I can’t believe it has been almost a year since we’ve got Nikola. Over 22,000 miles on the odometer is a testimony to the fact that it is still as fun to drive as when I picked it up. While some of the details might be fading away, I clearly remember the excitement leading to making it happen. The research, the test drive, the approval from my better half and my daughter, the pros/cons debate… finally THE day:

I asked one of my best friends to accompany me to the Tesla Service Center in Dallas, as he was always very supportive of my journey to Tesla ownership. I could not have it any other way, but to share the joy with him (he’s the one taking a quick photo of me trying to put a believable grin on my face, as at that moment I could not come to terms with the fact that it is really happening ;)). He also had an honor of driving it back – not without a fuss though, as he was insisting the honor should be mine. He reluctantly agreed on the notion that I will have plenty of time to enjoy the time behind the wheel after that. I digress though.

Our family has always enjoyed taking road trips. Some people might think that I am crazy when I say that I love to drive, but I really do. Maybe it is because of the fact that I have only gotten my driving license in my 30s (there was no sight of me ever getting a car when I was growing up, then there was no need for it when I moved to Asia), or maybe it is the breathtaking landscape that United States has to offer. Probably both. Our first trip was just few months after I’ve got my driving license – I was invited to a technical conference at Virginia Beach, VA. What a great excuse to drive there!

It should not come as a surprise then that the tradition continues with our model S. Just a week into ownership we have taken it on a maiden voyage to Waco, TX. It’s about 2 hours away from our home, so it gave us a good opportunity to try out the range anxiety (spoiler: there was none) while sweetening the deal with some great pastries on the way: first at the Czech Stop, then at Collin Street Bakery while testing the Supercharger.

On the way back we had found out about one of the (many) benefits of owning an electric vehicle – when the weather is nice (such as early summer in Texas) there’s very little penalty for idling in a stop-and-go traffic. The car has hardly lost any range despite being stuck in the traffic for about 45 minutes. Emissions-free, I might add. A win-win.

We’ve been thinking for a while now about revisiting some of our favorite spots from the previous trips, particularly Tennessee and North Carolina. Encouraged by the Waco excursion it was a quick decision to take Tesla for a real road test. Destination: Asheville, NC!

Day 1 (July 30th, 2017): Denton, TX – Memphis, TN

Map is courtesy of Google and A Better Route Planner.

We have traveled this route quite a few times before, so we decided not to stop much between our home base and Memphis. The only stops would be dictated by the need to recharge the car. We knew that we will need some extra time for that, so we left way before dawn. The first stop would be in Sulphur Springs (TX) some 100 miles away.

It’s a small, but lovely town – one that we promised ourselves to come back and explore later (since it is relatively nearby). The management seems to be taking a great care of restoring its buildings and streets to its prime, but also to attract some tourists by keeping the schedule busy with events. The Tesla Supercharger is definitely a great addition, conveniently located just a walking distance from town square. We plugged the car in and went to explore the town center while waiting for it to be recharged. That mirror-covered structure proved to be very handy before continuing on our journey ;).

Since you can see clearly from inside out, I wonder how it works after dark, when the light turns on…

Next stop was Texarcana, TX. Since we were new to the supercharging game we decided to get some extra “juice” on top of what the on-board trip planner was suggesting. We better not take any chances, especially that early into our trip.
The Texarcana Supercharger is conveniently located along I-30, right next to some chain restaurants and a strip mall.

From Texarcana we headed to Little Rock, AR. The Tesla Supercharger is located next to outlet mall. While getting off a freeway we missed the intersection/road that leads to it, so we had to loop back, which cost us few extra miles. No big deal though, since we had plenty of range left. The outlet was still closed when we arrived, but we took some time to wander around. Again, we spent more time than we needed, just to make sure we can arrive with plenty of range left at our final destination.

Finally, we were off to Memphis, TN.

It is a must for us to stop by and have a dinner at Gus’s Fried Chicken. I would highly recommend to anyone to give it a try. It does have a nice kick to it, so be warned 🙂

This concludes the first leg of our trip. We stayed in the city for the night. The supercharger was right behind the hotel where we lodged in. I went to charge the car in the evening, since we would be on our way bright and early next day.

