Towing with Tesla Model X

[swatski]

Ouch.
so completely uncalled for.


@thefortunes I certainly hope you don’t have thin skin, and will stick around.
Appreciate your thoughtful posts and commentaries.

—

 

[2kwik4u]

Ouch.
so completely uncalled for.


@thefortunes I certainly hope you don’t have thin skin, and will stick around.
Appreciate your thoughtful posts and commentaries.

—

Are you reading a different thread than the rest of us? He has great information, and presents it in a very analytical manner......then follows it up with shitty indirect insults.

I hope he sticks around as well, and learns that we're all a sharp group of individuals with wildly different viewpoints, experiences, and offerings.

He's not the only one that "knows what the hell he's talking about".

 

[swatski]

He's not the only one that "knows what the hell he's talking about".

Sure thing. But he does know. And I want to know.
So. Personally, I’ll take it over much of other content even with a grain of snide.
but that’s just me.

—

 

[ripler]

Would you be "pissed" if you went to use a gas station and people were parked there?

How about if you were handicapped and people parked in those spots?

I'll never understand the hostility some people have toward others.

Lighten up man it was a joke and it wasn't hostile. Another thing if I were to park in a EV charging spot it isn't illegal. Boy from reading through your comments you sure get defensive about your "environmentally friendly" vehicles.

 

[suke]

soooo uhhhh 15 pages in.....has anyone towed with the model X here that owns one? I ain't clicking back through 7 pages of dick beating.

 

[Dean P]

Lighten up man it was a joke and it wasn't hostile. Another thing if I were to park in a EV charging spot it isn't illegal. Boy from reading through your comments you sure get defensive about your "environmentally friendly" vehicles.

I thought his point was valid as I'm sure people do it. I have not personally seen it but people do strange things... A lot of EV parking (here) is only for EV cars. Others will be fined and or towed. Just like handicap spots.

 

[robert843]

I will never own an electric vehicle, but I do have a question. Do EV drivers get pissed when I park in those prime parking spots that just so happen to be a charge station?

No we just key your car or flatten a tire lol. Many horse owners also said they would never own a car.

 

[Dixie Highway]

To your point @robert843 in the early days of automobiles it was impractical to own a car especially in rural America. Dirt roads that turned to mud in the rain, limited fuel availability, unreliable mechanical systems all contributed to the stigma. We are in those early days of EV’s right now, and for many, petroleum fuel powered vehicles make the most sense. The writing is on the wall though, and eventually those things will change. Hopefully other manufacturers will get on board, because until they do we will continue to see Tesla produce expensive (for what they are) vehicles AND have a monopoly on the charging infrastructure.

This brings me to my second point, which is why does Tesla not produce a basic EV without the gimmicky stuff thrown in? Could they not take a model 3, strip all the self driving, self fetching in a parking lot, overly complex climate control, and design a basic transportation vehicle that performs similarly to a 3 but at half the price? I get the feeling they add in all the frivolities to make it a more upscale vehicle to justify the price, but bottom line 90% of consumers shop based on price. Want to sell the entire planet EV’s? Then make them $20,000. In places like India and China they’ll have to be even cheaper (especially once China’s economy starts to go). Again no animus towards EV’s in general, just something to ponder.

 

[Liftr]

This conversation has made me curious for more information.
I found myself perusing the Tesla Owners Forum.
I found a thread where actual, current owners are discussing their Real World range performance.

“Actual Tesla X mileage numbers.”

The responses range from a low of 200 miles in winter, up to one person claiming 325 miles.
That seems like a wide variation.


That being said, I would like to make my apologies to the group for kicking off this brouhaha.
I will concede that is mathematically possible to make my required trip, if I make arrangements to charge at Mom’s.

I stand by my original post, stating :
There is not one single charging station located on my desired (fastest) route.

But, when Henry Ford invented the Horseless Carriage, there wasn’t a gas station on every corner either.

 

[Dean P]

For some reason, I found myself perusing the Tesla Owners Forum.
I found a thread where actual, current owners are discussing their Real World range performance.

“Actual Tesla X mileage numbers.”

The responses range from a low of 200 miles in winter, up to one person claiming 325 miles.
That seems like a wide variation.


That being said, I would like to make my apologies to the group for kicking off this brouhaha.
I will concede that is mathematically possible to make my required trip, if I make arrangements to charge at Mom’s.

I stand by my original (inflammatory) post, stating :
There is not one single charging station located on my desired (fastest) route.

When Henry Ford invented the Horseless Carriage, there wasn’t a gas station on every corner either.

Hate seeing stuff (good conversation turn to hell) like this. You both had valid points but at some point it's okay to disagree. IMO you both carried it too far and you're still trying to prove your point. Can we move on? Please?

