Aug 4, 2012
MikeK Howdy,
On a whim, I dropped by the Menlo Park showroom today while I was out doing errands. It was a bit overcast, so I thought it would be a good chance to see my short list of colors outside on a less than sunny day.
Anyway, while I was there, I had a little chance to chat with Tesla folks, and spent a little time with the same white Model S (FR000109, I think?) that was on static display at the last Palo Alto event. I must say, if you're finding yourself a bit too caught up in all the angst on the forums, and you can drop by a showroom and just sit in the car for a bit, it sure makes that stuff disappear.
Anyway, new news:
- The Universal Mobile Connector will cost $500 if you want to purchase an extra. This is one of the questions I had in terms of my final configuration, because I don't want to have to plug and unplug an L14-50 every evening. My plan was to either put in a dedicated UMC for my garage (carrying the other in the car), or just put in a HPWC so that I would have a dedicated wall-mounted charging station. Now that I know the price of a second UMC, I will be putting in a HPWC and carrying the included UMC in the car.
- Supercharging for the 60kWh cars will not require additional hardware. Final details are still forthcoming, but the "TBD" stuff on the web site is most likely related to whether there will be a fee to use the chargers, and/or whether there's a limit to their use under the battery warranty. For me, that's fine -- I expect my use of the Superchargers to be a rare event, so I don't mind paying a reasonable fee to use one, and I can't imagine a scenario in which I would use them often enough to put undue wear on the pack. If you need frequent Supercharger use, the 85kWh seems like the way to go. Anyway, still some questions to be answered here, but the bit about no additional hardware was good to know.[EDIT: See below]
- Next week's event in Palo Alto is expected to have a pretty good assortment of cars. I'm pleased to be going as a guest of another TMC member, so hopefully I'll be able to see my final color choices on the cars before I finalize on the following Monday! I'm also hoping that some of the latest production cars that George mentioned in his blog will be at that show, because that will be a good indication of how things have progressed on fit & finish.
By the way, the car in the showroom had some music on a USB stick. I was able to find a song I am familiar with ("Sail" by AWOLNATION) -- this is a track with a ton of bass, and it sounded just fine with the EQ set flat and the speakers centered, with the windows open. Turning the Dolby on and off definitely made the sound different. If anything, the bass was a bit beefier with the Dolby off. I'm sorry I didn't bring my newly-purchased USB stick with my hand-picked tunes, but this was an impromptu visit. I will drop by again and/or bring the stick to the upcoming event to try it out, but having tried that one track, I'm feeling fine about the audio system.
All in all, it was a great visit. The Tesla folks were super helpful and friendly as always. There was a Signature Red car out front in addition to the white car inside. Dang, that red is a beauty.
Oh, I was there for about an hour and a half, and there was a steady stream of people visiting, looking at the car, talking about putting down deposits, etc. Made me feel very good about the future for this great car.
EDIT: I spoke with my Product Specialist by phone 8/8, and he said that the Supercharging information I got at the showroom has been superseded. The official word now is that Supercharging details for 60kWh cars will be announced in September, and it may or may not require addition equipment in the car. For those folks who go ahead and Finalize 60kWh now, once those details are released, we will have the option to switch to 85kWh if that sounds like the better option when all details are known, with no delay in delivery.
EDIT AGAIN:Apparently the news about the Supercharger hardware being standard was correct, so now we can look forward to the September event for the details on whether there are charges or limitations associated with its use.�
Aug 4, 2012
MikeK Oh, one other fun observation. They had an iPad on hand in the showroom, and they had a bunch of photos from the test drive events, many by TMC or Tesla Forums members. I thought that was great -- definitely a nice way to show the cars in a variety of lighting conditions and environments.�
Aug 4, 2012
Tommy Thanks for the feedback MikeK. I am a recovering Audioholic:wink: and 1. I am happy to hear (pun intended) your take on the sound system. 2. Glad to get some positive thread vibes from an OP. Thanks.�
Aug 4, 2012
STxTesla Thanks for the info! The sound system sounds like a very good system that only needs minor tweaks to make it sound the way that it should.
I am still hoping that I can still make it to Houston next weekend for my test drive. It all depends on the storm that is headed in our direction.
