The Tesla Roadster Tricked Enthusiasts Into Loving EVs - Jason Cammisa Revelations Ep. 30
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- This is the story of the Tesla Roadster - and thus, the beginnings of Tesla, which has grown to be the most valuable automaker in history.
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Tesla's promised new roadster is a very different thing - this Roadster went into production at a time when electric vehicles weren't just in their infancy, they were a joke, disregarded by enthusiasts and regular customers alike.
The story begins with the Piontek Sportech, which was a home-built tube-frame sports car created by Ford Engineer Dave Piontek in his garage in Michigan. It used a 1300-cc Suzuki 4-cylinder motorcycle engine (with Nitrous injection) and could hit 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds, weighing only 1234 lb.
A California-based startup called AC Propulsion bought one of the Sport-Techs and converted it to run on Optima Yellow-Top lead-acid batteries. They called it the tZero, and a prospective customer, Martin Eberhard, drove it and wanted to buy one - but only if it used Lithium-Ion batteries.
Bypassing the expensive Nickel-Metal-Hydride batteries that were leading edge, Eberhard helped AC Propulsion go straight to small-format cylindrical Lithium-Ion batteries, which had vastly more capacity, were much lighter, and were ultimately cheaper.
The result was 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, and a newly minted millionaire named Elon Musk wanted one, too. He joined forces with Eberhard, who had created Tesla Inc., and they worked directly with Lotus to extensively modify the Elise to become the Tesla Roadster.
In the end, the Elise's fundamentals remained, but the details didn't, and the Roadster emerged its own car. Tesla, at the same time, emerged the most valuable car company in the world. And the Roadster became the proof-of-concept that showed enthusiasts that an electric car could be fast and fun.
Next up was the Model S, the first part of the the S3XY product line that has catapulted Lotus to previously unknown valuations.
And it all started here.
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Still the most entertaining host around.
Absolute genius.
Agree! His energy is unmatched
Helps he's a car nut himself
💯
Hands down. Get this guy on top gear america (if they want to salvage that thing for the 10th time)
What’s so awesome about these videos is that Jason, unlike almost every other automotive TH-camr, doesn’t just copy and paste from other sources: he actually does his own original research. As a Roadster owner and enthusiast, I’ve heard most of these stories, but never with this level of detail: for example, I knew about the issues with the 2-speed approach, but never knew *why* they kept blowing up. Entertaining, informative, and insightful!
My only complaint is I wish these videos were twice or three times as long!
It is a team. His idea with script writers adds up to this. I love what the whole production team is doing.
@@boxoffisa I could’ve sworn Jason talked about writing the shows himself. I’m not doubting that there are others on the team but I vaguely remember him at least mentioning that in passing on Carmudgeon a looong time ago. I could be mistaken, though.
I get why you’d think there’s a big crew with a big budget (the production quality!) but it really is just four people: Jason (Writer/Host), Anthony (Director/DP), Robert (Editor), and Liv (Producer). All the more impressive for it!
@@ScottBullardwow yeah. I thought he'd have an extra writer or two to help him out, at the least...just bc these productions are so good
The transmission story is missing a little early info. I worked as a quality engineer on this program for Magna Powertrain. We developed a dry sump 2 speed transmission based on Tesla's design requirements in Syracuse NY at our New Process Gear plant. But we could never get it to pass durability testing. The issue was the dry sump system resulting in bearing failures. Tesla and Magna began fighting over about $5 million that Magna claimed Tesla owed for development costs. Tesla's position was that they'd pay once we delivered a working product. Tesla took the Magna design to Hamtramck, who I thought locked it into 2nd gear, but it was possibly BorgWarner (where I work now).
The sound of the electric motor reminds me how Montreal, the city that has had electric subway for so long, eventually "upgraded" the system to newer version of the trains cars about 20 years ago and people got very sad. You see the original models had a multi-stage sound as the electric motors wound up, and this sound was iconic. In the end, they captured the sound and added it back into the cabin via the speakers as a nod to tradition.
Humans are silly.
The Montreal Metro is super sick. It makes the TTC subway feel and look mediocre by comparison. Though it's not a very high bar to clear.
The last place I was expecting reading about the Montreal Metro was in this comment section, yet here we are. And while reading your comment the aforementioned 3-note sound immediately played in my head. Crazy how some small things like that stay in your head forever.
