Tesla P85D v. BMW M5 Nighthawk

Tesla P85D v. BMW M5 Nighthawk

Teller Loves Driving His Tesla Model S

Teller Loves Driving His Tesla Model S

"The intelligence, power, and severe beauty of this [Model S Tesla] machine are no hype."

Teller is half of Penn and Teller, and he is known for being very quite and never talking. Today, he broke his silence to write about how much he loves his Tesla Model S, and you can read his amazing reviews which appears on the Tesla Customer Stories website.

P85D v. P90D

P85D v. P90D Insane v. Ludicrous 
According to Tesla a P85D with "Insane" mode can accelerate from 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds. Conversely, a P90D with "Ludicrous" mode can achieve 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds. This video shows a P85D racing a P90D. 

The P85D driver gets a very slight head start, which makes all the difference in the world, in the sense it takes the P90D more than 10 seconds to catch-up and pass it.
The obvious moral of this story is so much of driving/racing has to do with the drivers reflexes, timing and driving skills.

Elon Musk Launches Tesla Model X

Elon Musk  Launches Tesla Model X

Audi e-Tron SUV Concept

Audi e-Tron SUV Concept

900 Miramonte Ave Mountain View, CA 94040 Get Directions Phone number (650) 623-3200

Porsche Competitor To Tesla

Mission E Concept

Porsche showed off a potential Tesla Model S competitor at the Frankfurt Auto Show, named the Mission E Concept. This all-electric powertrain potential Tesla competitor has dual motors, and more than 600 horsepower. It also incorporates the first 800 Volt drive system that can charge the car up to 80% (250 Mile Range) in only 15 minutes. It can scoot from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds.

This engineering masterpiece features both, all-wheel-drive and all-wheel-steering. Its carbon-fiber body is coupled with reinforced polymer, and aluminum to make it light and strong. It can also be charged by placing the car over a special conductive ground tile.

I have been wondering, since Elon Musk open-sourced the patents, how long it would take a major automaker to try and build a better Tesla, and this might be it!

Consumer Reports Final Test Results on P85D Scores 100 out of 100

Consumer Reports Final Test Results on P85D Scores 100 out of 100

Bjørn Nyland Tests The P85D

Tesla Shows Off Snake Auto-Charging Arm Prototype

Tesla Shows Off Snake Auto-Charging Arm Prototype

Tesla Factory In Freemont Drone Flyover Video

Tesla Factory In Freemont, California Drone Flyover Video
Today Tesla is making somewhere around 50,000 Model S units per year @ the Tesla Factory in Freemont California. The Factory was originally built by General Motor back and later Toyota partnered with GM, at which point the factory was able to output 500,000 units per year. The video below shows a flyover video which really shows just how huge this factory is.

How The Tesla Model S Is Made

How The Tesla Model S Is Made

Elon Musk 2015 Tesla Shareholder Meeting

Elon Musk 2015 Tesla Shareholder Meeting

...Consumer Reports Test... Tesla P85D v. Challenger Hellcat

...Consumer Reports Test...
Tesla P85D v. Challenger Hellcat

Fascinating Elon Musk Interview

Fascinating Elon Musk Interview

Tesla Outperforming Apple Per Square Foot

Tesla Outperforming Apple Per Square Foot

Apple was previously believed to generate the highest sales per square foot in the world with their Apple stores, but Tesla recently passed them up by a long-shot.

Elon Musk pointed out last year that Tesla's sales per square foot in its retail Tesla stores was double that of Apple's.  Tesla. Money magazine recently published a story about how innovative Tesla's approach is to retail with portable retail stores.

Tesla Mystery Prototype Model

Tesla Mystery Prototype Model?

What is pictured below on the right? Is it a Tesla future model prototype? When I first saw it, I genuinely had no idea. It looks like something out of Bladerunner, doesn't it? It took me a while to figure out, that it is a nose cone for the front of a Model S!