Number of miles traveled: 470
Number of other Teslas spotted along the way: 0

Continue to part II…

One thing (among the others) that differentiate Tesla from other automakers is the software updates. We are so used to receiving them frequently and regularly that when there’s a short period of “drought” we feel like something must be amiss and conspiracy theories abound as to why this is happening.

The release notes for each update usually capture the general user functionality improvements, missing out a lot of other things that are being quietly updated “under the hood”. For example, this particular software only mentions the ability to open frunk/trunk from the Tesla app – it completely misses out that there has been a lot of work done around Autopilot. I have seen a number of reports from people who received this update before me that this is one major improvement. No surprise then that I wanted to test it for myself as soon as the update was installed on my car. Now, you might have remembered me cautioning about blindly entrusting your fate in the “hands” of Autopilot. To find out if the changes were as good as people claim to be, I hit my favorite road again.

I must say, it is impressive. None of the previous issues I have observed seem to persist anymore. The car behaves as if it was on rails, following the road with confidence-aspiring precision. Here’s a video to compare:

One of the other improvements (and potential pitfalls) I have noticed is the ability to handle wide lanes (such as parkways or on-/off-ramps) – the car recognizes it and automatically centers itself:

It is definitely better than in the past (the “ping-pong” effect is mostly gone), but in some cases, it might appear that we are trying to be a jerk and block the whole width of the lane, as if to prevent the person just joining the highway from potentially overtaking us in the process. I’ve also had one encounter when driving at night that could easily turn into a dangerous situation. I was following the driver ahead of me on a stretch of the divided highway where lane markings were amiss – my car decided that it must be a lane merge and quickly centered itself as it was a single lane!  This is exactly the same road I travel on daily and have used Autopilot numerous times- the only difference is that it was during the night and with a vehicle ahead of me, so the lane marking detection might have been obstructed (we just resumed the travel from a traffic light, so my distance to the leading vehicle was closer than the preset value of 5 seconds). Another evidence that one has to stay focused and not to rely on convenience features to replace our common sense.

* * *

After the recent fatal accident involving Model X on California’s highway, Tesla has issued number of statements as the investigation was ongoing. While it was not certain at first, it was concluded that Autopilot has been involved after all. This should serve as a reminder to everyone that the feature is there to assist the driver and by no means to replace one – we are ultimately responsible and in charge of the vehicle. Tesla has also updated its Autopilot page by adding the following line:

“Every driver is responsible for remaining alert and active when using Autopilot, and must be prepared to take action at any time.”

Ditto.

I’ve been rather busy lately (mostly trying to get myself back to shape), hence the frequency of my posts here suffered. I did tweet about the new initiative from Tesla after learning about it through the Dallas Fort Worth Clean Cities website, but I think it deserves more attention. The company has been known for building (and expanding) its Supercharger network to make long-distance travel possible in Model S or X. It has also been partnering with hotel and restaurant owners to install Destination Chargers in order to provide additional infrastructure along the travel routes. The updated program extends that partnership to:

• Multi-Family residences
• Workplaces
• Other (such as state and national parks, garages, shopping centers)

In a nutshell, Tesla will provide free Destination Chargers and subsidize a portion of the electrical installation per each station. It will also provide a generic Level 2 charger for non-Tesla vehicles, at least in the state of Texas (details can be found here).

In my opinion, this is a great initiative, coinciding with the deliveries of Model 3 starting to take place. If you own a Tesla, plan to buy one in future or simply know someone at your workplace or apartments that does, I would suggest to contact the company directly and find out more about this program. More details and contact forms can be found on Tesla’s website at https://www.tesla.com/charging-partners.

 

Jaguar is planning to reveal its first electric SUV today, ahead of Geneva Auto Show. You can set a reminder or watch the video later here.
Photo courtesy of Jaguar USA.

The exact specifications are yet to be known, but if the final design is anywhere near the concept presented in 2016, it will be one sweet looking car.

