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A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 7:38 pm
by MWmetalhead
Australia's John Cadogan has long been one of my favorite automobile pundits, and this particular work of his (from October 2019) is pretty good:
https://autoexpert.com.au/videoblog/top ... esla-fails
I hate Tesla.
I hate Elon Musk.
I've always liked Mr. Cadogan's stinging wit and sense of humor.
Nice combination! Too bad the YouTube video is no longer available. The above link gives access to a transcript as well as an audio-only version of the original video. The audio file is a fatiguing listen, so I recommend reading the transcript.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2021 1:40 am
by MotorCityRadioFreak
I really like the Tesla's design, but owning one is very difficult as dealerships are scarce. Not to mention charging stations, obviously.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2021 6:58 am
by TC Talks
When I inquired about owning a Tesla far away from dealers I was pretty impressed with the response. Most problems with a Tesla can be resolved a software reboot. Any physical issues the vehicle has can be addressed in your garage or driveway with a mobile service van.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2021 8:14 am
by Rate This
My understanding is that their customer service is non-existent.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2021 8:21 am
by craig11152
TC Talks wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 6:58 am
Any physical issues the vehicle has can be addressed in your garage or driveway with a mobile service van.
Good luck with that. You would be very hard pressed to find a mechanic with any experience working on EV's.
On the other hand EV's have a lot fewer things that can go wrong.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2021 8:29 am
by craig11152
MWmetalhead wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 7:38 pm
I hate Tesla.
I hate Elon Musk.
I hate the Beatles and I hate Apple but I recognize talent and quality.
If I won the lottery I'd buy a Tesla along with a Bolt and whatever other E cars are out there with 200+ mile range.
I'd park them in my multicar garage right next to my 2-3 ICE cars.
I like the idea of an EV but they are a bit too expensive for me to be a second car. For me they would need to be a second car until range gets north of 500 miles and charging stations are as common as gas stations.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2021 8:47 am
by Rate This
craig11152 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 8:29 am
MWmetalhead wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 7:38 pm
I hate Tesla.
I hate Elon Musk.
I hate the Beatles and I hate Apple but I recognize talent and quality.
If I won the lottery I'd buy a Tesla along with a Bolt and whatever other E cars are out there with 200+ mile range.
I'd park them in my multicar garage right next to my 2-3 ICE cars.
I like the idea of an EV but they are a bit too expensive for me to be a second car. For me they would need to be a second car until range gets north of 500 miles and charging stations are as common as gas stations.
Tesla and quality aren’t really words used together often. That’s why the folks complain about their customer archive so much. Their cars are jacked up and they can’t get any support from Tesla even though they opted to go dealerless.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:03 pm
by Calvert DeForest
In the old days we drove cars. Today we drive computers that drive cars. There are many advantages to computer-driven technology, such as anti-lock brake systems, traction control, rear-view cameras, etc. While these advancements all serve useful purposes that can reduce the consequences of driver error, each takes more control away from the driver, relying on the vehicle's on-board computer to calculate and execute what is hopefully the best course of action. There are instances in which the human driver may be aware of pending problems and can make a quicker, more prudent judgement than the vehicle's CPU.
I'm all for technological innovations that offer a potentially safer driving experience, but the idea that we're progressively surrendering manual control and relying more on technology to think and act on our behalf is concerning at best. As drivers we are taught certain skills necessary to safely operate our vehicles. Assigning more vehicle control to the computer decreases the use of those skills to the point where the driver forgets the skills they learn for lack of use. No amount of artificial intelligence can match the discernment capability of the human brain. It's tough to exercise that discernment when the computer is driving the car.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:49 pm
by Rate This
Calvert DeForest wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:03 pm
In the old days we drove cars. Today we drive computers that drive cars. There are many advantages to computer-driven technology, such as anti-lock brake systems, traction control, rear-view cameras, etc. While these advancements all serve useful purposes that can reduce the consequences of driver error, each takes more control away from the driver, relying on the vehicle's on-board computer to calculate and execute what is hopefully the best course of action. There are instances in which the human driver may be aware of pending problems and can make a quicker, more prudent judgement than the vehicle's CPU.
