Motor Trends 2013 Car of the Year

[Steve Stock]

Gasoline fires after collision doesn't happen very often with exception in Hollywood movies.
On the other hand with crumple zones in today's vehicles extrication tools are used daily in the FD and cutting A and B pillers to remove the roof of the vehicle is an everyday ordeal. Sometimes the rockers need to be cut to spread the vehicle to gain entry. This area is used for high voltage lines in hybrids. Pretty much all the vehicle manufactures have emergency guidebooks for emergency personel.I remember back a few years ago bringing in special training in to deal with hybrids, the reason I don't like them, they are just flat dangerous to deal with for the ill prepared if you ask me.

[winfield scott]

We even use some 100% electric trucks here in Antarctica at -35F or lower depending on the day.

[Bob Lemke]

We even use some 100% electric trucks here in Antarctica at -35F or lower depending on the day.

Thank you for this. Can we now say "creditibility" ? Yes, they work in the cold. How is the ozone holding up down there? At the other pole we are getting thin with a lot of holes.

[Lugnut]

57 grand for a car that is worthless in the ice and snow. Plus batteries only work at 50% when cold. Wonder why I do not want one.
PS: does it come in 4 wheel drive????

Besides, when one has to use the heater/defroster/headlights...it ALL puts a drain on the batteries...especially the heating devices. Those cars ARE useless up here in the Tundras.

I'll stick with my gas guzzling Ford F-150 4x4!

[Bob Lemke]

57 grand for a car that is worthless in the ice and snow. Plus batteries only work at 50% when cold. Wonder why I do not want one.
PS: does it come in 4 wheel drive????

Besides, when one has to use the heater/defroster/headlights...it ALL puts a drain on the batteries...especially the heating devices. Those cars ARE useless up here in the Tundras.

I'll stick with my gas guzzling Ford F-150 4x4!

Heater, 1000 watts and cycles
defroster motor about 80 watts
Headlights (not 55 watts X 2 incandescent but LED) 20 watts

So, we have a winter time load of 1100 watts and most of it (1,000 watt heater) cycles. The battery is 84 kw-hr. With an hour commute both directions for 2 hours total, less than 1/50th of battery used for above.

[Lugnut]

57 grand for a car that is worthless in the ice and snow. Plus batteries only work at 50% when cold. Wonder why I do not want one.
PS: does it come in 4 wheel drive????

Besides, when one has to use the heater/defroster/headlights...it ALL puts a drain on the batteries...especially the heating devices. Those cars ARE useless up here in the Tundras.

I'll stick with my gas guzzling Ford F-150 4x4!

Heater, 1000 watts and cycles
defroster motor about 80 watts
Headlights (not 55 watts X 2 incandescent but LED) 20 watts

So, we have a winter time load of 1100 watts and most of it (1,000 watt heater) cycles. The battery is 84 kw-hr. With an hour commute both directions for 2 hours total, less than 1/50th of battery used for above.

Maybe that will fly out on the leftist coast, but it ain't gonna fly around here when the temps get down into the minus double digits. One very same reason folks park their Chebbie Volts (The car that America HAD to build)for the winter. One they don't go well in the snow, 2) when they use the heater/defroster/seat heaters...the batteries run low and alas we're back to using gasoline. Now how pure is that? I love passing a tree hugging Prius or a Nissan Leaf in my Passat TDI.....SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM!

[Bill Holley]

tesla is still looking to built that big $$$$ car in delaware at a closed down GM plant.. my son just (finally) got a job..
been a while... he's going to johnson controls here that make batteries for almost everyone selling them.. maybe with the bankrupt A123 being bought by a china comp they will figure out how to build those batteries too and keep it in the USA...

[Big Bill]

The Tesla is a very good looking, quite, and fast car. My wife and I had the pleasure of seeing one in operation here in Ohio two weeks ago and were very impressed. But as Steve said if you were in a serious accident you better hope the properly trained first responders are available to your location. Also if you witness one in a serious crash you need to be careful how you approach to offer help due to possible high voltage and ampereage that could be present if the vehicle is damaged in the wrong place. As the world gets more experence with this type of vehicle we will all become smarter and safer.

[Bob Lemke]

57 grand for a car that is worthless in the ice and snow. Plus batteries only work at 50% when cold. Wonder why I do not want one.
PS: does it come in 4 wheel drive????

Besides, when one has to use the heater/defroster/headlights...it ALL puts a drain on the batteries...especially the heating devices. Those cars ARE useless up here in the Tundras.

I'll stick with my gas guzzling Ford F-150 4x4!

Heater, 1000 watts and cycles
defroster motor about 80 watts
Headlights (not 55 watts X 2 incandescent but LED) 20 watts

So, we have a winter time load of 1100 watts and most of it (1,000 watt heater) cycles. The battery is 84 kw-hr. With an hour commute both directions for 2 hours total, less than 1/50th of battery used for above.

Maybe that will fly out on the leftist coast, but it ain't gonna fly around here when the temps get down into the minus double digits. One very same reason folks park their Chebbie Volts (The car that America HAD to build)for the winter. One they don't go well in the snow, 2) when they use the heater/defroster/seat heaters...the batteries run low and alas we're back to using gasoline. Now how pure is that? I love passing a tree hugging Prius or a Nissan Leaf in my Passat TDI.....SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM!

I'm at a loss to explain. You quote my figures and then proceed on as to how a cyclical 1,100 watt load is going to quickly drain a 84,000 watt-hr battery. As to battery temperature, are you forgetting how long your coffee stays hot in a Thermos bottle?

[Bob Lemke]

http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/cold-we ... ng-model-s