Tesla Motors

I have seen the excitement about Tesla Motors car technology. I am inspired by what Elon Musk is doing with Tesla Motors and SpaceX. Never mind using PowerPoint slides - this is the way to do a presentation.

Elon Musk unveils the Tesla dual-motor all-wheel drive with autopilot. Goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. Has Option Selection: Normal, Sport, Insane. Elon Musk says it literally states "Insane".

I like the silver metallic paint. It comes with an 8-year warranty. I wonder where I go for maintenance. Well, I won't have to worry about oil changes. The Tesla S P85D has a 405 km range and can charge 46 km/hr with a single charger. Upgrading to dual chargers, I can charge 92 km/hr. With a 240-volt 40-amp circuit, a single charger draws 10 kW of power; 20 kW with dual chargers. So, 4.4 hours at 20 kW = 88 kWh to give me a "full tank of gas".

I'm paying $0.20 per kWh for electricity so it costs $17.60 to go 405 km. My Nissan Maxima gets 26 miles/gallon or 10.9 liters per 100 km. The 405 km distance will take 44 liters of gas. At the current (Jan/2015) low gas price of $1 per liter, that is $44 for 405 km. If the Tesla information is accurate and my calculations are correct, I'm looking at a factor of 2.5 for energy cost savings for the Tesla S P85D electric car. Furthermore, my Nissan Maxima does not do 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds.

Information is from the Tesla Motors website:

• http://my.teslamotors.com/en_CA/models/design
• http://www.teslamotors.com/en_CA/charging
• Tesla Charge Time and Cost Calculator confirms my cost analysis above

Tesla Supercharger Stations: Tesla car can be charged for free at the growing number of Tesla Supercharger Stations. This is another incentive on the gas versus electricity cost consideration.

Reality Check: The Tesla S P85D costs $121,270 CAD (Ontario and Quebec get a price reduction incentive). Heck, I'll lease it for $1,951/month. Only thing stopping me from ordering one is MONEY!

Final Thoughts: I'm thinking in poor man's terms. If I can afford the Tesla S P85D, I would not be questioning if electricity cost is cheaper than gas (which it is).

• My first car was a Chevrolet Vega which came with a defective engine that was replaced one month after delivery - the engine was burning oil excessively. That car could do 60 mph after a 30-second run down a steep road. The car shaking was scary. Oh, I did that test AFTER the engine replacement. Elon Musk suggested in passing how GM cars are poor quality (in 2014).
• I also owned a Ford Pinto. Fortunately, I was not involved in a hit-from-behind accident in which I could have been burned up in the gas tank rupture fire.
• After my naive days as a student, I stopped buying North American made cars - I went with cars from Germany and Japan. I would like to buy my next car designed and manufactured in North American - Tesla Motors.