem is aerodynamic losses and higher speeds and rolling friction of the tires. These both act to slow the car, but the energy dissipated cannot be recovered. We must also remember that – even though the battery-to-wheel conversion efficiency is pretty good (up to 80% or so), the energy makes a full circle back into the battery & it gets converted twice for a net efficiency of at most 80% * 80% = 64%.

Acceleration testing was performed by Tesla staff using GPS instrumentation with traction control on. Additional testing is planned with third parties in the near future.

X TESLA S & ROADSTER Pictures, Wallpapers, Screensavers!

Charles — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:43:39 +0000

Check out these awesome Tesla Roadster, Tesla S and Tesla X Pictures!

If you love TESLAS as much as I do, I’m sure you will love these pictures, including wallpapers, desktop images and screen savers… Enjoy!

Tesla X – Is it an Electric Car or an Electric SUV?

Tesla roadster is the first true electric sports car. It is an all-electric sports car manufactured by the American company Tesla Motors. It is an all electric car produced by a small company in California called Tesla Motors. It is the world’s first mass-produced, all-electric, high-performance sports car. Tesla roadster is a sleek electric sports automobile that proves an all electric smooth ride.

Tesla roadster is the only highway-capable production electric car of any kind for sale in the United States. It is the current production zenith of battery-powered cars. It is six times as efficient as the best sports cars. It will change every preconception you may have about electric cars – from lackluster performance to limited range. Tesla roadster is based on the Lotus Elise and both cars have roughly 200 horsepower.

Tesla roadster is the hottest, fastest way to declare independence. It is equipped with a 375 volt AC induction air-cooled electric motor. It will always be a low-volume vehicle.

Tesla roadster is capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in about four seconds. It has captured the hearts of all environmentally friendly car buffs.

Tesla Roadster 2.5 Roadster 2.5 is a extremely amazing car, more spacecraft than sports car. It needs much less servicing than a conventional high-powered auto, and no energy fill-ups. It has the grinds to go up against blue-chip labels from Italy, Malaysia and Britain, but furthermore, it helps the stress of gearheads everywhere.

Tesla Roadster also known as the fastest electric sports car. Also see The Tesla Model S sedan Tesla Motors in the development. There is an electric car that was code-named White Star in the research and development in advance.

Tesla Roadster model use Lotus body as a base for this electric sportscar car. The partnership with Lotus set to production of 2,500 cars, which is no reached. Yes, 2,500 happy owners zoom around in silence of their electric Roadster.

Tesla Roadster The one and only all-electric super-car; quicker than a General Motors exec scrambling for a bailout. It isn’t the horsepower that’s so impressive — though 248 horsepower in a 2,700-pound car is nothing to sneeze at — it’s the torque. Stomp on the skinny aluminum accelerator and all 276 foot-pounds of it is right there, instantly. You can’t help but grin when you’re behind the car’s beautiful Momo steering wheel.

Tesla Roadster is the first mass produced all electric, high-end sports cars. While this may seem logical that the Roadster for a test run of the campaign.

Tesla Motors announced they’ll be focusing more on the future Model S sedan and Model X crossover they’ve been bragging with for the past few months.

Tesla Roadster from 100 percent torque all the time from 0 to 14,000 rpm, accelerating from zero to 60 mph at an alarming rate. In addition, traveling 220 miles without recharging, reaches 125 mph, and do not require a drop of gasoline. Sport in part, only the environmental benefits are amazing.

The Tesla Roadster is basically an electrically powered sportscar produced and introduced by electric car manufacturing company called Tesla Motors in California. It was originally highway capable all electric vehicle in serial production offered in United States. Since 2009, the company has marketed around 2024 Roadster models in 30 different countries through September 2011. Tesla started producing right hand drive Roadster models in the year 2010 for Singapore, British Isles, Hong Kong, Australia and Japan. It is the first production vehicle to be equipped with lithium ion battery and first production BEV for travelling over 200 miles in one charge. The first Tesla Roadster was launched officially at San Francisco International Motor Show in the year 2006, and have been featured in plenty of subsequent Motor Show including Frankfurt, Los Angeles and Detroit.

The Tesla Roadster 2.5 Sport is one heck of a car. The interior doesn’t exactly feel like what you’d expect for your $130k and it isn’t the most comfortable place to be. But, that’s not what this is about. That doesn’t matter. It’s a sports car, designed to be sporty, and that it is. This is cliché but it really does feel like an Elise on steroids: slower to change its direction and certainly no marathon runner, but more than capable of throwing you in your seat with just a twitch.

