May 2023 – Gene's Site

Electric Car – Features and Problems

I will concentrate my remarks on Tesla since I own one and am familiar with it.

I find the Tesla to be somewhat like an Apple product in that it is simple in appearance and its many features are often well-hidden. This gives the product an elegant and non-cluttered look but sometimes tries the patience of the user who doesn’t know a feature exists or how it operates because it doesn’t show. A quick way to find what is available is to search “Tesla” on uTube. Chances are that someone has posted something about each feature and it will be explained there in great detail.

Most modern cars are controlled by a myriad of small dedicated computers (chips) built by different companies. Each one does a special task like controlling the brakes or the air-gas mixture, but for the most part they use separate software or firmware and are not compatible – which means that they can’t talk to each other. The difference with a Tesla is that one big computer with one big piece of software controls everything, and this software can be updated over wifi while the car sits in your garage. This takes care of many (or most) problems without having to take the car in for repair or recall.

After 4 years my Tesla has never been in a repair shop or service center. A software update becomes available almost every 2 or 3 weeks ( It always asks for permission before installing). Sometimes new features are added, others are mainly minor bug fixes. Because of these updates the car now is tighter, more responsive, and has more features and less glitches than when first purchased.

I recall one instance where the little thingys that read the air pressure in the tires quit working. I emailed the service center and asked for an appointment to come in and have them replaced. They looked at the problem remotely, then told me that there was nothing wrong with the hardware and they could fix the problem with a software update, which they did.

No trip to the shop – no charge!

The car is surrounded with cameras – at least eight. They show the cars and other objects around it and either put a video or a graphic on the dashboard screen. Different cameras turn on at different times depending on the circumstances. For example, engaging the left turn signal enables the cameras on the left side of the car to show a video of the left lane on the dash which allows the driver to see if the lane is clear.

One feature I really like is called “Sentry Mode“. When the car is left in the parking lot and motion is detected the cameras take a video of the surrounding area and store it on a thumb drive. This can be played back on the car’s dashboard screen. The feature also engages if one is unfortunate enough to have an accident.

So if someone runs into my car or keys it, they had better be smiling because they _will_ be on Candid Camera!

Some of the controls are software buttons on the dash screen. These can be somewhat difficult to locate and use while driving because you can’t feel them and need to be looking at them and away from the road. However most of the settings need to be made only once and can be done beforehand.

Also, almost all actions can be carried out with a voice command using everyday English. For example, click the right scroll button on the steering wheel and say:

“ Open glove box” , or
“Turn on front defroster” , “Turn on backup camera”, “turn on AC”, or

“Increase heat” , “Set cabin temperature to 65 degrees”,

“Check tire pressure” , “Turn on driver’s seat heater”, or even,

“My ass is cold”.

For music while driving say:

“Play ‘When will I be loved’ by Linda Ronstadt”, or

“Play ‘Beethoven’s 7th Symphony’ “, or

“Play ‘Up Against The Wall Redneck Mothers’ by Jerry Jeff Walker” ,

or whatever – the system will usually find it out there somewhere.

The voice translator is quite accurate and it is pretty difficult to give a reasonable command that is not understood. If it is not, the dash tablet will so state.

Several months ago I was at a family get- together and two of my grandsons used my Tesla to run some errands. I gave them an RFID card to use as
ignition key and kept my iPhone. I was surprised to see the location of the car, including street names, numbers, and speed continually showing up on the phone. I could use the phone control to flash the lights, open windows, open trunk, and blow the horn (I didn’t!). I don’t know if I could have shut it down, but I’m thinking this feature may make it more difficult for a thief to steal my car and get away. It may also scare the bejesus out of him if the horn started blowing or the windows suddenly opened.

One feature that I find most valuable is called “Autopilot” (I prefer to call it “Autosteer”). It will steer the car and keep it in it’s lane on the freeway and also keep it a set distance from the car in front. It requires the driver’s hand continuously applies some resistance to the steering wheel. Using this app for freeway driving allows me to arrive at my destination much more rested than usual.

