Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 11:33 AM
https://n2v.almanacnews.com/square/print/2011/10/12/tesla-model-s-draws-crowd-to-menlo-showroom
Town Square
Tesla Model S draws crowd to Menlo showroom
Original post made on Oct 12, 2011
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 11:33 AM
Comments
Posted by driveyou
a resident of Menlo Park: Park Forest
on Oct 12, 2011 at 9:26 am
a resident of Menlo Park: Park Forest
on Oct 12, 2011 at 9:26 am
The model S is much cheaper than a BMW 3 series, when one considers the gasoline and maintenance saved.
Posted by Poster
a resident of another community
on Oct 12, 2011 at 11:51 am
a resident of another community
on Oct 12, 2011 at 11:51 am
There is another thread on this topic: Web Link
Posted by Menlo Voter
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Oct 12, 2011 at 2:00 pm
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Oct 12, 2011 at 2:00 pm
"The model S is much cheaper than a BMW 3 series, when one considers the gasoline and maintenance saved."
Electricity doesn't cost anything?
Posted by Concerned Driver
a resident of another community
on Oct 12, 2011 at 3:26 pm
a resident of another community
on Oct 12, 2011 at 3:26 pm
This picture Web Link accompanying the article is disturbing.
It depicts how a driver can circumvent all existing laws regarding cellphone usage, texting, and distracted driving.
Additional photos showing how a driver can use a full-size browser to read the New York Times while driving can be seen here Web Link (scroll down to the Photo Gallery of the Autoblog article).
Given the car has Internet connectivity, a driver could also stream Hulu movies to watch while driving to work which is a violation of many laws such as California Vehicle Code 27602 which can be read here Web Link
The Tesla S is NOT a robot-driven autonomously-operated vehicle using GPS such as those in the last DARPA competition or the Google self-driving car -- it requires the FULL attention of the driver while on the roads.
Unless something is changed before the 2012 debut, the Tesla S will likely be the most dangerous vehicle (for other drivers) on the roads
given all the opportunities for distracted driving.
Posted by maguro_01
a resident of another community
on Oct 12, 2011 at 9:09 pm
a resident of another community
on Oct 12, 2011 at 9:09 pm
I saw this story in the Palo Alto site also. What makes you think that the driver can watch films or read the paper while driving? That would be against the law in many states as well as a bad idea.
It sounds like the car displays must come on when the 'ignition' switch is on. I would hope that the Tesla, Cadillac's version of the Volt, and others come with a training mode where a voice quietly speaks to you about how to operate whatever you bring up, with the ability to turn it off of course and a good collection of standard settings (defaults) for those drivers who aren't interested in tech. Unfortunately speech would be a burden to the company in the beginning because of the varied language support required.
It sounds like Tesla's basic idea is a performance car with a high degree of civility, that is, that they can raise the bar in cars enabled by being electric. Batteries should improve rapidly in the coming years both for capacity and charging time. The car business must be one of the toughest around. But Tesla looks equal to the challenge provided they execute and deliver. I hope they succeed.
Posted by Concerned Driver
a resident of another community
on Oct 12, 2011 at 9:58 pm
a resident of another community
on Oct 12, 2011 at 9:58 pm
maguro_01 wrote "What makes you think that the driver can watch films or read the paper while driving? That would be against the law in many states as well as a bad idea."
People do that now (read, text, watch) and the Tesla Model S makes it easier to do.
What part of "circumvent all existing laws" did you not understand in my posting?
I even cited California Vehicle Code 27602 which can be read here Web Link which clearly states:
"A person shall not drive a motor vehicle if a television receiver, a video monitor, or a television or video screen, or any other( )1 similar means of visually displaying a television broadcast or video signal that produces entertainment or business applications, is operating and is located in the motor vehicle at a point forward of the back of the driver’s seat, or is operating and the monitor, screen, or display is visible to the driver while driving the motor vehicle."
[Portion deleted.]