 

[swatski]

To your point @robert843 in the early days of automobiles it was impractical to own a car especially in rural America. Dirt roads that turned to mud in the rain, limited fuel availability, unreliable mechanical systems all contributed to the stigma. We are in those early days of EV’s right now, and for many, petroleum fuel powered vehicles make the most sense. The writing is on the wall though, and eventually those things will change. Hopefully other manufacturers will get on board, because until they do we will continue to see Tesla produce expensive (for what they are) vehicles AND have a monopoly on the charging infrastructure.

This brings me to my second point, which is why does Tesla not produce a basic EV without the gimmicky stuff thrown in? Could they not take a model 3, strip all the self driving, self fetching in a parking lot, overly complex climate control, and design a basic transportation vehicle that performs similarly to a 3 but at half the price? I get the feeling they add in all the frivolities to make it a more upscale vehicle to justify the price, but bottom line 90% of consumers shop based on price. Want to sell the entire planet EV’s? Then make them $20,000. In places like India and China they’ll have to be even cheaper (especially once China’s economy starts to go). Again no animus towards EV’s in general, just something to ponder.

Great post. Sure thing I would love an inexpensive SX190 equivalent of Tesla for my daily commute! Lol
But I don’t think that’s what they are after.
They are after collecting data for self driving, and I believe they are ahead.

—

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

Great post. Sure thing I would love an inexpensive SX190 equivalent of Tesla for my daily commute! Lol
But I don’t think that’s what they are after.
They are after collecting data for self driving, and I believe they are ahead.

—

I think you’re right. Everyone knows the real money is in the data and not the hardware.

 

[robert843]

@Julian I can't

This brings me to my second point, which is why does Tesla not produce a basic EV without the gimmicky stuff thrown in? Could they not take a model 3, strip all the self driving, self fetching in a parking lot, overly complex climate control, and design a basic transportation vehicle that performs similarly to a 3 but at half the price? I get the feeling they add in all the frivolities to make it a more upscale vehicle to justify the price, but bottom line 90% of consumers shop based on price. Want to sell the entire planet EV’s? Then make them $20,000.

Because there is no market for it really here in the US yet. The $40,000 base price Model 3 absolutely destroys sales of the Nissan Leaf which can be picked up in the $20's brand new after rebates and dealer discounts all day long. I think if Nissan Leafs were flying off the shelf Tesla would respond with the a car in that price range. Nissan has really come a long way with theirs as well now getting over 200 miles range but I think they are often ignored as they released the leaf to early when they first came out with it the car only had 60 miles range and slow charge times which is impractical for most. Had they waited till they had it worked out that it had 200+ mile range and could charge faster it would probably be a direct competitor with the model 3. Nissan should probably rebadge the Leaf give it a few tweaks, facelift and rename it and I bet with the right marketing plan it could compete with Tesla.

Most consumers still don't understand electric cars or even know they really exist. A lot of the people who see my wife's model X have no clue what it is when you say Tesla they have heard of them and understand a little but most here have never even seen one or looked at it as a viable car so much so they don't even know what a Model X is.

 

[buckbuck]

I am one of those consumers. But this thread has helped fill me in on the future. So much so that I am dreaming of that electric F150. I will make sure I install a circuit for charging the car or truck in the next house.

 

[Stevenpigsooie]

This thread has been informative. I’ve always viewed EV as a novelty but would like more first hand info now. We couldn’t do a car though because my wife likes her Sequoia and storage space too much and I’ve got a Silverado so it’d have to be a truck for me.

 

[Nakk]

We can boil it down to this: Some people think that gasoline will go away, others don't. Both positions are just opinions. EVs work great for some people, some still need ICE. As a corollary, a number of people--not everybody--who think they need ICE actually would do better with an EV. (There is considerable ignorance still when it comes to EV's.) Nevertheless, for some jobs you still need ICE. For short distances, a Tesla X tows just fine within it's limitations. For long tow distance, an ICE vehicle is still the clear winner. That may change in the future. Choice is good. Choose which vehicle suits you.

All of that said, politics could change the whole equation. There is a large faction in this country who want to take your choices away. They are likely to have the ear of those in power in Washington very soon. Please bear in mind that most Tesla owners--while fanatically enthusiastic about their cars--are of the mind set that you should have a choice about what you drive until market forces limit that choice. Teslas are about practicality mixed with serious fun. That doesn't draw the kind of people who hate your trucks. In fact, every Tesla owner I know--a lot--has a truck or full size SUV in their garage as well. I'm getting rid of my two ICE daily drivers,and replacing them with two Teslas. I also have a restored '92 Blazer with a six speed 6L80E trans and a 450 horsepower L94--dynoed--that I hope to keep until the day I die. We're all on the same side here, and there are a lot of people who don't like that. From the networks who stand to lose $18 billion annually in ad revenue, to the folks who want to get rid of ICE cars and boats tomorrow, to the politicians who will promise anything and do anything to get elected. A battle is coming, make no mistake. Try and not force anyone to the other side.

