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Steve Wozniak May Swap His Tesla For A Chevy Bolt (siliconbeat.com)
An anonymous Slashdot reader quotes a San Jose Mercury News article about "Apple co-founder and electric vehicle fan Steve Wozniak."
Woz posted a picture of himself, smiling, next to a new, white Chevy Bolt. General Motors gave Woz the fully electric sedan for an extended test drive. He liked it. "I expect to be switching cars soon!" Woz wrote in a photo caption.
The battery-powered Bolt is due for release late this year. The four-door hatchback has an advertised range of 200 miles per charge, with a sticker price around $37,500. The EV will compete head-to-head with the Tesla Model 3. The Tesla entry-level sedan, expected to start at $35,000, will be released late next year.
It's interesting to read Wozniak's later comments on the post. "A lot of things wrong with the Tesla model S are done correctly (my opinion) in this car... It gets down to my product ideas of balance and getting the most from the least. Try to make things simple and affordable but very adequate. This car hits my sweet spot."
And in response to the obvious question, Woz replied "Maybe one Segway would fit. And a seat can be folded down."
The battery-powered Bolt is due for release late this year. The four-door hatchback has an advertised range of 200 miles per charge, with a sticker price around $37,500. The EV will compete head-to-head with the Tesla Model 3. The Tesla entry-level sedan, expected to start at $35,000, will be released late next year.
It's interesting to read Wozniak's later comments on the post. "A lot of things wrong with the Tesla model S are done correctly (my opinion) in this car... It gets down to my product ideas of balance and getting the most from the least. Try to make things simple and affordable but very adequate. This car hits my sweet spot."
And in response to the obvious question, Woz replied "Maybe one Segway would fit. And a seat can be folded down."
As someone who'd love an electric car, I'm already out of the running with a family of four children. I don't have the cash for a "second" car - it make better financial sense for me to spend that cash on gasoline.
That said, I was salivating over the Model 3. The Bolt looks good, and is a step in the right direction, but it's a MUCH smaller vehicle. Plus, as a Chevy owner, I don't hear ANY stories of how my car's manufacturer goes above and beyond to support me. Shoot, my car company even declined to honor a transferred warranty from the previous owner (I paid my fee) and then later declined to honor a voluntary recall because my vehicle was beyond their mileage limit by 100 miles.
Seems like all I hear about Tesla is "we're working to become awesome" and from their owners "it's true, they are awesome." Aim for that level of satisfaction, Chevy, and I'll purchase an Acadia.
When I'm trying to decide which car I should buy, the first people I look to are billionaires. Since their lifestyles and mine are so similar, and since they're obviously so much smarter than I am, I just assume that their decisions are the correct ones.
I don't respond to AC's.
And in response to the obvious question, Woz replied "Maybe one Segway would fit. And a seat can be folded down."
I'm trying to see the obvious here, but all I can come up with is "Do you have any random comments? About the car, life, universe or anything?"
For hybrids they don't have to by massive. Volvo tested a 6 kg one in an S60: the extra 80 hp meant a 0-60 time of 5.5 seconds. The flywheels are typically made out of carbon fiber composites that pretty much turn into dust if the vacuum chamber gets busted in an accident, so there isn't much shrapnel.
First, if you've got one in most major cities there's an EV/Carpool lane on the freeways you get to use. So if you've got the scratch for one you can cut your commute in half. Second, a lot of the emissions regulations are based on car companies having/selling a certain amount of low or (in this case) zero emission vehicles. This lets car companies sell gas guzzlers like the Charger/Impala and still meet the regs. The extra cost is (mostly) offset by tax incentives (e.g. you and me paying for it).
As usual, the most cynical answer is correct. Is there a law for that?
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Praise be to those that are wealthy. If we do what they say, we'll be just like them someday.
I hired a Tesla Model S with Insane mode for a day so I could properly try it out and do all the things one does with a car in normal use. While it does feel like driving a spaceship and is absolutely phenomenal performance-wise, I'm not going to buy one for a number of reasons. Chiefly, the user interface is atrocious and it's impossible to safely do anything with the main screen unless you are pulled over. I also found the rear seats to be very low and hard to get in and out of and Tesla's paint color options are sad.
I'm looking forward to hiring a Bolt for a day so I can properly try it out as well.
Ideally, I'd get a Tesla drivetrain in a BMW or Mercedes coach.
The problem with electric cars is that windshield wipers are horrendously expensive to replace. With my previous car windshield wipers were way less than 1% of total maintenance over five years. My Leaf is about to turn 5 years old and windshield wiper replacements 75% of my total maintenance costs. This is outrageous!
-rd
My windshield wiper blades are 100% of my 38,000 mile Tesla maintenance cost.
I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
The Tesla may look nicer, but the Bolt's body style looks a lot more functional and space efficient.
As far as Tesla quality, we really don't know what they will deliver when mass producing a much cheaper vehicle. And from what I've read on some financial reviews, there is a good chance that the Tesla will cost more than initially suggested.
Last picture I saw, he was well over 50 lbs beyond obese.
I'm 6'2", 250. Nobody has ever called me fat. Yet my BMI is 31, so I'm obese. Unless he's lost weight recently, he's well beyond me. 100+lbs
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
Obviously you're being facetious, as the Leaf uses tires like any other car. It also has regular pneumatic brakes too, although with regenerative braking you shouldn't go through pads very fast unless you brake really hard a lot.
Better known as 318230.
VW diesel has high NOx emissions. Lung damage and brain damage.
The fix will have higher CO2 emissions. Climate change.
It's bad either way. These cars need to be crushed.
I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
Pneumatic brakes? Those are for buses and other heavy vehicles. I think you mean hydraulic.
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