# Teslas really are not great cars **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 30, 2025, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339 "2025-03-30T09:18:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/361 "2025-04-22T00:31:40Z")
> [@Capn\_Carl](#): > > We generally select Supercharger locations that are about 2 hours apart, and have a convenience store with clean bathrooms. We found a supercharger next to a restaurant we both love so that definitely changes using the hybrid depending on where we are going. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/362 "2025-04-22T00:46:58Z")
> [@Capn\_Carl](#): > > OTOH, there’s the dozens of times per year when I’m not leaving town, and the fillups effectively take 0 minutes. This is us nearly every week, but with the addition of a longish trip every weekend. Typically 1-2 hours each way to a trailhead (120-200 miles roundtrip). You know how much time we spend “filling” our car? 5 seconds each time. Edit to add: I know EVs won’t work for everyone, but we’ve found they work awesome for us. We still have our Subie (2012 worth about $10) that we use to pull our small trailer and get us to a couple trips in the mountains that the EV doesn’t work well for…YET! I look forward to EV infrastructure off the beaten interstate paths. Until then, we will save time, and money, using it for our 4’ish time per year long trip and for our typical weekly commute and trailhead driving. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/363 "2025-04-22T01:24:19Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I don’t mean to sound anti-EV. I wish they made what i want (1000 hp convertible 2 door) and I bet they will soon. At which point I’ll buy it and never look back at primitive ICEs. I want mine to weigh less than 2000 lbs, pretty much any amount of horsepower would be adequate if it’s light enough. Plus, it’s more likely to stop and turn well. Fortunately, Caterham seems to be working on my dream car. > **[EV Seven | Caterham](https://caterhamcars.com/us/models/evseven)** > > Introducing the Caterham EV Seven, a technology development showcasing a future electric Caterham Seven. Discover Caterham and Drive Electrified. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/364 "2025-04-22T01:50:55Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Admittedly terms like SUV, crossover, hatchback, and wagon have all become very blurry here in 2025 versus the fairly clear and distinct meanings each had when those terms was first coined. Amen. I no longer pay much attention to the distinctions. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/365 "2025-04-22T02:04:05Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Most people who buy electric cars anticipate mostly shorter trips. Shopping, commuting, visiting friends, going to ball games, movies, museums. They figure the networks are now good enough for the one or two road trips they plan to make in a typical year. This. When I was looking to buy a year ago last March, the recharging opportunities for a Bolt were sufficient I opted to buy a nearly new one for a bit less than than a Tesla with 50- or 60 thousand miles on it. Then in September GM and Tesla made an agreement so now I can use many, but not all\* of the SC stations it has only gotten better. The Bolt’s biggest problem is that it’s maximum recharge rate is about half of a Tesla’s or most any other EV out there. Instead of a 20-minute recharge stop, it’s more like 45. Slow down and smell the roses, I guess. \*v1 and v2, no. v3 and v4 yes, but I think even some of them are off-limits. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/366 "2025-04-22T02:10:34Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Fortunately, Caterham seems to be working on my dream car. Reminds me of a 1980s “sand rail” VW-derived offroad vehicle akin to the 1960s dune buggies. So not something I’d want on the street. I’m looking for a high luxo high perf GT. Imagine an all-electric AMG S63 convertible hard top or similar. But the Caterham looks like great fun for the folks whose mission it fits. We’re getting warmer! ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/367 "2025-04-22T02:21:41Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Reminds me of a 1980s “sand rail” VW-derived offroad vehicle akin to the 1960s dune buggies. Hehe, close. It’s based off of a 1957 Lotus Seven. And yeah, they’re pretty bare bones. I’m hoping an actual windshield is an option when they finally make a production one (I see one in the CAD models). > [@LSLGuy](#): > > So not something I’d want on the street. I’m looking for a high luxo high perf GT. Imagine an all-electric AMG S63 convertible hard top or similar. Yeah, now that you mention it, I can’t really understand why nobody has re-bodied one of their BEV models into a two seater. Seems like a shoe-in high profit model as long as it has reasonable EV performance. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/368 "2025-04-22T02:55:59Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I bet they will soon Morgan Motors has been making one soon for a few years now. Of course being Morgan it will use the motor and battery from a LiveWire, only have 120 horsepower, three wheels, and range won’t matter, because it will break down before the battery is depleted. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/369 "2025-04-22T02:59:30Z")