With over 400,000 people who have put down a deposit for the highly anticipated electric car for the masses, the anxiety level is high. The priority has been given to Tesla employees, followed by the previous or current owners of Model S or X who has placed a deposit as well.  At first, Tesla has invited California residents to configure their dream car, then slowly extending it to other states. My turn has come:

I must confess that this invite no longer holds an element of a surprise for me, as I was following closely Tesla forums and was also able to have a sneak peek into the configuration a few weeks earlier. It is exciting, nevertheless, that my personal invitation is here. So, let’s have a look into the available options, shall we?

As you can see, there are two basic choices available: long range battery model (310 miles) available with estimated delivery within 3-6 weeks or a placeholder for the shorter range (220 miles) and/or dual motor drive available later this year. You will also notice that the long range option adds 9,000 dollars to the base price of 35,000 promised by Tesla. In addition, the Premium Upgrades package is thrown in as well, bringing the total price to 49,000 (48,000 when considering the deposit). This does not come as a surprise for me either, as I knew that the more expensive option will be released first. If you follow Tesla’s history this is has been always a trend.

Model 3 Premium vs Standard features comparison.

Since I was impatient (wink) and bought a Model S earlier on, I am more interested in the more affordable version of Model 3. It will be a secondary vehicle for our family, one that will be primarily driven by my better half. Since she does not have long distances to commute and we are not planning to use it for road trips (that’s what the bigger brother is for), the extended range of battery does not make much sense for us. All-wheel drive might be interesting, but we’ll have to wait and see how much it will add to the base price. Model 3 will be an economy-driven option for us. Regardless, I wanted to see what the final configuration could look like if I would order it today.

In order to keep the default price, one would also have to keep the default color (black) and 18″ aero wheels:

Selecting any other color (blue would be our preference) and sport 19″ wheels will add 1,000 for the paint and 1,500 for the wheels, respectively:

Should we opt in for the Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features, it will add even more to the price tag:

With EAP and FSD selected, the final configuration would be just shy of 60,000 dollars:

Is this shocking? Not really, considering that Tesla always appealed to people who prefer “fully loaded” cars first. Besides, it is targeted to compete with cars such as the BMW 3 series. They are also advertised to have a base price around 35,000, but if you customize the configuration the price will end up really close. Don’t believe me? Here’s a sample configuration of BMW 340i with non-standard (metallic) paint, 19″ wheels and Executive Package:

It even comes with some driving assist features, but it is nowhere close to the Autopilot features on Tesla, even in its current reincarnation.

So there you have it. Most people will probably opt for the more affordable version of Model 3. They might even forgo the Autopilot or Self-Driving capability, or add it on later, just to keep the price down. As of now, unless you are the current Tesla owner, all you can do is hurry up and wait, since the company struggles to meet the demand. If you are lucky enough to have already received an invitation and are willing to pay the premium to take possession of the car before the masses, that option is available. All working as intended. As for us, we will continue waiting patiently.

Being a very young country (it merely celebrated its 50th birthday in 2015), Singapore is also a stellar example of what a country can achieve with proper leadership and people’s dedication. While having one of the strongest economies in the world and state-of-the art infrastructure, Singapore is not exactly known for EV adoption. You have probably heard the story of a Tesla owner who was taxed for CO₂ emissions. The country is also known for astronomical prices of privately owned cars. Imagine that a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic would cost you an equivalent of a well-equipped Tesla Model S or X in United States (about SGD 102,000 after taxes and COE). All this is designed to curb the pollution and road congestion. To be honest, while car ownership is definitely a luxury there, one can get by perfectly fine without it. All thanks to the excellent public transportation system encompassing the whole island.

So where does it place electric vehicles? During my recent visit to Singapore I’ve seen a lot of Toyota Prius cars (mostly taxis), a few of BMW i3 and… that’s about it. There is one initiative, though, that looks interesting and could be an alternative to an Uber or taxi ride. A company called blueSG launched in December 2017 and it provides an EV sharing service. The company itself is a subsidiary of Bolloré Group that already has a similar offering in Paris called Autolib’. The vehicles are also provided by Bolloré and are based on LMP® (lithium-metal polymer) battery technology, providing about 200 km (125 miles) of range on a single charge.

