Clueless NYT reporter manages to get stranded in Model S

Top Gear won the lawsuit but did fake it.

I think this response looks bad for Mr. Musk but not for Tesla or the fast chargers. There is good information here.

We can blame Telsa for poor education of the reviewer. At summer temperatures that range would have been fine. Musk was right it wasn't full and should have been, but that doesn't sound like Broader's fault. The review might have said it takes 90 minutes for a full charge, factual.

That's a real head scratcher. Perhaps Tesla records its calls. Both Broader and the Tesla employee seemed to think there is something magic about BEVs that they get more energy from braking.

That seems dumb on tesla's part, but helps explain why Broader didn't stop earlier at a L2 charger when he felt anxiety. This is the first PR fail on tesla's part that is their fault. Hopefully they will learn from it. It shouldn't make the car look bad, but all this coverage is.

 

I think the press knows Elon gets all wound up and they're playing on it.

Instead of suing Top Gear (which is probably what his California lawyers suggested) which played into the hands of everyone outside of litigation friendly America, Elon and Tesla should have just laughed it off and given a more positive response.

Toyota sales went up after the worldwide recall debacle, because people aren't stupid and know Toyotas are generally good cars. The same with Tesla, even though they're a new company. My girlfriend fell in love with the Tesla Roadster off Dallas as it sounded futuristic. When I mentioned it was one of those electric cars I love, she was smitten.

Tesla need more subtle product placement and less cry baby lawsuits, at least in my uneducated opinion.

 

“Believe it or not, most of what you watch on television is scripted.
What you may not know is that some shows which appear unscripted, like the BBC’s infamous Top Gear, are also scripted word for word. Everything from the banter between its three middle-aged hosts to its madcap challenges and car reviews has been meticulously planned, before any filming takes place.” Tesla Vs BBC: Top Gear Planned Dead Electric Car Shot Before Test

Top Gear On Electric Cars: “We Are Allowed To Put Into A Film What We Want To”

 

Bit off topic, but I'm looking forward to going all electric .. sometime. Yes, the Prius is the best on gas, 50 something, but I still have to go to the gas station and put in $35 per fillup.

 

Here is the top gear side of it
Top Gear Responds to Tesla's Lawsuit | Autopia | Wired.com
Which says that yes it was scripted and they faked it, but it not liable. Top gear argues that its not liable, because they didn't explicitly say things they just made it seem that they were true. The car didn't run out of battery at 55 miles as dramatized, they asked tesla how long it would take to drain going on a race track, and didn't really mention those facts.

I don't think Musk or Tesla was hurt by the lawsuit. Without the lawsuit I doubt that Top Gear would have publicized the facts that is was scripted and faked. This got Tesla publicity, and cleared things up.

Going after Broader is a different matter, and I think this may hurt them. Tesla has grown and now has a production automobile. It needs a PR person to respond in a more nuanced way to get their side of the story out.

 

Where's a State Tropper when you need one?

 

Large Drop in Charge When Parked in the Cold

battery is the problemo with the Tesla. read the thread from owners.. and this is what the NYT reporter also experienced despite all the huffing and puffing by Musk.

 

It's only a problem if you are a moron.

 

moron or not... if you happen to park it in cold weather = FAIL

exactly the same issue the NYT reporter brought up btw...

 

That brings up a failure of Tesla's PR people, not the car, as explained by broader himself. The quick chargers are too far apart for the next year or so in that region. If you are going to stay outside, not plugged in, with a low charge you need to sit and wait at a L2 charger and charge up before driving further.

 

I wouldn't call it a fail. But it is a major problem with batteries.

But then again, what car is perfect? A Prius gets really great fuel economy but doesn't haul much stuff. A truck hauls a lot of stuff but can't carry 7 passengers. A minivan can carry 7 passengers but doesn't have 4wd drive. An SUV has 4wd but gets terrible fuel economy. And we come back to the Prius.

You won't find a car without faults or fits every situation. An EV that does terrible in cold weather that doesn't work for you isn't a fail. It just wont sell well where you are. I can name another car that doesn't work well in cold weather. It's called a convertible. They sell just fine in California.

 

Not everything is going perfectly for Tesla, but, no denying they have produced the best all-electric car for sale in history. Or does anyone else know one better?

 

It's not the car that is ticking people off, it's the fact the journalist did not approach the evaluation in an ethical manner.

 

i would call it a battery issue... not a reporter problem. read the thread on the tesla forum... lots of questions and concerns/performance problems in cold weather.

 

There really was not even a battery issue as that reporter fed in details today. There are battery limitations that he was checking on. He wanted to check out if the Super charger network was adequate in the cold, so he did not plug in at night in the hotel. Telsa also blew it, when he told them he had anxiety, they didn't prompt him to stay at the L2 charger longer. That would have still given him something to write about, but in no way would a reasonable person need a tow, even according to broader.

Musk has said that the super chargers are too far apart, and they will have more up soon. Then the same reporter will be able to easily make it between them. I don't think tesla will fail to tell reporters to fully charge the batteries in the future.

 

one of the "killer apps" that needs to be developed for EVs is a smart trip planner. the app needs to crowd source from other EVs to dynamically calculate a trip itinerary that integrates all forms of charging into the schedule of rest stops, overnight stays, meal stops, and other events.

if the cost to "advertise" your hotel or restaurant on the Tesla's 17inch navigation screen is that you have to provide a charging opportunity, guess what would happen? "Pick Me! Pick Me!"

a regular 120V outlet overnight would have kept the Tesla's battery warm and added plenty of charge to have made this particular trip uneventful, albeit it also would have been unpublished.

 

Battery Is not the problem. The driver was unaware of how to manage a EV vehicle. Much of that comes with experience. Everyone who owns a Tesla knows that if you park the car at night you plug it in. Duh

 

The LA Times did a classy review.

Review: Tesla's electric Model S is a truly competitive premium sedan - latimes.com

 

read the TESLA thread.. from actual owners.. you know folks that actually bought a TESLA and are reporting cold weather issues and range. there certainly is a battery issue in cold weather. sorry I'm not drinking the koolaid.