Tesla / Electric Vehicles

[Richie]

Aye. And though £130,000 is a lot of money, it's a bargain for a thousand horses.
Though I'm sure that a new Bentley will never be a bargain - quite rightly so of course - they're well known for packing a refined heavyweight knockout punch to all would be imposters. And Bentley have of course announced that they're soon to be all electric.
They're not gonna launch them without their cars taking a forward step or more likely a leap.
In roundish figures, if the Tesla is using 3 motors to get to the 1,000, then that's 333bhp per motor. Bentley will surely raise the game with a 400+ horse motor for each wheel?
And that will filter down the rest of the VW group...etc etc.
How long till the 2,000bhp family car?

[Steve Payne]

How long till the 2,000bhp family car?

Dont get me wrong as much as I think this will be amazing it will be a total waist of money and resources with the new speed restrictions that must be fitted to all new vehicles from next year? You will be potentially be at the national speed limit in a couple of seconds and not be able to go any faster. I understand you will be able to override it but who will want to drive with a loud warning buzzer or what ever they fit every time you go over the limit.

I was hoping with Brexit we would not be complying with this crazy new regulation but sadly not.

Steve

[Richie]

Top speed has indeed become irrelevant, or at least, less relevant.
I read an interview a while back of Stephan Winkelmann, then boss of Lamborghini, who said that top speed was becoming less important as it really couldn't be used, and the company focus was moving to prioritising handling, acceleration and top speed, in that order.

[johnw]

The 2010 Gallardo basically their entry model, topped 200MPH. No one would buy anything slower today. Their priorities are correct in that context. Border crossing from Switzerland to Germany is still allowed, and with curfews and time over the border cruising top speed is important. Cruising at indicated 110mph for an hour solid in a small VW, you feel the car lacking compared to other vehicles mainly in top end acceleration. 0-60 is rarely used you are switching between roads with filters rarely a T junction. Lights in town but lots of cameras.

I am surprised the Trabant is not more popular in the UK as a classic car. They sound awesome on expansion chambers. You might as well have some crazy fun if the speed limit is 70. Do your bit to stop the Ice Age.

Top speed has indeed become irrelevant, or at least, less relevant.
I read an interview a while back of Stephan Winkelmann, then boss of Lamborghini, who said that top speed was becoming less important as it really couldn't be used, and the company focus was moving to prioritising handling, acceleration and top speed, in that order.

[Stuartjensen]

Gill and I have a Tesla model X as a daily driver and are very impressed. Friends bang on and on about the charge anxiety but we rarely trouble the max range and in terms of convenience it beats diesel unless you have a pump on your drive?

We regularly (used) to travel to the Vendee, and hope to do so in the future. We travel to Portsmouth and use the Havant supercharger having a picnic/ comfort break for 30-40 minutes then ferry (with the ventilation on in “dog mode”) and travel to our destination about 200 miles on the other side.

On the one occasion we were at the last minute (M3 closed due to accident) we went straight to the ferry and charged in France instead.

We have a link which allows the car to charge from out solar panels; in the summer this provides for our daily needs though we do need the grid this time of year.

The driving technique requires a little bit of learning, principally not accelerating so hard that the passengers swallow their dentures!

[Stuartjensen]

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[MikeWilliams]

Nothing to do with Jensens, but I would like advice and the EV forums seem to dismiss any questions they can't answer as being "negative" and throw insults at anyone who is not 100% pro electric.

My main car is a 12 year old Citroen C4 Grand Picasso which has done 160,000 miles and will fail its MOT sometime surely. It still has its original clutch and that alone would cost more than the car is worth. So, I am researching in preparation. It has 7 seats, a 7ft load space and is cheap to run. What electric equivalent is there, as most EVs still seem to be tiny.

Thanks,

Mike

[Stuartjensen]

Hi Mike

Yes I do know what you mean about the zealots on the EV sites, just ignore!

As I mention above Gill and I run a Tesla model X, we have the 5 seat version but it is sold as a 7 seater. With the seats down the load space is enormous though I haven't actually measured, even the "fruit" (front boot) is bigger than the conventional boot in my Healey.

The real drawback is the cost, even second hand as our was it is a sizable capital investment! The lack of fuel bills and free excise licence make me happy though.

[MikeWilliams]

Thanks Stuart. I hope to be driving for another 15 years. Do you reckon a Tesla will be good for 15 years and 200,000 miles? After that I don't care what the residual value might be.

Mike

[Stuartjensen]

Hi Mike

Crystal ball time? I am aware there are some Tesla Taxis in California which have done phenomenal mileage but for Joe Soap they haven't been going long enough to tell.

Of course they have lots of self driving capacity so you may be able to use long after you can't actually drive! The main problem might be that you arrive at your destination having forgotten why you were going there?

[Richie]

The EV fanaticism, particularly surrounding Tesla, was also why I came here looking for advice
There are those to whom Elon Musk is some kind of god and even justified criticism of his cars is blasphemy.

I've been well chuffed with "mine", though far too early to tell how it'll be after 200,000 miles...

You're right about a limited choice of larger EVs but if your Citroën can soldier on for another year or so, that will undoubtedly change.

Here are words that haven't been seen in the same sentence before but... the new EV6 by Kia looks exciting. Since when have Kia been anywhere close to exciting?!? What is going on?

But here are other words we've not previously seen together - Kia ...0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds!

With, for example, VW and the ID3 and ID4 out, it won't be long till the larger stuff is also electric.

How big is the Ford Mustang Mach E? (Great looking car... terrible name!)

[colin7673]

Here is something to think about as well.

Maybe electric isn't the way forward

https://youtu.be/tnzuuLpYFVg

[Stuartjensen]

Hi Colin

I expect than when my granddaughter is driving there will be a mixture of propulsion systems co-existing but they will all have to be zero or ultra low emission. Much as diesel never killed petrol off and LPG was always a small but persistent sector.

Actually I wonder if she will "drive" at all, possibly summon the car on her iPhone and tell it where to take her (and wake her up when she arrives?)

Whatever system we will need proper distribution networks, at least with electric you have a "fuel pump" on the drive which is pretty convenient.

[felixkk]

Two films of the Tesla doing Pikes Peak:

https://youtu.be/v3NJRgv8ThA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvZMwiwnLVg

[AH1951]

Made me smile.

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Adrian Harlow