Screw The Hype: What Is It Really Like To LIVE With A Tesla On A Daily Basis?

Customer satisfaction with the Model S is generally sky-high. #1, followed by the Corvette I think.

When I took my first cross-country motorcycle trip, I realized that it's totally different than doing it by car. The bike carries only 130 miles worth of fuel, so I had to plan the entire trip from gas station to gas station, all while trying to take the most direct route. When doing this with an EV, it's not a travel plan between ubiquitous gas stations, but between rare charging stations, and planning refueling time of close to an hour (to 100% charge).

The article's statement "eighty percent of the U.S. population is now within 150 miles of a Supercharger location" sounds great, proving your route takes you between charging stations. Otherwise, imaging having to go 50 miles out of your way because that's where you have to go to get the fuel your car needs. That makes a less flattering story.

EVs are a great concept, but their time has not yet come for the masses. And in the US, they're less ideal. The US has expansive spaces. It was built up largely around the concept of suburbs (where you live) and a commute to urban centers (where you work), which was optimized for an era of plentiful gasoline-powered cars. Today, we're stuck with old concepts, and inadequate or unfeasible public transit (e.g., as a youngster, I used to take public transit 2 hours 1-way from my home in the 'burbs to get to work in the city. I cut that trip in half when I got a car).

As for the Tesla specifically: Great car (no doubt) for the right audience! One characteristic of that audience is having deep pockets. Initial purchase price is one thing. A related 'Spies article cites scary-high repair costs as another.

The great news is that EVs, their technology, and their recharging infrastructure are getting better all the time. Let's keep on improving to make the EV solution suitable for larger audiences.

Seems to me they should figure out how to build the car so the batteries are easily swappable and then figure out how to set up some pull and push of the batteries at these stations. Instead of waiting around for your battery to charge, just slide yours out, hook it to a charger then install one that has been charging a while. A few hours later the next guy that has your models batteries puts yours in and puts his on the charger….

Customer satisfaction is very high. SO I would say quite a few people like to live with it on a daily basis.

I think we all know that Foxconn actually makes Tesla!

Lol. Might not be a bad thing considering how beautifully built Apple products tend to be.

Headline should read: Screw the haters...