Tesla extends battery life for Irma evacuees

[Michelle]

 As thousands of people fled the approach of Hurricane Irmain the southeast United States, Tesla assisted drivers of its electric cars by extending their battery range, the company confirmed.

Highways in Florida were gridlocked off and on for days before the storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday. That meant some drivers waited in lines at gas stations for upwards of an hour and in some cases, fuel shortages left drivers stranded.

But electric vehicle drivers faced more dire circumstances -- trying to track down charging stations and potentially spending hours charging their vehicles.

Tesla said that for those drivers under mandatory evacuation orders, it remotely reprogrammed the vehicles to increase the battery capacity. Some drivers reported being able to drive 30 to 40 miles longer than normal.

Now, here is the good part...

The SUV and sedan vehicles -- Models S and X60, 60D, 70 and 70D -- each have 60 kilowatt-hours of capacity but actually share the same 75 kilowatt-hour battery as more expensive models. Drivers normally would spend $4,500 to $9,000 more for the longer battery life.

cont...

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2017/09/11/Tesla-extends-battery-life-for-Irma-evacuees/3441505144946/?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=16

What a rip off!

[aztek]

why a rip off?  they just increased discharge threshold, which negatively reflects on battery life, if done for long. normally E car battery works in mode 80\40. unlike cell phone battery 100\0, that is why cell phone battery lasts 400-500 cycles and dies in about 2 years, Tesla battery lasts for 10 years due to that mode. 

once they out of danger i'd recommend all of them reprogram BMS back to 80\40, or their batteries will live a lot shorter life, hopefully Tesla will do that remotely. and customers batteries wont lose many cycles.

yes for 9 extra grands you get extended range without sacrificing lifespan, this emergency adjustment does affect lifespan dramatically

Edited September 13, 2017 by aztek

[Stubbly_Dooright]

We own a Tesla, and it's more of a frustration than it would be for gas and diesel cars, to find what one needs to fill it back up. It is more of a struggle to find charging stations, than it is to find gas stations. Granted, the screen and the system in the Tesla shows you where charging stations are, Tesla's and regular, but the amount of them compared to gas stations is small. Yes, I have heard more and more are being built, but it's still the challenge in getting to them. Plus, with the power out, I would think there would be less of a chance in find a nearby charging station as oppose to a gas station. (Granted, power is needed for pumping gas, so in a sense, I digress) 

And it's not like, when the car runs out of charge, you can grab something (like a gas can) so you can trek to a nearby station to fill it up and trek back. You have to be at the station, or at a place where you can plug into. And the regular outlets, you can do it with the right adapters, but it's takes a whole hell a lot longer. Even at the super charger stations, it's like a half hour to an hour for a full charge up. (It depends on how minimal your batter has any charge left when you pull up) 

There have been a couple of times, when the battery was near empty, while traveling on the highway. Granted, there's also how you drive it, (if you go down a hill and allow your foot off the pedal, the energy of rolling will give you more charge. But that's also a minimal amount of new charge as well.) In the end, if you're stranded on the side of the road, out of charge, it seems to me you're screwed. Those couple of times, nearly had me lose it.  

I don't know about the majority of Tesla drivers, but I have found Tesla to be very caring to their owners. I see this as them helping them out in a situation that could be very stressing. And I think it's very helpful that you can get this by a download. 

[Stubbly_Dooright]

19 hours ago, aztek said:

why a rip off?  they just increased discharge threshold, which negatively reflects on battery life, if done for long. normally E car battery works in mode 80\40. unlike cell phone battery 100\0, that is why cell phone battery lasts 400-500 cycles and dies in about 2 years, Tesla battery lasts for 10 years due to that mode. 

once they out of danger i'd recommend all of them reprogram BMS back to 80\40, or their batteries will live a lot shorter life, hopefully Tesla will do that remotely. and customers batteries wont lose many cycles.

yes for 9 extra grands you get extended range without sacrificing lifespan, this emergency adjustment does affect lifespan dramatically

I wouldn't be surprised, that is what they will exactly do. What you pointed out, is what I remember being told about, when my hubby and I were checking out Tesla's before we ordered and received ours. 