If flights aren't cancelled due to the hurricane....I'm Houston bound!�
Aug 4, 2012
MikeK One other thing I forgot to mention. I read somewhere (maybe here, maybe a review) that the back seat is hard to get in and out of, because of how narrow the doors are at the bottom. I'm a big guy (6'1, 235). I didn't have any trouble getting in and out of the back. The bottom of the door is a little narrow, yes, but it's not difficult to deal with. My head did touch the headliner in the back on the non-pano roof. I am getting the pano, personally.�
Aug 4, 2012
efusco Was sure excited to come across the Hawthorne design studio yesterday and was sorely disappointed that there was no showroom where I could check out a car. But it's reports like this that keep me going. The time is going by so so slowly.�
Aug 4, 2012
smorgasbord That's $700 cheaper than the HPC, plus it being cheaper to install a 50amp RV outlet than a 90 amp(?) dedicated connection for the HPC.
BTW, the red at Menlo is car #48 - it's a Beta car. The sunroof doesn't open and there are lots of things that are improved in the ~ #100 and up RC cars.�
Aug 4, 2012
mulder1231 Hi Mike,
Were you able to test the audio at high volume? That's the one of the things am very curious about in the Model S.
I have a very nice 550W 12-speaker Infinity system in my current car and it sounds extremely good at high volume. I would turn it up at a volume where I can't even hear the engine or anything other than the music. That's how I like it, the whole car is filled with sound and you are in the middle of it. At that high volume, I can still distinguish each instrument/voice with clarity, no distortion, and a deep bass that you can feel in your chair.
The other thing I'm curious about is if the Model S has a feature that automatically converts an ordinary stereo track into a 5.1 surround signal. I have that feature in my car and it is very nice, it places you right in the center of the music, as if you were on stage with the artist.�
Aug 4, 2012
STxTesla That's what I'm talking about with regards to the quality that I hope to find in the Model S. That's the best audiophile description of what a sound system should sound like in a top dollar luxury car!�
Aug 4, 2012
contaygious Thanks Mike! I'll be at the event next weekend for two test drives. Can't wait! Sail is a good song so that's reassuring!
I'll probably get another cable too down the road. No fancy charging station for me.
Also, I'm doomed in the back at 6'8. I dunno how I'll fit while my wife test drives.
�
Aug 4, 2012
Velo1 Thanks Mike - BTW was the sound system the standard or upgraded version? I going to put number of songs on a Memory stick and keep it in my current car just for similar impromptu visits to the Denver Park Meadows store whenever I am in the neighborhood.�
Aug 4, 2012
markb1 That contradicts what Tesla says on the design studio web page:
And it makes sense that the car would require extra hardware to use the supercharger, because there would have to be contactors to physically disconnect the on-board charger.�
Aug 4, 2012
PeterW I am confused, are you and your wife both getting test drives?
We are flying over from New Zealand and they were adament about only giving us one test drive (we asked).�
Aug 4, 2012
Arnold Panz Wow! I thought I was crazy when I flew to Fremont last October for the test rides!
You should definitely tell Tesla folks there that you came from NZ for the test drives. No promises, but if they have any open slots they'll very likely try to let both of you have a test drive. They have to tell you one per reservation, but once you're there they have a bit of flexibility on these things.�
Aug 4, 2012
MikeK I was told that it was "new information" -- that the 60kW cars would come standard with the necessary equipment.�
Aug 4, 2012
MikeK Premium version.
I didn't try at high volume. There were other folks there, and a little girl sitting in the passenger seat, so I kept it reasonable. The car does have a Dolby feature that converts stereo to a simulated multichannel. The little girl's dad was wanting to take a turn in the driver's seat, so I didn't spent a lot of time tweaking settings. And, the showroom was so busy that I didn't have another shot to get in the car!�
Aug 4, 2012
smorgasbord The stereo in Model S is louder than any other stereo in the world, because its volume control goes to 11. It really does.
�
Aug 4, 2012
MikeK True enough. However, the HPC is hardwired and provides a convenient and attractive solution for cable organization. Yes, I could do a tidy job of mounting the UMC and hanging the cable, but I'm planning on owning this car for a long time, and I'd rather have the elegant solution offered by the HPWC.
