Sep 9, 2012
dadaleus I just posted this to my blog, but I'll cross post here as well. (Mods, if there's already an appropriate thread for this, sorry and feel free to move.)
UPDATED 11pm after 24 hours with additional notes and corrections in italics.
Overall, now that the road trip is over and I have time to contemplate the car a bit more, I can't emphasize enough how AWESOME THIS CAR IS! I love love LOVE it.
We picked up our Model S (VIN #70) at the factory yesterday:
Delivery was at the factory was wonderful. A great team took us through the process and gave us an amazing tour of an amazing factory. (No pictures inside the factory allowed, sorry.) When we toured the factory a year ago at the S unveiling event it wasn't yet operating but the equipment was installed, so it felt more like a museum. Now it's a humming machine churning out cars (at a measured pace now but you can see what's coming given the large number in production). Lots of people at work on a Saturday afternoon.
Delivery bay where we got the tour of the car and signed paperwork:
Wall inside the factory with visitors' signatures: We signed that at the S event a year ago, but we couldn't find our signatures in all of this (this picture is maybe 20% of the wall) so we signed it again (in purple):
As for the car itself:
After driving the Roadster the last two years, this thing takes some getting used to. It feels so big and heavy, my instinct is it will take lots of room to get going and slow down. Not surprisingly given it's power, when you touch the accelerator it launches forward so quickly that if you aren't gentle enough it sort of feels like something really big must have given the car a hard shove! What is a lot more surprising is how easily it slows and goes around mountain turns (we took a shortcut through the hills). I consistently start slowing way before I need to, even just using regen.
Update 11pm: After Newport and I knew I had lots of battery I really opened it up and had fun with some turns and OH MY this car can drive. It took a little getting used to the idea that a car this big and heavy can corner like the Roadster, but wow. It really is a high power sports car disguised as a luxury car. Or is that a luxury car that drives like a high power sports car. Hmmm...
There are some quirks that I'm sure will be solved via software updates. The navigation is fairly quirky. At some point it stopped showing our planned route on the map--I haven't figured out why or how to get that back. It also seemingly randomly changed from the address I had clicked on to charge in Santa Maria to a residential street 7 miles further on and we didn't realize it until we had gone there and had to decide whether to back track or not (we just went on to the next station). I tried entering the address again as an experiment and even though the correct address clearly appeared on the menu and I very clearly clicked on it, the navigation again routed us to the seemingly unrelated residential address.
11pm: Never had this happen again. Appears to have something to do with that particular address. Just double check that the address it's going to is what you wanted. Could also just be me getting used to the system.
I do find the volume control not nearly granular enough. Its either too loud or too soft. But it sounds fantastic! And the iphone integration is great! Way way better (not saying much I know) than the JVC that was in the Roadster. It consistently shows the current song with album art on the screen, and the play and skip buttons always work. Phone integration is great, with the phone directory and recent calls from the iphone displayed automatically. The sound quality over bluetooth from the iphone is amazingly good. I have to admit that I'd be hard pressed to tell you I wasn't listening to a CD. And we all agreed that the surround mode actually works quite well. I have a Blue Man Group album that I know is surround and when we turned on Dolby in the car it really sounded great and sounded like full surround.
11pm: I found that by using the iphone volume, I can get the granularity I need. A workaround, but at least I have a way.
The charging adapters are amazingly elegant compared to the Roadster. The J1772 adapter is a tiny little (~3 inch long) insert that locks into the charge port, giving you a J1772 outlet on the car that almost looks like it's built in/native:
The adapter is the black part above. The white is the J1772 connector that's part of the station. The charger cables and the adapter lock in when the proximity sensor detects they are fully inserted. (One note about this. The proximity sensor couldn't pick up the first J1772 adapter they gave us. As a result, the car would only draw 16 amps from it. You can tell because the car's charge port only glows a greenish yellow, not true green, and an error about the charge connector not being latched comes up on the display. Our delivery experience rep had to drive all the way to Salinas to bring us another one while we ate dinner. The replacement worked perfect. Lesson: As an early adopter, test everything before going too far if you're going to be counting on it for the trip home. I'd suggest swinging by the closest J1772 station after taking delivery to make sure you are good before getting too far away. But alls well that ends well!)
A couple quirks here though: When I get out of the car at an EV station, all three times I've forgotten to first pop the charge port door from the touchscreen so I have to get back in to do that. As far as I can tell there's no way to do it from the key or with the J1772 adapter. (I could get out the NEMA adapter which has a button to open the charge port). Likewise, even with the car unlocked, you can't remove the adapter without pressing the button to open the charge port (which is already open) from the touchscreen. Maybe there's another way but I haven't figured it out yet.
Clarification: The Tesla cable for 110v, 240v, and the I'm sure the Tesla S HPC cables all have a button that will pop the charge port and release the cable when you are done if the car is unlocked. This is only an issue with J1772.
I wasn't given an instruction manual. I have an email into my delivery experience rep to see if I should have or if there is an electronic version. I'm wondering if some of these would be addressed there. [Oops--actually the car did come with a manual! I didn't think to look in the glove box. Doh! Where did I expect to find it you ask? Umm... just remember I was a Roadster driver before this so I sorta forgot about the idea of a real glove box.]
Another software thing is I really want more info about the range when doing this kind of long distance driving. I got very used to taking the two data points of ideal range and estimated range in the Roadster to judge how far I could go and what I could do to improve my range. I haven't figured out definitively if the range the S is showing is estimated or ideal--but I think it's ideal. There doesn't seem to be any option to switch or get the other figure as well.
