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Model S, Tesla Motors

Common Tesla Model S Questions Answered

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Since its release, the Tesla Model S has caused a lot of buzzes and even more debate than some of the most popular cars of the past century! No doubt this is due to its innovation, which makes it a whole different kettle of fish to the average car, which means that few of us really know too much about it.

Hopefully, we can change that by answering some of the most common Tesla Model S questions…

How Is It an Evo Car?

Many people are skeptical that the Model S could be described as an evo car, but anyone who’s driven the Model S P85+ will be able to tell you that this electric car can go from 0-60 mph in less than four seconds, which means it performs as fast as the average super saloon. It turns out you don’t need petrol or diesel for prompt torque delivery!

How Does She Handle?

Many people are curious what it feels like to drive a totally electric car – well in the case of the Tesla Model S, it feels pretty much like driving any over vehicle. If anything, it is perhaps a little smoother, and of course, it’s a lot quieter than your average vehicle.

How Often Does It Need Charging?

On average, you can expect to get 31 miles of travel from each hour of charging; So, if you’re planning to go on a long journey, you’re going to have to park up and charge for quite a while. This is perhaps the biggest downside of owning the vehicle, especially right now when places to charge are still few and far between. Once that issue is solved, the Tesla Model S will surely be one of the best vehicles out on the road.

Should I Book a Service?

Should I book a service? This is something that most car owners, not just those with a brand new electric car often ponder, but with the Tesla S, you don’t need to guess. The company say that you should have the vehicle serviced after every 12,5000 miles use or annually – it’s up to you which. Obviously, if you’re experiencing any issues sooner than that, you will need to have it checked out. It might be an amazing car, but it still needs to be looked after!

Will My Mechanic Know What to Do with It?

Another issue with the Tesla is that there are still far too few mechanics who know how to deal with what is basically a leap in the evolution of car technology. Unless your regular mechanic has been trained and certified as a Tesla mechanic, then chances are he won’t be able to help you if something goes wrong and you’ll have to look for someone who is certified, which might not be too easy depending on where you’re located.

I hope this helps you understand a little more about the pros and cons of owning a Tesla. If you’re interested though, it is probably a good idea to check out their official website for a more comprehensive guide to ownership, too.

Sustainability

4 Surefire Ways To Save Money On Your Car Usage

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It’s an inevitable fact of life that you need your car. No matter how much you try and save money by taking lifts with pals, using the good old public transport system and walking once in a while, sometimes only a car will do. A trusty four-wheeled motor also gives you the freedom to go where you want as and when you please. You can drive off the beaten track to find a secluded spot for some downtime, or you can find the quickest route to get to your mom and dads without having to change trains twice before taking a bus across the state.

The world of automotives can be a bit of a minefield. There are a ridiculous amount of cars on the market ranging from the swanky new hybrids that utilize greener and more sustainable technologies to the older, yet more affordable diesel guzzlers. No matter what your vehicle of choice is, you can save money in the way that you use your car. Read on to find out more.

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Buy New… If You Can

One strategy that car dealers swear by is to purchase new off the forecourt. Many people disagree with this stating that the moment you drive your shiny new car away from the dealer, your car has already depreciated in value. While this is true, a new car will give you the reliability and warranty you need to ensure you’re not forking out hundreds or maybe even thousands each year on maintenance. Your brand new vehicle should have at least a three-year warranty meaning that if anything breaks down or stops working during this time, you should get a free replacement. The ability to keep the car for longer before having to trade it in means that you won’t be losing money every time you swap your vehicle. It makes more economic sense to keep a vehicle for six or seven years rather than changing every two to three.

A new car is also safer. They have enhanced features such as side impact bars, computerized technologies that allow you to see behind you and intuitive braking systems that will deploy in the event of a potential accident. Older cars, while they may be cheaper, will have a higher chance of being in rear-end bumps that often mean lawyers like Babcock Partners are called in. Try to mitigate this with a newer, more reliable and safer vehicle.

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Maintenance

There are points in every car owner’s life where it feels like everything’s falling apart at once. Your car’s exhaust might be blowing, the tires threads are near the legal limit, and you need to swap a headlight. In the scheme of things, these are relatively minor outgoings to keep your car running. The bigger issues occur when the drive shafts, cam belt or gearbox need changing. If you have an older vehicle, it can often make more financial sense to purchase a whole new car rather than change a particularly expensive component.

Make sure you check out the manual of your car and complete all of the basic maintenance checks. Change the oil filters when necessary, get your car serviced at the correct intervals and always have good grippy tires on your vehicle. This can make your car more fuel efficient saving you money on gas. By keeping your car well looked after you’ll receive a premium price when you do eventually trade in.