Fortunately, since I've known for three years that I was buying a Model S, we pre-wired for this connection during a remodel. I am currently using the circuit for my RAV4-EV charger, but the wiring was sized for a Tesla-size circuit (and pulled in conduit).�
Aug 4, 2012
contaygious Or you can put two deposits down�
Aug 4, 2012
ddruz MikeK, Thanks for the additional info! Were you able to determine whether the current cup holders will accommodate standard 3" diameter water bottles? You mentioned on the Opportunity Console thread that you'd try to check that next time you stopped by a Tesla store. Thx.
Also, if they have a car with textile interior at the Palo Alto event would you mind checking to see if it has those kangaroo pockets on the front seats like the leather interior front seats do? Haven't gotten the answer to this elsewhere yet. Thx.�
Aug 4, 2012
AndyM The web site is very helpful, and considered the most current... but, with all the changes happening, we should not consider it 100% accurate.
[ Sorry, [email�protected], I know you're doing well just trying to keep up! ]�
Aug 4, 2012
mulder1231 Lol, I had not seen or heard of the movie spinal tap. My wife recognized it from the clip. Is it true Elon wanted the Model S volume to go up to 11 because of this pop culture movie? He definitely is a movies guy, I wouldn't be surprised. Makes for a good story when having guests in your car, I like it! :biggrin:�
Aug 4, 2012
Jason S Very likely that 30-50% of people between 35-65 know the reference. It is pretty famous joke.�
Aug 5, 2012
MikeK I'm really sorry, since this was an impromptu trip by the showroom, I didn't have the water bottle in the car. I will take it with me to the event next weekend, though, and I've made a note to check for the kangaroo pouch on the textile, if available.�
Aug 5, 2012
Robert.Boston Yes, put in a second fully refundable deposit. <whistles softly>�
Aug 5, 2012
aviators99 I really hope this is a feature you can turn off.�
Aug 5, 2012
AndyM Confirmed. It is. You can. I did.�
Aug 5, 2012
pguerra Thanks for the info; this is certainly reassuring. However, I also heard a similar song with enough bass in the song to evaluate the low end range of the Model S stereo using adjusted EQ setting, sound centering adjustment, Dolby on/off, etc. and not from USB in order to compare the sound with my Hybrid Escalade. The result was that the sound quality of the Model S is inferior to my Hybrid Escalade due to the minimal low range response - at least in my opinion.
Perhaps the Model S does have good low end response and is adequate for most people, and I'm just used to the magnificent sounds that come out of the Hybrid Escalade from any source. Although I'm not an audiophile, it is just my opinion; I think the Model S needs to beef up the bass of its premium sound system since all cars in the just the 70k price range have this beefed-up low end response via Mark Levinson, Bose, whatever.
There are trade offs to everything. And I'm just going to have to deal with it. I hope driving gas free, free of OPEC's whims, and never having to waste time out of my day to go to gas station will make up for the 4 problems I find with Model S. I think it might, but it remains to be seen - just my own opinion. I certainly am excited to take delivery that is for sure.�
Aug 5, 2012
contaygious Yeah our mini s has a harman kardon sound system with 10 speaker 500 watt, 8 speaker processing 5.1 and the bass is super sharp with 4 subs. The tesla system sounds better on paper so interested to compare. Not sure what type of subs it has.�
Aug 5, 2012
microsurf Hi. I'm planning a visit to California (Bay Area) at the end of August, and would love to check out the Model S. Is the Menlo Park showroom the best location to check out the Model S? I suspect a test-drive would be out of the question, but at least I want to sit in one.
Thanks.�
Aug 5, 2012
smorgasbord Depends on when and just where you are. Menlo has less traffic, but it's open less hours. Santana Row is open something like 10-9 every day, but is more crowded. Right now, both apparently have Test Drive cars you can't test drive, but they're the closest to production we've seen outside of the Founders who have received cars.