@@andrewduong2740 except it's always broken down. So frustrating.
There's a famous set of cars in Japan on the Keikyu lines known as the singing trains. They tuned those sounds to occur as a chromatic scale on startup. Some replacement parts are unobtainable now and so the number of trainsets that do this are dwindling and people are sad. And it is pretty cool
there's one line on the London underground with these motors, sounds like a spaceship
That sound on acceleration is surprisingly awesome. Sounds like a jet on take off.
Rivian R1T's quad motors have a very similar sound!
Man, I bet it feels like a jet too when you put your foot in it
That car would be so fun on a back road
And it never gets old 🙂
Honestly this car seems amazing but to me it sounded like a vacuum cleaner
If you are in a Model 3, charge to 100% battery, fold the rear seats down, and open the cargo floor, it actually sounds super similar to this! Not sure on the physics but there is a lot more motor noise when it's not doing regen braking, and the sound dampening from all the panels closed hides it from being heard on the daily
First gen Roadster: Tesla shared every detail of the development process with customers, explaining everything they were doing to meet their goals.
Second gen Roadster: Radio silence (other than repeated delay announcements) since they unveiled it and started taking reservations nearly 6 years ago.
2nd Gen roadster does not move the needle on Tesla’s master plan .. bigger fishes to fry
Yeah, well... alot has changed and the thing that this video points out is this: Tesla has become the thing that it hates. Elon.... meet Henry Ford the first, all the good and all the bad. That is what he is, that is what he has always been it's just much more noticeable now.
@@CyanRooper
Oh the irony of that.
@@CyanRooper right, so only one person in history can have a Master Plan.
Next you'll try to convince people a pencil is proprietary hardware.
@@CyanRooper It hadn’t worked for me.
Jason's Revelations never cease to impress. Each one is better than the last and he is setting the bar absurdly high. Wonderful production.
As always, great job Jason!
The problem with Jason is that he tells stories and glides right over facts that don't align with the story.
The company was Eberhard and Musk. How does Eberhard fit in now? At least Musk didn't call him a pedo. I think.
Elon under promises and over delivers. How is promising 250 mile range and delivering 244 mile range doing that? He scaled down expectations and then over-delivered on that.
Elise and Tesla Roadsters are really different because they only share 7% of parts. Except they were built on the same production line and based on the same unique chassis technology.
@@alanperry8676keep hatin', you can't be helped
@@alanperry8676 So if I make two different cakes at home, using the same technology - they are the same cake? 🙃
@@sparkgrid Yes, any criticism is hatin'.
So, you are admitting that you have nothing to argue against the points that I made?
@@wujus2 Thank you for at least attempting to address a point that I made.
They could be the same cake. Tell me more about them.
As usual, Jason easily becomes..again..the finest mind at Hagerty..Jason...don't change a thing.
AC Propulsion really loved their Japanese Volk Racing TE37's. They are on everything. lol
I’m guessing it’s bc with those early batteries they wanted every bit of range possible, and TE37s are some of the lightest wheels around. Plus they look so damn good
@@realAlexChoiif they were only shooting for range they'd have flat hubcaps. Someone definitely loved the way TE37s looked as well as their weight.
Just got a set for my model 3 :)
@@GetOffMyLogwell, mooneyes style wheels are really bad for brake cooling, so in the end they'd still need to put some holes in, even with all the regen braking stuff.
Now, some P-slots, maybe even toned down turbofans? That might just work
@@tiagobelo4965 see Tesla aero wheels for example
I watch and forget it’s 20 minute video because this man delivers in a way that’s catchy. Great talent.
OMG!! I met Dave at a Cars and Coffee a couple weeks ago!! He was super cool and we talked for about half an hour about all the home brewed cars he made. Had no idea it was even remotely related to this!!
Thank you! I feel so stupid missing out on this car. They were only 75K in the Netherlands. Due to goverment subsidies and tax returns, you would only pay 30k in the end. Should have bought one when I could.
Oh yeah, we rob our neighbors and feel good about it. Government is so great.
When jason is in the video its alwasy going to be good!
Always.
Fr I only watch for Jason
Big daddy J hits nothing but home runs
100% The only thing I watch on Hagerty now is Jason, now that Tony Angelo went back to his own thing.
Been binge-rewatching all of the Revelations videos in the last few days. What incredible timing.