11pm: Correction--yes both figures ARE there. They can be found in the car control panel and you can add the display to the above the steering wheel display as shown below. BTW, note the beautiful cruse control display. Love this. Sorry for the very poor picture:
There is a touchscreen option to change the charging units between energy and distance, but this doesn't appear to have any effect on the range shown while driving.
It came as a bit of a surprise to me that there are no driving modes in the S, just a charging option of standard or range. This means that 0 miles left in the S is really 0--there is no range reserve one can "turn on" by flipping into a range mode. All changing the charging mode seems to do is control whether it charges to 85% (~245 miles) or 100% (~300 miles).
These are nits and all can be changed in future software updates. The key thing is that this car is so nice to drive. It is perfectly quiet. No squeaks or rattles. Just the quiet whoosh of air going by! I love the 21" wheels. I don't feel any sense of harshness, but remember I was driving a Roadster before so my standards may be different than yours.
The screens are a joy! I know people have worried about the distraction. I'm finding the screens quite elegant. I love having the huge map up while driving. With satellite view its really nice seeing the area we're driving through--really gives a better sense of place on longer drives. I hadn't given much thought to the screen above the steering wheel, but I really love it too. I customized it to show my navigation and song playback. The navigation there is very useful as it shows the turn by turn directions, while the 17" display shows the map.
11pm: One suggestion to Tesla on the map display I'll be sending is bigger text for road names and such. It uses the Google maps standard which is okay on a laptop but hard to see from the driving position. Or could just be my eyes. Still, it's fantastic. It's like have a folding map up in front of you that moves and highlights where you are going. Love it.
We're in Goleta now charging at Rabobank, headed south to charge next in Newport beach this evening then home to San Diego. If you are around Santa Barbara now or will be around Newport later, drop a line if you'd like to come take a look.
Charging in San Luis Obispo last night:
Charging in Goleta today:
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Sep 9, 2012
dtich thanks for posting! it's great to hear and see real world feedback on the actual usage of the car, keep it coming!! congratulations.�
Sep 9, 2012
stephenpace Thanks for the report! Have you had to add any "Tesla time" to your trip yet--the added time answering questions from people who saw you with the car? Also, I notice the lack of plates--I thought Tesla was going to interact with the DMV and have the plates ready to go upon pickup?�
Sep 9, 2012
dsm363 Thanks for the review. How do you feel about the performance wheels and the Sig Red in person? That's what I'm getting but initially wasn't sure if it fit well with all the chrome but think it looks good in the pictures you've posted. Excellent review, thanks.�
Sep 9, 2012
CapitalistOppressor Awesome post. Love the first hand, real world info
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Sep 9, 2012
Arnold Panz Great review, thanks!
I'm not surprised about the volume control issue. I love Spinal Tap and very much appreciate the volume going to 11, but that definitely makes it more difficult to make the sound "just right" because there are only 11 total variances, assuming 11 is pretty loud.
Curious to hear about your thoughts on the interior -- it looks like you got the black performance interior. How does it look? And the CF? Thanks!�
Sep 9, 2012
contaygious Sweet thanks! Have fun!�
Sep 9, 2012
Trnsl8r Great candid report. I think we can put the NDA rumors to bed.�
Sep 9, 2012
Norbert Thanks for all the info, great read!
Regarding display of ideal + estimated range, did you already try the suggestion I posted in the range thread? The screen above the steering wheel should be customizable to "Range", instead of Nav or Song, and then display both ideal and estimated range. Though there might not be a way to change the bar in the center to always display both, independent of customization, which might be what you are looking for.�
Sep 9, 2012
smorgasbord Yeah, I encountered it during my test drive. They really to add thirds, if not fourths to the granularity.
Heck, my stupid Alpine must be really loud. After all, it goes to something like 25 or 30!
The Spinal Tap joke is a 20th century analog thing and doesn't work in the digital age.�
Sep 9, 2012
efusco Good report, and do, please, keep posting this sort of detail.
I think that things like the comment about no means of unlocking the charge port without using the touch screen are key bits that many of us look for. It would be nice if there was something on the fob...that said, most cars you have to release a lever inside the car anyway...so I suppose that's not really that unusual.�
Sep 9, 2012
Norbert Maybe a future version of the adapter could have a bit of electronics, so that when it is connected to a J1772 charger, it will open the charge door automatically, when coming close.�
Sep 9, 2012
PhatCat Thanks for taking time out of your maiden drive to post such a helpful report. Please continue as long as you can bear to be distracted from actually driving your S.�
Sep 9, 2012
AnOutsider Thanks for the report! Am I remembering right that you either owned, or had a friend that owned a Karma? If so, comparisons after a lengthy drive?
Also, perhaps they removed it in the final version, but some of the earlier betas had a manual on-screen. Is there not one buried in the options/settings?�
Sep 9, 2012
Arnold Panz I love the idea of decimals for the volume so they can keep the joke intact but make the volume choices greater. My Mrk Levinson in my Lexus must be super-loud -- it goes to 50! Just adding decimals for all even numbers (e.g., 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 3.8 etc.) would be more than sufficient.�
Sep 9, 2012
xhawk101 it was my understanding the charge port door was supposed to open automatically when you approach with the Cable?�
Sep 9, 2012
gg_got_a_tesla Yes, but, not ready yet; to be delivered in a future s/w update.�
Sep 9, 2012
dsm363 The proximity sensor only works with Tesla's own UMC or HPWC I thought. Maybe it doesn't work with the J1772 adapter.�
Sep 9, 2012
Jason S That. I swear somebody with one of the production cars made that distinction explicitly. ... I'll go find the link.