Menlo has some other fun stuff, such as the body prototype for Roadster, Roadster VP1. It also has the original Model S alpha complete with interior filled with electronics, duct-taped body pieces, and Aston Martin pivot door handles.�
Aug 5, 2012
bonnie Menlo also has the big glass window into the service area - always something good to see there.�
Aug 5, 2012
MikeK Yup, I've read your posts saying that you feel that your Escalade has better sound, and it certainly may. I've never heard one so I can't offer an opinion on that specific comparison. OTOH, my RAV4-EV has been upgraded with a/d/s amps, JL Audio speakers and a JL sub. It sounds great, and I'm also a bass player, so I have an opinion on bass response. That's my basis for comparison, and on the one track I got to try, the model S audio sounded just fine to me. I didn't have my USB stick along so I couldn't try my other specially chosen test tracks, but I will at my next opportunity.
I just thought it was important to counter the ongoing criticism with an in person report of perfectly satisfactory experience. Let me also say as I have before that I was underwhelmed by the sound in the car I drove at the Fremont event. Quite underwhelmed. But that was unfamiliar, possibly streamed audio, so it may have been the source, or it may be that further refinements have been made. I'm feeling much better about the sound now, and I hope that my upcoming testing with more tracks will bear that out!�
Aug 5, 2012
Tommy JL Audio subs pretty much set the hi-end home stereo market on it's head with their Fathom series powered sub-woofers; they are universally regarding as in the "Class A" category.
I give a lot of credence to your review of the bass output of the Model S given your background as a bass player and the equipment you installed in your car.
One suggestion I would make is to use the highest bit rate the Model S system can sample in your demo material next time your at the Menlo Park showroom.�
Aug 5, 2012
Norbert It wasn't in the last shareholder's meeting, but not long before, that Elon mentioned, as an example of what they were working on, that they were optimizing the sound system. I don't know if there is a possibility that some of the test cars cars have those improvements, and others don't. But it's something that was being worked on not too long ago.�
Aug 5, 2012
efusco I think that's a very reasonable and balanced comment. I very much enjoy listening to music, but about half the time in the car I listen to sports or news, so it's not a be-all, end-all thing for me that the audio system be perfect. And, if one's ear is so finely tuned to the most subtle aspects of music playback, then how on earth can you stand to listen in a car of any kind in the first place? No matter how loud, the road noise (and ICE noise in an ICE vehicle) can certainly be heard in the background ruining one's otherwise perfect audio.
I think that the vast majority of buyers are more like me...I want a decent audio system, but I'm not willing to pay $2000 more to have a perfect one. For those who absolutely MUST have some audiophile's wet dream of a stereo, then just plan to do an aftermarket upgrade and not complain to the point that the rest of us are subsidizing your personal preferences.�
Aug 5, 2012
MikeK I haven't heard the JL home subs, but the one in my car is a good performer. (I'm putting Seaton SubMersive HPs and Velodyne SC-IWs in my home listening room, which is nearing completion...)
My USB stick contains AIFF, WAV, ALAC, 256kbps AAC and 320kbps MP3 versions of my test files, so I aim to see which of these formats the car is able to play, and whether there's any obvious difference between them.
One thing that will be interesting will be to see how the audio sounds when the car is on the road. Something that sounds fine sitting still may sound a bit thin when it's competing with road noise.�
Aug 5, 2012
jerry33 And hope that the installer does not drill into the battery the way some have drilled into the Prius' battery. My one and only foray into an aftermarket audio system convinced me I never wanted anything to do with an aftermarket system ever again.�
Aug 5, 2012
MikeK That's a legitimate concern, as is avoidance of high-voltage wiring, but it can be worked around by dealing with a good installer who is willing to listen and learn. The installer who did my RAV4-EV back in 2002 or 2003 had never done an EV before (not a big surprise!), and I chatted with him extensively to alert him to the fact that the battery pack was under the floor of the car. When attaching the a/d/s amp under the driver's seat, where normally they would have screwed it to the floorboards, they instead affixed it to the carpet. All the other wires were simply run under carpet and trim, and the only other holes they had to drill were in plastic trim to install the high-mount tweeters in the back and on the doors.
If you work with a quality shop, it should be possible to do aftermarket stuff without breaking anything.�
Aug 5, 2012
Andrew Wolfe The HPC can be installed on a 50A line. It has an internal setting to limit its maximum current based on what the line can safely provide.
