Tesla Model S Earns Highest Ever Vehicle Score from Consumer Reports (w Video)
05-10-2013, 12:54 AM
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Tesla Model S Earns Highest Ever Vehicle Score from Consumer Reports (w Video) An electric luxury car earns our top test score
Consumer Reports magazine: July 2013
Slipping behind the wheel of the Tesla Model S is like crossing into a promising zero-emissions future.
This electric luxury car, built by a small American automaker based in Palo Alto, Calif., is brimming with innovation, delivers world-class performance, and is interwoven throughout with impressive attention to detail.
It’s what Marty McFly might have brought back in place of his DeLorean in “Back to the Future.” The sum total of that effort has earned the Model S the highest score in our Ratings: 99 out of 100. That is far ahead of such direct competitors as the gas-powered Porsche Panamera (84) and the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid (57).
The Tesla rivets your attention from the start. Simply touching the flush aluminum door handles causes them to slide outward, welcoming you inside. With the car-shaped fob in your pocket or purse, a tap of the brake pedal brings the Model S to life. There’s no need to insert a key or press a button.
You’re immediately greeted by the glow of a huge 17-inch video display that dominates the center of the dash and allows you to control everything, such as adjusting the suspension’s ride height and setting up a new Slacker Radio channel. And as you dip into the throttle, you experience a silent yet potent surge of power that will make many performance cars weep with envy.
With its hefty 85-kWh lithium-ion battery, our Tesla is easily the most practical electric car we’ve tested. Though the Ford Focus Electric and Nissan Leaf can go about 80 and 75 miles, respectively, before needing a charge, our Model S has been giving us around 200 miles: ample for commuting, running plenty of errands, and still being able to take the long, winding way home.
Consumer Reports magazine: July 2013
Slipping behind the wheel of the Tesla Model S is like crossing into a promising zero-emissions future.
This electric luxury car, built by a small American automaker based in Palo Alto, Calif., is brimming with innovation, delivers world-class performance, and is interwoven throughout with impressive attention to detail.
It’s what Marty McFly might have brought back in place of his DeLorean in “Back to the Future.” The sum total of that effort has earned the Model S the highest score in our Ratings: 99 out of 100. That is far ahead of such direct competitors as the gas-powered Porsche Panamera (84) and the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid (57).
The Tesla rivets your attention from the start. Simply touching the flush aluminum door handles causes them to slide outward, welcoming you inside. With the car-shaped fob in your pocket or purse, a tap of the brake pedal brings the Model S to life. There’s no need to insert a key or press a button.
You’re immediately greeted by the glow of a huge 17-inch video display that dominates the center of the dash and allows you to control everything, such as adjusting the suspension’s ride height and setting up a new Slacker Radio channel. And as you dip into the throttle, you experience a silent yet potent surge of power that will make many performance cars weep with envy.
With its hefty 85-kWh lithium-ion battery, our Tesla is easily the most practical electric car we’ve tested. Though the Ford Focus Electric and Nissan Leaf can go about 80 and 75 miles, respectively, before needing a charge, our Model S has been giving us around 200 miles: ample for commuting, running plenty of errands, and still being able to take the long, winding way home.
06-05-2013, 12:50 AM
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I do like the Tesla though, might not be the best car for all cercumstances but it's a brand new American start-up car company, hope it does well.
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06-18-2013, 02:15 PM
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Zero emissions my ***. Increased load on the grid will still require an increase in fuel consumption. Hard to measure the Delta, and it will probably be lower due to economies of scale. However, it is not zero emissions (except in the bubble of what it does during usage). Silly hippies need to remember that power just doesn't materialize out of thin air.
06-18-2013, 08:24 PM
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Zero emissions my ***. Increased load on the grid will still require an increase in fuel consumption. Hard to measure the Delta, and it will probably be lower due to economies of scale. However, it is not zero emissions (except in the bubble of what it does during usage). Silly hippies need to remember that power just doesn't materialize out of thin air.
Most public charging stations in California are Solar powered, as are Tesla's Quick charge stations. Most big companies (like 3M, GE, Google, Ratheon, Lockhead-Martin, some Auto dealerships etc...) as well as alot of city buildings (Police stations, schools, Hospitals) and countless other small time and private buisnesses already have and are installing solar charging stations in their parking lots and roofs.
But that power doesn't materialize out of thin air...oh wait, I guess it does!
Hippies might be silly but ignorance is retarded...
Weird what typing something into google will produce!!
http://www.google.com.ph/search?safe...mg.wCLrguc6NJQ
06-19-2013, 12:21 PM
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Yeah, I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today...hell I'm in China right now so maybe that has something to do with it. :/
Apologies
But right you are, they are not free to manufacture.
Apologies
But right you are, they are not free to manufacture.
06-19-2013, 03:10 PM
#17
I did come of a bit harsh (bad week). However, "zero-emission" is basically false. As stated above manufacture of the panels probably has en environmental impact at some point. The real idea I was driving at was that if all IC cars were replaced with these, and you hooked them up to the grid every night for charging (say 100,000,000 cars), it would be worlds away from "zero-emission".
