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How far are you driving once you get off the Ferry? How long is the Ferry ride? The Leaf uses the driving battery to recharge the 12 volt battery, so a couple of days sitting idle on the ferry could drain your battery a few more percent, and you'll want to be able to drive to your destination. If you can, make the time to swing by the Burlington charger and max out. Even the 30 minutes to 80% is probably a good idea. Since it's not at all clearly marked, and I'm there every couple of days, here's how to find the DC Super Charger from I-5 Northbound: Take Exit 229 (George Hopper) Head right, past Costco, taking a left on Burlington Blvd (Arco AM/PM will be directly in front of you) Take the second light left into the Burlington Outlets (first light will be Costco). It'll be just past Michaels. Go ALL THE WAY to the end. Seriously, just keep driving. Past all the stores, until you are looking like you're about to drive right into I-5. Past all the buildings. It's against the fence, on your left. The DC Quickcharger is the big one, but there's also a 240v next to it and a series of Chargepoint (a different network, if you haven't paid to sign up with that one) ones to the left. Here's a streetview pic from I-5 (you'll be coming from the direction it faces) - it took me a bit to find it and it's a huge pain since there's no signs from I-5 at all: https://maps.google.com/?ll=48.4552...2,61.23,,0,0.25 (You can also cut through the Costco parking lot, hugging the left wall and sneaking through into the Outlet Mall back lot, but that's probably trickier for an out of towner. Takes your right to the charger though) Mortanis fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Jul 19, 2013 |
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Jul 19, 2013 22:37
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Ferry is two and a half days. I plan to hit the quick charger in Bellinham before getting onboard. I have about 6 miles to go once I hit the ferry terminal here in Juneau but I could tow the car if I have to as long as it will get off the boat. I was thinking I'd want to be going less than 60mph to ensure I make it; why shouldn't I use the cruise control? What's the trick to make it charge 100%?
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Jul 20, 2013 00:05
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Cruise control is good - the Leaf is better at keeping a steady speed and sipping battery. The slower you go the better, just be careful of the stretch of 70 from Burlington to South Lake Sammish area - the car can easily do 70, but that's going to be hell on your charge, and going under can get you a ticket in this area sadly, or a boatload of very angry people behind you. There's two different settings for charge on the car for 100%: Timer and General. Both can be set to stop at 80% independently. Unless you have a timer set to charge all day, every day, General is the one you'd want. That's under: Zero Emissions (Lower right button on the console) > Settings > Long Life (On/Off). If it's On, it'll stop charging at 80%. If it's Off, it'll charge to 100%. I keep my timer set to 80% for a healthy battery and the General setting to 100% so that it can go to full if I override charge during the day at a DC Quick Charge or 240v station. If you have a timer set, it won't charge when plugged in unless you hit the override button (which is a big and easy button to the left of the wheel next to the charge cover release). It's pretty easy. Change the settings once and never worry about it again. The timer Long Life is set with the timer, under the "% Charge" button when editing your timer. As an aside, even if you don't plan on using a timer and just hit the override every time you plug in, check your timer settings. I got home that first day, plugged in, and went in to read the manual only to find that my car wasn't charging. The dealer had the car timer set to turn on Thursdays from 6PM to 7PM. It was a Monday, so my car wasn't going to turn on for three more days as I hadn't learned about the override timer button yet. Edit: it does take longer to charge to 100%. Once it hits 80, the charge drastically slows down to prevent damage to the battery packs. With a DC Quickcharge, it'll take 30 minutes to hit 80%, then another 20-30ish to top off to 100%. Mortanis fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Jul 20, 2013 |
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Jul 20, 2013 00:32
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Knockin' the dust off this thread... Saw this on the MIT technology review. 
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Aug 3, 2013 21:46
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Tesla isn't slowing down: http://www.forbes.com/sites/markrogowsky/2013/08/07/tesla-earnings-bad-news-for-the-bears/Forbes posted:Expected to show a loss and a slowdown in deliveries, Tesla Motors instead blew past estimates in the second quarter. The company delivered 5,150 cars against a forecast of 4,500 and turned a profit of 5 cents per share while analysts expected a loss of 17. Also I needed an excuse to show off the new glass top I've just gotten for my Roadster, I have one giant moonroof now! 