(I, on the other hand, also decided I didn't need it and put in a 14-50 outlet.)�
Aug 5, 2012
Timothy Smorg
Your sense of humor is much improved ever since the lobotomy!:wink:�
Aug 5, 2012
brianman @Timothy - We don't talk about life before the lobotomy. You risk relapse.�
Aug 6, 2012
MikeK Okay, I have results to report! I'm afraid I can't call them definitive. I dropped into the Menlo Park showroom again today hoping to try out my USB stick of music and the water bottle, only to find that the white car that was there this weekend was gone! It is apparently in Vegas for an event of some kind.
The red Beta didn't have a working audio system, but it did have cup holders, at least. The water bottle does fit, and I believe it is the maximum diameter that will fit. This is a bottle I bought at a bike shop, and it fits the standard bottle rack on my bike.
Now, why do I say that these are not definitive results? The fit of the bottle was pretty snug at the bottom, and my bottle tapers (see photo attached). It's possible that a square-bottom bottle like the second one in your photo in the Opportunity Console thread would not fit. I believe a friend has one of those, so I will try to borrow it before Saturday's event!
I'm sorry I didn't get a photo of the bottle actually in the cup holder (I will get one this weekend if I can). I foolishly left my phone in my car when I went in, and I was there right at closing.
So, I hope this is at least helpful. It seems like most of the bottles in your photo would fit okay, if somewhat snugly.
�
Aug 6, 2012
ddruz Thanks MikeK. Very helpful and good news. Also interested in your subsequent report on whether a container with a less tapered bottom will fit.�
Aug 6, 2012
vfx Dr Computer pointed out that while the eleven is humorous, it did not make for enough refinement of volume settings. Perhaps they could make it 111 by adding in tenths between whole numbers and keep the joke.�
Aug 6, 2012
brianman What a great idea...
�
Aug 6, 2012
MikeK It could go from 0-100%, and then have 11 right at the top. ;-)�
Aug 7, 2012
ddruz MikeK or others, Have you played around with Google maps on the 17" display? How does the map reference where you are, or does it? For example, Google maps on the iPhone displays a little pin at your location. Thanks.�
Aug 8, 2012
SCW-Greg With VIN 50 on our showroom floor, we had the sound system cranked waaay up, I mean loud (with my own stick)... and then we pumped the bass EQ all the way - with songs that had extreme bass. At the volume levels we were pushing, most speakers would have started to distort, but these didn't. It was amazing how it could handle what we were pushing it to do. Also had music with live performances, with good high-ends to test, and mid range too. And the sound was everything as described in previous posts, which mirrors your description in the Inifiniti. I've heard great sound systems before, but this one is at the top. Note: As mentioned half a dozen times already, you've got to confirm that fade and balance are set to zeros (dead center), to get the best out of this though.�
Aug 8, 2012
MikeK I did briefly, yes, at the Palo Alto event. It puts a sort of arrow icon at your present position. I also entered a destination into the nav system so I could see the nav display up by the speedometer. It's really slick how it all works. Once you have a destination set, you get a scrolling list of all the turns on the 17" display, and tapping one of them shows you that turn by re-centering the map and (I think) zooming in. It's definitely the nicest nav system I've ever seen. The only concern I have is that the maps are slow to load over the 3G. I hope the actual tech package will have the maps cached on the hard drive. And/or that we'll get LTE for faster access. Having had it on the iPad now, 3G is painful.�
Aug 8, 2012
ddruz MikeK, Thanks kindly. Are you describing the navigation system that comes with the Tech Package or what one can expect on the basic standard car? I'm trying to determine what kind of navigation system comes without the Tech Package. My understanding has been it would be similar to Google maps on the iPhone but a comment over on the Tesla forum from an actual Model S owner has me wondering. Thx.�
Aug 8, 2012
brianman I don't believe there are any owners yet that don't have the Tech Package. It's not optional for Signature. I'm not sure about whether Founder vehicles can opt out of Signature "mandatory options" though.�
Aug 8, 2012
mulder1231 SCW-Greg, thanks for the report, very encouraging! With the performance you describe, combined with the unique 17" display UI, I believe Tesla's $950 for the sound studio package is a steal!�
Aug 8, 2012