06-20-2013, 11:17 AM
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I did come of a bit harsh (bad week). However, "zero-emission" is basically false. As stated above manufacture of the panels probably has en environmental impact at some point. The real idea I was driving at was that if all IC cars were replaced with these, and you hooked them up to the grid every night for charging (say 100,000,000 cars), it would be worlds away from "zero-emission".
So yeah, I kinda knew what you were saying and you do have a point, any car plugged into the grid is one more that wasn't there before. And that extra load needs to be compensated by the power companies.
I guess the perk about Electric vehicles is depending on how invested in the technology someone wants to get, they can essentially commute for free. The Zero emissions thing is something tree-huggers would be happy about but I care more about not having to spend money at the pump or on my utility bill. But that requires an up front investment that most people cannot afford to do.
I can only hope that the US power industry starts to lean more on re-newable and cleaner forms of energy production. Last year I was in the North sea and passed by some of the wind farms and Wave generators that the UK has set-up for power production. I really like the idea of generating electricity from swells, not sure on the efficiency or cost/benefit is though.
06-20-2013, 02:37 PM
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So I've come to the conclusion that whenever I read any post made my It'llrun, I get in a pissy mood and take it out in the next post that I make!!
So yeah, I kinda knew what you were saying and you do have a point, any car plugged into the grid is one more that wasn't there before. And that extra load needs to be compensated by the power companies.
I guess the perk about Electric vehicles is depending on how invested in the technology someone wants to get, they can essentially commute for free. The Zero emissions thing is something tree-huggers would be happy about but I care more about not having to spend money at the pump or on my utility bill. But that requires an up front investment that most people cannot afford to do.
I can only hope that the US power industry starts to lean more on re-newable and cleaner forms of energy production. Last year I was in the North sea and passed by some of the wind farms and Wave generators that the UK has set-up for power production. I really like the idea of generating electricity from swells, not sure on the efficiency or cost/benefit is though.
So yeah, I kinda knew what you were saying and you do have a point, any car plugged into the grid is one more that wasn't there before. And that extra load needs to be compensated by the power companies.
I guess the perk about Electric vehicles is depending on how invested in the technology someone wants to get, they can essentially commute for free. The Zero emissions thing is something tree-huggers would be happy about but I care more about not having to spend money at the pump or on my utility bill. But that requires an up front investment that most people cannot afford to do.
I can only hope that the US power industry starts to lean more on re-newable and cleaner forms of energy production. Last year I was in the North sea and passed by some of the wind farms and Wave generators that the UK has set-up for power production. I really like the idea of generating electricity from swells, not sure on the efficiency or cost/benefit is though.
A friend of mine works in power generation. At this point most of those green technologies are science experiments because they can not produce enough to meet the requirements of the grid. The size (footprint) of wind farms/solar fields have to be huge to replicate a modern turbine/coal/nuke plant. All of that increases the cost of the electricity. Maybe one day the technology will get there. i doubt it will be extremely soon.
06-21-2013, 01:33 PM
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I have to disagree with the technology not being here yet. Just because we as a country aren't into it, doesn't mean it's not there and isn't a viable option should we commit to it. Are we gonna commit to it, probably not. Too many hurdles, upfront costs and political opposition in the way to make it a priority, but it's definitely not technology that is holding us back.
in 2012 renewable energy accounted for ~35% of Spain's electrical production and last month alone it provided for 54%. 2013 might be the first year that Spain derives more than half it's energy from renewable systems. Norway, 95%....That's more than just a science experiment.
I'm not sure how the size of a solar field increases the cost of electricity, the initial financial investment of the power plant would be very large no doubt but after that the electricity production would be very inexpensive. Especially when compared to the costs of running, a power plant that derives it's energy via fossil fuels. I'm a system engineer and I can tell you right off the bat that maintenance is an absolute killer when it comes to costs of running a power plant.
It will always be a "science experiment" to people who can't see the potential and to countries who don't heavily invest in it. I don't see why people have such a distaste for renewable energy. It's like the thought of going away from fossil fuels insults them...I don't get it!
in 2012 renewable energy accounted for ~35% of Spain's electrical production and last month alone it provided for 54%. 2013 might be the first year that Spain derives more than half it's energy from renewable systems. Norway, 95%....That's more than just a science experiment.
I'm not sure how the size of a solar field increases the cost of electricity, the initial financial investment of the power plant would be very large no doubt but after that the electricity production would be very inexpensive. Especially when compared to the costs of running, a power plant that derives it's energy via fossil fuels. I'm a system engineer and I can tell you right off the bat that maintenance is an absolute killer when it comes to costs of running a power plant.
It will always be a "science experiment" to people who can't see the potential and to countries who don't heavily invest in it. I don't see why people have such a distaste for renewable energy. It's like the thought of going away from fossil fuels insults them...I don't get it!