2017 Production A Long Shot...

[Rob Croson]

Do you find that you need to refuel your car every night?

No. But my car gets a lot more than 200 miles per tank.

If you are stopping at the gas station on your way home every day, then an electric car is certainly not for you. But if you need to fuel up, say, every 3 days, then a 200-mile range EV would be more than enough. Because unlike a gas car, it is super easy to plug in your car at home every night. Like plugging in your cell phone, it just becomes a habit.

200 miles would, barely, work for me. This is because I could get two days of daily commute in it. So if I forgot to plug it in, I'd be able to drive it to work and back that second day. But that's assuming that I really get 200 miles a charge, and that it's not "200 miles in ideal circumstances, with everything (including the radio) turned off, and a tailwind both ways to boot", but I really only get 160 real world miles. Because 160 miles a charge means that I would not get home that second day.

For the record, I do forget to plug in my cell phone on a regular basis. But it's no big deal, because I can plug it in everywhere, including in my car and at work. I can't plug in my car at work.

200 miles... Yeah, I could probably live with it. But 300 would be much better.

 

[Sethodine]

Model 3 Tesla owners will have to pay for use of charging stations...

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-model-3-chargers-20160601-snap-story.html

Seeing as other EV's using fast charging have to pay anyways (let alone gas cars paying for fuel) this doesn't really mean much. A nice perk is going away, but it will still be cheaper-per-mile than gas

It really depends on the setup. 0-30 MPH, the EV will likely be quicker. Unless Elio goes with an intentionally fast setup, 30-60 where the turbo has spooled up and 1/4 mile would likely be quicker with the turbo ICE. But the EV will probably feel quicker day-to-day.

For example, the Leaf looks like it does 0-30 in 3.0s and 0-60 in 9.4s. Not a speedy sprint to 60, but drivers say it feels fast due to the 0-30 low speed torque. And a 1/4 mile in 17.2s, average performance for an economy car.

I can vouch for this. I can beat just about any car off the stop light, and it's super fun (even if I'm just speeding up to 30mph). Although one time a guy thought he'd try and race me at the freeway onramp, where two lanes narrowed down to one. He "won"....
...but then he was going 50mph around a sharp corner and slid off the road, while the Leaf's low center of gravity carried me around the corner easily and with a sure grip. It was actually rather frightening, watching this guy T-bone his car on a traffic sign, then slide into the freeway perpendicular to traffic. Thankfully there wasn't traffic coming at that moment, or else there might have been a much more serious accident. Instead he just raced off like nothing had happened.

I was driving the speed limit the whole time (if accellerating up to it rather quickly), so he only has himself to blame.

No. But my car gets a lot more than 200 miles per tank.

200 miles would, barely, work for me. This is because I could get two days of daily commute in it. So if I forgot to plug it in, I'd be able to drive it to work and back that second day. But that's assuming that I really get 200 miles a charge, and that it's not "200 miles in ideal circumstances, with everything (including the radio) turned off, and a tailwind both ways to boot", but I really only get 160 real world miles. Because 160 miles a charge means that I would not get home that second day.

For the record, I do forget to plug in my cell phone on a regular basis. But it's no big deal, because I can plug it in everywhere, including in my car and at work. I can't plug in my car at work.

200 miles... Yeah, I could probably live with it. But 300 would be much better.

That's understandable. My wife can sometimes go a couple days without needing to plug in the Leaf, but she likes to keep it topped up just in-case she needs to drive more than expected. There was only ONE time she forgot to plug it in when she really needed to....it was a rough day, hopping around to public charging stations throughout the day, but she managed. She doesn't forget anymore. Similarly, there was only ONE time she overdrove her range, and had to use the portable 110v charger to fill up enough to get home. (She used an outdoor wall socket at a Gas Station . It was the first time she had been to a gas station in 5 months).

But if remembering to charge up is the only issue, there is also a company which makes plugless chargers. You just set it in your usual parking spot, and it will wirelessly recharge your car automatically. The company has a very creative name: "Plugless". https://www.pluglesspower.com/

 

[Maurtis]

I can vouch for this. I can beat just about any car off the stop light, and it's super fun (even if I'm just speeding up to 30mph). Although one time a guy thought he'd try and race me at the freeway onramp, where two lanes narrowed down to one. He "won"....
...but then he was going 50mph around a sharp corner and slid off the road, while the Leaf's low center of gravity carried me around the corner easily and with a sure grip. It was actually rather frightening, watching this guy T-bone his car on a traffic sign, then slide into the freeway perpendicular to traffic. Thankfully there wasn't traffic coming at that moment, or else there might have been a much more serious accident. Instead he just raced off like nothing had happened.

I was driving the speed limit the whole time (if accellerating up to it rather quickly), so he only has himself to blame.

Whoa, that is very scary. Glad the fool did not end up hurting anyone else.

But if remembering to charge up is the only issue, there is also a company which makes plugless chargers. You just set it in your usual parking spot, and it will wirelessly recharge your car automatically. The company has a very creative name: "Plugless". https://www.pluglesspower.com/

Freakin' sweeeet!

 

[Jeff Porter]

Model 3 Tesla owners will have to pay for use of charging stations...

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-model-3-chargers-20160601-snap-story.html

Thanks Jambe.

From the article: The only way to bring the Model 3 to market at the proposed base price, Musk said, “is to decouple (free supercharging) from the cost of the Model 3.”

"Decouple", eh? Nice word. lol

For the rest of the article, ugh, don't get me started. I'll leave it at that.

 

[Frim]

I respectfully disagree with your projection TC.
I think the Negatives will be dig in deeper, rationalize harder, and desperately scream on even louder once production starts.
The only difference is that the entire world will easily see them for who they really are at that point.

I won't be able to hear them. I will be cruising along in my Elio sound booth. Without a response or reaction they will soon lose their interest. Trolls have to feed on the response.

 

[WilliamH]

I won't be able to hear them. I will be cruising along in my Elio sound booth. Without a response or reaction they will soon lose their interest. Trolls have to feed on the response.

Problem is that until full production starts, the usual suspects will bitc- and moan that the 100 pre-production screwed them out of their rightful SIL and it just wasn't fair.

 

[JEBar]

I actually like a breath of bad air once in a while.
Stirs things up and cleans the dust out.

history clearly shows that once a firecracker goes off on the forum, it quickly escalates to where thermonuclear bombs are being exchanged .... hence, bad air is quickly vented

 

[ehwatt]

We can use a few more GOOD MEN. Virtue is in short supply.

Don't forget Common Sense Man.

 

[Elio Amazed]

Don't forget Common Sense Man.

I'm afraid that Common Sense Man is going the way of Neanderthal Man.

 

[BiloxiGeek]

I'm afraid that Common Sense Man has gone the way of Neanderthal Man.

Fixed that typo for you.