Fast forward 9 years and Tesla not only makes electric cars, but they make batteries that people use to store solar energy. I was more inspired to buy a Tesla after Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, pledged to help South Australia with their energy crisis by building the biggest lithium ion battery storage facility in the world - and he said that he would build it in 100 days or it would be free.
South Australia embraced renewable energy and has one of the highest mixes of wind and solar in the world. Because these renewable sources can be intermittent in power generation, at times of high power demand the system cannot cope with the demands for power leading to statewide blackouts and power outages.
It's a shame because I really support what South Australia did to go for renewable energy. However, the downside is that renewable energy is now viewed as being unreliable, poor output and that fossil fuel energy is a more reliable sources, leading to increased pressure to start new coal and nuclear power plants.
The technology that Tesla has for its cars is amazing. They are powerful, the batteries last reasonable distances and they really try to be cutting edge. The technology IS cutting edge, and the future should be built on these sorts of technologies - think iPods from discmans, mobile phones and satellite navigation. When the world sees that we WANT electric cars, and that there is a big demand for them (and that they're not 50kph cars that die when the sun goes down, but they con compare with the grunty petrol enginies) then others will follow suit.
Last year, I put a deposit to secure myself a Tesla 3, one of mass produced "cheaper" Teslas coming on the market. It was still not cheap by my standards, but I really wanted a Tesla to support the company. However, I lamented the loss of my slow, non powerful, 7 seater Nissan Dualis, that I love for it's utility and the kids also love the 7 seater. They didn't want me to buy a new car, they wanted me to keep the Dualis forever.
But that changed 2 weeks ago.
I was out and about and I saw a Tesla X - which is the SUV Tesla, which retails at a whopping 150k. I was not even considering spending that ludicrous amount of money on a car. But, when I looked in the car, I saw that it had MORE than 5 seats. In fact, it could have 7 seats!
I was sold. All I wanted in a car was in the Tesla X. Electric. 7 seater. The ability to fold the seats down and be able to cart large items home from Ikea. Or fit a 65" television in the back.
So last Monday I test drove one. I am not used to powerful cars, and this was a very powerful car. 0 to 100kph in 5.2 seconds they say. I believe it, but it's not like I'll be doing that any time soon. I just want to get from A to B and not have to use petrol.
I love the 7 seats. I love the giant touch screen. I love the automated reverse parallel parking. This car will make me the laziest driver ever.
In terms of power and charging, Tesla has superchargers down the east coast on the way from Brisbane to Melbourne, with further extension into Adelaide. They are all set for us to cruise these long distannce drives between major cities. Superchargers can charge the car really rapidly - I think 20 minutes to get 200km - which is a quick trip to the toilet and a snack at McDonalds.
Safety features:
Front Impact Airbags for driver and passenger
Side airbags for front and rear seats
Knee airbags
Stability Control which senses when vehicle exceeds handling limits
ABS brakes
Battery in bottom of car to lower centre of gravity
There are even 4 anchors for baby seats!
The battery has a warranty of 8 years. The car has a 4 year/80000km warranty.
I'm so thrilled about the car that I can't wait for it to come now - expected delivery is late November. I don't mind if I have to wait longer. I just can't wait to just plug my car in to charge like my mobile phone and never have to lift a bowser again. The future can't get here fast enough!
No comments:
Post a Comment