I'm all for technological innovations that offer a potentially safer driving experience, but the idea that we're progressively surrendering manual control and relying more on technology to think and act on our behalf is concerning at best. As drivers we are taught certain skills necessary to safely operate our vehicles. Assigning more vehicle control to the computer decreases the use of those skills to the point where the driver forgets the skills they learn for lack of use. No amount of artificial intelligence can match the discernment capability of the human brain. It's tough to exercise that discernment when the computer is driving the car.
They’ll have off buttons and manual overrides indefinitely.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:52 pm
by TC Talks
craig11152 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 8:21 am
TC Talks wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 6:58 am
Any physical issues the vehicle has can be addressed in your garage or driveway with a mobile service van.
Good luck with that. You would be very hard pressed to find a mechanic with any experience working on EV's.
On the other hand EV's have a lot fewer things that can go wrong.
I have an EV certified mechanic right down the road from me. In Tesla's case they send someone to service your car, you wouldn't necessarily find an independent mechanic.
I don't believe I'm ever going to buy another domestic vehicle, in my entire life I've owned one daily driver domestic vehicle.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2021 7:51 am
by Calvert DeForest
Rate This wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:49 pm
They’ll have off buttons and manual overrides indefinitely.
My main point is you have less mechanical control over your car now than you had 20 or 30 years ago. Many maneuvers we associate with manual control are actually commands sent to an on-board computer that responds accordingly. Again, not to say certain innovations aren't effectively good, but it's not the same as direct mechanical input.
Some years ago I had an ABS sensor go bad, which was causing the feature to malfunction. My mechanic told me he could attempt to clean the sensor, although there was a likelihood that it would break, and replacing the sensor would be quite expensive. My solution was to just pull the ABS fuse and do without it. I went through Driver Education long before ABS existed and was trained to instinctively pump the breaks in quick-stop situations (ice, snow, etc), so it wasn't a big issue for me. Today I drive one car with ABS and another that was manufactured without it. Just have to remind myself which is which so I can react accordingly on the brake pedal.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2021 7:16 am
by MWmetalhead
When I inquired about owning a Tesla far away from dealers I was pretty impressed with the response.
Of course. They want to sell you a car!
I have an EV certified mechanic right down the road from me. In Tesla's case they send someone to service your car, you wouldn't necessarily find an independent mechanic.
In many areas, you'll be waiting a very long time for said person to show up (backlogs are lengthy). Also better hope the repair is covered by warranty.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2021 7:55 am
by zzand
The attorney that works in the building next to me drives a Tesla and he has nothing good to say about the customer service. Says average wait time for a tech to show up when he has needs one is 30 days and when he got rear ended it took six months to get the body parts needed to put it back together. Not everything can be done by software updates, it is still a car with moving parts that wear out and need replacing. I have looked his over and the fit and finish is not worth what they are paying for them. Building quality cars is hard, ask the companies that have been doing it for 100 years. There are recalls all the time because of it. Tesla has been useful for two reasons. They finally got everyone off their ass to start EV production, and will have their lunch eaten once the real car companies get up to speed, and they showed everyone how to sell online. My oldest bought one vehicle during the pandemic, 99 percent online and is in the process of buying a second that way. Both are Honda's.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2021 8:11 am
by MWmetalhead
One of these rolling shitbox cars in Michigan when on auto pilot crashed into a parked police cruiser.
I hope the police agency's insurer sends the repair bill to the company.
Re: A nice takedown of that insufferable douche, Elon Musk!
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2021 8:32 am
by Calvert DeForest
MWmetalhead wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 8:11 am
One of these rolling shitbox cars in Michigan when on auto pilot crashed into a parked police cruiser.
I hope the police agency's insurer sends the repair bill to the company.
Problem with these self-driving vehicles is that they rely on GPS, which is not always reliable. Losing the satellite signal for five seconds at 70mph could lead to big trouble. And Elon wants to market this technology for driverless semi trucks.