TESLA Gigafactory Drone Flyover

TESLA Gigafactory Drone Flyover 
This video shows the TESLA Gigafactory as filmed by a Drone that recently flew over the factory!

News From The Frunk New Model S 70D + P85D

News From The Frunk New Model S 70D + P85D

Nikola Tesla Namesake Inspiration For Telsa Motors

...Tesla Super-Coolness...

Nikola Tesla

Namesake Inspiration For Telsa Motors

Tesla Motors was named so after Nikola Tesla, who was a Serbian American inventor. Nikola Tesla was an inventor as well as being a mechanical and electrical engineer, as well as a physicist and futurist visionary. He is best known for his design contributions to creating modern electrical Alternating Current (AC) supply system.

Nikola Tesla Pictured Above In 1890

The 2014 BBC Documentary give a great in-depth overview of Nikola Tesla's lifetime career achievements, as well as offering insight into his fascinating mindset.

New Aluminum Battery Technology Could Give Tesla Model S 500 Mile Range

Stanford University New Aluminum Battery Technology Could Give Tesla Model S 500 Mile Range + Fully Charge Batteries In 5 Minutes
Stanford University has developed an Aluminum/Carbon battery technology that essentially doubles the capacity of standard lithium-ion batteries in the same space, while allowing a Model S to be fully charged in less than 5 minutes!!!!!

What does this mean for Tesla and the automotive world? First and foremost, range anxiety would become a thing of the past by offering 500 miles between charges, and it also means a Supercharger could charge up a Model S in less than 5 minutes. So basically, gas stations could also offer electricity, with the exception that instead of costing $70 to fill a car tank, it would cost around $5!!!
Also, these aluminum batteries can be charged up to 7,500 times without any loss in capacity, which is 750% longer than a lithium-ion battery!
This technology is still in its nascent stages, but shows great promise, and is probably the technology that will force the auto industry to move much more quickly to electric. Also, the Tesla Gigafactory could likely convert from manufacturing lithium batteries to aluminum/carbon batteries.
Also, imagine what this could do for laptops!?! I would give a laptop 24 hours of charge time, and could be charged to full in 5 minutes!!!! I could also give an iPhone a 3-4 day charge!!!
Forbes wrote an article about this technology which you can check out to learn more.

What it would take to build a true Tesla competitor?

What it would take to build a true Tesla competitor?

Autoblog just posted a fascinating article titled "What it would take to build a true Tesla competitor?" This is a question I keep asking myself. In other words, I believe that in order for anybody to compete successfully in electric cars they need to use the skateboard system that Tesla patented, and later open-sourced. 

The obvious challenge is that a company like Mercedes is probably highly conflicted about how to best more forward on making electric vehicles.

The design challenge is that, as I just mentioned, in order to make a car with the greatest space utilization they have to incorporate Tesla's battery skateboard design. If they do this, it makes it difficult if not impossible also create ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars on the same platform.

Domenick Yoney wrote:

"The Tesla formula is really simple. Take the cheapest and most energy-dense lithium battery cells available, build a thin, rectangular pack and place it in the floor of the passenger cabin. To get around the low-power output ability of these individual cells, use a lot of them. Then, stick the electric motor, inverter, and gear reduction unit between the rear wheels. Immediately, this creates a vehicle with the lowest possible center of gravity and maximum amount of rotational inertia – the two most important fundamental elements for creating a great-handling car."

The photo below shows a Tesla 18650 lithium Ion battery, which was made by Panasonic. Each Model S contains approximately 7,000 of these "laptop" batteries.

In order to illustrate my point, let me offer this example. One of my favorite cars I would love to own would be the current Mercedes SL550. The challenge is that I will NEVER buy another ICE car. In other words, I will only ever buy another car if it is electric/ Why? Because there are a zillion advantages Electric has over Internal Combustion. I took the photo below in February of 2015, in front of the Palace Of Fine Arts in San Francisco. It shows off the stunning lines of the Mercedes SL silhouette. 