How does it work? One has to simply register (on the website or through an app) to receive a card, then follow these instructions:

Image source: blueSG website.

The cars are available at any of 30 locations across the island (currently the fleet consists of 80 vehicles) and can be returned to any of the designated charging stations across the country. BlueSG ultimately plans to expand their network to 1000 cars, 500 stations with 2000 charging points.

Image source: blueSG website.

The service is charged on a per minute basis (50 cents for non-subscribers, 33 cents with 15$/month subscription). In a city-state such as Singapore it can definitely be an option when compared to other ride for hire services mentioned earlier. It provides a sense of independence when needed and definitely beats the cost of owning a car. Plus, there’s no carbon emissions!

One of the benefits of owning an EV is an absence of the regular maintenance (such as oil  changes). I haven’t had a need to bring my car for a service since I bought it. My tires, though, were overdue for rotation. Having a list of small issues to be addressed that I accumulated since the purchase (mostly minor inconveniences), I decided to make my first appointment at the Tesla Service Center nearby. One of the items on the list required an overnight stay (a missing part), so I was greeted with another Model S as a loaner vehicle:

Yup. A nicely equipped pre-facelift P85D, featuring dual motor and Insane performance mode. I was quietly hoping to put my hands on Model X (so I could compare the features/functionality to Model S), but I won’t complain in this case!

I’ll jump to the “insanity” part in a bit, but first a brief comparison to the “base” model 75:

	Model S 75	Model S P85D
Drive	Single motor, RWD	Dual motor, AWD
Battery capacity	75 kWh	85 kWh
Horsepower	382*	691 combined (470 rear + 221 front)
Acceleration (0-60 mph)	5.2s*	3.2s
Autopilot hardware	2.0	1.0

* – Model S75 built prior to June 2017, when Tesla introduced a more powerful motor. Newer cars are faster from 0-60 by almost a full second (4.3s).

Among other differences between the two, P85D comes with air suspension, next gen seats and Bi-Xenon headlights.

As far as ride quality/comfort, my non-scientific and time-limited test would conclude that air suspension has a slight advantage over coils (that my car is equipped with). It feels like vibrations from the road are dampened a bit better, but it might as well be the difference in tire type and pressure. I find the level of comfort on standard coils as adequate, but that’s just me.
The cool thing about the air suspension though is that you can adjust the ride height to accommodate things like speed bumps or steep driveways. The latter scenario paired with geofencing helps to remember commonly visited locations (such as your house) – the car will automatically adjust the suspension to previous setting.

The next gen seats on the P85D felt definitely less comfortable than the premium seats on mine. It almost felt like there was not enough padding on bottom and back of the seat, making the ride somewhat a pain (literally). Again, this is just my take on it. Everyone’s body is different. I am also missing the adjustable headrest, but that’s just being picky.

Xenon headlights have a nice, even spread/cut off of the light beam, but the newer LED headlights are definitely brighter.

Other than these, the cars offer very similar experience when it comes to comfort and functionality.

So, now that the boring stuff is out of the way, how about that insane mode?

Does it live up to the name? You betcha. My S75 has already plenty of oomph to push you back into the seat, but this… it takes it to another level! While in the driver’s seat you are prepared for what’s coming when you floor it, but there’s no way the passengers can anticipate the instant G-force and rapid acceleration that’s about to ensue. Paired up with the excellent traction control and all-wheel drive the car feels solidly planted and quickly corrects its path should you go over slippery spot on the road. The best part, you have access to this power at any speed. Just press and go! The best compliment to conclude it with is the constant sound of “wow!” and “holy s…!” coming from the mouths of the other occupants. In my case, they all were accustomed to quick and powerful ICE cars (either because they own one or are long-term gear heads), but yet the experience left them stunned. That says a lot.

