There’s an article in “The Drive” that’s been repeated in other media. Here’s a link if you want to read the whole article.
It’s not important in your day-to-day driving since few people use up all the electricity in their Tesla on a normal day. But, if you have lots of driving scheduled for a day, or if you’re taking a cross-country trip, you have to make allowances for this particularly Tesla problem.
The Results of the Tests
Edmunds, which does reviews on all cars, and which has rated the Tesla Model 3 as the number one best electric vehicle, found that none of the models of Tesla met the EPA range estimates as advertised by Tesla. None of the models. All the other electric cars easily went 20 to 50 miles past their EPA-rated ranges.
Tesla’s Response
Naturally, the Tesla engineers weighed in, but what they said was not very helpful. They said that the reason the Teslas failed to reach the EPA range is that Edmunds didn’t keep driving them until they couldn’t go an inch farther. Edmunds stopped driving when the range number on the screen went down to zero. So Edmunds repeated the testing and kept driving until the cars actually stopped. Tesla calls this a safety buffer.
Don’t Plan on Using the Safety Buffer
Don’t plan on using the safety buffer. It’s terrible for the battery. It’s just as bad as charging your battery up to 100% and then letting it sit overnight. Don’t do that either. Bad.
Be Kind to Your Battery
We want our batteries to last as long as the rest of the car. So, in my case, I charge to 80% every night. That way, I’m not damaging the battery, and I have more miles than I need for day-to-day driving. I do plan on taking the Tesla on road trips once this furshlugginer pandemic is over. I have the SR+ which, in theory, can go 250 miles on a charge. I won’t plan on 250 miles between supercharges. When my car was new, and I had 1,000 miles or six months of free supercharging, whichever came first, I didn’t actually need any supercharging. Not going anywhere. Pandemic y’know. The six months came first.
My Supercharging Experience
But, since supercharging was included in the price of my car, any time I needed to go somewhere near a supercharger, I went ahead and used the service. Here’s what I found. When the battery is low, the supercharger gives extremely rapid charging. I can’t tell you the exact rate of charge because different superchargers give different rates of charge depending on which generation of supercharger you’re using. But as a general rule, you’ll get extremely rapid charging when the battery is low. You’ll probably get to 80% in 30 to 40 minutes. That last 20% will take longer. A lot longer.
Suggested Strategy
You’ll probably do better in total trip time if you don’t wait around for the last trickle of energy to fill your battery to 100%. Between 80% and 90%, the charging goes painfully slowly. Between 90% and 100%, the charge slows to a trickle. You’ll stop a bit more often, but you’ll spend less total time on the chargers during your trip if you just charge to 80% each time you need to charge. When I take my trip, I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.
Public Health Advice
One last thought for car trips. Elon Musk gives you video games to entertain yourself during a supercharger stop. If you’re on a trip, don’t play the video games. Get out of the car and walk around. Sitting in a car for long periods of time can cause blood clots in your legs. Don’t let that happen.
Henry Farkas is a retired country doctor. He bought his Tesla Model 3 in the middle of the pandemic.
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Hundreds of Tesla cars synced to the Indian blockbuster film RRR's award-winning song 'Naatu Naatu'
Vamsi Koppuravuri/YouTube
Tesla owners recently came together in New Jersey for an incredible display of technology and art. Hundreds of Tesla cars synced to the Indian blockbuster film RRR's award-winning song "Naatu Naatu" to create an unforgettable light show. The energizing event showcased Tesla's upgraded light show feature, part of the Christmas update.
The Twitter account for the movie, @RRRMovie, posted a video, which can be viewed below, of the mesmerizing light show. Elon Musk responded with two heart emojis. After Tesla retweeted the unique video, @RRRMovie replied by expressing their love for Elon Musk. "Naatu Naatu," composed by M.M. Keeravani and Chandrabose, became the first-ever song from an Indian film to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Try the Synced Light Show
A recent update allows owners to schedule their light shows up to 10 minutes in advance or even create multi-car orchestras by starting them simultaneously. This feature can be accessed by tapping the Application Launcher > Toybox. The update also allows Tesla owners to activate the light show using their smartphone app, making it more convenient and fun for those who use the feature as part of their exterior decorations.
The New Jersey event displayed the innovative capabilities of Tesla vehicles and highlighted the growing influence of Indian cinema worldwide. As more Tesla owners come together for events like this, we can expect to see even more mesmerizing light shows in the future, celebrating the convergence of technology and the arts.
Tesla continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with its electric vehicles. Features like the light show demonstrate that the company is committed to creating an experience beyond driving a car.
Prominent figures such as Senator Josh Hawley and media personality Joe Rogan have come to the defense of Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk. Both spoke against the negative public perception and criticism while highlighting the importance of free speech. While Rogan spoke about the unfair treatment of Musk by members of the media, Hawley went after one — on his own show.
Senator Calls out Reporter
St. Louis’ KSDK News political editor Max Maxwell set up a recorded segment with the republican senator. While crews were getting the technical aspects sorted out, Hawley confronted Maxwell about his anti-Elon Musk tweets, which the Senator described as "vitriolic." The senator read one of Maxwell's tweets aloud, calling Musk's supporters "bootlickers." Hawley questioned Maxwell's intentions and expressed concern about the journalist's use of a public platform to attack people he disagreed with.
Maxwell explained that his tweet was a moment of frustration and defended his comments as satire, protected under the First Amendment. But it got more awkward as the reporter suggested he was drinking at the time of the tweets. Hawley emphasized that journalists like Maxwell have a lot of access, making their public comments particularly influential and potentially concerning.
Rogan to the Rescue
In another instance of public defense, popular podcaster Joe Rogan discussed the shifting public perception of Elon Musk on his show. According to Rogan, any narrative about Musk's political ideology is baseless. He questioned why people have gone from viewing Musk as a savior who brought about electric cars and reusable rockets to someone who is an "alt-right piece of shit." Rogan argued that the resistance against Musk and the publicity campaign against him have been fascinating to watch.
“The narrative has spread through progressive people where they'll just say it now,” Rogan continued. “It’s like they've reached the memo, the memo’s got to them… I hear people I know like, ‘Oh, Elon's just so crazy. Something happened to him. He went nuts, and he’s a right-winger now… They just have this narrative that reaches them as a signal. Like, ‘Elon bad now.’”
Senator Hawley and Joe Rogan's reactions to the criticism against Elon Musk and his supporters emphasize the importance of free speech and raise questions about the fairness of the media's treatment of the world's richest person. As public figures continue to engage in these discussions, it remains to be seen how perceptions of Musk will evolve in the future and how his tweets will impact Tesla.
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![Spectacular Tesla Light Show Dazzles to the Tunes of Academy Award-Winning 'Naatu Naatu' [Video]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/images/news/2023/light-show_300w.jpg)