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Aug 8, 2013 20:22
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Goddamn that's a sexy beast.
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Aug 8, 2013 20:29
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eeenmachine posted:Tesla isn't slowing down: http://www.forbes.com/sites/markrogowsky/2013/08/07/tesla-earnings-bad-news-for-the-bears/ The tricky thing here is apparently they are treating everyone who bought using Tesla's "lease" program, as if they bought the car outright - so instead of only counting the income in terms of the monthly payment, they are counting the full purchase price. Of course, it's also not a traditional lease.
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Aug 8, 2013 20:36
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Also apparently they're only in the black because they're selling ZEV credits or some poo poo to the tune of almost $70 mil, or 12% of revenue. Still, they're obviously on the right track. http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/05/analysis-tesla-q1-2013-results/
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Aug 8, 2013 21:04
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I think the difference with this lease vs GAAP accounting is that with the Tesla lease a bank gives them all of the money like a sale. GAAP accounting says they must only account for the lease payments as they come in. So their bank accounts have more money but GAAP accounting says they lost money. Give it 3-5 years and they'll switch the way they report to the press since GAAP accounting will include payments for cars sold years prior (that they already told the press about, like these ones) as well as new leases. At least this kind of creative accounting isn't business-wrecking. It could actually turn out in their favor if they make enough return on whatever they invest the cash in. As for emissions credits, everybody does that. Toyota banked those for DECADES and is now reaping the windfall by applying them to truck sales. Though, with how popular the Prius is it's entirely possible they're breaking even again.
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Aug 9, 2013 02:39
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Pulled up to the local DC Quick Charge. Nissan Leaf count waiting in line: 4. What sort of resources are there for getting CHAdeMO stations added in to a city? I gather 3 Phase power isn't something that is run everywhere, and the devices themselves run 90k plus. What does it take to get AeroVironment to add more, or is that entirely at the discretion of the government? It's starting to get impossible to get in and use the charger, severely limited my extra-curricular activities. And I can't quite pull the trigger on a 1k+ a month Tesla, no matter how badly I want to. Even if the Tesla Supercharger station is a couple of blocks away, whispering and taunting me.
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Aug 9, 2013 04:36
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Mortanis posted:Pulled up to the local DC Quick Charge. Nissan Leaf count waiting in line: 4. Buy a PHEV.
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Aug 9, 2013 04:39
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Mortanis posted:I gather 3 Phase power isn't something that is run everywhere, I don't know about other parts of the country, but in this area, any large city has 3-phase power run everywhere. There might not be a handy 3-phase transformer, as those only get plopped where there is a need to actually deliver 3-phase. If there are three wires on the poles, then the power is 3-phase. Way the gently caress out in the country where there's a piddly little shanty with only two wires running to it - that's single phase. Getting 3-phase into your house in a normal suburb would be gently caress-off expensive though, as they'd have to set a new transformer, just for you, as every other house in the neighborhood is running single phase, so that's what all the transformers are.
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Aug 9, 2013 06:56
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Almost every retail parking lot will have phase III power. Big box retail and supermarkets all need it. The lines are not run to all residential areas, however phase 1 quick chargers can be built there just is no market. Some of the leaf nerds are adding extra chargers so they can plug in two level 2 EVSEs at the same time and charge similar to a QC. A Nissan QC costs 15k for an outdoor unit plus installation. There is a 30% tax credit for US tax payers. An indoor unit is 10K. Most Blink and Eaton QC units are in the 40k cost range which is holding back adoption. When the cheaper units start being produced you will see more. Free charging needs to go away as people use the QC just to save on electric when they don't even need it.
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Aug 9, 2013 13:30
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I hadn't seen the Nissan QC before. 15.5k isn't bad at all, and apparently they can be set up for payment and account management. I wonder how a little lot with 2 or 3 of those and a coffee stand with snacks could do, charging $1/$2 or so for 30 minutes in the Seattle area here.