After such an exhilarating and exhausting drive it’s hard to get back to reality. The graph displaying energy consumption and projected range serves as a gentle reminder that we are still Earth-bound:

The particular P85D I had a pleasure to spend some time with was showing 491 Wh/mi average lifetime consumption (my car displays 281 Wh/mi in comparison). It shows that people take advantage of what the car has to offer. A lot. I know exactly what you’re trying to do there, Tesla. Sneaky!

So, would I buy a performance version of Model S? The current equivalent to P85D is P100D (85 kWh battery option has been discontinued) and it costs almost double of what similarly equipped 75D. There’s no practical reason to do so, nor a way to justify it. For all intents and purposes my S75 does just fine, it brings a grin to my face every time I hop in. There’s no price tag though on the sheer pleasure one gets from an insane acceleration and the heart-pumping driving experience it provides. If I ever win a lottery or find another unlimited supply of money, I would not hesitate a bit to get one. That would be ludicrous, I know.

* * *

Coming to a stop at the traffic light I can hear and see a lifted RAM pickup, growling and shaking with anger. Green. A decisive press on the accelerator pedal and all I can see is the surprised and confused face of the other driver in my rear view mirror. He was probably expecting me right next to him while I was already ahead, driving away at the speed limit. It never gets old.

 

A post on TMC forum by Alan Miller on behalf of his friend Matthew Chan, who has been diagnosed with advanced stage of cancer is both touching and inspiring. Matt, 39, is an EV nut (as his friend calls him) and a Tesla fan (he owns two). One of the items on his bucket list is to be able to meet either J.B. Straubel (a co-founder and CTO of Tesla) or Franz von Holzhausen (a man behind the beautiful design of these cars). Their success story must be very inspiring to Matthew’s inner geekiness.

Alan has reached out to community to see if anyone can help to fulfill the dream of a dying man. It didn’t take long for things to be put in motion and the meeting has been arranged, thanks to the efforts of forum members and Tesla employees, including Jon McNeill (Tesla President of Sales and Service). Kudos to Alan for being such a true friend!

It reminds me of another story posted not so long ago about a wish of a dying man to put his hands on Model 3 before his time comes. A wish that has been fulfilled, too.

It’s the stories like this that help to restore the faith in humanity. They encourage us to do more good and be kind to one another. They also put things back in the perspective whenever we are caught up in complaining how miserable we are.

 

I have covered the Autopilot in detail before. While it works great on divided highways and in stop-and-go traffic, I’ve seen many attempts to use it in situations that the system has not been designed for, such as narrow and windy roads and two-lane highways. While the passing scenery might be serene and provide the driver with a blissful feeling, it should not be confused with what the system is capable of in its current form.

Before enabling the driver assist features in Tesla vehicle, the driver has to acknowledge the following:

Regardless, many people ignore it and push their luck instead. To make it worse, many Tesla owners will publish their accomplishments online for everyone to see, without providing a word of caution. This provides the audience with a false sense of security and trust that the system is flawless and can handle even the most challenging scenarios. Not quite, as proven as this tragic accident in 2016.

I guess every driver has their favorite road, one that helps them to relax and offers a joyful experience. I am no different and occasionally enjoy to take my cars on such a route where I can be by myself, absorbing what landscape has to offer and forgetting about daily issues, if only for a while. The route I am so familiar with (every car I have ever owned had a pleasure to travel on it) that it almost feels like I could drive there with closed eyes. Engaging the Autopilot surely sounds like a tempting idea in such a situation. Should you then?

Here is a video that should help to answer this. It covers about 30 miles of curvy 2-lane highways and farm-to-market roads. Exactly the type of roads Tesla is cautioning the drivers against. While the car was able to handle most of the journey just fine, there were a handful of situations that could lead to a dangerous incident if the driver was not alert and prepared to overtake immediately. It is lengthy but I encourage everyone to spend some time watching it as it demonstrates how quickly a peaceful drive can turn into a disaster with dire consequences. Don’t use the Autopilot against what it was intended for! Be responsible and stay safe!