... update: assuming NEMA adapter is the UMC one (pretty safe assumption since it adapts NEMA plugs to Tesla) then it is right there in the original post --�
Sep 9, 2012
Kipernicus Can you give more details about your itinerary? I'm interested to see where and how long you charged and the total elapsed time of your trip.
I assume in Salinas you charged at the Rabobank and walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner?
Then you drove down to SLO and parked at the BBB/Staples and walked to the Embassy Suites that I see on the map?
What time did you depart Salinas, what time did you arrive in SLO, and how many kWh did you burn along the way (looked like it was 130 miles)?
Then Goleta (~100 miles) and then Tesla Newport Beach (~150 miles)? What time did you depart and what time did you arrive?
Thanks very much!�
Sep 9, 2012
Grendal Congratulations. Have a safe trip. That is one very beautiful car. Nice choice. And thanks for the story and pictures.�
Sep 9, 2012
vfx With a Tesla cable.
How about using the key fob. Either have it open the charge port door when it get within 6" of the door.
Or push a button or two buttons at once holding for 2 seconds to pop it open.�
Sep 9, 2012
domenick Congratulations and be safe. ( I hope you aren't driving in those flip flops:smile�
Sep 9, 2012
dadaleus A little. Lloyd dropped by this morning for a quick tour before we had to hit the road. Thanks Lloyd!
I LOVE it. Personal taste I suppose, but I think the huge dark wheels against the dark red car makes a very dramatic look. Silver wheels seem too common to me.
Love the interior too! The CF is less glossy than in the Roadster. I was trying to give the car a sportier interior (vs. the very luxurious feel it is designed to have). So I�d probably have chosen the glossier look, but that�s okay. The black leather with red piping really helps do the trick too.
Yep, figured that out later today--you are RIGHT! I�m updating my original post. Totally gives me exactly what I wanted.
Yes. You can open it from the Tesla cable, as vfx noted, similar to what you are saying. You have to press the button on the cable, and the car has to be unlocked. The Tesla cable has 110v and 240v ends for it (very elegant actually). But J1772 is a completely separate unit as you can see, and it has no button to unlock the hatch. Not sure why the J1772 lacks it. Maybe to save space.
Hmm� wasn�t me re the Karma I�m afraid. Never been near one actually. They are beautiful looking cars, but anything that explodes hydrocarbons is simply of no interest to me. Pure electric is such a more elegant means of propulsion and results in such a superior drive and use of space.
Absolutely. I had intended to take pictures of the display at the start and stop of every stop just in case someone was interested and for my own calculations, but being so excited I simply forgot. You have my route right, except that on the way from Goleta to Newport we stopped by a friend's for a couple hours. Overall here's my total energy and miles:
In Salinas we ate at the Applebee's next door (my first time--better than I was expecting actually). In Goleta we ate at Fresco's next door, which I'd done before on a Roadster trip. Then we went across the street to the very cool Zodo's bowling alley / bar / arcade. Very fun place and the kids loved it. It's one of these hip bowling places--totally different than the last time I bowled some 24 years ago!
Approximate times:
Depart Salinas 10pm, arrive SLO midnight
Depart SLO 9am, arrive Goleta 10:45 (slightly delayed by by trying to stop in Santa Maria as described in my first post--which I only attempted as insurance in case Goleta was in use).
Depart Goleta 2:30 on a full range charge
After that we actually had enough to get all the way home. We dropped by Newport anyway to say hi to one of our favorite Tesla employees.
BTW, the Salinas Rabobank is 208v but the Goleta one is 240v. As you can see below, it says that at 240v 40amp you get 29-30mi/hr of charging (photo says 29 but it actually said 30mi/hr right before I snapped this). I found these to be pretty accurate. So on 70amp you get 50+ mi/hr of charge.
Ha. Wife�s flip flops. I drove barefoot of course! This is California!�
Sep 9, 2012
Jason S 521 miles and so quickly! You are driving quite a bit.
Thanks for the updates!�
Sep 10, 2012
Norbert I think you are right in the sense that it would probably require (a future version of) the adapter to have a button on itself.�
Sep 10, 2012
arg 521.1 miles / 179.5 kWh => 521*85/179.5 = 246.8 miles range on 85kWh pack.�
Sep 10, 2012
STxTesla Thanks again for the great post! This is the one that we have all been waiting for and your details about your trip
have given us some very good information. Enjoy!!�
Sep 10, 2012
ElSupreme That's 39 louder! Holy cow!:biggrin:�
Sep 10, 2012
v12 to 12v During the test drive event and when watching videos I found myself annoyed by the loudness of the turn signal. Did they turn down the volume on it or is there a means to do so on the touch screen? I also wondered if they were going to try to make the turn signal noise volume change with ambient noise in the cabin.
Is that the case?
TIA and congrats!�
Sep 10, 2012
DrComputer
Hmm... Both of the Rabbobank HPCs just had the Roadster connectors changed out with the J1772 connectors. They are still both at 70A units and not 40A. When I used the one at Goleta with the Tesla J1772 to Roadster adapter my Roadster still charged at 70A. Why is the S only showing 40A? Did you try upping the charge current to 70A?�
Sep 10, 2012
Trnsl8r I see that you are charging in Standard, rather than Range, mode. Thought going cross state you would need Range?�
Sep 10, 2012
gg_got_a_tesla There was this bit in there:
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Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus Hmm� they must have felt the same because it is super soft. I found myself trying to listen to hear the 3 clicks after tapping the signal.