Tommy I am thinking this is one option that Tesla is NOT maintaining it's margins on; they maybe even doing at cost. Why? Too many after-market audio upgrade "experts" that have never worked on an all electric car that would butcher the wiring/components of the Model S. Tesla doesn't need that warranty headache. The sound quality being reported so far certainly is worth more than $1k in aftermarket parts/labor.�
Aug 8, 2012
chmod a+wrx I know how things go when we report back to us what Tesla store reps say, but one told me that there is no difference in the navigation, only that the one included with the tech package will have 7 years of free map updates. I wasn't clear on the other aspect: that the tech package will have verbal turn-by-turn navigation. The latter seems silly to have only in a tech package since the average phone and dashboard navigator has turn-by-turn instructions.�
Aug 8, 2012
contaygious There is no turn by turn on non tech nav voice or next to speedometer, It's just iPhone google maps basically and you need a 3G plan. The tech nav is much faster since the data is cached and has turn by turn. I don't want or need to pay for Internet plan with tech package and a 4g phone hotspot with wifi on the car.�
Aug 8, 2012
chmod a+wrx Speaking of which...prices on this connectivity?????????�
Aug 8, 2012
MikeK Honestly, I'm not sure, I'm sorry. It's whatever was on the Catalina White car at the Palo Alto event. I think it's fairly safe to say that none of the software is quite final yet, especially on the test drive cars, so I'm not sure how representative what we saw was.
The car I played with did have spoken directions (it announced the next turn once I entered a destination), and it did put the little map up in the display next to the speedometer. However, the loading of the maps looked like Google maps on an iPhone or iPad -- loading in individual tiles, somewhat slowly. (The car was indoors and I have no idea what kind of network connection.) If the nav system includes "seven years of free map updates", that implies locally-stored maps, which is not what I think I saw. Also, I think there was a recent announcement of a license that Tesla had signed with Google for map data.
So, perhaps what I saw was an in-progress effort, with the navigational features in place, but with over-the-air maps in place of the local storage. I think with fast, local maps, this nav system will set a new standard.�
Aug 8, 2012
brianman My understanding is that, for Signature at least, Tesla has temporarily sidestepped this question by including the first year of connectivity with the purchase of the vehicle.�
Aug 8, 2012
AndyM brianman is correct.
also, I have heard from a Tesla store manager that there's a low rate that will be available from the carrier, something like $18/month, for a data plan. I can't recall if this was the "share the car's wireless connection with WiFi to devices nearby" or "the cost for the data plan for the car." We shall see.�
Aug 8, 2012
jomo25 Will this count as a "device" that can be added to one of Verizon's and AT&T's new Shared data plans?�
Aug 8, 2012
jerry33 It would be nice, but it doesn't look like it at this time.�
Aug 8, 2012
contaygious Not paying ANOTHER internet plan. Already have home and phone which I use for my ipad too. Don't want to pay a car internet as well. Luckily it has wifi so we can just use an ipad/phone plan to power it anyway on 4g which is faster than 3g�
Aug 8, 2012
MikeK If you can tether the car to an iPhone etc, that would be nice. My impression was that it was intended to go the other way -- the car would act as a hotspot for Wi-Fi devices. But, if it's 3G, it will be slower than my iPad... I certainly would rather have LTE.
There's no reason that the car shouldn't be treated like a mobile hotspot device on the AT&T/Verizon shared data plans. Or, since it has its own data consumption, maybe as a tablet. Hopefully Tesla is talking to whichever carrier they are using (AT&T or T-Mobile, I guess -- wasn't there mention of a SIM?)�
Aug 8, 2012
contaygious A rep told me you can use wifi to copy over music while it's in your garage so I assumed it can detect wifi hotspots�
Aug 8, 2012
MikeK Ah, good. I guess it can work both ways. Here's hoping!�
Aug 8, 2012
Timothy :wink:Ah, the system can crank WAY up--an otolaryngologist's delight. Y'all will be wearing hearing aides (just like all the old rock stars) in no time!�
Aug 8, 2012
gg_got_a_tesla We can then reach out to our own kevincwelch for free�
Aug 8, 2012
AndyM That's exactly the intent. In the same conversation I had about the $18-a-month (estimated) plan, we talked about letting the car use my existing phone's tethering plan instead.
