Comments on: Story of Teslas Turning Into 'Bricks' Making the Rounds

By: Rob De

Rob De — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:12:13 +0000

I've noticed that Tesla has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the other 4 alleged cases of total loss main propulsion battery function.

They should. After all, the other 4 alleged cases either happened, or they didn't. The person who broke the original story is having his integrity openly challenged in countless online venues. If he is slandering Tesla, let them say so. If he is not, let them admit it.

Based on my research into the story and it's unfolding, I suspect Tesla is hiding as much as they can.

By: KVA

KVA — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 03:32:59 +0000

Nothing I have seen has been sensationalized. The “brick” problem sounds real, and important, and it appears that Tesla had not been giving the consumer all the information they needed. Thank God for a free press that brings these kinds of things to light. I have put down my 5k for a model S and will likely still get it when it comes out, but this does give me pause. I occasionally take extended trips, the airport is a long drive from my house and the power does occasionally fail at my rural home. I should be able to protect against bricking most of the time now that I know about it, but I need some better protection if the unthinkable happens. I CANNOT afford a 40k repair for my car.

By: RogerP

RogerP — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:58:39 +0000

Hmm. Let's see. If I plug-in a Model S overnight in my garage I get the equivalent of 106 mpg, the acceleration and performance of a very high end sports sedan (0-60 in 5.6 sec, flat cornering), and the overall storage space of a small SUV. Not to mention luxury features found in Jags, MB, Lexus, and BMW.

Or ... I can pay no attention to the owner's manual and to verbal and written warnings when I purchased the car, leave the car unplugged for weeks or months, and brick the battery.

This story is truly a hatchet job on one of the most innovative car companies on the planet—an American company, providing jobs for American workers. The treatment of this story by some in the media is disgraceful—little context and lots of sensationalism. You have to wonder why there are people who are rooting for Tesla and EVs in general to fail.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:31:58 +0000

I have a Model X reservation. Doesn’t change my mind. Certainly something to be aware of but doesn’t seem like an overly difficult situation to avoid (unless you decide to ship your car to Japan as one person did). The automatic notification process seems like a good idea — I’ll definitely opt for that.

These cars are different — that’s the point. Not every difference is going to be positive but I think the net still turns out for the better.

By: Bob W

Bob W — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:30:17 +0000

The problem is fundamental to the battery. Tesla could possibly design an extreme power saving mode to delay full discharge as long as possible, but it's a tradeoff. The subsystems run while the car is parked for a reason.

As you said, the same thing happens to your cell phone or your laptop if left unplugged long enough. Those batteries are cheaper to replace.

By: Duude

Duude — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:09:38 +0000

Its not like Tesla owners can’t afford a $40,000 bill. Stupid to purchase something this expensive without a long enough consumer trial period? Duuh! This is the consumer trial period.
Thanks for playing!

By: the other Anonymous

the other Anonymous — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:34:39 +0000

Ouch, owner pays six-figures for a hi-tech sports car, hoping to be the kid with the latest gadget, not the miserable guy holding a ‘brick’.