Sorry for the confusion. This picture was from after I was home and plugged into the NEMA 14-50 in my garage. I had it set for range charges during the drive, although I never got it to a full charge except in Goleta. We left Salinas with 205 �rated� miles. The SLO unit was just 30amp and we got there so late (around midnight) that it only got up to 205 (same number by coincidence) rated miles by the time we left in the morning. This is why we were in Goleta so long. With a fully operational J1772 adapter the whole time in Salinas, we would have left there with a full charge and been able to get back to full in SLO. But all worked out just fine.
As a side note, the non-latching J1772 adapter still charged, but only at 16amps. I believe this is because with more amperage than that flowing and no latch, if you yanked it out quickly with electricity flowing it could be dangerous. Pretty well thought out actually.�
Sep 10, 2012
Discoducky Speaking for my wife and I, but I think I speak for just about everyone when I say "Thank you dadaleus for posting such great Sig review information about your experience". Based on your great input to TMC with your Sig I plan on finalizing my MVPA tonight or tomorrow.
The details that you have provided really made the difference and have proved enough to make both my wife and I feel comfortable moving our refundable deposit to non-refundable.�
Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus Wonderful! I don't usually make such unhedged recommendations, especially with this much money involved, but I can confidently say you won't be sorry as long as you are game for the transition to charging rather than filling up a tank. (Which is actually much easier than stopping for gas except on long trips. And I'm hopeful that the Superchargers will solve the long trip issue.)
A few more observations as I digest having this thing: The car is very "finished" compared to what I was thinking I might have as such an early adopter. (I actually enjoy figuring out new tech. I've been a beta tester of more products than I can count. So I love being an early adopter even with the extra challenges. In this case, there are few to none.) What I keep coming back to is just how luxurious this car feels to me. I've never owned a BMW or Mercedes, so I may not have the same perspective as someone who traditionally owned such cars. But this car just feels so big and solid it's taking some getting used to.
Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention on the down sides: Cupholders. They didn't change this so it's still just the two in the center. And the big surprise is how problematic even those two are. Our Starbucks paper cups wanted to pop up and out of them because they grasp so tightly. And they are so close together that two Starbucks cups actually push against each other at the top forcing them to lean out to the sides. And no where for the kids to put cups in the back at all--so no drinks were allowed on this trip except bottles of water. I'm really hoping for some solutions with opportunity consoles.�
Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus I keep thinking of things...
The cruse control and turn signal stalks are kinda close together on the left side of the steering wheel:
Yesterday my wife and I accidentally clicked the cruse control down (or on) when intending to just signal a lane change a few times. I'm sure I'll just get used to it though. I wonder if that's how those are in Mercedes. Anyone know?
The fobs are so small and light, I was sure I'd lose it. (I kept losing it in my pockets actually! Don't want that going through the wash.) I wanted to put it on a key ring to avoid this, but I couldn't get a key ring through the little hole in it. My wife came up with an ingenious solution in about 2 minutes using the home jewelry stuff she and my daughter use:
Anyone who wants to replicate this could swing by any of those make your own jewelry shops that are around everywhere. The clerk will surely do this for you in a second.
Okay, Tesla is arriving in a few minutes to take away the Roadster. :crying: Sniff sniff. :crying: I will really miss that car. Considered keeping both, but besides the impracticality of having two cars, I'm not convinced I'd use it much now that I've had the S for a day. Having the performance really helps because the S has every bit as much get up and go. The Roadster would be a fun weekend car, but my wife and I agreed we'd probably pick the S for date night anyway.
They got to live together for about 14 hours at least!
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Sep 10, 2012
Zythryn First, many many Many thanks for all the great info about your experiences and the car!
I had to grin a bit, as we have pretty much the same Model S arriving in a few weeks, and are also turning in our Twilight Blue Roadster!
If I photoshopped your image by putting my garage in the background that would probably be the exact scene I hope to be looking at in 3 weeks
One question about the steering wheel controls. is it simply a dial on each side, or are there also a pair of buttons on each side? I couldn't tell if those were actual buttons or not. Also, is the dial also a button if you push straight down on it?�
Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus Ha, wonderful about the same scenario. As a Roadster owner you must be getting it really soon.
On the face of the steering wheel there is a dial and two buttons on each side (so four buttons and two dials, not counting the stalks). The dials can also be pressed as buttons in order to reach various settings. And you can program their functions. For example, the one on the right defaulted to changing the audio source, but I changed it to control the display brightness.�
Sep 10, 2012
FlasherZ Yes, these were noted in the Get Amped test drives repeatedly (my own video showed me doing it 3 times�
Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus Stephen, a followup to this (I was tired when I replied last night): We got lots of gawkers on the freeway and several thumbs ups. A couple "what kind of car is that?" when parked as well. There weren't people around us when parked on the trip so not much in terms of walking people through it. But our neighbors had to see it this morning. Any my son took it as his "sharing" at school today! Lots and lots of questions from interested parents and kids, and my wife is convinced one of them will be placing an order now!�
Sep 10, 2012
tdelta1000 What a great post!!! Thanks for sharing you experience with the Model S and I think the information shared was helpful to the rest of us.�
Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus Bye bye Roadster #913...
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Sep 10, 2012
ElSupreme Well this --WAS-- my favorite thread on the forum for a while. :frown:
Way cool on the Model S. Glad it is meeting your expectations. :smile:�
Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus Ha! Does this help?