Imagine if this Mercedes has the Tesla battery skateboard chassis, it would free up a tremendous amount of space in the front for huge frunk (front-trunk). 

Recently I observed a current model Mercedes SL that a couple was traveling in as they were on vacation, and had their suitcases stuffed behind the rear seats. The car was parked, and the suitcase were really crammed behind the two front seats. This is because if you put the top down, there is not enough room in the trunk for the luggage. If Mercedes-Benz made an SL with the skateboard battery pack design, like the one found in the Tesla Model S, it would free up the entire front trunk for luggage, which would make perfect sense.

The challenge is that Mercedes would not be able to dual purpose such a chassis to also produce an ICE version, and therein lies the challenge.

The solution to this challenge may be found today in the BMW i3 electric car, which is the only vehicle that uses the Tesla inspired "Skateboard" design. 

The image below shows the "skateboard" battery platform on the BMW i3, which is remarkably similar to the Tesla Skateboard design. There are so many benefits to this design, I don't see how any other automobile manufacture could match or exceed the design with something different.

The clue here is it appears BMW decided to develop their electric vehicle division completely isolated from their standard ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles. It's almost like BMW's electric vehicle division is a different company altogether, and perhaps that is what all other brands will have to do in order to compete with Tesla in the future.

It is going to be really interesting to see how the entire auto industry evolves of the next quarter-century, as it seem inevitable to me that in the future all cars will be electric. Until then, the Tesla Model S remains the king of cars.

Getting Excited About The P85D Acceleration

...Tesla Hotness...
Getting Excited About The P85D Acceleration

Test Drive Of A Petrol Car

Test Drive Of A Petrol Car

There is a superb story somebody wrote about a Tesla owner who drives an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) for the first time. I highly recommend it, as a great read!

The images below shows how crazy simple the Tesla Model S motor design is compared to an internal combustion engine as seen above. The image below is of the actual Tesla Model S DC motor, which is about the size of a watermelon. 

The image below shows the Tesla Model S drive unit outlined in the red rectangle. The actual motor is located on the right side, and it's lighter silver.

Since the Tesla Model S rear motor is strategically and intelligently placed between the rear wheels, it drives the rear tires directly without the need for a bulky transmission! This magnificently simple design also facilitates very fast acceleration at slow speeds.

The photos above and below show the Tesla Model S motor location, which is between the rear wheels. It is positioned so low, it sits far below the top of the rear tires on the rear transaxle. The battery pack, typically referred to as the Tesla Skateboard runs underneath the front and rear seats, thus giving the Model S, an unusually remarkable low center of gravity. 

The illustration below shows all three types of engine layouts for the Model S Tesla. Obviously the one of the far right, which is a dual motor Tesla Model S P85D illustrates the super low center of gravity. 

This super-low center of gravity translates into road handling characteristics that have never been seen before in a passenger vehicle. In other words, when you drive a Model S, especially a P85D, it not only maintains a perfect 50/50 front to rear weight distribution, but the car literally feels like it is almost glued to a track!!!

Elon Musk Debuts The Tesla Powerwall

Elon Musk Debuts The Tesla Powerwall

2015 Tesla P85D v 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

2015 Tesla P85D  v  2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

Bosch Tesla User Experience

Bosch Tesla User Experience
Bosch recently published this bizarre video that shows a Model S Tesla with a customized User Interface for autonomous driving. I have not idea if Bosch is working with Tesla on developing this, but it is interesting.
Bosch said:
"Welcome to Bosch's vision for a highly automated car and its unique driving experience. The concept vehicle shows how the interaction between an automated vehicle and its driver could work. Accompany Philip, a young professional, on his journey to the airport, and see how the user interface of his vehicle handles different phases of manual and automated driving – making Philip's journey safe, relaxing, productive and entertaining."
NOTE: The vehicle shown in the movie is a concept vehicle (not in series production).

Consumer Reports Bought A P85D for Testing!!!

