First Ride in the Tesla Model S

[KentState]

a lot of people say that...but honestly its a non-issue unless you are driving the max range of the car daily. unplug- commute to work - commute home - grocery store - home - plug.

does that take you 300 miles? With the HPC unit it will charge from 0 to full in 3.5 hours. You don't have to sit tehre and watch it charge the whole time.

I do more in my car than commute to and from work. Seems silly to drop so much on a car when I can't take it on a road trip. Secondly, like pointed out above, the 300 mile range version is much money and requires a long charge period. That will pay for a lot of trips to the pump.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

and what about cold temperatures? Is the battery life depleted by sub -20*F weather?
As in, I drive my car to work and it sits outside in -25* for 9 hours - will the battery be gonzoed?

 

[LTC8K6]

and what about cold temperatures? Is the battery life depleted by sub -20*F weather?
As in, I drive my car to work and it sits outside in -25* for 9 hours - will the battery be gonzoed?

You are supposed to keep the car plugged in so the battery warmer/cooler system can run and keep the battery in the proper temperature range.

This is an added electrical expense that is rarely mentioned.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

You are supposed to keep the car plugged in so the battery warmer/cooler system can run and keep the battery in the proper temperature range.

This is an added electrical expense that is rarely mentioned.

At -20F wouldn't most people be running block heaters anyway?

 

[LTC8K6]

At -20F, they won't be driving battery powered cars, I suppose.

You should keep the battery cooling/warming system powered up at much higher temps than -20F though.

From the Chevy Volt site:

Q. Since this is a different kind of battery, I need to know what I can do to best take care of it.
A. Here are a few tips to help you maximize the life of your battery:

- It is recommended that the vehicle be plugged-in when ambient temperatures are below 32F (0C) and above 90F (32C).
- It is preferable to park out of direct sunlight to help stabilize any environmental effects. This is particularly important in very hot climates.
- If long term, unplugged storage is required, store the vehicle with (50&#37 charge or less and always store it in an environment with temperatures between 15F (-10C) and 85F (30C). Like any vehicle the 12V battery may need to be supported during extended periods without driving. See the owner manual for how to keep the 12V battery from running down during extended storage.

 

[Q]

Hybrid, you work for Tesla?

 

[hanoverphist]

keep it plugged in if its over 90deg? well, that wont fly here in arizona. its over 90 from april to october at least.

 

[LTC8K6]

keep it plugged in if its over 90deg? well, that wont fly here in arizona. its over 90 from april to october at least.

Well, most of them have a powered system to keep the battery from getting too hot or too cold, and you are supposed to keep the vehicle plugged in to power that system if the ambient temps will be outside the proper range.

The battery should be kept within the proper temp range.

Also to pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin before you drive off, to save battery power.

These systems use grid electricity.

The LEAF is an exception, I believe. It has no active battery temperature control system.

 

[hanoverphist]

ah, ok that makes sense. i have a handheld digital ambient temperature meter that ive put on my seat to see what the temps are with the windows down in summertime here. its peaked at 130 in june before, sitting on the seat in the shade with the windows down. the engine compartment will easily get over 230 with the engine at about 2200 rpm (about where it cruises in 4th gear at 55). i hope they do a lot of testing in high and low temps.

 

[thegimp03]

I do more in my car than commute to and from work. Seems silly to drop so much on a car when I can't take it on a road trip. Secondly, like pointed out above, the 300 mile range version is much money and requires a long charge period. That will pay for a lot of trips to the pump.

I agree. I'd rather have a CTS-V like you for the money spent on a Tesla S Sport, and have a few bucks leftover.