Hard to tell how many were back there.�
Sep 10, 2012
ElSupreme It's my favorite again!�
Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus Seems fair. That's a combination of lots of different driving: Pedal to the metal acceleration several times, a few hours of speed limit freeway driving, and at least a couple hours of more than speed limit freeway driving.�
Sep 10, 2012
chmod a+wrx Wait....!!!
Those are slated for being crushed by Tesla!!!!
Oh, EV-1, where are you now!!!!�
Sep 10, 2012
stephenpace Yes, any Model S that failed Elon's inspection went right to the crusher. However, the first one broke the crusher, so they now have to fix them again.�
Sep 10, 2012
Wattson Thanks dadaleus for all your posts in this thread that have shared so many details. Please keep them coming.
Sorry if you might have mentioned it before, but what's the trade-in? story for your Roadster? Looks like it's being picked up by Tesla Motors.�
Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus For a while they had a program where they would lease an S deposit holder a Roadster with no penalty for turning in the Roadster upon delivery of the S. Enjoyed every day of it!
This thread is also serving as my therapy session for Roadster withdrawal.�
Sep 10, 2012
Wattson Thanks for the info! I had no idea there was such a program. Way cool you were able to have the Roadster experience while waiting for your Model S. Now I hope that Roadster will go onto another loving EV owner.�
Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus Yep, I'm looking forward to seeing a Roadster #913 new owner pop up on here so I can welcome them and tell them how much their Roadster was loved!�
Sep 10, 2012
mcornwell Congrats on the Model S arrival Jason, it's gorgeous! And thanks for giving me a taste of what the Roadster could do last week, I still have a little Tesla grin going. I was expecting a fast car, but that acceleration brought me back to my crotch-rocket days, with the feeling of "OK, no vehicle needs to accellerate *this* fast"...
Looking forward to spotting you and ggr on the road...�
Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus You're very welcome! Was great meeting you and taking you for one of the very last times I took the Roadster out on the road. Wait until you feel that SAME acceleration in a full size car that's nearly twice the weight!�
Sep 10, 2012
Arnold Panz Dadaleus,
I can confirm that you'll get used to the Mercedes stalks. It sucks going from one car to another, but I drive my wife's car a fair amount and in five minutes I'm mindlessly hitting the correct stalk to put on the turn signals, use the wipers etc. I think Mercedes has gotten enough complaints that they're moving them in their newest cars, but we've had this setup for two cars in over six years and it's been fine. Give yourself a week or two and it'll be second nature.�
Sep 10, 2012
strider I agree. I think it was some kind of plot to get you to hold the wheel lower, more 9 and 3 vs 10 and 2 as it's supposedly safer w/ airbags that way. The first corner of my test drive I hit the CC stalk but after that hit the turn signal stalk correctly. It's only weird if you think about it.�
Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus I'm sure you're right. I was probably "oversharing" but I know how hungry people are for info (I have been DYING for info) so I felt the need to share every little observation.
My wife has driven it more today that me. I swear she's doing extra errands today just to be able to drive it while I take a work from home day.�
Sep 10, 2012
MikeK No such thing as oversharing at this juncture!�
Sep 10, 2012
jimbakker666 I'll say what others have already said: THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO PROVIDE YOUR INPUT!�
Sep 10, 2012
Todd Burch I'm a little surprised they're storing them outside in the weather, given all of the cavernous interior space they have. I wonder if they're all kept at 40-60% SOC out there?�
Sep 10, 2012
contaygious Thanks again dadaleus! Any word on the punch list items from tesla that are still coming? E.g wifi, over air updates, etc.
Did you consider the rear armrest cup holder for the kids?�
Sep 10, 2012
steve841 Im curious about this too ... Was anything mentioned about any of the console options anywhere from anyone? Front / back?�
Sep 10, 2012
mikevbf Love how the sign was converted to "No Time" -- probably sums up how they are feeling now at the factory.�
Sep 10, 2012
chmod a+wrx Wait......the Model S doesn't have wifi?? ? ?
I thought that was a selling point, ! ! ! !�
Sep 10, 2012
ModelS1079 Re: The cruse control and turn signal stalks are kinda close together on the left side of the steering wheel:
Yes this is a Mercedes feature and amazing you mention it a I just complained about this to a Mercedes owner (my dad) last week. He notes that he never hits the cruise control by mistake and that it is not an issue. I hit it twice in a five mile drive. Suspect we get used to it.
Re: Stereo volume gradation: Agree keep it to ELEVEN and add decimals between for finer volume adjustment. Little biased on this. May have spent more time in college watching Tap than I spent in college. Such a fine line between stupid and clever.
Re:this thread: dadaleaus thanks tons. You can feel the excitement we have just hearing about yours. So: what was your FIRST SONG?�
Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus Another note: I haven't found how to set the time for the charge. Right now it only charges immediately on plug in. This is annoying as I have a time based plan with the power company and had the Roadster charging at midnight. I'm emailing Tesla to ask about this.
No wifi right now. Said it should come via software update. (So presumably the hardware is in there somewhere.) Also it's 3G. I didn't get a definitive answer whether it can be upgraded. Bummer is with no wifi, I can't even use my 4G Mifi to speed up the car display.
Didn't ask about over the air updates.
Was not offered a rear armrest cup holder. I'll probably do it when it becomes available.
Ha! I had to repeat the old Elon Musk video at the first S announcement event where he played the Knight Rider song out of the building. Starting about 1:50 in the following: First Tesla Sedan Test Drive - YouTube
After that I have some high quality Blue Man Group tracks that I loved hearing on the sound system.
