We’ve been following this story closely and we’re wondering what New York Times’ reporter John Broder was thinking when he made his determinations on the performance of the Tesla Model S he was given to test-drive and review.
Welcome to the 21st Century where, thanks to the proliferation of computers, we can know exactly what happened and when. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, promised facts, and now he’s posted the drive data on the Tesla Motors Blog, under the title “A Most Peculiar Test Drive.” Most peculiar, indeed!
A few quotes vs the data, if you please:
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John Broder says: |
Tesla Model S recorded: |
| “and as I limped along at about 45 miles per hour I saw increasingly dire dashboard warnings to recharge immediately.” | According to the data log, for most of the 500+ mile trip, the vehicle’s cruising speed ranged from 52mph to 60mph, but certainly not as low as 45mph. |
| “After 49 minutes, the display read “charge complete,” and the estimated available driving distance was 242 miles.” | After driving 100+ miles to the Delaware Supercharger, the charger was stopped at 90% SoC and 242 miles available range. |
| “Car is shutting down,” the computer informed me. I was able to coast down an exit ramp in Branford, Conn., before the car made good on its threat.” | According to the State-of-Charge [SoC] log for the entire trip, the battery was never depleted, even when Broder called the flatbed for a tow. |
It seems to me that Broder was already dead-set on condemning Tesla Motors, failing to charge completely, taking unnecessary detours, and even driving aimlessly in a parking lot before recharging. Had there been any real issues with the battery, Mr Broder had a choice of at least fifty charging stations along his route through NJ, NY, and CT. Patiently awaiting the Broder / New York Times response to the drive data released.
Image©Tesla Motors
