Any GTAM'ers own an electric vehicle?
- Thread starter PrivatePilot
- Start date
They tried this. IIRC Tesla supplied some powertrain components to Toyota and Mercedes-Benz. That was for low-volume products that didn't play into Elon Musk's vision.
Problem here is that, at least in the opinion of the rest of the auto industry, Tesla doesn't know how to do anything that they don't, so why pay Tesla for something that (at least in theory) you already know how to do?
This has come up before. Evidently they were very fussy about the roofline for aero reasons. Having it a hatch would necessitate a structural cross-bar high on the rear window which was getting into rear seat headroom. Rear seat headroom is supposedly why the roof and rear window are one enormous piece of glass.
Not saying I agree with the design decision, but that's what was stated.
IMO what Tesla should have done, was contract with an established auto industry supplier (e.g. Magna) to do the entire bodyshell including interior, HVAC, and all the stuff to make it all work, and kept what they are good at (electronics) internally. Magna is quite capable of building this entire vehicle to normally-expected auto industry quality standards. No doubt Magna would have forced some design changes but I'm sure they would have been for the better.
Random stuff that it is KNOWN could have used some design tweaks: Trunk latch too hard to close. Trunk over-counterbalanced. Trunk seal doesn't catch water rolling down the rear window. Too hard to get to main battery disconnect following a collision (relies on either a functional touch screen or a non-destroyed front bumper AND is reliant on vehicle electrics being awake, which is not guaranteed after a collision). No mechanical inside latch to allow rear passenger doors to be opened from inside if electrical system is down. There is a ton of other stuff from the manufacturing side - stuff that could have been easier to manufacture if specific design and/or process changes had been made (and no one would have known the difference, except for the car perhaps being a fair bit lighter).
Tesla knows batteries and electronics. The "car stuff" ... not so much.
Well then I disagree with sacrificing so much utility just to maintain a certain roof line.
Based on the pics and videos the trunk opening doesn’t look very big. I’m guessing they pushed away a good number of potential buyers by making it a sedan instead of a hatch... but I could be wrong.
Drove another 50KM today.
Bumper still has not fallen off.
Yay!
Bumper still has not fallen off.
Yay!
Gotta be some incentive for people to spend the extra money for a Model S!
yes, it was ploy on Tesla's part to get people to spend more money on the S so they can carry their dishwasher....
Or... you know... anything in a box bigger than 24^3
Any time loading or unloading the back a hatch is simply much easier.
But if 0-100 times matter more than utility then by all means go with a Model 3. I can guarantee that I will transport a dishwasher more often than I test 0-100 times.
Any time loading or unloading the back a hatch is simply much easier.
But if 0-100 times matter more than utility then by all means go with a Model 3. I can guarantee that I will transport a dishwasher more often than I test 0-100 times.
Just drove my Volt in heavy rain.
Bumper still did not fall off.
Bumper still did not fall off.
This comedy gold could continue forever.
http://www.autonews.com/article/201...surance?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Grrr.
This should be mostly fixable: Make parts readily available and get it so that anyone can fix them ...
Grrr.
This should be mostly fixable: Make parts readily available and get it so that anyone can fix them ...
But will they?
I thought manufacturers legally had to provide parts to third parties? Maybe having the few tesla-approved body shops satisfies that requirement?
I've personally seen three Model 3's with light body damage (fenders/bumpers). I felt bad for the owners. You got your fancy new car and now it will be gone for months because Elon needs to keep his finger on everything.
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The Fix-It-Again-Tony will need rear brakes soon, they're squealing once in a while. Hmmm ... quick check of ebay suggests I can get a complete kit of pads and rotors for less than $200 and have it by the end of the week, and I know installation is a snap. The parts are so cheap that even though I know it doesn't need front brakes, I'll do them anyhow when it comes time for the winter tire swap. Not worried about it.
For a daily driver ... That's the way it should be.
For a daily driver ... That's the way it should be.
not even close to the same insurance "class"
Both of our Volts have once again made it another week without losing either of their bumpers.
Want to know the best part? If I actually, for whatever reason, needed a bumper...I could order it from the GM dealer that's 5 minutes from my house, and you know the coolest part? It would be there in a few days!
Cooler yet, I could order an aftermarket one and probably have it same day!
And it could be installed anywhere I'd like, and it wouldn't effect my warranty!
Even with time for a body shop to paint it and all that good stuff I'd probably only be without my car for maybe 2 days!
Cool beans, huh?
Wow that's cheap. I'm just under $200/month and have a spotless record. Maybe location and model year are what cause it, but regardless, that's a big difference.
London will certainly be cheaper than the GTA. I’m with TD and have a spotless record as well. I also use their MyAdvantage app. That got me an additional 20% discount
That's awesome thanks. With the Volt I drive like a nanny, so an app like that would make perfect sense. When I have to renew next March, that sounds like a plan.
We are paying around $100/month on each of our Volts for full coverage, and we each have 1 minor blemish on our records, neither of which ever seemed to effect our rates.