- - - Updated - - -
Actually, I have no idea to what degree this is "storage." The white one was moving. This may just be ones waiting for a final step or something. You're right that they do have a lot of space.�
Sep 10, 2012
SigGuy Thanks so much for your generous sharing! My quick question it this: I've driven the S twice now and both times I turned on the AC only to have to turn it off to have a conversation. Can you comment on if it seems louder than other cars (other than the Roadster) that you've owned? Again... thanks!�
Sep 10, 2012
ModelS1079 Re: So: what was your FIRST SONG?
Ha! I had to repeat the old Elon Musk video at the first S announcement event where he played the Knight Rider song out of the building. Starting about 1:50 in the following: First Tesla Sedan Test Drive - YouTube
After that I have some high quality Blue Man Group tracks that I loved hearing on the sound system.
Perfect. I may have put on a little Allman Bros Blue Sky - and hope to do so when my (Pacific) Blue Sky Model S eventually arrives. Until then, we live through your word.�
Sep 10, 2012
smorgasbord What I did during my test drive was to keep my thumb on the steering wheel and "wave" my fingers up and down depending on R/L turn. I ended up hitting the correct stalk everytime - but it "felt" wrong! While the stalk positions in terms of "o'clock" are reversed, the turn stalk is way closer to the wheel and is longer - so it's the one you naturally hit if you're not over-thinking it. If you think to reach for where the stalk should be, you'll be wrong. I recommend my "waving" technique.
Oh, and on the Factory photo of the Model S's outside - did you have to go through Tesla security to get to the place where you took the picture? (I'm thinking of taking my telephoto lens and dropping by in the Roadster to have a peek).
Oh, and ditto that you can't give us TMI.�
Sep 10, 2012
dadaleus No. It was in plain view from the access road. That's why I felt okay about posting it.�
Sep 10, 2012
smorgasbord OK, TEG, time for a recon mission. Or, does anyone from Google know the next time the Fremont satellite images are going to be updated?�
Sep 10, 2012
gg_got_a_tesla This needs to be fixed desperately. I'm on a time-of-use schedule too and dare not start charging until past midnight. My whole Teslanomics argument - which has already been dented by the $600 annual maintenance - will go for a toss otherwise. I hope we don't have to wait for the mobile app to be ready for this.
Thanks much, dadaleus, for being a true pioneer here!�
Sep 11, 2012
efusco dadaleus,
Was XM/Sirius service running on your stereo when you took delivery or is it now up and running? Was any additional information provided about satellite radio and getting it up and running? Is there 3 months free service or anything of that sort? If it is up and running, how is the reception with the embeded antenna?�
Sep 11, 2012
EarlyAdopter It could be that those are outside waiting for transport trailers to arrive. Just think how many more are inside the building being finished up!�
Sep 11, 2012
vfx Nice to read your sharing Jason, Sorry for the loss of your Roadster (Hallmark needs to make a card for that).
The Roadster by the way has the windshield wiper stalk going the wrong way. Irritating that down is up and up is down from most other cars. You get used to it. (mostly) Just now used to the horn placement.
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IIRC there are charger plugs there.�
Sep 11, 2012
dadaleus Yes, I frequent a place where they put a slip of paper under your wiper to identify your type of parking as you pull past the gate house. It always throws (oh wait, past tense now so threw...) them that it faces the other way.
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YES. It does have satellite radio and they told me the first year is free for Sigs. I can't say what the deal will be for non sigs. I only have experience with satellite radio in rental cars, but so far it seems fine. Drops when I pull inside but otherwise it's worked great.
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I'm almost certain that if it's not in there and I'm just missing it, then it will be added in a coming update. It's too obvious not to be there.
My impression of the UI is that they wanted it to be bullet proof, and so opted for the Apple software model of keeping it really simple for the first release. It has been very reliable except the tiny little nav oddities I mentioned.�
Sep 11, 2012
vfx Hmm,
I meant the switch.�
Sep 11, 2012
dadaleus OHHH... yea. That too. :redface:�
Sep 11, 2012
Citizen-T <off-topic>
I'm not sure what a "Apple software model" is. The concept of delivering minimal but functionally complete (and bug free) software then iterating quickly on it is something we call "Agile development" and is used extensively in the industry (with varying degrees of commitment). Some Apple teams use a specific version of Agile called "Scrum", and they seem to run a pretty good Scrum (although once a year is way slow for a release by Scrums standards, see Google+, Chrome for better examples).
If you want to give someone credit for that "software model" give it to Jeff Sutherland, not Steve Jobs. Jobs just knew a good idea when he saw one.
Sorry for the rant, I just hate when people give Apple credit for sliced bread 'cause they saw a Apple employee eating a sandwich one time. I'm on a one-man mission to make sure the world knows that they are not the pinnacle of human achievement. :tongue:
</off-topic>�
Sep 11, 2012
dadaleus Totally fair point. BTW, I run product management for a pretty good sized software team. I've very familiar with agile development.
To be clear, I wasn't intending to give "credit" but rather use them as a very familiar example to just about anyone. People are used to Apple products coming out with little complexity. Also, while agile may call for a minimal first version (even internally creating a minimal viable product, although we don't usually release those), that doesn't necessarily mean hiding complexity from the user (and on that point I suppose I am giving some credit) which I was also intending to convey.
