First Tesla Model S test drive with Elon Musk (video)

PeakOilGarage · 03-28-2009, 10:16 AM

Elon Musk unveils the new Tesla Sedan at the SpaceX rocket factory. Steve Jurvetson was fortunate to take the first test drive, and he let the video run for the whole ride.

First Tesla Model S Sedan Test Drive Peak Oil Garage

daniel · 03-28-2009, 11:23 AM

I could not watch the whole video. Who put that annoying music on it??? The car is very quiet, but I wanted to hear just how quiet it really is, and I cannot, because of that stinking music. Are we such a brain-dead society that even a video documenting a new car has to have music overlaid onto it like a goddamned Hollywood movie?

**efusco** · 03-28-2009, 12:45 PM

Daniel, Elon put on the music in the car. It's the ipod playing. But yea, I'd rather it were off too.

sent in my reservation agreement today. I should be officially on the list now...no idea what number yet though.

daniel · 03-28-2009, 04:44 PM

Too bad he didn't leave the music off for at least part of the time. (And I am not impressed by his choice! I'd have put on New Orleans jazz. King Oliver would go well in that car.)

You're going to have a long few years, waiting and anticipating. Waiting is hell. The two-month wait for my Prius was hard, and I'm at my wit's end after waiting 9 months for my electric Porsche. But everyone here is going to be so damn envious of you, having a low number when the waiting list is a few thousand, and later driving that car. (Though if my Porsche ever does come I won't be too terribly envious: I like the looks of the Porsche better. You'll have a more practical car cheaper, but if the Porsche deal does not fall completely through, I ought to be driving it a lot sooner.)

**Tideland Prius** · 03-28-2009, 04:59 PM

Not bad... Outkast is nice but I can barely hear their conversation over the music.

PeakOilGarage · 03-28-2009, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daniel

You're going to have a long few years, waiting and anticipating. Waiting is hell. The two-month wait for my Prius was hard, and I'm at my wit's end after waiting 9 months for my electric Porsche. But everyone here is going to be so damn envious of you, having a low number when the waiting list is a few thousand, and later driving that car.

I will console myself waiting for the Model S by driving my Tesla Roadster Sport.

**efusco** · 03-28-2009, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeakOilGarage

I will console myself waiting for the Model S by driving my Tesla Roadster Sport.

Yea yea yea....

If you or anyone you know has and extra friends/family invite be sure to send it my way.

**efusco** · 03-30-2009, 08:28 AM

Here's another ride video without the radio playing (the touch screen had actually broken) with a couple nice demos of acceleration.

YouTube - Ride in the Tesla Model S sedan

daniel · 03-30-2009, 10:39 AM

Two comments:

1. Putting everything on the touch screen means that if the touch screen quits, nothing in the car works. I prefer buttons. Sometimes the desire to seem "futuristic" is inconsistent with being practical!

2. I intensely dislike the way they do re-gen: taking your foot off the accelerator activates regen braking. As the fellow comments in the video, there should be a switch to turn that off. My Xebra free-wheels when I take my foot off the pedal, and I like that much better. As we all know, the Prius emulates an automatic transmission by applying regenerative braking when you let off the accelerator, so that drivers will feel like it's a "normal" car, and I think we'd all prefer to free-wheel, and keep the re-gen braking in the brake pedal. I want my car to slow down when I step on the brake, not when I let off the accelerator.

I'd still buy this car. I just think these two items should have been done differently.

**efusco** · 03-30-2009, 01:46 PM

[quote=daniel;821775]Two comments:

1. Putting everything on the touch screen means that if the touch screen quits, nothing in the car works. I prefer buttons. Sometimes the desire to seem "futuristic" is inconsistent with being practical!
[quote]
Agree to a degree. Some stuff does work better with knobs/buttons. But I'm comfortable with a touch screen interface that I'm confident will be more reliable by the time they get the car into production.

Quote:

2. I intensely dislike the way they do re-gen: taking your foot off the accelerator activates regen braking. As the fellow comments in the video, there should be a switch to turn that off. My Xebra free-wheels when I take my foot off the pedal, and I like that much better. As we all know, the Prius emulates an automatic transmission by applying regenerative braking when you let off the accelerator, so that drivers will feel like it's a "normal" car, and I think we'd all prefer to free-wheel, and keep the re-gen braking in the brake pedal. I want my car to slow down when I step on the brake, not when I let off the accelerator.