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Common Sense

If you have a particularly busy day ahead of you ferrying the kids to swimming lessons, doing a spot of grocery shopping, checking in on the parents and popping to the library to hand back some books, make sure you’re sensible with your car usage. It makes sense to combine these tasks into one car journey rather than heading home after each one. Try to formulate a route that is the quickest and uses the least miles saving you money on fuel.

When obtaining the all-important insurance for your car, you need to shop around and not accept the first offer you’re given. Even if you’ve been with the same insurance provider for years, there’s no reward for loyalty. If you can save $200 by changing your provider and the cover is like for like then swap.

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How You Drive

You may be one of those human beings that loves nothing better than accelerating through the gears quickly and reaching the speed limit as fast as you can. While this may get you to your destination a fraction faster, you’ll also be consuming more fuel as your speed demon ways rattle up through the gears too quickly. Keep your acceleration at a more average pace to save more money on gas.

Although the thought of car sharing can make you break out in cold sweats as you might need to relinquish the driving duties once in a while, you could be cutting down your car running costs massively. If you carpool with a work colleague and share driving and car duties, you’ll logically be cutting down your fuel expenditure and car usage by half. This makes fantastic monetary sense. You’ll also be doing your admirable little bit for the environment as one less car will be on the road during rush hour traffic.

It goes without saying, but you should be driving sensibly and be the epitome of a responsible driver. Don’t allow yourself to be drawn into roadside arguments, don’t allow your frustrations with other road users lead you to drive erratically and keep to the laws of the land. Simply by using your common sense, you can save money on the roads.

While driving may be an expensive business, there are ways you can cut the costs of your car usage. Car ownership is necessary for millions, but this doesn’t mean you have to forego a decent quality of life to maintain a decent vehicle. Utilize some of these tips to ensure that you remain a thrifty, money-conscious car owner.

BMW i3 Coupe, Tesla Model X, Uncategorized

The Complexes Of Putting Your Trust In A.I.

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It’s widely agreed that the future belongs to electricity. There is going to be a time when fossil fuels either run out, or become too ineffective for companies around the world who want to make a profit. However, no one is arguing that electric cars will be the future, it’s the technology that will be inside them that is the current talk of the town. Autonomous cars sound like a brilliant idea because they’re supposed to take out the human error or chance of one and make the roads safer. But there have been mishaps and even bad accidents when these types of cars are being tested. Indeed this technology is in its infancy, but these cars are still being developed. Other cars with a combustion engine, are in fact using radar systems to stop, start and drive the car for the driver. But putting your trust in the A.I. to drive for you leaves open some questions.

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Cruise radar

Cars like the BMW i3 are one of the main leaders in adaptive radar cruising. Put simply the car will essentially drive itself while on the motorway. Using complex computer systems that communicate with each other hundreds of times a second, the car will evaluate how fast and how far from the car in front, you should be going. However, it’s advisable for drivers to not use this system when the weather is not very good. Fog is the number one factor that can decide to block the sensors making it difficult for the A.I. to judge the distance of the car in front. However, even so, the ability to cruise at a calm and orderly pace, ever consistent, is seen far more efficient than any human being could achieve.

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Known accidents

As recently as 2016 and 2017 Tesla Model X cars have been having major accidents while in their ‘autopilot’ mode. For some reason, the technology used in them doesn’t seem to recognise abnormal shapes even in clear weather. A truck was driven into by a Model X, and the only thing that saved the driver was the sturdiness of the design. This is just one of the tales that adaptive cruise control users can tell you. One would think now, the car accident lawyer contacting has gone up because of this. This is relevant to people who have been driven into by an electric car. You’re entitled to file a lawsuit with a big chance of winning if you have been injured, need money to fix or even replace your car, lost wages due to staying home to recuperate and payment for medical bills. Suddenly this futuristic technology looks like it’s more hassle than it’s worth, in its current stage of development.

Trusting A.I. is something that we’d all like to do, not just because it’s cool and it excites us to see machines being accurate and working well but also because human error is taken out of the equation. However, those who want to buy an electric car may find that they should stick to driving it themselves and not rely on cruise control software just yet.

Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model X, Tesla Motors

Keeping Your Electric Car As Safe As Possible

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Owning an electric car is very different to owning a standard diesel vehicle. Obviously, you know this and that’s why you bought the car. You know that the impact it has on the environment is far lesser, for example. The differences between electric cars and traditional cars are many. Nonetheless, when it comes to the ways in which you should be looking after your electric-powered vehicle, there are some similarities and some differences when compared to a standard car. Here’s how to keep your electric car as safe as possible.

Maintenance.

