Clueless NYT reporter manages to get stranded in Model S

With that in the spot light now, The NY Times should publish a retraction, and the journalist should pen and sign his resignation. This is serious business and you cannot belittle the trust.

 

Elon's / Tesla blog response -

A Most Peculiar Test Drive | Blog | Tesla Motors

 

CNN Money article.

Looks like it is now a twitter battle between John Broder the unethical and down right stupid journalist and Elon Musk. Geez. Broder should come clean now that it is evident he did a particial charge, the system told him he would not have the juice to make his next destination, a Tesla employee told him he would not make it, and he delibertly drove the car on a detour and in circles to run the battery down.

Tesla's Elon Musk fires back at the New York Times - Economy

 

Tesla Releases Driving Logs Contradicting NYT's Scathing Review of Model S | Autopia | Wired.com

For those of you that thinks its OK for a reporter to claim that he had to coast in, then we find out he is driving around the parking lot trying to kill the battery, I have a question for you. When did the truth become truthiness for the NYT? We now know that since that didn't work he allegedly decided to undercharge the battery to get it to fail.

From Mr. Broder himself
The Charges Are Flying Over a Test of Tesla's Charging Network - NYTimes.com

Confirming he did not fully charge the car. Did he do this becaue he knew he wouldn't need it as he claims, or because he thought it would get the car to stop before the supercharger? Why did he not point out in his article that if he had fully charged it, instead of driving around the parking lot, he likely would have been fine.

 

Nice find. I read it. Perfect time line. Waiting on a Press Release from the Editor of the Times.

 

Time magazine article from less than an hour ago. They support Elon and come down hard on NY Times reporter Broder.

Tesla Motors Pours Cold Data on New York Times ‘Model S’ Review | TIME.com

 

From this article, I wouldn't call John Broder and EV hater. He seems to be telling things reasonably closely to how they are.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/sunday-review/the-electric-car-unplugged.html?pagewanted=all&_r=3&

At mfrs car show, you see what consumers get to choose from ...

Exhibit A - a Ford Focus EV priced at $39,000 and goes 80 miles on a charge .... walk hundred feet away

Exhibit B - a true midsize sedan Honda Accord 2013 for $23,000 and looking very good.

It sucks about the high cost and range limitations of BEVs and PHEVs, but ...

I hope my next car doesn't have a gas engine.

 

I would say that he is trying to muck up controversy from that article.

That seems quite negative, but is clearly opinion. I don't see any made up facts in that piece.

I don't know how you explain driving around the parking lot in circles then by his own admission only charging the car to 185 miles at the last station if it wasn't to try and create a situation where he could photograph the car on a tow truck? If he didn't have time to charge it fully up, why did he have time to drive in circles? Why would you claim to turn the heat down, but turn it up instead? Writing that he just doesn't like BEVs is not nearly as fun or entertaining as forcing a photo op.

I don't think reasonably close is good enough for journalists. When they distort the facts for sensationalism they need to be called to task for it.

 

Hey, I posted about 12 hours earlier in this this thread (post 203).

Anyhow, more from the NY Times now: Conflicting Assertions Over an Electric Car Test Drive | The Public Editor - NYTimes.com.

 

Musk claimed that Tesla S never run out of juice... but it did...

Apperantly, main battery stopped charging 12v to protect itself and the car died. So Musk is being "innovative", as main battery never discharged completely, because it never will reach 0% due to protection but the car did not want to start regardless, was dead and had to be towed, which was also a problem.



more on Jalopnik:

Towing Company: The NYT Tesla Model S Was Dead When It Was On The Flatbed (Update)


And Antlantic Wire run a piece on acusations and what seems to have happened:
Elon Musk's Data Doesn't Back Up His Claims of New York Times Fakery - Technology - The Atlantic Wire

Parking lot ride was for 0.6 miles total, while he was trying to find the supercharger since he couldnt find it easily.

Musk might have dealt Tesla a blow that it might not recover easily from.

If this was a normal company, he would have to step down as a CEO for sure. What a dumbass. NYT rebutal will be easy and will run on every news station that exist in the world. What a horrible way to run your business Musk. Well, shareholders business.

 

p.s. I like Tesla... I want to buy one. So I am not arguing anything against their cars. But there are truths that need to be accepted here and there was nothing wrong being done, that isnt done in every single car review there is. And you dont run your PR like you forum flame wars.

