I bawt a Tesla

[Undertoad]

Musk generates a constant trickle of hints that car autonomy is closer than we expect. That doesn't correspond at all to how things currently operate, but Musk figures there will be a sudden whomp of improvement... by end of 2020. I'm not buying Full Self Driving now, because I'm betting that his schedule will lag -- but I could be wrong.

https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesm...opilot-2q-2020

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Any color but white is an extra $1000, but I just could not have white, due to the racial.

It's a beautiful color but racial? Driving a white vehicle is a racial statement?

Originally Posted by Undertoad

In all gas cars, when you put your foot down, there is a one-mississippi that happens before you get all of the go-fast power.

I had my one-mississippi removed, along with some physical changes. It took some getting use to at lights, leave a extra half car length and make sure the guy in front is moving before pressing on the go pedal. I would imagine you're in the same boat except for the wizardry that keeps you from running into things.

...when you take your foot off the gas, the car uses its forward momentum to recharge the battery. This slows the car considerably --

But the brake lights don't come on?

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Interior. I really dig the minimal design. No visible air vents, no dash indicators or controls, it's all on the touchscreen.

No line of sight indicators of any information.

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Tesla actually requires that you name your car.

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Yes and you have a key that's like a credit card, you can hold up to one edge of the door to lock or unlock it. But mostly you use your phone. Once your phone is set up as a key, you just walk up to the car and get in; the car unlocks for you.

There's no key and fob to do that? You have to have a phone? You can't get in if the car loses power?

And with that system, there's no "key in the ignition" step. You just press the brake pedal, and the car adjusts the seat, mirrors, and steering wheel to your settings, and turns on climate (and lights, and wipers, etc). Then you just put it in Drive and go.
----
You walk about 10 feet away from the car, and it recognizes you've walked away and nobody else is in the car. So it locks itself and shuts down the climate and stuff.

You are not in control, the car does what Steve Jobs Elon Musk wants and you get used to it.

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Third-party website TeslaFi fetches the data from your car and compiles reports about your trips, your charges, etc. geekery dream

Right TeslaFi, division of NSA. Some of their calculations take a huge leap of faith to believe but a comparison if they're off the same amount each time.

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Musk generates a constant trickle of hints that car autonomy is closer than we expect. I'm not buying Full Self Driving now, because I'm betting that his schedule will lag -- but I could be wrong.

Musk was counting on Trump to cut the red tape but that won't happen.

Bottom line, the perfect car for you. It's already given you enough boners to justify the cost. Enjoy the ride!

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

It's a beautiful color but racial? Driving a white vehicle is a racial statement?

S'a joke sir

But the brake lights don't come on?

They do.

No line of sight indicators of any information.

Could be worse, you could need the information. Like tach, water temp, oil pressure, fuel gauge, these are all no longer needed.

There are a few things I would prefer to have in front of me, but none of them are typical dash indicators. I'd like to have the navigation in front of me, I imagine some cars may have that but I don't know of them.

There's no key and fob to do that? You have to have a phone? You can't get in if the car loses power?

You use the regular key which is a credit card, doors are managed off a separate battery from the drive battery.

[xoxoxoBruce]

OK, you bought blue because you wanted blue. Jokes like that are not a given these days when you listen to the extreme positions being taken.

The brake lights come on from the regen braking without the pedal?

Could be better too, turn signals, high beams, SPEED. You're mistaken, you still need a fuel gage. If it has to be a display at least put it in the center of the wheel.

So there is no way to open the door, at least from the outside, if it doesn't have power regardless of which battery it works off of.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

The brake lights come on from the regen braking without the pedal?

Yes, it goes according to the rate of slowdown

Could be better too, turn signals, high beams, SPEED. You're mistaken, you still need a fuel gage.

All the major bits are at the top left of the 15" screen and I don't miss seeing them right in front. It's about the same amount of glance down.

High beams I just keep on automatic; the car manages that.

Don't need a fuel gauge. I'll start every day from home with like 280 miles range. So unless I'm going to drive for 4 hours, I don't need to know the range at all. On a longer trip, the range is managed by the navigation system, generally going to the next supercharger.

In a gas car, you're trained to manage your car's fuel status carefully; and even though you can run out at any time, you run it low for conveniences' sake. You need a gauge. And you need it to be accurate, but it never is...

So there is no way to open the door, at least from the outside, if it doesn't have power regardless of which battery it works off of.

That's true, although the battery systems are carefully managed. Meanwhile, I was locked out of a car three times in the last 10 years. Keys locked in the car. Key broken off in the trunk lock. Fob low on battery. Let's see how this next run of ten years goes.