As with any car, maintenance is the key to keeping your car safe and roadworthy. And, as with any car, you need to become acquainted with the machinery at work within your vehicle so as to take care of it yourself. Even though regular check-ups are important, going to a repair shop every time there’s a problem is costly and time-consuming. Not to mention, it’s much safer and responsible to maintain your vehicle by yourself.

You need to understand the sophisticated electronics that run your car. Learn about the battery control module and how it discharges and charges the battery bank. You also need to learn about the heating and cooling systems because it’s important that these are well-maintained in order to keep your vehicle safe. Take a look at the hoses, clamps, and pipes to check the cooling system is working as it should be. As a piece of advice to make sure your battery doesn’t run into any problems, you should avoid a full charge; pushing your battery to its maximum capacity and then draining it is damaging.

Responsible driving.

If you want to keep your electric car as safe as possible then you need to be a responsible driver and that all depends on road awareness. You already have a license, so you’re qualified to drive a vehicle, but you might not necessarily be the most observant driver possible. Passing your driving test is one thing but you need to maintain that focus and concentration every time you get behind the wheel of a car. You might want to look into a mirror reversing camera kit because it’s so important to have complete vision of the road as a driver. And, sometimes, your rear view mirrors won’t suffice; blind spots are bad enough but other vehicles and things in the road can obscure your vision too. It’s a good idea to have as many backup options in place as possible and a camera can certainly help.

Continuing on from the point above, you need to be aware of the road in order to be a responsible driver but you also need to react to the road appropriately. Defensive driving is the best way to avoid accidents on the road. If you see a reckless driver then reacting aggressively to the situation and losing concentration could make you a danger to the road too. Additionally, driving defensively and cautiously means that you shouldn’t speed or brake hard; put your electric car under too much strain and it’ll wear out more quickly. You need to look after your vehicle in the way you would with any car.

Nissan Leaf

Why Uber Drivers Are Turning Over A New Leaf

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Uber has not only revolutionized short distance travel for consumers, it’s also made it easy and potentially profitable for experienced drivers to turn their experience into a viable income. Of course, in order to maximize profits, drivers must ensure that they have the right car. While vehicular expenses are tax deductible for self employed taxi drivers, they are nonetheless an overhead cost that needs to be driven down to facilitate day-to-day living. Since drivers do a lot of their driving in busy conurbations wherein their engines are in lower gears and hence potentially burning more fuel than a commuter who travels long distance to work and back, electric and hybrid motors have become understandably attractive. The Toyota Prius has long been the go-to for Uber drivers but there are numerous reasons why Nissan’s all-electric Leaf could be the vehicle that de-thrones the vaunted Toyota. Nissan have already made a mark on the all-electric market with its atypically sizeable E-NV200 but the leaf offers a far more understated and economical incentive for Uber drivers to jump on the Nissan bandwagon.

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Near silent and quick off the mark

Cab drivers tend to do a lot of their work at night in built up areas, and they know that loud revving engines can mean a blow to their reputation… And when you’re a freelancer, your reputation is everything, especially since Uber drivers rely on the star system the app provides to be appealing to their potential customers. The Leaf’s whisper quiet engine not only makes navigating busy urban traffic easy and enjoyable, but its lack of noise makes it extra appealing to drivers and their customers. It’s brisk acceleration (0-60 in around 9 seconds) make it an agile vehicle that’s ideally suited to driving in congested urban environments.

Environmentally sound yet cheap to run

In an age where even the big corporations are making ostentatious efforts to reduce their carbon footprints and make their operations more environmentally sound, there’s a clear preference among consumers for environmental awareness. Although most drivers have environmental concerns of their own, they recognize that a clear preference for an environmentally responsible vehicle is bound to be a winner with customers. The Leaf is all electric, making it an eco-winner but also making it cheap to run and easy to maintain. A Spanish driver told Nissan Insider recently that he is able to run his Leaf for 47,000 on 1747 Euro’s worth of electricity while a diesel engine would cost him around 9699 Euro’s worth of fuel. That’s a saving of almost 8000 Euros.

Potentially cheaper to insure

You can find specific insurance details at https://www.gobear.com/ph/car-insurance but due to its low power in comparison to most gas guzzling counterparts the Leaf is fairly cheap to insure. Some insurers even offer a discount to all-electric drivers to incentivize more widespread use of electric vehicles.

Quick and easy to charge

For taxi drivers, time is money and the less time spent charging their electric engines, the better. The vehicle needs to be quick charged 2-3 times a day but since a quick charge only takes four hours using an on-board charger it’s unlikely that charging will eat into a driver’s billable hours. Plus, like all electric drivers they know that they’re insulated from the increasing cost of fuel.

