Just what have the other car manufacturers been doing all this time?

Credit: TestDriven

“In fact, it makes us wonder: just what have the other car manufacturers been doing all this time, if what amounts to an internet start-up company can suddenly come out with this.”

http://www.testdriven.co.uk/tesla-model-s-review/

The item linked above reads in part: “Let’s not get bogged down in hypothetical meta-discussions about an electric car’s green credentials, because that way lies endless debates about how its ecological aspirations extend only as far as those of the power station it’s fed by.”

That statement is misleading. No, “endless debates”, about an, “electric car’s green credentials”, are justified. The issues are actually quite simple.

Pro: Any electric vehicle (EV) driver can provide for renewable electricity for that vehicle by generating green electricity with rooftop solar or entering into one of the many, “green power”, arrangements available around the world. All EV owners I know are doing one or both of these.

Con: But the EV driver can’t be sure that, in a mixed grid (part renewable, part fossil), that the green electricity paid for, is actually going into the EV.

Pro: Who uses a particular electron doesn’t matter. What does matter is the mix of renewable verses fossil electricity on the grid. If an EV driver pays for additional renewable energy to be generated, it will displace the same amount of fossil electricity, no matter where, or by whom, it is consumed.

Pro: Electric grids around the world are becoming cleaner. Worst case, if a driver takes no steps to provide green electricity for an EV, it will become progressively cleaner, as the grid it is charged on becomes cleaner.

Further reading: Why does an electric car generate less carbon dioxide than a petrol powered one? / petrolheads gearheads Tesla Model S Tesla power powered entirely electric vehicle EV battery lithium ion LiIon chemical chemistry lithium ion phosphate electric car’s green credentials ecological aspirations power station Model S electric car Renault Twizy Nissan Leaf style electric vehicle personal transportation tech giant Apple car industry charismatic figurehead over-achieving Elon Musk spark of inspiration iPhone car plug-in recharge downloads regular updates Internet iPad embedded in the dashboard user interface Silicon Valley start-ups dinosaur juice-slurping established automotive companies car manufacturers alternative power sources natural gas hydrogen cars fuel cells hybrids starting from scratch compelling platform latest model laptop batteries vital organs suspension brakes steering electric motors completely flat floor most aerodynamic saloon car on the market body on top electronic rear lights Jaguar Aston Martin premium brands Tesla’s design team gloss black snout radiator faux grille laptop tall drivers steeply-raked A-pillars huge flat-screen centre console perfectly at home intuitive user interface permanent 3G data connection built-in web browser Rdio music service speaking its name voice control audio quality internet powered Google-based navigation system speed limit indications choice of route planning shortest quickest added later Mercedes sourced electric window switches only two buttons glove box hazard lights tab touch-screen headlights heated seats electric sunroof tapping swiping practical put your phone shelf under the central touch-screen interference connected car electro-magnetic shielding instrument cluster 12.3-inch screen display central dial combines speed power use regeneration navigation system guidance map option shortcut menu jog-dial on the steering wheel flick through settings driver temperature screen brightness sunroof lack of storage space no door bins Model S interior rear seat space for three adults headroom optional pair rear seats boot floor frunk front trunk 1,800 litres of space column-mounted lever D for Drive Tesla 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds base single-motor model 0-60 in 5.9 seconds range dual-motor P85D model acceleration traction all-wheel-drive layout McLaren 650S suck-squeeze-bang-blow maximum torque from zero rpm instantaneous and seemingly endless power regenerative braking braking effect friction brakes kinetic energy battery batteries chemical energy regeneration Tesla’s rampant acceleration near total silence other noises wind noise tyre noise suppressed Model S slippery shape keep wind noise well in check speed tyre roar 19 inch rims optional 21-inch rims wheels tires tyres Model S handles big heavy car wider than a Porsche Panamera mass laptop batteries low down in the floor centre of gravity over 2,100kg charge recharge range 230 miles charge 370 km 400 kilometres recharging standard three-pin plug is possible charging painfully slow average person’s commute overnight charging Tesla’s network of Superchargers half a charge in about 20 minutes full charge hour free forever any public charger dual on-board chargers Tesla smartphone app pre-set the car’s climate control sunroof remind you where you parked company car zero benefit-in-kind tax no road tax exempt from the London congestion charge Supercharger cheaper to run than conventional car recharged plan your route more carefully charging stations built-in satnav Tesla has an impressive record of tweaking the car via over-the-air software updates Autopilot array of ultrasonic sensors cameras functions lane departure warning adaptive cruise control ability for the car to park itself 21-inch wheels very impressive a few foibles electric car astounding it makes us wonder: just what have the other car manufacturers been doing all this time if what amounts to an internet start-up company can suddenly come out with this start up startup /