Last night Tesla hosted an event where they formally announced their Tesla Semi. Which can achieve a range of at least 500 miles on a single charge, and can charge to 400 miles of range in 30 minutes. It's impressive stuff and offers the most range out of any of their - at that moment - current line up of vehicles. I was impressed by 500 miles but equally curious as to how large the battery must be to achieve that on a vehicle pulling 80,000 pounds.
But that changed.
At the end of the event Tesla surprised us with the new Tesla Roadster. It's a pretty insane car, where Tesla claims it reaches 60mph from a standing start in 1.9s. Which, if true makes it faster than six figure cars and even some Formula 1 cars. However, it's worth noting this page may not be up-to-date as there's no "Last Updated" or "Published" date associated it with it, but judging by the oldest date it seems this article may be current as of 2014 to 2015. It just says that typical F1 cars have been recording going 0-60 in 1.7s but most modern day F1 cars are between 2.1 and 2.7. Which, again, if it's current then even the Tesla Model S P100D has just as fast acceleration as your average F1.
But what's more surprising is the range. A projected 620 miles, or as Musk put it: Going from Los Angeles, to San Francisco, then back to Los Angeles on a single charge. Which is nuts. My gasoline car, a 2008 Volkswagen Golf can get around 430 miles on a single tank of gas if I were to stay on the highway the entire time. (Yes, that's from experience). When I bought this car in 2013 I told myself I'll have this car for 10 years and that my next car would be electric. At the time electric cars were a weak figure in the car world and hybrids dominated the EV category by legal definition. That's still true today. Outside of Tesla electric cars only have ranges of 60 miles and are this ugly facade, as if it tell everyone you're driving a real electric vehicle. It's not looking well for electric cars today.
On top of the range, there's another challenge that I feel will hold back the widespread adoption of electric cars: the plug. Yes, there are charging stations every where and they're popping up with increased frequency. But it doesn't solve this issue that there are multiple types of plugs. Yeah, there are adapters so you can plug in at a variety of chargers but until it's as convenient as putting gas in a combustion vehicle, electric vehicles won't take off. I want the plug to be standardized; that's when I expect gas stations to put in 2 or 3 charging stations at each location. When you know, as an EV driver, that every gas station will have EV plugs will drivers forget about range anxiety.
But, we also have charge times. My average duration at a gas station is about 5 minutes. I pump the gas, clean my front and rear windshield, maybe check my oil level. Sometimes the pump finishes before I've made my rounds. Which is fine. With a combustion car I also need to fill the tank each time. I could get by filling it up to a quarter, or even half a tank. But I'll need to visit another gas station pretty soon. That's not the case with an EV. I can do a quick charge at a gas station to add a decent amount of range in a matter of minutes, then continue on my way. I can finish the charge when I get to work or when I get home. When I get to the mall to shop or when I get to the restaurant for dinner. I can charge in the very stall I park in. Combustion cars don't have that luxury. On top of that, the only EV's that would generally require charging would be those on road trips, as a 600 mile range would get me through at least 4 weeks of driving to and from work, perhaps I'd plug in at home every weekend. I would literally have zero reasons to charge at a gas station or at a destination unless I was on a road trip.
I don't need a 0-60 speed of 1.9s. I don't need a top speed above 250MPH. I don't necessarily want a Tesla. But I do need that range. Here's hoping automakers start competing. I want to see Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, and all the others to bring affordable long range EVs to the market in 2020. The Tesla Model 3 is a start but it's the only affordable option. $35,000 for 300 miles of range. The Tesla Roadster 2.0 is $200,000 for 620 miles of range BUT you get those crazy numbers. I don't need those numbers. Just put that battery pack in something like a Model 3 and I'll be so happy.
Who knows what can happen over the next 2-3 years and what other vehicles will be available when the Roadster enters production in 2020. Heck, even in 6-7 years from now when I start to get to the end of the ten year mark with my Golf.