ICE is not a derogatory term. Neither is EV. ICE just means" Internal Combustion engine." It is merely a convenient term to differentiate two different types of vehicles. We never needed it before, because EVs were so rare. I spent a lot of time, muscle, money and blood restoring my ICE '92 Blazer, and I love that truck. "I love my truck, I like my girlfriend". Best line in a song EVER. Well, that and "Everyone knows the world is full of stupid people". Anyways, I wouldn't refer to my Blazer as an ICE vehicle if I thought "ICE" was a derogatory term.

Here are some facts. Teslas can be had for $40K. Cost of operation is a fraction that of most vehicles. Teslas have far less to go wrong than other vehicles. Teslas are meant to last a million miles. Whether or not they achieve that is still undecided, but at least that's the intent. Most other vehicles these days are designed to be junk by 200K. For instance, most automatic Nissan's have a transmission heater that is always in operation. Not a cooler, a heater. This heater is great for initial warm up, but should be deactivated as soon as the proper temp is achieved. Nope, it just keeps heating the trans, so that the trans is ALWAYS overheated, even under light load on a cold day. Given that high temp is the #1 cause of tranny failure, it's clear that this design is intended to cause transmission failure somewhere between 100K and 150K. Obviously, it's not possible for a Tesla to suffer a transmission failure. (Teslas have no transmission, or center differential either.)

More facts. If the area you live has cheap gas and expensive electricity, EVs will not have as big an advantage. If you have cheap electricity and expensive gas, an EV rapidly becomes more financially attractive. If charging stations are not available in the area you make trips to, EV's will not be as convenient as they are in other areas. Currently, Teslas are far more convenient to take on road trips than other vehicles as the charge time at Tesla superchargers is a fraction of the time it takes to charge non-Tesla EVs. Teslas can charge at any charging station or anywhere they can access an electrical outlet. If the outlet is 220V, a full charge can be had in as few as six hours. (15 minutes at a level 3 supercharger.) Many EVs have such limited range that they are useless for anything other than going to & from work. Teslas do not suffer from this limitation, with 250 miles currently being the lowest range option. For 99% of the people, in day to day driving, you will never need to charge a Tesla anywhere but at home overnight. Those people will spend far less time charging their vehicles in the course of a year than they used to do fueling up a fossil fuel powered vehicle--even with the occasional road trip thrown in. You don't need a Tesla charger to charge your vehicle. Plugging in to a 220v 40 amp circuit will give you 32 miles of range per hour. Installing a $500 Tesla charger--plus the cost of installation--will give you 44 miles of range per hour. 110v is only going to give you about 4 miles per hour.

I personally think gasoline will go away within my lifetime. Probably much sooner than anyone now believes, but that is just my opinion. I believe market forces will drive this. Politics may drive it much sooner, though I would fight that tooth and nail.

Back to towing: I've got a Tesla Y on pre-order. I'm hoping it will be rated to tow 5000 lbs like the X is. (Rating is unknown yet.) I'd still do all of my towing with my Blazer, but it would be nice to have the option to use the Y if the Blazer was out of commission. It's less than 10 miles to my marina, so range is not an issue.

 

[Trevor Shipman]

I cannot wait for the reveal of the truck. So far I love most of the futuristic looks that some artist have made. Who knows what the final will look.

One hurdle that I’m interested to see if they solve for is charging when you are towing. Right now, 99% of charging stations out there require you to back into a single spot. If I’m towing a camper and having to unhook it to back in and charge would suck.

We shall see.

 

[Liveto99]

So in a few generations anyone who controls the power grid controls everyone. It ok nothing can go wrong go wrong gowong gwong geog go g...
Day 2 of no power in the pic and there will be no gas stations if there is not enough cars to support them, gas will be sold through walmart for $10 a gal like they sell kerosene for in plastic jugs.

 

[Julian]

So in a few generations anyone who controls the power grid controls everyone. It ok nothing can go wrong go wrong gowong gwong geog go g...
Day 2 of no power in the pic and there will be no gas stations if there is not enough cars to support them, gas will be sold through walmart for $10 a gal like they sell kerosene for in plastic jugs.View attachment 107456

Or if you have installed solar and batteries, no one controls you.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

Or if you have installed solar and batteries, no one controls you.

Exactly.

But to his point - Fossil Fuels already make up well over half of our electricity sources - so whoever controls it in the future, are the same people that control it today.