High performance SUV Tesla Model X in production

[inlinev]

And it's quite common for people who are adamently opposed to our government investments in technology to run away when confronted with facts.

Hit the nail on the head.

The Solyndra example is entertaining at best. Given our backwards thinking on the topic only regressed our competitive advancements. All it did was hurt the workers in the industry. The amount of money lost was idiotically trivial to our GDP.

 

[fdew]

I want a government small enough to fit inside the constitution.
Harry Browne

 

[paris1]

I want a government small enough to fit inside the constitution.
Harry Browne

Amen brother! (RIP Harry)

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

I want to see the off-road videos?

Curious what the Model X's range is towing a 3-4K pound trailer in various terrains...

Pictures somewhere...

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

45 minutes

 

[V8toilet]

Did anyone know that 50% of the people in this country do not pay taxes. Source is AM 580 on the Jordan Levy show.

I love Tesla.

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

45 minutes

Unlikely to see too many towing camping trailers into rural or mountainous areas.... charging with a small 2K generator like a Honda EU2000i probably isn't practical without enough fuel.

This isn't for the X but someone suggests here that simple 120V 15AMP connection only gets you about 4 miles. A gallon of gas would net your around 16 miles at that ratio with that generator model and under that load. One could use a larger generator but then more fuel as well.

 

[paris1]

Did anyone know that 50% of the people in this country do not pay taxes. Source is AM 580 on the Jordan Levy show.

I love Tesla.

And if the government were reigned in to perform only functions detailed in a certain 200+ year old document (see #22 above) that 50% would still be more than needed.

 

[MikeM.]

Did anyone know that 50% of the people in this country do not pay taxes. Source is AM 580 on the Jordan Levy show.

I love Tesla.

False. In fact the poor pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes compared to wealthy citizens primarily because of the disproportionate effect of sales and property tax. Even renters pay property tax (although it is indirect). The lie that a lot of poor people don't pay taxes is, just that, a lie.

 

[CX5-SO]

Damn dude, you make me not want to participate on this forum. It's just chit chat, you don't have to, "book smart" every post. Let it go.

 

[MikeM.]

I want to see the off-road videos?

Curious what the Model X's range is towing a 3-4K pound trailer in various terrains...

Like the CX-5, the Model X is not really an off-road vehicle. In fact, the CX-5 would be far superior due to it's greater ground clearance. Neither is it a heavy towing vehicle (although it's powerful electric motors help it achieve a whopping 5,000 tow rating).

The impact to range would vary greatly depending on a number of factors but you can bet that while it would consume more going up hills, it wouldn't take a very steep downhill to make very good use of it's regenerative braking capability. I towed a 4,000 lb. trailer filled with hay bales about 40 miles yesterday. No doubt, this would have been easily within the range of the Model X. Of course too heavy for the CX-5. Every vehicle has it's tradeoffs.

It's 250 mile non-towing daily range (without stopping to top up) would not be a limitation for me well over 99% of all days. For open road trips I would simply use one of my vehicles that has an ICE. However, most people who camp around here (Pacific Northwest) often only have 60-90 mile trip to reach their destination so this would be a viable option for many camping trips. But how many people with that kind of money go car-camping? It's more of a grocery getter, commuter, pick up the kids, mountain bike ride, etc. kind of car.

 

[V8toilet]

Too bad so few people actually get involved and vote now. They'll just b**** when things like Obamacare happen. Then there are those that are going to pull that trigger for that certain politician no matter how many bad things they did. They put the blinders on, ignore the facts, and most often have already made up their mind no matter what.

I think Tesla is actually making a great product that people want. I'm hoping that more manufacturers make like produces (not hybrids but real EV) and eventually the price of these vehicles comes down to where the middle class can afford to buy them. I know there are EV's like the Nissan Leaf out there but I'm talking about affordable versions of cars like the Model S with a 200+ mile range and even more supercharging stations to support them.

 

[MikeM.]

Damn dude, you make me not want to participate on this forum. It's just chit chat, you don't have to, "book smart" every post. Let it go.

Don't participate if you don't want to. No one is forcing you. If it's just chit-chat then why do you get so upset?


Me thinks you only get upset when someone says something you don't agree with. (crazy)

 

[CX5-SO]

Like you do?

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

Out of curiosity...for horses, cows or other livestock? My in-laws own a big farm in Sno Co... always getting large loads of alfalfa from E Wash

 

[MikeM.]

I think Tesla is actually making a great product that people want. I'm hoping that more manufacturers make like produces (not hybrids but real EV) and eventually the price of these vehicles comes down to where the middle class can afford to buy them.

A lot of the cost of an EV is in the batteries which are getting cheaper all the time. When Tesla finishes the largest battery manufacturing plant in the world (right here creating US jobs), the price will drop dramatically. The haters and naysayers complain about the toxicity and environmental degradation of the used batteries without even considering that part of the electric revolution is the nearly 100% recyclable nature of batteries. As the old batteries are recycled for their metal content the price of new batteries will drop further. Funny thing is, the people I see complaining about the environmental disaster of all those batteries are the same people that really don't care about the environment. They just hate change.

If people had to pay the TRUE cost of fossil fuel cars/trucks, the middle class couldn't afford them either. Instead, following generations will be paying the price.

 

[MikeM.]

Out of curiosity...for horses, cows or other livestock?

My wife has been horse crazy since she was old enough to afford one. I think it's crazy but it keeps her happy and fun to be around.

 

[MikeM.]

Like you do?

I don't get upset when people say things I disagree with. But urban myths and factual inaccuracies are always good to call out. Otherwise we end up with a bunch of beliefs that are ignorant and this makes it difficult or impossible to make good decisions. One of the responsibilities of living in a functional democracy is to stay well enough informed to make reasonably good decisions.

 

[Srad600]

Unlikely to see too many towing camping trailers into rural or mountainous areas.... charging with a small 2K generator like a Honda EU2000i probably isn't practical without enough fuel.

This isn't for the X but someone suggests here that simple 120V 15AMP connection only gets you about 4 miles. A gallon of gas would net your around 16 miles at that ratio with that generator model and under that load. One could use a larger generator but then more fuel as well.

I don't think a little EU2000i is going to do much for charging a Tesla. They (Tesla) recommend a 240v outlet. IF you can charge on 120v, the time cost wouldn't be worth it.

There are a few companies that are campaigning to add charging stations up/down major corridors now (at least here in CA). We recently held a tech talk with a local company that is willing to subsidize installations at commercial build sites (hotels, shopping malls, restaurants and the like). Not only do they subsidize, but the mean 'ole nasty gubbment also kick's in some money. It's a pretty stout attempt to create an infrastructure so that EV's can actually travel without (much) restriction. A few of our clients have taken them up on it, and it has (so far) worked out well.

 

[craigo]

I don't think a little EU2000i is going to do much for charging a Tesla. They (Tesla) recommend a 240v outlet. IF you can charge on 120v, the time cost wouldn't be worth it.

I wonder how much distance you could get if they built a battery about the size of one of those generators - the idea being you can haul some extra charge and plug it in to top off as needed. They have that Powerwall for houses, but its a bit large and heavy at 200 lbs and 10kwh (this seems big to me - how much does the car's 85 kwh battery weigh?). If you could get it down to 70lbs that's about the weight of one of the smaller man-portable hondas.

Edit: After a little googling it seems that a Model S battery weighs about 15lbs / kwh. So a man-portable pack could maybe do 4-5 kwh.

It occurs to me that if they're going to advertise this as the ultimate capable suv, they'll have to sell some kind of portable power similar to carrying around a gas can.