This feature is somewhat controversial – the reason appears to be because it is not really fully automatic as the name might imply. It is only for use on freeways and will blow through stop signs, red lights, and past the intended exit as will any cruise control, thus the driver needs to stay awake. Pressure on the steering wheel is required at all times as a check on the driver’s alertness. The controversy over the feature is further heightened by the fact that some “geniuses” try to defeat the safety feature by hanging bricks etc. on the steering wheel, and then hopping into the back seat! I think these guys are good candidates for the “Darwin Award”.

I have heard that some models are now using the inside camera to make sure the driver is awake and his eyes are open. The “geniuses” will probably try to defeat this by painting eyeballs on their eyelids.

If you really want to kill yourself, this car will let you do it.

There are tons of other features, some of varied and questionable usefulness such as those in a folder called “The Toy-box”. There one will find computer games to entertain a person or family while charging-or any time the car is not moving, auto race games that use the car’s steering wheel and pedals to drive the race cars, “Dog Mode” to keep your pet cool while you are shopping, a PA system to use for annoying the neighbors …and…

“Emission Control”, an app that will cause a selected seat to fart in order to embarrass an unsuspecting passenger, with…ahh……5 different tones! (I’ll bet some young programmer really had a ball with this one!)

– the list keeps growing.

Many people will find these apps useful, fascinating, fun, and “State of the Art”. Others, stupid and a waste of time and money.

But nobody will find them boring!

Buying a Tesla

The Toyota Prius I had been driving for 10 years was well designed, roomy, fun to drive, and economical to run, but I decided I needed an upgrade. I offered it to my son who was driving a 2001 Mazda with 250000 miles and mainly held together with baling wire and duct tape. He was more than happy to take the Prius, so I put on a new set of tires, new brakes, oil change, and arranged to pass it on to him.

Now to find a replacement. I first looked into plug-in hybrids which were starting to be pushed by the dealers. These were hybrid cars that could be plugged into the grid, charged at night and driven 50 miles or so exclusively on electricity before the batteries ran down and the computer would start the gas engine and the car ran in hybrid mode. I reasoned that If you drove less than 50 miles per day you would never need to buy gas. There were several attractive models available from the big car manufacturers.

Now my thinking took a turn: If I am going to go this route why do I need two complete separate parallel systems, gas and electric, with all of those extra parts, when one system alone will do the job? The more I thought about it, the less sense it made.

I decided to go purely electric, which was the more efficient and cleaner of the two systems. However it was also newer technology, less tested, less range, and somewhat more expensive. I would also not have the choices or support offered by the traditional car companies since they were just barely starting to move on this technology, and if I wanted to buy an electric car and have it delivered in my lifetime I had basically one choice – Tesla.

It was August of 2019 when I decided to place my order, so I logged onto Tesla.com. The website showed 3 different models available: the Model S – a luxury sedan, the Model X – a luxury SUV with gull wing rear doors, and the Model 3 sport sedan. There was also a Model Y on the drawing board – an SUV that looked attractive but wouldn’t be ready for at least another year.

I picked the Model 3 as I was sure it would be more than adequate for my needs. For this model there was a choice of 5 colors, regular or long-range, rear wheel or all wheel drive, several different wheel configurations, black or white interior colors, with standard model, performance package, and full self driving software.

After driving the standard model at Eastlake and since I normally don’t drag race I didn’t think I needed any further performance enhancements. The self-driving software was mostly undeveloped vaporware and added $8000 to the cost so I decided I didn’t need it and could add it later if I changed my mind. (It now costs $15000!). Besides, I just couldn’t see myself feeling comfortable playing games or having dinner while my car was tooling down the freeway at 75mph with me in it. The self-driving package included a feature that would allow you to use an iPhone to “summon” your car from its parking spot and pick you up at the door. I’m sure that would impress my buddies at the Fitworks gym, but then I thought I could find other less expensive ways of showing off. Also it may not impress the police to see a car roaming around the parking lot with no apparent driver.