Is there anything you like about EVs? Anything you dislike? What advancements to EVs would you like to see over the next 10 years? If you are hoping to buy a car in the next few years, are you planning to get an EV or a gasoline car?
But that changed.
At the end of the event Tesla surprised us with the new Tesla Roadster. It's a pretty insane car, where Tesla claims it reaches 60mph from a standing start in 1.9s. Which, if true makes it faster than six figure cars and even some Formula 1 cars. However, it's worth noting this page may not be up-to-date as there's no "Last Updated" or "Published" date associated it with it, but judging by the oldest date it seems this article may be current as of 2014 to 2015. It just says that typical F1 cars have been recording going 0-60 in 1.7s but most modern day F1 cars are between 2.1 and 2.7. Which, again, if it's current then even the Tesla Model S P100D has just as fast acceleration as your average F1.
But what's more surprising is the range. A projected 620 miles, or as Musk put it: Going from Los Angeles, to San Francisco, then back to Los Angeles on a single charge. Which is nuts. My gasoline car, a 2008 Volkswagen Golf can get around 430 miles on a single tank of gas if I were to stay on the highway the entire time. (Yes, that's from experience). When I bought this car in 2013 I told myself I'll have this car for 10 years and that my next car would be electric. At the time electric cars were a weak figure in the car world and hybrids dominated the EV category by legal definition. That's still true today. Outside of Tesla electric cars only have ranges of 60 miles and are this ugly facade, as if it tell everyone you're driving a real electric vehicle. It's not looking well for electric cars today.
On top of the range, there's another challenge that I feel will hold back the widespread adoption of electric cars: the plug. Yes, there are charging stations every where and they're popping up with increased frequency. But it doesn't solve this issue that there are multiple types of plugs. Yeah, there are adapters so you can plug in at a variety of chargers but until it's as convenient as putting gas in a combustion vehicle, electric vehicles won't take off. I want the plug to be standardized; that's when I expect gas stations to put in 2 or 3 charging stations at each location. When you know, as an EV driver, that every gas station will have EV plugs will drivers forget about range anxiety.
But, we also have charge times. My average duration at a gas station is about 5 minutes. I pump the gas, clean my front and rear windshield, maybe check my oil level. Sometimes the pump finishes before I've made my rounds. Which is fine. With a combustion car I also need to fill the tank each time. I could get by filling it up to a quarter, or even half a tank. But I'll need to visit another gas station pretty soon. That's not the case with an EV. I can do a quick charge at a gas station to add a decent amount of range in a matter of minutes, then continue on my way. I can finish the charge when I get to work or when I get home. When I get to the mall to shop or when I get to the restaurant for dinner. I can charge in the very stall I park in. Combustion cars don't have that luxury. On top of that, the only EV's that would generally require charging would be those on road trips, as a 600 mile range would get me through at least 4 weeks of driving to and from work, perhaps I'd plug in at home every weekend. I would literally have zero reasons to charge at a gas station or at a destination unless I was on a road trip.
I don't need a 0-60 speed of 1.9s. I don't need a top speed above 250MPH. I don't necessarily want a Tesla. But I do need that range. Here's hoping automakers start competing. I want to see Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, and all the others to bring affordable long range EVs to the market in 2020. The Tesla Model 3 is a start but it's the only affordable option. $35,000 for 300 miles of range. The Tesla Roadster 2.0 is $200,000 for 620 miles of range BUT you get those crazy numbers. I don't need those numbers. Just put that battery pack in something like a Model 3 and I'll be so happy.
Who knows what can happen over the next 2-3 years and what other vehicles will be available when the Roadster enters production in 2020. Heck, even in 6-7 years from now when I start to get to the end of the ten year mark with my Golf.
Is there anything you like about EVs? Anything you dislike? What advancements to EVs would you like to see over the next 10 years? If you are hoping to buy a car in the next few years, are you planning to get an EV or a gasoline car?