> [@Capn\_Carl](#): > > > [@LSLGuy](#): > > > > My real point was that e.g. @Capn_Carl may be quite happy with slow progress and lots of long stops. But IMO that’s more about his inner old guy than it is about some great advantages of EVs. His hypothetical 25yo grandkid would find the same EV-imposed pace quite intolerable. > > You may be right, here. > OTOH, there’s the dozens of times per year when I’m not leaving town, and the fillups effectively take 0 minutes. Exactly. I used to drive a plug-in hybrid. And the great thing about that car was that i never had to get gas, except for road trips. And i don’t do a lot of road trips. When i replaced it with my current ICE, it was a huge downgrade. I have range anxiety. I constantly have to monitor the gas and make sure i don’t run out. Even with the measly nominal 20 miles (actually less) on the battery of my Cmax, the vast majority of my regular driving was electric. And every morning, i knew there was enough in the tank to get to my train station, and pick up some groceries on the way home. I just never worried about the state of the gas tank. A real electric vehicle would be much better that way. It took a long time to get used to buying gas again. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/370 "2025-04-22T05:25:57Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > If the charging stop were relaxing, like at least as pleasant and quiet as the average _good_ Interstate rest stop, then every other stop I wouldn’t mind walking around for a bit and checking emails. But I’d still prefer to have the option not to, and I’ve never seen a gas station that was pleasant to be around. You would have hated the charging stop that I made today in Soledad, CA. It was off to the side of a gas station in the middle of nowhere. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/371 "2025-04-22T05:26:29Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > Of course being Morgan it will use the motor and battery from a LiveWire, only have 120 horsepower, three wheels, and range won’t matter, because it will break down before the battery is depleted. How will they get everything covered with oil? ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/372 "2025-04-22T06:10:27Z")
I 'm curious about one issue that nobody’s mentioned : have you ever had to wait in line at a charging station? If there are 4 chargers and 15 cars arrive, a reasonably convenient 20 minute break is suddenly much less convenient, and you cannot plan in advance. Even if you dont have range anxiety, I think it would give me “time anxiety” I’m imagining a busy holiday weekend at a major tourist site. (Say, a national park, where ten or 20 thousand people drive long distances and converge in a rural area). ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/373 "2025-04-22T11:38:45Z")
This happened to me once. On a Thanksgiving weekend, I decided to use the Buckeye, AZ Supercharger and didn’t bother to check ahead to see if it was busy. It’s a small one, just 8 chargers then, all in use and 2-3 cars waiting. But I figured average charge time is around 20 minutes so a car would leave every few minutes. I didn’t wait long. That location now has 12 chargers, but now I use the Quartzite ones, which have over 100 chargers. I don’t know why they built so many; there’s rarely more than 20 cars there. ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/374 "2025-04-22T11:44:48Z")
Yeah, we don’t know what a hassle it is to gas up an ICE car until we’ve gone EV. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/375 "2025-04-22T14:03:51Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > I 'm curious about one issue that nobody’s mentioned : have you ever had to wait in line at a charging station? I’m sure it happens, but it’s never happened to me. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/376 "2025-04-22T14:11:33Z")
I only had to wait twice for maybe fifteen minutes each. An orderly line formed. When you set a destination to a charger the screen will tell you how many open slots there are. They know how many others are on their way via the routing apps but obviously not how many are heading over on their own. It will sometimes suggest a different station. There was a major clusterfuck after the recent solar eclipse when people had to wait for hours because of how many were all in the same place and time. Gas stations had long lines too but not to even close to the same extent. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/377 "2025-04-22T14:55:41Z")
I regularly wait to charge in Big Bear during ski season. There’s only six level-3 charging stations within 20 miles. Tesla owners are generally polite when forming a queue. This made things interesting when the area was under rolling blackouts to prevent wildfires. I ended going to Lake Arrowhead that day. I’ve had to wait a couple times when charging en-route along a highway. If everyone is charging just enough to get to the next charging site, the wait is typical just a few minutes. People charging all the way to 80% slow down everybody. (Charging when under half is significantly faster than charger above half.) Depending on my plans, I’ll charge enough or charge to 80%. Telling the Tesla navigation that you’re headed to a charging site helps everyone. It’ll find another site for you with a shorter wait. It’ll pre-warm the batteries so they charge faster. The Tesla charging network works really well, but I’d love to see some actual competition. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/378 "2025-04-22T15:22:52Z")
Worst design flaw in Tesla cars? The photic sneeze reflex. This time of year, every morning when I back out of the garage, and the sun coming over the house hits the front of the car, the windshield wipers turn on for a few wipes. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/379 "2025-04-22T15:27:34Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > Worst design flaw in Tesla cars? No “off” button for the radio. You have to turn the volume down to zero. Not exclusive to Teslas though. My Volt was the same way. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339/380 "2025-04-22T15:29:55Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > No “off” button for the radio Unless the radio turns off (or back on) when hit by bright sunlight, then it is just a runner-up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teslas-really-are-not-great-cars/1016339.md?page=20)