But regardless, for the fellow tech folks out there, yes, I believe agile development including getting a bulletproof but less feature rich version out there must have been part of the deal here.�
Sep 11, 2012
smorgasbord Fixed for v2.5 cars.�
Sep 11, 2012
CapitalistOppressor Somehow, I doubt you've spent much time in California�
Sep 12, 2012
DavidM Thanks for the excellent post. Looks like I will have plenty of interesting reading while waiting my final three months before my Model S delivery.�
Sep 12, 2012
Todd Burch Not only did I live there for a year in Monterey, but I was also a meteorologist
Sun and temperature changes both can prematurely age components of course...not a huge deal (after all, new cars are outside on dealer lots for a long time)....I just thought they would have preferred keeping them inside in a controlled environment, since they have the space.�
Sep 12, 2012
vfx I never knew that.
Suppose I could just swap two wires...�
Sep 12, 2012
dadaleus Oops--looks like I was confusing the free wireless with free XM. I noticed today no more XM for me. Apparently it works on delivery but something must trigger them to cut it off shortly thereafter. Now I only get the promo channel.�
Sep 12, 2012
Arnold Panz It's common to let you sample sat radio for a few days for free to get used to it, and then when you lose it you're more likely to pay for it because you miss it at that point. It's much the same sales tactics that crack dealers use!�
Sep 12, 2012
calsailor Dadeleus
Saw you driving by Panera yesterday.
Looking good!
From where I was, it appeared you were 'enjoying' the torque.
�
Sep 12, 2012
dadaleus Ha! Yes I was! I was on the way from picking up Bongiorno's and had Boston flac files blasting out of the stereo to see what it could do. That put me in the mood for a little acceleration testing (but still completely stopping at every stop sign and trying to stay in the speed limit--which is hard when you get hit the limit in about a second!). Glad the sheriff wasn't sitting there somewhere.
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Well, they didn't give enough of a free sample for that to work. I had been too busy trying out my iphone and usb integration to give it a shot. I was curious to see what the music choices and NPR are like but now I guess I won't know (but I suppose best not to know as one more thing I'd have to pay for if I liked it).�
Sep 12, 2012
Doug_G Yeah, when I bought my Infiniti I hardly listened to the satellite radio during the free trial period. Then Sirius spent the next two years hounding me to "renew my subscription". :scared:
I'm usually fairly polite, but it was starting to get annoying with all the letters, free trials, phone calls, etc. I even asked them to stop, but they didn't. That's when the gloves came off.
I decided maybe if I frustrated the hell out of them they'd stop. So the next time they called I played along. "So do you follow hockey." "No, not really." "How about football?" "Nah". "What kind of music do you like?" "Just about anything." "Do you like country?" "Nope." This went on and on for at least 15 minutes before he finally gave up. And indeed, after that they stopped trying. I suspect I'm happily "black-flagged".
Personally I'm hoping Telsa doesn't give me a free satellite radio trial.�
Sep 12, 2012
dadaleus So a general update: On day 5 with this car, I can't get over how much I love it. Unbelievably, it seems like every day I like it more than the day before. Now that I'm getting settled in to it, the controls are feeling very intuitive. The two biggest things that keep jumping out at me:
1. Wow this car is just HUGE. I've never owned a car this big before, and not that I had particularly small cars. (Before the Roadster I had a Prius and a Passat.) This thing just seems gi-normous (as my son says).
2. What's amazing is how well it drives despite being so big. This is probably the experience people with those huge BMW's and such have, but counter intuitively it drives a lot like the Roadster despite it's size. In fact (flames from Roadster owners possibly coming), dare I say I think it may actually hold the road on a corner better than the Roadster does. (I could be wrong--but it certainly feels glued to the track.) Really surprises me what I can do... I haven't even really pushed it yet--I'm going to have to figure out what it can really do somehow.�
Sep 12, 2012
Doug_G As a Roadster owner who has test-driven a Performance Model S, I'd have to say that is actually plausible.
The Model S is heavy, yes, but it's also got a nearly 50:50 weight balance and a much lower center of gravity. My suspicion is that because of the low center of gravity, there isn't as much weight transfer when you turn. This is a good thing.
Sure, the outside tires aren't loaded as much so their grip isn't increased as much. But you never gain from the weight transfer; you lose more on the unloaded inside tires than you gain on the loaded outside tires. Less weight transfer means that all four wheels are working to turn the car, instead of just two. There's more total grip available.�
Sep 12, 2012
efusco That's too bad. Many/most of the time you'd get a month or 3 months free to mess with it and decide if you want it. Perhaps, now, they now feel that most people are familiar and if they want it they'll get it.�
Sep 12, 2012
mcornwell Regarding XM/Sirius, if you do decide you want to subscribe, you can always get a better price than what they initially offer. Fatwallet usually has info on what people were recently able to get, usually $5 a month for 5 months, though it is a pain to have to call every time it's about to auto-renew.
Link�
Sep 12, 2012
AnOutsider Yes, I'm surprised they didn't bundle anything here. Every car I've owned with the hookup has come with a minimum of 3 months trial. Maybe yours was activated for a while before delivery.
I don't listen to it much, but I know my wife does, so hopefully they allow a radio swap even tough our current cars are Sirius.