Consumer Reports Bought A P85D for Testing
Consumer reports is considered to be one of the definitive voices in judging cars, and they just purchased a Tesla Model S P85D for testing purposes, as seen in the video below!!!

I am a little surprised Consumer Reports got a fully loaded P85D WITHOUT the Next Generation Seats!?!?? I say this because the Next Generation Seats are designed and made by Recaro, and are a zillion time better than the standard seats...
This should come as no surprise since Consumer Reports just named the Tesla Model S as the "Best Overall" car for the second year in a row.

This is incredibly profound if you think about it. Prior to the Tesla Model S getting a Test Score of 99, there was only one other model in their history that received a 99, and that was the 2007 Lexus LS 460. The profound point is that it took Lexus 18 years of manufacturing to reach a 99 score, versus Telsa, which reached it in their first year with the Model S, and for the second year in a row, they were awarded the Best Overall Score. Not to mention they were so impressed, they bought a P85D for testing!!!!

Elon Musk @ KhanAcademy

Elon Musk @KhanAcademy

Tesla P85D Superior Snow Driving Performance

Tesla P85D  Superior Snow Driving Performance
Elon Musk posted this video on his Twitter page and tweeted: "Video made by owner of a P85D going up a 14% grade on snow passing a whole bunch of stuck SUVs" The YouTube description reads: "Tesla Model S P85D Up a 14% grade in extremely slick conditions. Michelin XICE XI3 tires."

Elon Musk On The Future Of Education

Elon Musk On The Future Of Education

Elon Musk Interview By Neil deGrasse Tyson...

Elon Musk Interview

By Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the coolest guys alive, and he recently interviewed Elon Musk, and you can listen to the interview below.

Consumer Reports Talking Tesla

Consumer Reports Talking Tesla
"Talking about Batman Stuff"

Tesla P85D Review from CNET

Tesla P85D Review from CNET

Steve Wozniak's P85D

...Tesla Coolness...

Steve Wozniak's P85D

Tesla Batmobile

Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak is pictured below in his Tesla P85D Model S.

Fascinating Tesla Model S User Interface Concept

Fascinating Tesla Model S User Interface Concept

Earlier this week, Tesla CEO and founder, Elon Musk talked about an updated user interface for version 7.0, and The Verge recently published a fascinating article that showcases this Tesla Model S Interface Concept, which is fascinating.

Mercedes-Benz F015 Self-Driving Research Vehicle

Mercedes-Benz F015 

Self-Driving Research Vehicle

Yesterday Elon Musk talked a lot about the upcoming Autopilot technology built-in to the Model S, which will soon be turned on in an over-the-air update. Most people don't realize that most of the technology behind this was developed by Mercedes Benz. As a matter of fact, Mercedes was once a major investor in Tesla, and really helped Tesla get the critical traction in needed to be successful. 

Also, there are parts inside the Tesla Model S that are made by Mercedes, like the gear shifter knob, and turning signal stalk, as well as the window control buttons on the door panels. Mercedes is one of the greatest automotive technology innovators in history, and this fascinating video shows Mercedes latest experimental "Autonomous Research Vehicle", which means it is designed to drive you from parking lot to parking lot, just like a taxi, but without a driver.

Tesla Model S Announcement End to Range Anxiety

Tesla Model S Announcements 

End to Range Anxiety

+ 6.2 Coming Soon

Today, Elon Musk held a press conference to end range anxiety, as well as to announce some great new features for the Model S.

Musk announced that Version 6.2 of the Tesla OS will be delivered OTA (Over The Air) and it will include some awesome new features as outlined below:

Ending Range Anxiety

Tesla announced a new feature named Range Assurance, which will be included in 6.2. This innovative new solution will make sure you never run out of electricity and you can learn much more on the Tesla blog.

Blind Spot Warning

My favorite new feature is named Blind Spot Warning. Every car has some kind of blind spot where the B pillar gets in the way of you being able to see over your shoulder. The new Tesla Model S user-interface is pictured below.