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Aug 9, 2013 22:13
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Tesla Model S Earns Highest Safety Rating Ever From US Agency http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/19/tesla-model-s-highest-safety-rating/ Tesla Motors posted:Of note, during validation of Model S roof crush protection at an independent commercial facility, the testing machine failed at just above 4 g’s. While the exact number is uncertain due to Model S breaking the testing machine, what this means is that at least four additional fully loaded Model S vehicles could be placed on top of an owner’s car without the roof caving in.
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Aug 20, 2013 20:08
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Tesla Motors posted:four additional fully loaded Model S vehicles could be placed on top of an owner’s car without the roof caving in. I'm picturing Teslas driving on top of other Teslas so that as a group, they achieve greater speed. Like these caterpillars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbFMkXTMucA
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Aug 20, 2013 22:10
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Why would they even test the car with a machine that's incapable of reproducing a "good" rating for rollover protection? http://www.iihs.org/ratings/roof/detailsbyclass.aspx?30
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Aug 20, 2013 22:47
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Powershift posted:Why would they even test the car with a machine that's incapable of reproducing a "good" rating for rollover protection? Tesla Model S Curb Weight : 4,647.3 lbs 4,647.3 x 4 = 18589.2 lbs of peak force, only 2 cars on that list had a higher peak force value. Which is just above the threshold for a "Good" rating. (based on the strength to weight ratio being over a 4.0 to be qualified as "good") I agree though, they need to get a much stronger machine to find out the exact point at which it fails. crazzy fucked around with this message at 02:09 on Aug 21, 2013 |
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Aug 21, 2013 01:49
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crazzy posted:Tesla Model S Curb Weight : 4,647.3 lbs If you want to get all technical on me. http://www.iihs.org/ratings/roof/detailsbyclass.aspx?50 In the end it seems everything tesla said was bullshit, so much so that the NHTSA issued a press release about it. quote:NHTSA Statement on 5-Star Safety Ratings
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Aug 23, 2013 05:19
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The NHTSA seemed to take issue with Tesla saying the Model S was the best when the NHTSA doesn't rank cars beyond placing them in categories (4 stars, 5 stars, etc). That, or they're irked that Tesla is essentially saying "hah, we broke your procedures & machines". Either way, it doesn't make Tesla's statements any less true.
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Aug 23, 2013 15:31
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oogs posted:The NHTSA seemed to take issue with Tesla saying the Model S was the best when the NHTSA doesn't rank cars beyond placing them in categories (4 stars, 5 stars, etc). That, or they're irked that Tesla is essentially saying "hah, we broke your procedures & machines". Either way, it doesn't make Tesla's statements any less true. Tesla said they got 5.4 stars. the NHTSA said there is nothing above a 5 star rating. http://www.teslamotors.com/about/press/releases/tesla-model-s-achieves-best-safety-rating-any-car-ever-tested quote:NHTSA does not publish a star rating above 5, however safety levels better than 5 stars are captured in the overall Vehicle Safety Score (VSS) provided to manufacturers, where the Model S achieved a new combined record of 5.4 stars.
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Aug 23, 2013 23:29
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Powershift posted:Tesla said they got 5.4 stars. the NHTSA said there is nothing above a 5 star rating. They record higher than 5 stars in testing (and they admit the Model S scored a record 5.4) but don't publicly publish anything higher than a 5. Above 5 is a thing, just not in scores published to the public.
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Aug 23, 2013 23:34
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eeenmachine posted:They record higher than 5 stars in testing (and they admit the Model S scored a record 5.4) but don't publicly publish anything higher than a 5. Above 5 is a thing, just not in scores published to the public. Yep, and since it seems that everyone else obeys NHTSA's "don't publish the fractionals" there's no way to verify whether or not anyone has ever managed to score, say, above 5.4.