I ended up ordering the Model 3, midnight silver metallic (fancy name for dark grey), long range, dual motor all wheel drive, with black interior and 18 inch aero wheels. I was not asking for a loan and didn’t have a trade-in so I ponied up the $200 and pushed the “buy” button.

I was informed that my Tesla would arrive in 6 to 8 weeks. No strain, no pain!

Now I had time to prepare a charging station in my garage. I installed a 240 volt 50amp breaker in the service box, ran the appropriate conduit and wiring to a place that would reach the parked car, and installed a 14-50 socket that would fit the car’s charging cable. Goodbye smelly gas stations!

This setup would charge the car at a rate of 30 mph. Thus over night I could load up 300 plus miles of juice – almost the limit of the car’s capacity, and have a “full tank” every morning. If I didn’t have 240v available I could charge the car from a regular outlet but it would only charge at a rate of 3 or 4 mph.

The present (2023) Tesla Superchargers out on the road will do the same thing in one half hour or less. It’s not as fast as filling a gas tank but getting faster every day.

Two weeks later I received a text from Tesla stating that my car was at Eastlake and to come and pick it up – and by the way, be sure to bring your iPhone and the remainder of the money.

The lady at Eastlake Tesla gave me a half hour of instruction, paired my iPhone with the car’s bluetooth so it could be used as an ignition and door key, and installed the Tesla app on my iPhone that allowed it to control several features of the car.

There were also two credit card-sized RFID cards to use in case the phone became lost or discharged.

I had read wild tales about poor fitting doors, extra wide gaps, bad paint jobs, wrinkled upholstery, etc. due to Tesla being new to the car building business, their robots not yet precisely adjusted and their workers not well trained. After giving the car a thorough inspection I saw none of these problems so I signed off and was soon on my way home with my new toy.

My Tesla Model 3

(Notice the orange spot below the headlight which is probably a radar camera)

Next: Electric Car – Features and Problems.

Electric Cars

In the early 1900’s, well-to-do elderly ladies drove around American cities in small cars powered with electric motors and batteries.These cars were slow and expensive, and since electricity was not yet available in many places they were not always easy to charge. However they were clean, didn’t smell of gasoline or exhaust fumes, and didn’t backfire or make a lot of noise as did the gas powered cars of the time. Also, they didn’t need to be cranked to be started (starters had not yet been invented) and were very simple to operate since they didn’t need to be shifted.

. Electric Car circa. 1910

The electric car was waiting for new technology to be developed that would make it practical and affordable to the modern driver. Before that could happen however, Henry Ford and others made gasoline automobiles and their supporting infrastructure so well-established, inexpensive, dependable, and easy to use that hardly anyone could imagine any other way of doing it.

There has been much talk the last few years about pollution, climate change and how we could benefit by getting rid of gas-burning cars. Cities such as Los Angeles are very prone to air pollution. Other places like Cairo, Bangkok, and Beijing, that not long ago used bicycles as their primary means of transportation, now have swarm after swarm of petrol-powered cars resulting in clouds of life-threatening choking smog.

Sometime around 1990 I read an article in Popular Science magazine about General Motors engineers who were working on a project to build a car that ran on electricity, could be manufactured economically, and be attractive to consumers. I was looking forward to seeing the commercial result of this project and perhaps riding in it, but after several years of waiting I never heard about it again, and I often wondered what had happened.

Later I watched a documentary on Netflix called “ Who Killed The Electric Car “, and there I found what could be a partial answer. According to this video, General Motors had designed an electric 2-passenger coupe that was powered by electric motors and had a range of about 100 miles. They called it the EV1. In 1995 GM built 800 of these and leased them out to various people in California and Arizona for testing.

The video claimed that after several years GM took back all of the cars with no explanation and ran them through a crusher. Many of the testers liked the car and wanted to buy one, but GM would not sell.

There was no further mention of the EV1.