The car can use WiFi wherever it is - your phone's tether, Starbucks, home, etc.
If you depend on tethering with your phone, how does the car use the internet if you're not there with your phone, and there's no WiFi nearby?
Does the car use it's on 3G anyway for the remote control features?�
Aug 8, 2012
MikeK Important update on 60kWh (I updated my original post as well): I spoke with my Product Specialist by phone 8/8, and he said that the Supercharging information I got at the showroom has been superseded. The official word now is that Supercharging details for 60kWh cars will be announced in September, and it may or may not require addition equipment in the car. For those folks who go ahead and Finalize 60kWh now, once those details are released, we will have the option to switch to 85kWh if that sounds like the better option when all details are known, with no delay in delivery.�
Aug 8, 2012
brianman This is the kind of stuff Tesla needs to do more of. Both giving buyers that commit before details the option to react to changes and telling us about it rather than letting our imaginations run wild.
Kudos on this one, Tesla.�
Aug 8, 2012
Bound466 Thanks MikeK for the additional info. I'll keep my fingers crossed. But I will still get the 60 either way.�
Aug 9, 2012
Robert.Boston I was told "yes." There's a "skinny" GSM connection for interaction with smartphone apps, Tesla Motors, etc. that is free. The high-bandwidth 3G connectivity is priced.�
Aug 9, 2012
contaygious A rep told me this:
"If you were to opt for the technology package, turn by turn navigation with 7 years of free updates would be included as part of the functions on the touchscreen. The alternative would be to select the connectivity package, which would allow you 3G connectivity to access Google maps via the internet. The downside would be another data plan, and also no turn by turn voice prompts. I do believe that all Model S will have Wi-Fi connectivity, so you could tether the car anywhere a Wi-Fi signal is available to access the internet."�
Aug 9, 2012
cadethoerk The option to upgrade from 60 to 85 would still cost ?10,000. Im sure the supercharging hardware is less than that. Am I missing something?�
Aug 9, 2012
MikeK Right, but let's say that the Supercharge feature was $3500. (I doubt it will be, but play along...). At that point, for $6500 additional, you could also get the 85kWh pack. It would reduce the effective delta.
Or, perhaps they say that you can only Supercharge once a year (again, I'm proposing exaggerated examples). If you need to Supercharge every month, then you would have the option to upgrade.
My expectation is that there will be a nominal cost to add the hardware and/or use the chargers, and some limit on how often the smaller battery can use the Supercharger, but that my rare long distance trips will be accommodated within the limitations just fine. Fingers crossed!�
Aug 11, 2012
MikeK Well, it looks like what I was told at the store originally has turned out to be correct. Supercharging hardware is now standard (yay!), so I expect that September's event will cover the details of the network and what if any charges and/or limitations there are!�
Aug 11, 2012
Designtime Bastards!�
Aug 11, 2012
dsm363 The 60 kWh is the sweet spot in terms of price and practicality anyway. Range similar to a Roadster and with Supercharger hardware now included, probably a worthwhile upgrade if it's affordable. The added range may open up a few trips you wouldn't have thought about with the 40 kWh pack too.�
Aug 11, 2012
mulder1231 Actually, the other way around, I'm already half deaf, that's why I need to crank it up :wink:�
Aug 11, 2012
Designtime I know you are right. I was leaning towards cheaping out because we are buying another new car as well, but it probably doesn't make sense to get the small pack.�
Aug 11, 2012
Timothy Well, then in a while you will get the other half--and be all the way deaf!:biggrin:�
Aug 11, 2012
brianman Of course, that takes away one of the benefits of EV ... all cars would be silent for you at that point.�
Aug 12, 2012
MikeK Please see my photo of the water bottle and cupholder here: Updates from Palo Alto: Panoramic Roof, Homelink, more
Also, I checked the textile interior on the Sunset Red car. It does not have pockets on the front of the seats.�
Aug 12, 2012
ddruz Thanks Mike K!�
Aug 12, 2012
Robert.Boston Add one more little reason to buy the leather upgrade.�
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