The next screen-shot below shows that the car in front of you is getting too close, and the Tesla has automatically slowed down the car from 65 to 63. It also shows that there is a car traveling just behind you on your left side, so you don't try to quickly turn into the left lane.

The next screen shows how the car will warn you, and not allow you to hit the car next to you. It achieves this by using the sonar built-in to the Model S. 6.2 will also introduce a new feature that will aggressively apply the car brakes if the car detects you are likely to collide with another car or object. Notice how the UI (User Interface) automatically dims the left and right side panel information, to call attention to the pending potential collision.

Version 6.2 will also add a Valet mode that decreases the cars performance, and locks the glovebox and frunk. It also stops the screen from showing any personal information.

Version 7.0 Preview

Elon Musk also mentioned that Tesla was working on a complete UI overhaul that would arrive as part of version 7.0. Elon said"

“We’re pretty excited about the progress we’re making there. The main test route that we’re evaluating is the San Francisco to Seattle route, and we’re now almost able to travel all the way from San Francisco to Seattle without the driver touching any controls at all. That’s a feature that requires a lot of validation testing, but we’re hoping that we can start releasing the first sort of auto-steering features in about three months or so."

He mentioned that Autopilot will only work on highways, since completely autonomous driving requires more preparation.


You can listen to the audio from the press conference below:

Tesla Model S Awards Through 2014

Tesla Model S Awards

Through 2014

Tesla Model X Seen Road Testing

Tesla Model X Seen Road Testing
Tesla is putting the finishing touches on their upcoming Model X model, and the video below shows a test car out in the wild.
Tesla Model X Reveal
The video below shows Elon Musk revealing the upcoming Tesla Model X.

Elon Musk The Future Of Autonomous Cars

Elon Musk Interview The Future Of Autonomous Cars  

Tesla P85D At The Chevron Gas Station?!?

Tesla P85D At The Chevron Gas Station?!?

What is going on in this photo? I was driving a Black on Black Tesla P85D, and the windshield was so dirty that I had to stop at a gas station to clean the windshield, and use the bathroom. I took this photo, and it kind of dawned on me: "Why don't gas stations offer Tesla Superchargers?" I don't think they should have the Superchargers next to the regular gas pumps, but I could see how they could easily have 2 to 5 Superchargers on the premises. Plus Tesla customers would inevitably buy drinks and snacks in the mini-mart. Just an idea, but it makes sense to me :-)

Tesla Model S In The Snow

Tesla Model S Snowmobile
This video shows how well the Model S drives in the snow, and keep in mind the car in this video is NOT an AWD Tesla, but just a standard rear wheel drive model!

Tesla Model S P85D v. Ferrari 458 Italia

Tesla Model S P85D v. Ferrari 458 Italia
Let's face reality for a moment. The Ferrari 458 Italia is probably the coolest looking car ever made, so watching a P85D smoke it off the line is fascinating... Wikipedia published a list of 0-60 times for the fastest cars in the world, which is worth checking out.

Elon Musk @ All Things D

Elon Musk @ All Things D

Tesla Motors Documentary The Future Of The Electric Car

Tesla Motors Documentary The Future Of The Electric Car

George Clooney's Tesla Roaster

...Tesla Coolness...

George Clooney

Tesla Roaster

George Clooney is pictured below in his black Tesla Roadster.

Tesla Model S Adaptive Cruise & High Beam Demo with Bjørn Nyland

How To Remove The Front Bumper Model S Customization

...Tesla Model S Customization...

How To Remove The Front Bumper 

Model S Customization

I found and article on TeslaMotorsClub.com forum that discusses how to remove the front bumper nose, which should allow access to placing a radar detector or auto toll transponder in the nose. Check out more on how to remove the front bumper of a Tesla Model S.

Here is a video that shows how to remove the nose cone.

Elon Musk Why Hydrogen Fuel Cells Are Dumb

Elon Musk Why Hydrogen Fuel Cells Are Dumb