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Aug 23, 2013 23:45
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IOwnCalculus posted:Yep, and since it seems that everyone else obeys NHTSA's "don't publish the fractionals" there's no way to verify whether or not anyone has ever managed to score, say, above 5.4.
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Aug 24, 2013 01:16
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roomforthetuna posted:Except where they say it was "a new combined record". According to Tesla, not the NHTSA, who is arguing that Tesla is poorly presenting the results. Either way, the Model S is clearly one damned safe car.
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Aug 24, 2013 04:34
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Quartz has a summary of Tesla Motors sales figures from the August edition of the California New Car Dealers Association newsletter, and the news is good for the upstart electric car company. In June 2013, Tesla sold more vehicles in California than ten big-name brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chrysler, Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mitsubishi, Porsche, and Volvo. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/08/tesla-california-sales-beat-chrysler-volvo-cadillac-other-big-names/
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Aug 24, 2013 04:40
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So the Tesla is more popular than the 10 least popular cars?
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Aug 24, 2013 15:38
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IOwnCalculus posted:According to Tesla, not the NHTSA, who is arguing that Tesla is poorly presenting the results. Elephanthead posted:So the Tesla is more popular than the 10 least popular cars?
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Aug 24, 2013 16:29
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Every once in a while I like to browse the GCSurplus website, the auctions of stuff by the Government of Canada. Among the ex-police Crown Vics and a small ship there's a Tesla up for grabs. I love the first image in the set. Rather than the usual standard-car-in-government-lot picture, we get:  Minimum bid is $65 000. This is one of the vehicles used by Transport Canada to evaluate the Tesla Roadster. quote:The vehicle was acquired as a test asset in March 2010 by Transport Canada to support the department's safety, environmental and performance testing of new and emerging advanced vehicle technologies. I also like the bit about low temperature testing, down to -20 C. My camera's batteries do very poorly in such temperatures, I'm curious how something like the Tesla's do in a proper Canadian winter.
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Aug 31, 2013 00:56
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My partner and I got to meet with Duz a few weeks ago and check out his Leaf. The opportunity to check out and drive a leaf free of the soul-sucking presence of salesmen paid on commission was much appreciated! Overall, I didnt have any strong impressions that differ much from what you'll find all over the internet, so i won't write much about it. It's essentially a very normal car in the way it drives and unless you are a tech-y person the ways that it is different from similarly sized ICE cars can easily be overlooked while driving. Personally, being a Texan who prefers to be outdoors but hates to be hot, my favorite feature was the ability to turn on the climate control from your phone to 'pre-cool' the car interior. Regarding the "5.4 Star" rating that Tesla gave itself, here's what i said on Green Car Reports' facebook when the NHTSA counter-statement was released: " I'd say this egg is on NHTSA's face, actually. I read this as 'Please dont publicly point out that your car punched holes in our process. There's a reason why the numbers we give you and the numbers we give the public are different, and you are violating an implied agreement to play nice for mutual benefit. INITIATE THE HISSY FIT!' Go along to get along, in essence. That mantra has never been viable for Tesla before, and frankly im not convinced the NHTSA has any high ground to stand on here. The fact that a majority of cars in many classes achieve 5 star ratings makes the rating system a de facto industry circle jerk." Don't get me wrong, i'm ALL for our current safety standards and for incrementally raising the standards on a regular basis. But the NHTSA really can't say anything about Tesla's claims other than 'We don't want our name on that and don't drag us into poo poo like this kthx rear end in a top hat.' We just bought a 2007 Prius for $4500 and have been enjoying it for the last two days. My 2001 Honda Insight soldiers on at 345k. My long-simmering hybrid Caravan project has made absolutely no progress.
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Sep 11, 2013 03:20
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We put a deposit on a black/black Leaf today; the paperwork will be FedExed to us tomorrow to get completed so I can pick the car up October 2nd. Woo! Our first new car!
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Sep 11, 2013 06:59
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Congrats! I love my parents and all, but I really hope their reaction to seeing my Leaf isn't common to the general populace. Questions I fielded regarding my car: "Where's the clutch?" "How do you make it go if there's no gas? Are there still pedals?" "Oh, so you have to plug in to charge it?"