. GM EV1

It was not clear why the GM people changed their minds. They had spent a considerable amount of time and money on this effort. The company never gave a reason for abandoning the project, but there were many theories. Some thought the idea was torpedoed by the oil companies or dealerships who would lose repair business. Others suggested that the car was just too far ahead of the technology available and could not be produced or supported profitably. Still others believed that customer demand was not there due to the short range and lack of charging facilities, and people were just not interested in electric cars since their gas cars were working so well.

However there were some entrepreneurs in California who were very interested.

One of these groups founded Tesla Motors Company in 2001. Their first product was a sports roadster, and later a luxury sedan.

Several years ago while my daughter and I were walking around Easton Town Center in Columbus, OH, we noticed that a Tesla store had recently opened there, so we went in and checked it out. They didn’t have cars as yet – only pictures and models of a thing called a “skateboard”on display. This was a chassis with no body – only motors and a flat platform to hold the batteries. I thought, “Oh boy, here we go again, another EV1”.

. “SkateBoard”

I was very wrong. After many failures, setbacks, and near bankruptcies, Tesla Motors has since become one of the leading electric car manufacturers in the world.

A few years later a Tesla store opened in Eastlake about 40 miles from my residence. They had three actual Tesla cars on display – a Model S luxury sedan, a Model X SUV with gull-wing doors, and a Model 3 sport sedan. A person could actually touch one, sit in one, and perhaps even try it out!

I picked up Byron, a friend and fellow tech enthusiast, and drove to Eastlake to examine this new phenomenon. We talked with Scott, a Tesla employee, and expressed interest in the Model 3. He showed us the features of this model and popped the hood as any good car salesman would do. We expected to see an engine but there was only empty space. He called it the ‘frunk”, and pointed out that you could haul groceries or luggage there. There was no radiator, water pump, spark plugs, valves, push-rods, rocker arms, exhaust system, transmission, carburetor, gas tank, fuel filters, oil, antifreeze – anything associated with a gasoline engine. No oil gauges, tachometer, knobs, or sliders on the dashboard – only a 15 inch iPad.

Scott then showed us how to check the fluid levels. Instead of the expected oil, water, antifreeze, transmission oil, etc, there was only windshield washer fluid.

This was way too simple to work well, we thought, there’s nothing in this thing!

We asked to do a test drive. I slid behind the wheel with Scott as co-pilot and Byron in the back seat.

The very first thing I noticed after putting it in drive is that nothing happened – no noise, jerk, drift or creep – nothing. Oh, I thought , I need to turn it on – but it was on. I pressed the accelerator (I almost said gas pedal!). The car immediately came to life and accelerated smoothly. There was no hesitation or delay as is normal for a gas car, none – only instant reaction. I let up on the pedal and the car slowed down, stopped, and went dead again. “This is ‘one pedal driving’”, Scott pointed out. “You very seldom need to use the brake pedal. When you let up on the accelerator the motor turns into a generator, provides braking, and returns power to the battery”, and then turns off.

Good – less wear on the brakes – and conserves electricity. This feature is impressive but does requires some practice to avoid a jerky ride.

We proceeded to the on-ramp of I-480. Scott invited me to “punch it”. I stomped the pedal and the car took off like a rocket! We were doing over 80mph before we reached the end of the on-ramp.

I heard a “HOLY SHIT”come from the back seat as Byron expressed his surprise and amazement. This was not your grandma’s electric car!

After several more questions I knew I had to have one, so I asked Scott how I could buy it, expecting the usual scene of bartering, threatening, carrying “earnest money” back and forth to the boss, etc, etc.

Scott told me that they did not sell the cars but that I needed to log onto Tesla.com, select the wanted features, order the car, approve the amount, and make a $200 refundable down payment and I would be notified when my Tesla arrived. It would either come to Eastlake or would be delivered to my door, and after examining it thoroughly I could either accept or reject it.

Wow! This was a different car-buying routine than I had ever experienced from any car dealer. I decided to take the plunge.

More to follow.