Edit: have you contacted Tesla? Just seems really odd you wouldn't have a longer trial (or even a free year considering the sig tax)�
Sep 12, 2012
clmason dadaleus - will you consider a meet-up some time for San Diego area TMC members to see the car? There is free ______ in it for you! Name your vice, I will deliver.�
Sep 12, 2012
contaygious dadaleus: Could you please comment on seat comfort? I have heard people saying they feel very hard after a long drive. How would you rate it compared to other seats you have been in? Thanks a ton! They felt fine to me, but I had a 2 minute test drive so who know!�
Sep 12, 2012
dadaleus Hmm... seems perfectly comfortable to me. It's not cooshy like a grandma car--more sporty firm, so maybe that's part of people's reaction. I drove 7-8 hours back from Fremont and it didn't bother me.�
Sep 12, 2012
strider That was confirmed at the REFUEL event this year when Model S's were faster around Laguna Seca than the Roadsters. As Doug said, lower center of gravity, better balance, and more rubber on the road make a big difference. I also think the air suspension is helping too.
As to the size, I agree. The only time I felt the size on my test drive was trying to park (I tested pulling into a parking space in Palo Alto before I rejoined the test drive queue).�
Sep 12, 2012
Citizen-T I'm preaching to the choir then I guess. Off my soap box now. =)�
Sep 12, 2012
vfx Pete in his LA test drive video and I in my LA test drive both commented in the same place on the freeway onramp. "Better than the Roadster" coming out of the turn.
This is why I think the Model E will be superior to the S when it comes out.�
Sep 12, 2012
pxy This was by coincidence actually. SiriusXM was running a campaign with select channels free for the past 2 weeks that ended Sept. 11.�
Sep 12, 2012
ChrisHenryOC Dadaleus,
I know you've received many laudatory comments in this thread already, but I wanted to take a minute as well and thank you for posting this. As one of the more frequently updated threads right now, it's a nice alternative to the consternation I'm reading about in the service thread.
Your real-world account has good detail and back story, as well as good, constructive feedback for our friends at Tesla.
Ironically, I think we may have passed each other on the Freeway (going opposite directions) as I was heading North up I5 the day you drove home. Too bad I missed you. :smile:
Thanks again, and happy charging,
-Chris�
Sep 12, 2012
brianman They called me at 9am every day for two weeks. I called on day 2 and told them turn off whatever the f they had in their system. They said "ok, but it will continue automatically for 2 weeks." I unplugged the phone for two weeks (I use my cell anyway) and swore I'll never send them a cent ever.
I should have tried redirecting my number to 9-1-1 to see how that would pan out.�
Sep 12, 2012
Jason S I think E911 would out you. Redirection does nothing but annoy the operators because they hafta ask which location you are calling from.
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NOT HELPING ME BE PATIENT. :tongue: :crying:
Very much looking forward to new updates too. Thanks for posting!�
Sep 12, 2012
dadaleus Thanks Chris and everyone else. Didn't expect such a response! As a product manager at heart, I have a compulsion to give feedback and dissect new products (especially tech) so I'm in heaven here!
Love to. No vice necessary! How about this Sun at 12:00? Maybe North end of the Solana Beach train station parking lot. Then anyone who wants can go to Claire's for lunch after.�
Sep 12, 2012
ModelS1079 We drool in your (Model S's) general direction. Just great.�
Sep 12, 2012
AnOutsider I lol'd�
Sep 12, 2012
ggr Maybe (and maybe not) we'll get to join you.�
Sep 12, 2012
clmason Gah! I'm drooling just knowing that an S is so close! Sadly on Sunday I am committed to attending a b-day party from 11-2 with my son. I could make myself available by 2:30 if you are still available.�
Sep 12, 2012
mcornwell If I was to make it, later would be better for me as we, Daughter has softball from 9a-1p.
Wow, we could possibly have *2* Model S's together in the wild? That could be a first!�
Sep 12, 2012
gg_got_a_tesla Photos please after the meetup!
Great stuff, dadaleus; please keep it coming. Looking forward to you mentioning uptaking a software update or two from Tesla...�
Sep 12, 2012
dadaleus Okay, let's make it 2:30!
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I hope so! (If things don't pan out for you by Sun, bring the Roadster?)�
Sep 13, 2012
calsailor �
Sep 13, 2012
vfx Maybe you can have a conversation with Claire about putting in a Charge station.
Our Tesla SCGS drive to SD stopped there and I talked to her about it. Too expensive (at the time).�
Sep 13, 2012
dadaleus Absolutely. And if a bunch of us have lunch maybe we can add emphasis then.
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General update:
Driving a Tesla (Roadster or S) is like being a minor celebrity. I was driving down I5 today and I realized the car next to me was honking. I looked over and the guy gave me an over enthusiastic thumbs up.
I wasn't sure S would get the same attention as the Roadster. I was wrong.�
Sep 13, 2012
ddruz dadaleus--Does your car have the little cubby shelf under the 17" screen which they said would now be standard?�
Sep 13, 2012
dsm363 I've even had a guy stop me and thanked me for buying the car saying it was the right thing to do for energy independence and that it is the future. That was cool as well.
Do you think you could measure what this company is asking for in the link to see what size front bracket might work for the license plate?
Skene Design License Plate Mount
Did you end up installing a front license plate bracket from Tesla and if so, do you like the look? Also wondering if it only drills through plastic.�
Sep 13, 2012
RubberToe Dadaleus,
I'm up in Pasadena, Amtrak 774 happens to arrive in Solano at 2:31pm. My wife is out of town on vacation so I may come down for this if it is OK with you. I would just like to take a look at the car and sit in it. I go to the races all the time at Del Mar, so am familiar with the Solano Beach area. If you end up not doing this for some reason, please let us know in this thread. Too bad the Del Mar meet is over, seeing a Model S and hitting the races the same day would have been quite the Exacta :biggrin:�
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