Tesla Model S Named 'Car of the Year' 303
A reader writes with news that Automobile Magazine has named the all-electric Tesla Model S its Car of the Year. Quoting:
"We weren't expecting much from the Tesla other than some interesting dinner conversation as we considered 'real' candidates like the Subaru BRZ and the Porsche Boxster. In fact, the Tesla blew them, and us, away.
Actually, the Model S can blow away almost anything. 'It's the performance that won us over,' admits editor-in-chief Jean Jennings. 'The crazy speed builds silently and then pulls back the edges of your face. It had all of us endangering our licenses.' Our Model S was of Signature Performance spec, which means its AC induction motor puts out 416 hp and that it blasts to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. ... You'll note that we haven't even discussed Tesla's raison d'etre, which is, in Musk's words, 'To accelerate the advent of electric cars.' That's another credit to the Model S's overall execution and seductive powers. 'The electric motor does not define this car,' says Nelson. But it is, at the end of the day, what makes this very good sport sedan an absolute game changer. The Model S's range, rated by the EPA at 265 miles with the largest battery, finally fits the American conception of driving."
Re:American concept of pricing? (Score:4, Informative)
Well, it is pitched at the people who are looking at a BMW 5 series and think that it isn't advanced enough. As a result, 78K is expensive, but still within budget range.
As for the fate of the Fiskers.... they seem to be badly engineered. From what I saw in reviews, there are all kinds of engineering issues that range from how it drives to how the electrical system holds up even under normal driving. That said, I don't think I would want to submerge any of these fully electric cars. I did put down 5k to be in line for one of these babies, but I will also leave money aside to have a rock-solid gasoline-powered car that will handle the situations that the Tesla shouldn't. No need to pull all eggs in one basket.
Re:American concept of pricing? (Score:5, Informative)
Yet it is a luxury sports sedan that has performance and amenities similar to other luxury sports sedans in its price range.
This isn't supposed to compete in price against a honda civic or aerostar minivan because it is for an entirely different market.
Re:American concept of pricing? (Score:3, Informative)
I think this fits in fine with the American concept of pricing for vehicles in its class
Make no mistake, this is no chevy volt. It's a performance luxury sedan that happens to be electric
On the topic of the Karamas, they've had a series of fire issues. Including one recall that may or may not have solved all of the issues.
http://green.autoblog.com/2011/12/29/fisker-officially-recalls-karma-over-battery-safety-issue/ [autoblog.com]
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/12/fisker-flambe-second-karma-spontaneously-combusts-w-video/ [autoblog.com]
http://www.insideline.com/fisker/karma/uncertainty-surrounds-fisker-karma-fire-automaker-contends.html [insideline.com]
Re:"Model S" (Score:2, Informative)
42% of electricity is generated from coal. You've still got a bad environmental footprint. You're just not polluting your immediate area.
Re:Exactly. 78k is luxury territory (Score:4, Informative)
Hybrid electric cars like the Prius C are $20k new, but that's not exactly what you're asking about, I realize.
The battery is a big factor in the Model S' cost. 85 kilowatts of lithium ion batteries ain't cheap.
The Prius isn't really electric in any sense. Its an Atkinson Cycle car, with a battery and electric motor to make it usable in the real world. There's a reason it can't go highway speeds on electric. That's true of all the hybrids. The Volt is the only non-pure-EV that is really still an EV.
You can buy an EV today at affordable price (Score:5, Informative)
I have a Nissan Leaf. Range is under 100 miles but that meets my around town driving needs. We have my wife;s Prius for trips. Lease prices in October for 2012s were $200/month, $0 down, 24 months. Top speed is >90mph, seats 4 comfortably, 5 if a couple are kids. Decent trunk room. Good acceleration. Overnight charging in the garage with 120V (included) charger keeps me running, and my employer has 6 free charging stations on site, our town has 4, hospital has 2, etc.
Since there is no ICE, there is no oil to change, no transmission, no fluids to change, only 2 (windshield washer, inverter coolant) to top off. Only maintenance is changing wiper blades and rotating tires.
All in all a very drivable car, great end of year pricing, and very low cost to drive. EVs are here, available and practical. I love mine.
Re:Canadians are out of luck! (Score:4, Informative)
Can anyone convince me that this car can do well in the Canadian winter?
I'm sure it will run great at forty below. For about ten kilometers.
Re:American concept of pricing? (Score:4, Informative)
There's a 40 kWh model that starts at $49,900 before the rebate, but it only gets 160 miles, and there's a 60 kWh model that starts at $59,900 before the rebate, but it only gets 230 miles. I can't figure out which model you may be thinking of. Not to mention the fact that none of them actually need a gas station at all since they're electric. ;)
Re:"Model S" (Score:5, Informative)
if you're in maine, half of your power is renewables and hydro and the other half is mostly natural gas. so... kind of depends where you live.
Nice car for some fraction of the market (Score:4, Informative)
The Model S's range, rated by the EPA at 265 miles with the largest battery, finally fits the American conception of driving.
But at $78,500 before a $7,500 tax rebate that doesn't fit the American concept of pricing.
It doesn't have to fit every American's price range. It just has to fit the price range of its target audience, which is people who would be buying Mercedes and BMW sedans.
(Also, that $78,500 price quoted was for a model near the top of the line-- the base model is $49,990. http://www.rsportscars.com/tesla/2013-tesla-model-s/ [rsportscars.com] Still a big chunk of cash, but not significantly more than other cars of its class.)
Re:20k electrics (Score:4, Informative)
Are you sure a 15 mile range would be all that useful?
The cost of the battery pack is probably at least $10k, but that's not enough to get the thing down to $20k.
The good news (for Tesla) is that it doesn't really matter for this particular car. It's competing in the luxury sports sedan market, where the $70k Model S is actually priced about the same as the gasoline-powered competition of that class. That's a big factor in why automag gave it the "car of the year", because it's a better car at the same price.
If you're choosing Mercedes E-550 for $75k or the Tesla Model S for $70k, and the Model S is considered to be a better car, the price isn't really a factor in that decision. Inconvenience of recharging might be, but the fact that the range on this thing is comparable to a gasoline car means it's fine except for long trips that don't have a supercharge station in the path you want to drive. That should be at least partially resolved in a year or two, once the Supercharge network covers most important routes in the US and Canada.