Electric Vehicle Thread!

[Grall]

Still a far cry from a true "volkswagen".

There are no true "volkswagens" anymore, unless you buy your car in either China or India, and then it folds up like an accordion should you crash into anything.

There's a reason car companies don't build and sell super cheap cars (in the west) anymore, and that's because they're lethal to their occupants.

Of course, an electric drivetrain doesn't do much to keep costs down either...

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Wonder if that is true. When they finally started producing the Volkswagen in 1938 it apparently cost 85 Pounds.
http://www.vsvwa.freeservers.com/bughist2.html

They didn't make a lot of them because of the war and the post war models are much more expensive. Now depending on whichever historical inflation calculator you believe, that is about 5000 ~ 5500 pounds in today's money, or ~7500 US dollar/~6600 euro.

In Belgium the most basic Dacia is a little under 80000 euros and that thing scored 4 NCAP stars so it's not a complete deathtrap either. That is not such a big gap, probably disposable income has increased as well over the 30's. In Japan you can buy some Kei cars for 6000 ~ 7000 euros, though I wouldn't want to get in an accident in one of those things.

Of course car manufacturers could sell cheap and safe cars. It's not like some crumple zones, seat belts and a few airbags cost thousands of euro's extra. Its the creature comforts people want these days that add to the price.

 

[Malo]

The most basic vehicle in many countries require specific safety levels, and airbags do cost quite a lot. The typical airbag replacement cost including all the mechanisms is about $4,000 per bag, the actual airbag itself costing around $500-1000. A country like India though have cars that can start around $3,000-$4,000 US.

 

[Grall]

Wonder if that is true.

Don't wonder. A simple googling could have told you:
http://www.autocarpro.in/news-national/breaking-zero-stars-indian-cars-global-ncap-crash-tests-19847

Btw, check date of publication... May 2016. That's THIS year, I'd like to point out, not bloody 1938. Zero fucking stars.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Did you actually read my post?

 

[Sxotty]

Haven't they announced a new model that will cost $30k and might not be on the roads until 2018?

And? The leaf already does that. The Chevy bolt certainly sounds better than the model 3. We will see, but thus far Tesla has done almost nothing that is actually innovative. The are basically a marketing machine. I will gladly change my tune if the model 3 takes off and actually lives up to hype and promises.

As far as reliability goes here is one link.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-consumer-reports-tesla-models-20151020-story.html

Electric vehicles are inherently way simpler and more reliable yet Tesla still struggles. They waste energy doing foolish things like falcon wing doors and crappy transmissions. Failed battery packs due to poor design.

 

[rcf]

What happens to the batteries of an electric car if they are severely punctured during a car crash?
Do they catch fire, leak acid, fumes or something?

 

[Grall]

And? The leaf already does that. The Chevy bolt certainly sounds better than the model 3.

Both leaf and bolt are tiny cars with low performance. Tesla model 3 is a full, family-sized sedan (which IIRC accelerates 0-100kph in less than 7 seconds, incidentally...)

 

[Davros]

So the model 3 is a large car with low performance

 

[Grall]

If you consider 0-100 in >7s low performance, then yes. Otherwise, nooooooo....

 

[tuna]

Wrong text.

 

[tuna]

We will see, but thus far Tesla has done almost nothing that is actually innovative. The are basically a marketing machine. I will gladly change my tune if the model 3 takes off and actually lives up to hype and promises.

Please tell me from whom I could buy another electric car that has a longer range than 300 km. I would definitely be in the market.

 

[Grall]

Yeah, just getting a full-EV into a practical everyday driver (even if it costs $80k) seems plenty innovative to me, but what do I know eh!

Also, 17" touchscreen dash not innovative? *shrug* Autopilot shit seems to be somewhat innovative though, right? All-wheel drive on an electric vehicle with sportscar-beating acceleration? Okay, not innovative. Supercharger tech? Electric gullwing doors?

 

[zed]

Not to mention this
https://techcrunch.com/2013/08/19/tesla-model-s-highest-safety-rating/
true Musk aint as inn0vative as steve jobs with his
#1 Ipod, and #2 ipod with cellular capabilities (iphone) and the #3 larger version of said device (ipad) but then again who is?

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Yeah, just getting a full-EV into a practical everyday driver (even if it costs $80k) seems plenty innovative to me, but what do I know eh!

Also, 17" touchscreen dash not innovative? *shrug* Autopilot shit seems to be somewhat innovative though, right? All-wheel drive on an electric vehicle with sportscar-beating acceleration? Okay, not innovative. Supercharger tech? Electric gullwing doors?

A bigger battery pack isnt what I would call innovative. Touch screen console? How people can possible drive a car without that i simply dont know... AAutopilot? I'd rather have poeple kept their hands on the wheel. Don't want to drive? Get on a train or bus. Would be much better for the environment as well, something you seem to place a lot of value on.

All wheel drive on an ev is easy and that sport car beating acceleration is limited to something like 0 - 100kmph simply because of how electric and ic engines work.

connecting an actuator to a door isnt exactly some magical level of engineering either and you could wonder if gullwing doors are actually all that practical.

Tesla is much like apple. Defenitly a good product but a lot of the actaul popularity is due to good timing and marketing.

 

[Grall]

You're certainly good at dismissing things, I'll grant you that.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Beats ignoring reality.

 

[tuna]

Beats ignoring reality.

Like you do?

 

[tuna]

Don't want to drive? Get on a train or bus. Would be much better for the environment as well, something you seem to place a lot of value on.

Depending on how your electricity is generated and what kind of fuel the bus runs on it might be less environmentally damaging to take your EV than a bus.

Do you want more info?

 

[Grall]

Beats ignoring reality.

Reality, which is what exactly? You haven't offered a smidgen of objective input to the thread, just your own opinion that 'tesla does not innovate'.