[Dark_Grey]

9 minutes ago, Stubbly_Dooright said:

We own a Tesla, and it's more of a frustration than it would be for gas and diesel cars, to find what one needs to fill it back up. It is more of a struggle to find charging stations, than it is to find gas stations. Granted, the screen and the system in the Tesla shows you where charging stations are, Tesla's and regular, but the amount of them compared to gas stations is small. Yes, I have heard more and more are being built, but it's still the challenge in getting to them. Plus, with the power out, I would think there would be less of a chance in find a nearby charging station as oppose to a gas station. (Granted, power is needed for pumping gas, so in a sense, I digress) 

And it's not like, when the car runs out of charge, you can grab something (like a gas can) so you can trek to a nearby station to fill it up and trek back. You have to be at the station, or at a place where you can plug into. And the regular outlets, you can do it with the right adapters, but it's takes a whole hell a lot longer. Even at the super charger stations, it's like a half hour to an hour for a full charge up. (It depends on how minimal your batter has any charge left when you pull up) 

There have been a couple of times, when the battery was near empty, while traveling on the highway. Granted, there's also how you drive it, (if you go down a hill and allow your foot off the pedal, the energy of rolling will give you more charge. But that's also a minimal amount of new charge as well.) In the end, if you're stranded on the side of the road, out of charge, it seems to me you're screwed. Those couple of times, nearly had me lose it.  

I don't know about the majority of Tesla drivers, but I have found Tesla to be very caring to their owners. I see this as them helping them out in a situation that could be very stressing. And I think it's very helpful that you can get this by a download. 

So why don't manufactures agree on a standard type of charging port? As it stands now, aren't there different charging stations for Chevy Volt's vs. Tesla's? If they want to promote electric cars, that would be a big step to making them more appetizing to the public

Edit to add-- 

If they choose not to standardize, it would make good business sense. I mean, Apple loves proprietary hardware. Right down to the charging cables and now headphones...once you go Apple, they want you to stay Apple.

Edited September 14, 2017 by Dark_Grey

[Stubbly_Dooright]

2 hours ago, Dark_Grey said:

So why don't manufactures agree on a standard type of charging port? As it stands now, aren't there different charging stations for Chevy Volt's vs. Tesla's? If they want to promote electric cars, that would be a big step to making them more appetizing to the public

Edit to add-- 

If they choose not to standardize, it would make good business sense. I mean, Apple loves proprietary hardware. Right down to the charging cables and now headphones...once you go Apple, they want you to stay Apple.

To the point, when it comes to downloading ebooks for Kindles and Nooks, you can't use their apps that you download into your apple device, straight through the app, but through the website. And then, you can get to it through the app. Other devices allows you download through the app. 

And you said it yourself on the thought of good business sense to not standardize. Here's the thing though, from my understanding, Tesla owners can charge from other charging stations, but there's the charge. Well, actually, from what I have come to know, it's the 'S' and 'X' models that can charge up for free, because it's in the cost of the car itself. Though, I believe any made on a certain date to now, it's doesn't work out that way. 

I have yet to experience, while with my husband in the car, charging up at a non-Tesla station. But as I can tell, they are also few and far between as well. As I have mentioned, it can be stressful and understandable if you run out of charge and you're no where near any sort of charging station. Driving an electric car means really planning out your trips every time and situations like hurricanes and evacuating can put that out of whack. 

 

[aztek]

funny in early 1900 nyc had over 10k of electric taxis, charging stations were all over city. also electric cars were very popular with females, since they were very simple to operate, unlike steam and ice cars of the times, also worth mentioning, range of those early electric cars was about 100miles, thou speed was no more than 30mph.

electric cars were everywhere in late 1800, early 1900s

[aztek]

also first hybrid car dates to same time period, Ferdinand Porsche developed one n 1900

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/10/the-first-gaselectric-hybrid-vehicle-was-invented-in-1900/

[Stubbly_Dooright]

5 hours ago, aztek said:

funny in early 1900 nyc had over 10k of electric taxis, charging stations were all over city. also electric cars were very popular with females, since they were very simple to operate, unlike steam and ice cars of the times, also worth mentioning, range of those early electric cars was about 100miles, thou speed was no more than 30mph.

electric cars were everywhere in late 1800, early 1900s

****!!!! No kidding!!!!! Thanks for the pictures!

5 hours ago, aztek said:

also first hybrid car dates to same time period, Ferdinand Porsche developed one n 1900

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/10/the-first-gaselectric-hybrid-vehicle-was-invented-in-1900/

I think I heard about that. 

[aztek]

more pics, of nyc electric taxi