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ATP: Electric Vehicles

Ummmmmm, yes please. 2023 A6

audi-a6-e-tron-concept.jpg
 
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At the beginning of the pandemic, my 3 series wagon was getting pretty long in the tooth and I was afraid car production might be shut down for a while, so I took a three-year lease on a Tesla Model 3. It's fun to drive and there are some things I really like about it, but it's been a disappointment, overall. Aside from the giant touchscreen, the interior is noticeably cheap. The driving aids are intrusive and crude. The smart cruise control/semi-autonomous driving is almost unusable because it slams on the brakes if it sees a car or pedestrian anywhere near my lane or if a car in the next lane edges over slightly towards me. The smart cruise control in my wife's Volvo XC90 is much better. Several times, I've gotten into the car and the touchscreen won't turn on. I can drive it but I can't control the HVAC or stereo, see the rearview camera, or even confirm what gear I'm in before pressing the gas pedal. After a few minutes, it comes on each time, but it's very annoying. Because all the controls are on the touchscreen, you have to take your eyes off the road and navigate through the touchscreen interface for anything you need to do.

The biggest problem I've had, however, is an issue with the trunk. The waterproof liner in the trunk was bad, so every time it rained, water would seep into my trunk. This made the trunk damp and mildewed. For months I tried to get it fixed. I was able to make appointments, but then just before the appointment, it would be automatically rescheduled because they didn't have the parts. I emailed with someone at the local Tesla shop and he kept telling me the part would come in soon. Finally, after I got fed up with my car smelling like a dank cave, I emailed the local rep, expressed my displeasure and saying I wanted to talk to someone about breaking my lease. He said I could bring the car in the next day.
 
Wow. That is disappointing. Thanks for sharing. I’ve been wanting an EV for awhile and Tesla was the main option. Good to see other options out there.
 
That basically hits on all my main reservations for going with a Tesla. Meh interior and high chance encountering poor build quality. Thanks for sharing.
 
ImTheCaptain said:
is Elon Musk not enough of a deterrent?
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ha, he's certainly one as well tbh.. but not a lot of other great options out there so I'd be willing to overlook that if the tesla was the best option by a mile
 
cookoutdeac said:
ha, he's certainly one as well tbh.. but not a lot of other great options out there so I'd be willing to overlook that if the tesla was the best option by a mile
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Yeah. This. Tesla has been considered the industry leader for years, but it looks like other companies will catch up or surpass them within the next 5 years.
 
I think it looks dope. My boss has a Tesla and was involved in a hit and run. Took about 6-8 weeks to get the part to fix the back rebar. It’s his 2nd one though and we haven’t had the same build quality issues, although yes there are plenty of reports on that and poor interior
 
Wind tunnel air flow Physics have pushed car designs in the same direction. Air drag accounts for a large percentage of vehicle energy use at interstate highway speeds. Manufacturers are trying to minimize that number to increase range.
 
Problem with EV range is even though the EPA may have a 250 mile range for a particular car, distance is weather related. 70F is the sweet spot for EV efficiency every 10F degree positive/negative reduces efficiency. Head/tail winds also need to be factored. In Winter conditions, one can expect a quick 20-30% decline in range when temps go under 20F. One problem with PHEV & BEV's are at the charging station. I have found that many chargers at hotels, municipal parking areas etc. leave much to be desired. A recent example I was at a hotel with four chargers recently and only one was operable. If one has a BEV and driving outside their home range, can have issues locating a charger that works. Tesla has the best maintained chargers but there are still issues. Reason I prefer PHEV's is no range anxiety. If any are interested, there are several good social media sites that may be of interest. Ones I follow are primarily dedicated to the Rav 4 Prime but all related EV cars are discussed... https://www.reddit.com/new/ , may have to enter Rav4 Prime to access. https://www.rav4world.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ Rav4 Prime Forum
 
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