 

The Time magazine mentioned that many CEO's would just walk away and not challange. But Elon is a Maverick, a BS and MS in Physics, and a PHD candiate who left to start a company. He co founded Pay Pal, and founded Space X and Tesla. He is a smart guy. People who come from nothing to something show leadership. Leadersip in part is to defend your company with vigor and go after half truths and attacks. What is indicated is that Elon did the right thing. It is obvious that this reporter did not give the car the full charge, the log and Telsa rep gave clear and precise information to the reporter that you will not make your destination, he decided to start the journey knowing he will fall short, he was told to lower his speed and temperature and did the opposite raised the temperature 2 degrees and increased speed and took a detour in Manhattan and drove the car in circles. It is obvious his intention was to not compleet the journey. He should be FIRED.

A reporter from the Washington Post is conducting the same identical jorney now, and is getting along fine.

 

In Broder's original article, he said

" After making arrangements to recharge at the Norwich station, I located the proper adapter in the trunk, plugged in and walked to the only warm place nearby, Butch’s Luncheonette and Breakfast Club, an establishment (smoking allowed) where only members can buy a cup of coffee or a plate of eggs. But the owners let me wait there while the Model S drank its juice. Tesla’s experts said that pumping in a little energy would help restore the power lost overnight as a result of the cold weather, and after an hour they cleared me to resume the trip to Milford."

Elon Musk said:
"The final leg of his trip was 61 miles and yet he disconnected the charge cable when the range display stated 32 miles. He did so expressly against the advice of Tesla personnel and in obvious violation of common sense.

Broder clearly claims he was in contact with Tesla 'after an hour' charging in Norwich. What exactly was said back and forth?

If Tesla has some phone or written log with Broder acknowledging Tesla's advice, then ignoring it, then lying about it, there should be some consequences.

 

EXACTLY !

 

I doubt they have the phone record, or even if they do that it would say what we want to hear.

My dramatization -
Tesla: Make sure you have enough power to reach the quick charger. Don't unplug it without enough miles showing.
Broder: I've been plugged in for an hour which should be plenty to reach the quick charger
Tesla: Sure you can head out then

Broder gets into the car, looks at the 32 miles and grins as he rubs his hands and thinks excellent, maybe I don't even need to speed, or do loops, or detours to get a tow truck

-Please note this is only a dramatization of what a reporter might do if he wanted to call a tow truck. I did not hear the conversation, nor do I know any other facts than the car indicated it didn't have enough power to make it to the quick charger. It is a more honest account than what the NYT published though

Here is some new information about the tow - It turns out that Broder turned off the car when he stopped. The Traction battery still had power, but the 12V battery was dead, and this prevented changing the parking brake. I would say these facts follow Broder's story, everything else seems like a dramatization of what could happen, but not what would actually happen to a tesla driver. I would expect a telsa driver to fully charge at the quick charger, not undercharge to dramatize charging at an L2 and then leaving early.

 

Broder has a History of attacking the EV

 

We now have Broder's elaboration on that -
That Tesla Data: What It Says and What It Doesn't - NYTimes.com

So here we have the answer. Broder was not cleared by Tesla with 32 miles on the car, he was told to charge for an hour. He did not tell them the computer said the car said the battery was not charged. They did not tell him to go on. At worst Telsa was not explicit, to stay plugged in until the car said at least 65 miles. Broder may just have been fed up and wanted to get on his way, but he had to know with 32 miles showing the odds were not great that he would make it.

Now Musk may also be wrong that Ms. Ra and Mr. Merendino explicitly told him not to do what he did. Let's wait for them to chime into this.

 

If you look at the Tesla website it has an interactive calculator for range and charge that includes the temperature. Anyone researching and buying an electric car, particular one costing close to $100K looks at this and knows from the get go the issue of temperature, range and charge rate.'

The times reporter would likely have run a Model T out of gas and claimed the whole idea of autos and gas stations was not ready for prime time.

 

I tell you, Mr. Broder is damn good. That is one heck of a colorful story to wrap nicely around the data. I know EV's. I look at the data and he's obviously lying. John Q Public will read this and see rich CEO attacking defenseless journalist. Hate to admit it but unless Tesla can come up with some more data. Tesla, Musk, and electric vehicles lost this battle.

 

I think this illustration is understandable by most. The reporter did not fully charge at the superchargers as instructed.