I'd still buy this car. I just think these two items should have been done differently.

Agree. A very mild regen might be OK with a button to turn it off and allow free-wheeling is preferable.

03-28-2009, 10:16 AM	#1
PeakOilGarage Nothing less than 99.9 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 334 My Car: 2009 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 12 Times in 12 Posts Friends: 8	First Tesla Model S test drive with Elon Musk (video) Elon Musk unveils the new Tesla Sedan at the SpaceX rocket factory. Steve Jurvetson was fortunate to take the first test drive, and he let the video run for the whole ride. First Tesla Model S Sedan Test Drive Peak Oil Garage

03-28-2009, 11:23 AM	#2
daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 11,278 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 59 Thanked 201 Times in 127 Posts Friends: 0	Re: First Tesla Model S test drive with Elon Musk (video) I could not watch the whole video. Who put that annoying music on it??? The car is very quiet, but I wanted to hear just how quiet it really is, and I cannot, because of that stinking music. Are we such a brain-dead society that even a video documenting a new car has to have music overlaid onto it like a goddamned Hollywood movie?

03-28-2009, 12:45 PM	#3
efusco Troll Slayer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nixa, MO Posts: 17,222 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: #9 Thanks: 49 Thanked 245 Times in 145 Posts Friends: 37	Re: First Tesla Model S test drive with Elon Musk (video) Daniel, Elon put on the music in the car. It's the ipod playing. But yea, I'd rather it were off too. sent in my reservation agreement today. I should be officially on the list now...no idea what number yet though.

03-28-2009, 04:44 PM	#4
daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 11,278 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 59 Thanked 201 Times in 127 Posts Friends: 0	Re: First Tesla Model S test drive with Elon Musk (video) Too bad he didn't leave the music off for at least part of the time. (And I am not impressed by his choice! I'd have put on New Orleans jazz. King Oliver would go well in that car.) You're going to have a long few years, waiting and anticipating. Waiting is hell. The two-month wait for my Prius was hard, and I'm at my wit's end after waiting 9 months for my electric Porsche. But everyone here is going to be so damn envious of you, having a low number when the waiting list is a few thousand, and later driving that car. (Though if my Porsche ever does come I won't be too terribly envious: I like the looks of the Porsche better. You'll have a more practical car cheaper, but if the Porsche deal does not fall completely through, I ought to be driving it a lot sooner.) __________________ Daniel Primary car: 100% Electric 2003 Porsche 911 Carrera. Estimated range at 55 mph: 81 miles total or 64 miles to 80% discharge. Top speed 70 mph. Secondary car: Zap Xebra SD, also 100% electric. 1.9 cents per mile. Range: 40 miles total, or 32 miles to 80% discharge. Top speed 35 mph. Faster downhill. Both EVs use electrons generated from water power. Gas guzzler for when I have to travel farther than 60 miles: 2004 Prius. "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." -- Emma Goldman "Anyone who has ever looked into the glazed eyes of a soldier dying on the battlefield will think long and hard before starting a war." -- Otto von Bismarck

03-28-2009, 04:59 PM	#5
Tideland Prius Moderator of the North Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 19,407 My Car: 2010 Prius Model: N/A Package: Technology Package (Canada) Thanks: 215 Thanked 327 Times in 228 Posts Friends: 22	Re: First Tesla Model S test drive with Elon Musk (video) Not bad... Outkast is nice but I can barely hear their conversation over the music.

03-30-2009, 10:39 AM	#9
daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 11,278 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 59 Thanked 201 Times in 127 Posts Friends: 0	Re: First Tesla Model S test drive with Elon Musk (video) Two comments: 1. Putting everything on the touch screen means that if the touch screen quits, nothing in the car works. I prefer buttons. Sometimes the desire to seem "futuristic" is inconsistent with being practical! 2. I intensely dislike the way they do re-gen: taking your foot off the accelerator activates regen braking. As the fellow comments in the video, there should be a switch to turn that off. My Xebra free-wheels when I take my foot off the pedal, and I like that much better. As we all know, the Prius emulates an automatic transmission by applying regenerative braking when you let off the accelerator, so that drivers will feel like it's a "normal" car, and I think we'd all prefer to free-wheel, and keep the re-gen braking in the brake pedal. I want my car to slow down when I step on the brake, not when I let off the accelerator. I'd still buy this car. I just think these two items should have been done differently.

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