J.W. Burleson photo / Boquillas del Carmen, Coah.

PHB

My photo
Brooklin, Maine, United States
We own a 1975 GMC Sierra Grande 15 in Maine and a 1986 Chevrolet Custom Deluxe 10 in West Texas. Also a pair of 1997 Volvo 850 wagons. Average age in the fleet is 28 years--we're recycling. I've published 3 novels: THE LAW OF DREAMS (2006), THE O'BRIENS (2012), and CARRY ME (2016). Also 2 short story collections: NIGHT DRIVING(1987) and TRAVELLING LIGHT (2013). More of my literary life is at www.peterbehrens.org I was a Fellow at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study for 2012-13. I'm an adjunct professor at Colorado College and in the MFA program at Queens University of Charlotte. In 2015-16 I was a Fellow at Harvard University's Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. The Autoliterate office is in Car Talk Plaza in Harvard Square, 2 floors above Dewey Cheatem & Howe. SUBSCRIBE TO THE AUTOLITERATE DAILY EMAIL by hitting the button to the right.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Tesla Model S: "This Is The Future I Want"

This from our man in Chapel Hill, Lee Buck, who recently took delivery of his Tesla Model S


"Yesterday I fueled my car for the last time. With luck it may be the last time I ever put fuel into a car. Today I took delivery of a Tesla Model S.
"What first strikes you when you drive the Model S is the silence. As you pull away from the curb, the total absence of noise seems wrong. Your brain clicks into alert mode trying to figure out the conflicting signals: motion is supposed to be noisy.
"As you maneuver around the parking lot, your brain is confronted by another paradox. The car feels solid and purposeful — befitting its substantial size and weight — but also deft and effortless. The smooth and linear responses to your inputs instills a sense of confidence and wonder.
"Take it out into the open road and punch the accelerator. You rush forward with an immediacy and urgency that you didn't know was possible. Your right foot seems connected directly to the small of your back. Press hard and your back instantly knows what your ears disbelieve. The dashboard digits blur while the g-forces command your lips into a grin. No sound, no fury, no smoke, no drama. Just bewildering acceleration — so this is what it feels like to be the pellet in the slingshot...
"Find a winding road and you can reinterpret the laws of physics. With its weight mostly below your feet, it hugs the road like a race car. No leaning, no slipping, no squealing. Just a connection to the road like the slots cars of your youth.
"Ease back and settle in for the daily commute. The interior is clean and calm. The large screen is prominent but not distracting. Its UI is smart and beautiful — finally a car computer that complements rather than detracts.
"And then it hits you: this is an incredible car… one of the finest in the world. It doesn't need its own category, it doesn't need to be graded on a curve. It beats a century of internal combustion engine technology on its first at-bat.
"This is the future of my youth. This is the future that I want. No more toxic fuels and poisonous emissions. No more underwriting sheiks and fighting wars. It is said that you have two important votes  in life: one at the polling place and one at the cash register.  I made my vote. I am an official sponsor of the future."






10 comments:

  1. Sorry to see another's been taken in by the Tesla hype . Hope he's got an ICE in the garage ... cause he's gonna need it

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    1. Sorry to see another one kept under the lid of tunnel vision syndrome. Have you ever tried a Tesla or are your thoughts just regurgitated garbage?

      As for the ICE question, it is enough to learn to read and check the author's profile.

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    2. He was "taken in" and "hyped" by owning and driving the car. And his observations even go beyond Tesla's claims. That's rather the opposite of being hyped by their claims. In other words, your entire comment is illogical nonsense.

      Just a FYI: many of the earlier Roadster owners bought it as a second, "fun" car. They discovered a few months later that they'd almost abandoned driving their ICEs altogether. to the point they had to deliberately schedule brief drives in them to keep them charged and functional. An unpleasant distraction from driving the real thing. A Tesla

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    3. As I see it, Tesla has focused on design and engineering. The reviews are more than favorable and the customer base is growing exponentially. The only "hype" I see is from ICE manufacturers and Fisker (a hybrid car). When was the last time your saw a Tesla commercial? I suggest you research Tesla and try a test drive. I have enjoyed many of the cars I have driven in my life. I look forward to joining Lee Buck & the other early adopters in the very near future.

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  2. Those, who have never driven a Model S have no idea what it is like. You get converted instantly - even if you drove the finest cars money could buy in the past. This car will be what the iPhone(TM) had been for mobile phone and mobile internet world: A wake up call, a tipping point. I have driven the car on two occasions, and I can only say: It is mind-blowing...

    Can't sleep right now - I will take delivery of my Model S next Wednesday in New York. I am excited like a child for Christmas - one that has been waiting more than three and half years...

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  3. Great blog. Every article I have read about this car says it is something to own. It amazes me that the only bad reports I have seen are from trolls that haven't driven or owned one. Even the ICE dealers are upset because they want the rights to sell them not because they want them to go away. I can't wait to get mine.

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  5. I write on Electric vehicles on my blog www.thepracticalliberal.com
    Go Tesla!

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  6. Well said!
    We took delivery of our Model S and have had a similarly enjoyable experience!

    See my wife and younger daughter jumping for joy. ;-)

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  7. I want to drive Modle s.Tesla and Elon Musk
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrzMdoKPPaA

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