Let’s say right away: yes, Tesla electric cars today are, if not the best, then some of the best. Although there are several nuances behind this statement that you should be aware of, which we will talk about here.
What is Tesla
From the point of view of the automotive community, Tesla (2003–2017 Tesla Motor) is an upstart company. Having no name, no traditions, no design school, it decisively declared itself with its first model, the sports Tesla Roadster. And thus, having probed the market, already with the second model, the Tesla Model S sedan, not just anything, but immediately founded a new segment – premium sedans with electric drive. The world immediately started talking about the innovators from Tesla and the electric future of humanity.
But technicians did not notice any special innovations in the car – from the point of view of the chassis, the Model S was a typical electric car. But there was something else about him: courage and scope.
Do electric vehicles have low range on a single charge? We will provide the Model ES with a huge battery that will last for 400 – 600 km. Does the battery take a long time to charge? We will make a network of high-speed charging stations Tesla Supercharger – free! – all over America. Developed on-board electronics often “glitch”? We will update the system on line without the participation of the owner, when only the engineers deem it necessary. Does a large battery make the car heavy? Nothing, we will make it even larger so that the weight of the batteries is lost against the background of the total mass… And we will also stuff our cars with all possible and impossible electronic functions, from climate control via a smartphone to autopilot…
In short, in 2022, Tesla produced 1.37 million cars – note, not budget cars, but expensive ones and so specific that just yesterday we would have called them niche.
Why are they cool?
Yes, any Tesla is a cool car. But its coolness is not in its richly equipped interior, but in its technical capabilities.
Ordinary consumers are amazed by the dynamics of cars of this brand. Thus, the heavy family sedan Model S can accelerate to 100 km/h in 2.4 – 4 seconds (depending on the version), that is, at the level of Formula 1 cars! Let us note that there is no technical secret here, just that the designers, having a high-capacity battery in their arsenal, did not artificially limit the dynamics to conserve charge.
Car gadget. All Tesla systems, from the power plant to the trunk lock, are connected to the on-board computer. This solution has its drawbacks, but when the car is not old and everything works as it should, the owner does not care. And this gave the manufacturer the opportunity to centralize control; as a result, he has the opportunity, for example, to remotely adjust and update software, and the consumer, say, can control many functions of the machine remotely via a smartphone. Well, the famous Tesla autopilot would also not be so advanced without the complete computerization of the technical platform.
Autopilot. The Tesla Autopilot system and the Full Self-Driving (FSD) package, which are called autopilot on Tesla models, are, of course, not flawless, because they do not allow the car to drive without driver participation. At least that’s what is officially stated. But we cannot help but note Tesla’s courage and determination in their widespread implementation. While other automakers spend decades designing and testing their so-called autonomous cars, production Teslas are driving their self-driving cars around the world. Officially, the company positions its systems as assistants to the driver, who plays the main role in driving the car. However, the car is not considered fully autonomous (self-driving).
And yet, a machine with FSD today can do the following:
- Change lanes independently and choose the best lane in her opinion;
- Self-parking;
- Identify traffic lights and stop at red;
- Identify road signs with the participation of a navigator;
- Identify obstacles on the road – pedestrians, oncoming and passing cars – and respond to them;
- Approach the driver in the parking lot when called from a smartphone (Summon option).
Probably the last function is the most impressive and really useful. For example, you left the store with packages or a shopping cart, and you don’t need to walk to the car with this load – it will drive up to you. In America, the range of Summon is 50 meters, on European versions it is limited to 6 meters.
It is noteworthy that the specified FSD is not a system, but a service, a package that can be ordered through a mobile application for a monthly fee of $99–199.
What’s wrong with Tesla?
Undoubtedly, all four Tesla models have shortcomings, and we hear about them almost weekly in news releases. Every time, messages about serious accidents “due to the fault of Tesla autopilot” gain resonance. These cars, just like others, get into accidents. Meanwhile, it should be understood that some accusations are either far-fetched or overly promoted: since a leading brand is constantly in the spotlight, any incident with it comes into the focus of attention of journalists and bloggers.
Investigations into such “high-profile” accidents are carried out by the judiciary and the American government agency NHTSA – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In many cases, there is no evidence that Autopilot was engaged at the time of the accident. The investigation often finds that the autopilot was working, but the driver was not holding the steering wheel and was looking at the tablet or smartphone rather than at the road, thereby violating the terms of use of the system. Of course, it cannot be said that the autopilot is never at fault. But as a result of many investigations, Tesla did not receive any other accusations, except for the accusation of incorrect positioning of Tesla Autopilot and Full Self-Driving – they say, it is incorrect to call them an autopilot, since this is a driver assistance system.
Meanwhile, in addition to general attention and discussions in the press, reports of troubles with Tesla cars sometimes hit the capitalization of the manufacturing company. For example, after the first incident with the Model S fire, the company’s shares on the stock exchange fell by 9%, after another story with a fatal accident in Texas, when the driver’s seat was empty, by 6.5%.
Among the real problems of these machines, we note the following:
- high price of Tesla electric vehicles. Although with the introduction of the Model 3 (price in the US after the last reduction in the summer of 2023 – $37,800), this statement does not apply to all models;
- strict on-line linking of the car to the manufacturer. Many owners don’t care about this, but with some renovations or upgrades it can be a problem.
Is it worth buying a Tesla?
Of course it’s worth it. These cars are reliable and comfortable, and the driver of even the cheapest version enjoys driving. But just like when choosing any other product, you must be sure that it is exactly what you need. And Tesla, for all its real advantages, is an electric car and has a typical list of disadvantages. And by the way, some classic premium car brands have already reached the Tesla level over the past year or two and can compete with them. What we mean is that for those who want to purchase a highly efficient premium electric car, the choice is no longer limited to just Teslas.
In short
The entire Tesla project is a clear example of what the car as a vehicle is persistently turning into: development is aimed at simplifying use, transport becomes more consumer-friendly. Despite all the fundamental shortcomings of electric vehicles, it is Teslas that are successful and in growing demand, because they offer things that are understandable and pleasant for a modern person: the simplest motion control, a gadget-like human-car interface and cheap “refueling”. And those specific problems that are still characteristic of electric vehicles as such, Tesla has overcome in the American way simply – with money. Due to the high price, it was possible to solve many purely electric vehicle shortcomings. When they can be overcome not with money, but with technology, we will all switch to cars like Tesla.
2023-11-17 05:40:35
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