Waffling On Base Price. Can They Make $6,800?

[Rob Croson]

Tesla mentions a 700 mile range coming soon. Even a 200 + mile range EV is workable with Tes;a's network of Charging Stations being built across the country that brings the battery up to 80% in 30 minutes.......about the time I need for a pee stop, a slice of pie, and cup of coffee.

I could work with a 200 mile range EV for daily commuting. In fact, a 200-mile range would work for almost everything I do, with the exception of the occasional long-distance trips. I'd want to plug it in every night, but if push came to shove, I could probably commute two days on a single charge. I

 

[bunchathrees]

Agreed. 200 mile range would be acceptable for my 54 - 80 mile daily routine.

 

[Jambe]

My understanding is that If I was driving a Tesla there is no fee to top off the battery.....

I just looked at the Tesla charging station map. Almost ALL the charging stations require that you be a patron of the business--mainly motels/hotels. I don't know what that entails--a room or a cup of coffee.

 

[Gas-Powered Awesome]

I just looked at the Tesla charging station map. Almost ALL the charging stations require that you be a patron of the business--mainly motels/hotels. I don't know what that entails--a room or a cup of coffee.

That's not true for the Supercharger stations. They are all free. (Well, free after $85,000+ initiation fee ).

It might be true for some privately owned "destination" charging stations, none of which are Superchargers.

 

[Aprilia]

I just looked at the Tesla charging station map. Almost ALL the charging stations require that you be a patron of the business--mainly motels/hotels. I don't know what that entails--a room or a cup of coffee.

When I've been on road trip's in my buddy's Tesla...we just pull up to supercharger station in the motel/hotel parking lot...no obligation to buy anything...although most might go have a bite to eat at the motel/hotel cafe if it's open...

We're usually ready to go within 30 minutes ...occasionally we have wait for another Tesla to unplug...

 

[larryboy]

That would be highly, highly inefficient and extremely resource-intensive. If it's direct-contact (the only efficient method), you still have to lay (or suspend) 250,000+ miles of electrical cable, which takes tremendous amounts of energy and resources to manufacture and construct. If you are thinking inductive coupling, quintuple those resource and energy costs. Then couple in the losses associated with transmitting power over long distances. Ohm's Law is the Law, not just a suggestion. Not going to happen.

Cars will also not be getting lighter anytime soon. They've been getting ever-heavier since the 1980's. That trend will continue until there are no human-driven cars as we collectively have ever-decreasing tolerance for accidental deaths from any cause.

At the end of the steam locomotive era they had worked out a way of picking up the water the engine needed while on the move. A scoop lowered into a pan of water between the rails and hundreds (thousands?) of gallons of water were scooped up in seconds. If batteries could be invented that could be charged real, real fast a probe could come out of the bottom of a vehicle and fit into a groove in the road and bingo a charge in just a few miles of travel. Tearing up one lane for a few miles might be doable when tearing up every mile on 2 or more lanes on every major road would clearly not be. I know this cannot work now but how many things do you work with every day that seemed impossible just a few years ago.

 

[Rickb]

I just looked at the Tesla charging station map. Almost ALL the charging stations require that you be a patron of the business--mainly motels/hotels. I don't know what that entails--a room or a cup of coffee.

The Tesla charging station down the street from my home is free standing........with motels and cafes adjacent.

 

[Marshall]

Oil is a finite resource, cheap gas can't last forever. Right now the middle east is maximizing production to stifle our domestic production.

There have been pronouncements of an eminent scarcity of oil every thirty years or so since 1869. I see no reason that would change. The glut/shortage cycle continues.

 

[Jeff Porter]

Ever hear of a "Tesla"? A Tesla will take you coast-to-coast, no problem. Also the Chevy Bolt is/will be competitive. Naturally not the 500-600 mile range of a mild hybrid, but range competitive with 99.9% of the way people actually use cars.

I hear ya, the Tesla's range of 200 miles would work well, but the $70k+ price does not. 95% of the population won't spend that much money on a car.

The Chevy Bolt is not available now, but if/when it is available, it's still $30k+ after a tax credit.

There's a lot of if's there... so it looks like there is not a vehicle available now for the masses that is all electric and has a competitive range with ICE vehicles.

And per our resident EV-owner and expert Sethodine, the actual range depends on the driving conditions, based on certain electrical components that are running, the outside temperature, etc. Hopefully the range would be an avg of 200 miles.

Don't forget the current car-makers pricing structure: that "as low as $30,000" Chevy Bolt will get quickly up to $34k+ with the options that most folks want.

 

[slinches]

Tesla's Model 3 is supposed to be around $35k before the tax credit, so it may end up a bit cheaper than the bolt (and will probably be quite a lot nicer). But that's not due out 'til 2018.

Electric powertrains are the future is still a true statement. I think the Elio fits nicely into the gap until the battery cost drops enough to become mainstream.