The Tesla Roadster may be the perfect weapon to launch the Tesla brand. It’s eye-catching and fast and targeted at a segment that can realistically command high prices, thereby helping to absorb the high cost of the batteries and high-tech control system. The next step, and perhaps the greater challenge, is to drive this high concept down to the mainstream. We’ll be watching intently.

The Tesla Roadster starts with carbon-fiber body panels from France that are attached to a chassis manufactured at the Lotus factory in Hethel, England. The un-powered “glider” is then shipped to the US, where the battery and powertrain are added in Menlo Park, California. Cells from Japan are built into the battery pack a few miles away in San Carlos; the motor is made in Taiwan. It all adds up, apparently, to a “US-built” car.

The Tesla Roadster was developed with design assistance from Lotus Cars, who supplied the basic chassis development technology from the Lotus Elise. Launched on 19 July 2006, series production of the Tesla Roadster began on 17 March 2008. Tesla has delivered nearly 300 Roadsters, and nearly 1,000 more customers are on the wait list. Tesla Motors is now taking orders for the Model S, an all electric family sedan that carries seven people and travels 300 miles per charge. The Model S, which carries its charger onboard, can be recharged from any 120V, 240V or 480V outlet, with the latter taking only 45 minutes.

The Tesla Roadster is known among gearheads and electric car advocates as being the sports car that smashes all preconceptions about electric vehicles. So when Tesla announced its aptly-named revision to the iconic all-electric car we just had to see if the Californian-based automaker could beat the iconic first and second generation models.

The Tesla Roadster and the Tesla company have an unusual history. The company has almost no connection to the traditional American auto industry, and its founder had no experience in the auto industry when he decided to create the world’s first high-performance electric car. Martin Eberhard and his business partner Marc Tarpenning founded a company based on a portable eBook reader. Frustrated at the mainstream auto industry’s inability to create an effective electric car that had mass appeal (he often refers to early electric cars as “punishment cars”), Eberhard decided to create one himself.

Author: charlesverhoeff@gmail.com

Charles Verhoeff

Stars & Their Cars: Quincy Jones & His Tesla Roadster

Larry Bell — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:02:24 +0000

Elvis is alive

Quincy Jones, a really big star, drives a Tesla Roadster. In this clip you’ll see how much he loves the car and why. Celebrities are picky about their cars, and can usually afford to be. Not just because of their typically high incomes, but because they often get offers from auto companies for “first editions,” and the like, with the auto firm hoping to snag a bit of free advertising when we regular mortals see the stars tooling around town in the latest set of wheels.

For those who have been living under an electric car battery for the last 50 years, Quincy Jones, Jr., whose actual middle name is Delightt, is the 78-year-old producer and musical genius who has won no fewer than 79 Grammy awards. You read that correctly. Seventy-nine. Besides producing and discovering some of the biggest musical talents of the past 40 years, Jones is probably known best for bringing the Michael Jackson hit, Thriller, to the world. Mr. Q has seven children, and has composed the scores to over 30 major motion pictures.

Jones’s love affair with the Tesla is a relatively new development, but as you will see in the clip, there is no doubt that this musical legend loves the car.

For its part, the Tesla Roadster is almost as famous as some of its celeb owners. The king of electric cars hails from California and was the first production EV available in the U.S., though not at a bargain price (to make something of an understatement). Now that the company is working on a more affordable vehicle, the Model S, it stopped producing the Roadster in late 2011, though there is no doubt that the 2,024 units sold will continue to show up on streets for many, many years to come.

For more information about Tesla, see their website, www.teslamotors.com. For more information about Quincy Jones, read the music section of any newspaper.

Larry Bell

Stars & Their Cars: Quincy Jones & His Tesla Roadster

Charles — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:02:24 +0000

Elvis is alive

Jones’s love affair with the Tesla is a relatively new development, but as you will see in the clip, there is no doubt that this musical legend loves the car.

For more information about Tesla, see their website, www.teslamotors.com. For more information about Quincy Jones, read the music section of any newspaper.

Charles Verhoeff

Can You Test Drive a Tesla?

Larry — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:34:05 +0000

You certainly can!

James and Jay, working in the Clearwater office of MyPerfectAutomobile.com, came to Co. Headquarters in the Bay Area for meetings and fun.

The fun part of it was a visit to the closest Tesla Dealer. Tesla offers “test drives” of their sports car and we didn’t want to miss out!

Check out the video and see for yourself!

http://youtu.be/gQEPMmHf8w8

Larry Judkin

Larry Judkin + is My Perfect Automobile’s General Manager, but people call him Lar’. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Co-owner of My Perfect Automobile. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…