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Sep 11, 2013 17:46
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Mortanis posted:Congrats! Electric cars are the surefire way to expose just how ignorant most people are of electricity. My favorite one so far with my Volt has been, "So it charges itself when you hit the brakes, right? How many times do you have to stop to fill the battery?" 
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Sep 11, 2013 18:21
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When i first got my Insight, i realized that regenerative braking was the best thing i never knew i was missing. I think anyone who has any concern for efficiency in general (not just fuel economy in a car) can appreciate it. I also get kind of annoyed by all the mainstream mags that continue to comment on the obvious point in the brake pedal where hydraulics kick in. I LIKE that distinction. When you have a car that does regenerative braking, it becomes a game to see how much of your braking you can do with regen, and having some sort of clue of where your hydraulic brakes engage in the pedal travel is, imo, helpful to that. I think Mazda is doing regen with non-hybrid/EVs with their Skyactiv stuff. That makes me happy. It's my sincere hope that belt-drive start-stop and regen braking will become common even on 'non hybrid' cars. Thats another thing i noticed from owning my insight: It's amazing how much nicer an engine start-up is without the nasty engagement and straight-cut gear noise of your typical starter/flywheel arrangement. Once you have a car that starts without, you realize how much you'll never miss it.
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Sep 11, 2013 18:45
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My favorite thing about the leaf is the fixed gear.
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Sep 11, 2013 19:05
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My favorite thing about my (non EV) Honda is the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT). I imagine it feels a lot like a fixed gear. Does anyone have enough experience with both to comment?
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Sep 11, 2013 23:35
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Mathhole posted:My favorite thing about my (non EV) Honda is the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT). I imagine it feels a lot like a fixed gear. Does anyone have enough experience with both to comment? CVTs are wierd. Not uncomfortably so, just wierd. Single gear electric motors are not. It's like a magic hand that never flinches. (My frame of reference includes mostly GM RWD automatics, and T-56 (and derivative) six speeds.)
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Sep 11, 2013 23:40
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MrYenko posted:CVTs are wierd. Not uncomfortably so, just wierd. If CVTs completely replaced all transmissions right now, in a generation there wouldn't be a distinction about 'shifts' and I find it weird that people seem to care about the 'shift' sensation so much. I think CVTs are weird as hell since the engine just whines up to a point then just sticks there as you gain speed, but that's only because I expect a shift to happen that never comes. KakerMix fucked around with this message at 19:08 on Sep 13, 2013 |
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Sep 12, 2013 01:13
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Well, my main problem with CVTs is that they only vary within a range, and the lowest part of the range is not really low enough for a small engine to feel good from a stop. In a very small engine / low torque vehicle, id much prefer a 6+spd auto (preferably an automated manual like a dual-clutch) to a CVT because the low ratio of the lowest gear is going to get the thing through the 0-20 speed range better, and that's generally where those small motor cars suffer the most. For example, the new Jeep Cherokee has a 9spd auto. The last Jeep Patriot was a similar size (actually a little smaller and lighter) with pretty much the same motor and a CVT. I'd lay money down that from a stop, the 9spd totally murders the cvt. My other concern is their lack of tolerance of misuse and abuse. I also vaguely dislike start clutches (vs torque converters) for the same reason. This may be because, as a professional tech for the last 10 years, ive developed a lot of 'mechanical empathy', and i also ALWAYS (have to) fix my own stuff that breaks, and tend to treat stuff i own roughly. I guess that all adds up to an eye towards durability. For normal people who drive normally, i think they are more or less ok and already have a lot of consumer acceptance. To my slight chagrin. I now own a 'CVT' vehicle (the Prius), but the way it works is VASTLY different from most CVTs. I actually consider it to be a simpler (mechanically), more reliable transmission than almost any other current design.
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Sep 12, 2013 05:30
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My parents had a Dodge Caliber for awhile with a CVT... ... ...and paddle shifters. 
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Sep 12, 2013 12:47
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