Used Electric Cars

Electric Dreams: How To Buy A Used Electric Car

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The revolution of the electric car is well and truly upon us, so much so that the electric vehicle isn’t exclusive to those who have infinite amounts of money or are only looking for a minuscule size car. Now, there are bigger cars, and different sizes to suit all people. From the small, through to the family vehicles, and beyond. But for those who are on the lookout to buy their first electric car, while it is a major investment, it can be a bit expensive up front. So, for those who are looking for a way to benefit the environment but not spend so much money is to invest in a used electric car. This is becoming more popular as time goes on, not just because of the cost, but as those first generation electric vehicle drivers are hoping to upgrade to the most modern of EV technology, it means there’s a whole collection of cars desperate for a new home. So, where do you begin, and does it actually matter if you buy used in comparison to new?

The Facts

When you are buying any sort of used car, there’s a lot of things to bear in mind. Of course, we all have our own ideas with regards to the look, the performance of the vehicle, as well as the brand itself. Practical issues are the main thing with electric vehicles. But for those who are buying the first electric car, there is a sense of trepidation because of the unknown. The first wave of electric vehicles arrived in the UK during 2011, and these cars such as the Citroen c-Zero, and, of course, the Nissan Leaf, are mainstays of the British roads now. The one thing that you can take comfort in buying these cars is that they still run as good as they did on the first day they were used, especially if you compare these two cars with internal combustion engines (ICEs). And, if you need any more convincing, electric vehicles are now being used as the standard car for various cab firms. People are doing this now because they are much more reliable than ICE vehicles. So, if you are venturing into the unknown, and know nothing about electric vehicles, the pros far outweigh the cons.

What To Look Out For

The main concerns with electric vehicles are the two main components, the battery pack and the motor. The one thing that you need to bear in mind with this is the battery, as long as it is recharged and discharged on a regular basis, it can be incredibly economical, and could last you at least 10 years. The problem with buying a used electric car is that you need to find out if the batteries have been charged. The irony is with electric vehicles is that the lack of use is a culprit in killing and electric vehicles battery more than anything else. There were issues in 2012 with the Tesla Roadster, and owners stating that the batteries were dying due to the lack of use. The problem with these batteries is that when they don’t get used for so long, they will refuse to charge. This is known as bricking. So, by investing in a car, especially a Roadster that is an earlier model than 2012, you may have this issue. However, in 2013, Tesla stated the 8-year battery warranty would be honored, regardless of the situation. Although, if you do need to replace the battery, there are ways around this so that it doesn’t cost the earth. So, for example, the battery pack of a Nissan Leaf consists of 192 cells. Instead of replacing the entire battery pack, you could replace each cell. Therefore it costs a very minimal amount in comparison to the battery pack as a whole. Although, sometimes the battery is leased, instead of it being purchased. So this reduces concerns about replacing the battery. There are models, such as the Renault Twizy, and if the battery drops below its 75% performance capacity, it will be replaced; this is as long as it’s under warranty.

How They Drive

For any new car comments always best to take a proper test drive. And what you need to remember when getting used to the contours of an electric vehicle, is that you need to monitor the dashboard to see how quickly the battery wears out, but also look at what you can get out of the car. The big thing to remember is that various issues can drain the battery, from driving fast, navigating hills, or even using the in-car features, such as air conditioning! So it’s important to remember that the car needs to suit your lifestyle, much like a small speedster, if you are using it for stop-start traffic rather than off road, you should think about exactly what you plan on using this car for. So, if you are considering an electric vehicle for lengthy journeys, it’s important to make sure that the car is in prime condition in the first place, and, of course, this means looking after things like the tires. It’s always important to remember that with every electric vehicle that you take it to a mechanic that is able to deal with the unique problems. And while a place like Telle Tire & Auto Center does the various aspects of a vehicle, it’s important to remember that some mechanics don’t. Looking after your car can be a bit more difficult when it’s an electric vehicle.

Owning An Electric Vehicle

Luckily, most electric vehicles are easier to drive than ones with an internal combustion engine. That’s, making the change means that there are some sticking points that might be difficult for you to get over. The one main thing to bear in mind is if there are enough electric charges where you live. It’s recommended that you get a charging point at home because it can take a few hours to charge up your vehicle properly, rather than the few minutes when filling up a typical gas tank. So, you need to get online and look at a few forums, such as Electric Forum, which means you can get opinions from other electric vehicle drivers so you can get an informed opinion.

For lots of people, the electric vehicle is the way forward, and for some, it can be quite a transition. So, while there are some fantastic models out there right now, from the Renault Fluence to the Nissan Leaf, as well as the Tesla Model S, remember, is your lifestyle able to keep up with it?