On behalf of my fellow Tesla Raodster owners all over the world, THANK YOU for this!!
This is brilliantly done and the research and attention to detail is astounding. I didn't think I could know any more about this car, but I learned quite a bit from this! I can't express how happy I was watching this whole video through.
Thank you so much.
Jason delivers to the automotive world what David Attenborough does to BBC Earth. No small accomplishment at any scale. Stunning performance, execution, and delivery. You work is appreciated, thank you.
I was smiling ear to ear at the end of the video ….. wow that sound and handling
It's so nice to watch when Jason talks about cars in is own way.
Very interesting story. Thanks Jason. As always, your sarcastic observations are halarious. Always happy to see you drop another video.
As I’m sure most people here half of the media I consume through TH-cam is car related and as been for many years.
Can sincerely say I’ve never watched anything that gets me glued to the screen every single second as your shows on Hagerty Jason.
Very good job
Jason is the Porsche of Automotive Journalists, The Absolute Benchmark!! Fantastic Video Cammisa
I drove the first Tesla Roadster in the Netherlands a long time ago, I was immediately hooked, even though I am a real petrolhead. Brilliant show like always!
Always happy to see a new Revelations episode
6:17 That is what I love about Jason. That joke is brilliant. 😂🤣
Jason's story telling is unparalleled. He is a master of his craft and such an inspiration!
Jason can feature a review of an old 1980s Vespa scooter and I would still not hesitate one second to click on the video and automatically give it a thumbs up because I know that no matter what Jason reviews I know 💯% that it will be entertaining, humorous, informative and simply fantastic…gotta love JC 👍🏻
Odd example, Vespa would make a perfect revelations ep. One of the most influential post-war vehicles, tons of revolutionary engineering on them.
If 33 miles is walking distance, I'm in trouble.
You could knock that out in a day or two
About t hours for me, if I'm trained up for it.
If the dollar falls, it will become a normal thing once again.
Average human walking speed is about 3 mph. Going 33 miles would not be enjoyable, but it's doable. A few centuries ago it would have been common.
Tell us you're American without telling us you're American...
Kudos to your production using the RGB LED light-strip for the fire. A++
I'm sad every time one of these videos ends. I want it to just go on and on and on. So well done. Although I'm going to respectfully disagree with you about how many parts it shares with the S2 Elise/Exige. A great majority of the parts are NEARLY identical, but if you take that little bit out then it seems that they aren't similar at all...and they are.
Not sure if it's really true. Even the way the roof mounts is identicle, you can put an Elise roof on a Tesla. The wing mirrors are the same old Metro ones, the airbags etc are the same Toyota ones found in the Elise
Never Stop Jason ! 😎👍 Awesome stuff, learned lots, interesting AF, entertaining to the very end, many thanks to all involved in making these first class videos . ♥
Nothing else matches the excitement of a new video from Camissa at lunch time :D Phenomenal as usual.
Not mentioned - this particular car has been upgraded with an 80kWh battery pack, giving it 340 miles of range. Incredible video! The best I've seen accurately covering the Roadster and early Tesla history. The last minute gave me goosebumps.
80kwh? Wow I thought the upgraded roadster pack's had like 55 or so kwhs. 🤔
@@4literv6 Original pack was 53kWh. New is 80, hence the "R80" badge seen on the back on this one. Tesla was working on some aero improvements to be part of the "package", hinting at 400 miles range, but it never happened. Almost like it's on-brand for Tesla to overpromise and underdeliver ;)
@@ErikRobertson interesting. You think everything they've delivered to customers inc over 4,500,000 evs globally now is overpromising? 😀
@@4literv6 oh no, the scale that they've achieved is beyond insane. They now make more cars per day than the entire Roadster production (~2,500) over 3 years. Overpromising -> 2nd gen Roadster, FSD, Cybertruck, among other things.
@@ErikRobertson yeah the latest gen products are all way overdue. Imo they should've refunded everyone with a gen2 roadster order, ct order and semi order between late 2020&2021. Once they decided no new products&gung ho on model y production. 😏
Then you can take stock of what's the real model timelines, specs and price point's. After those are realigned reopen the order books.
With the caveat anyone originally in line could keep their same deposit down&place in line but with an understanding the prices changed.
The most underdog poster car ever? Indisputably, an _electric_ revelation. And, a reminder that cash flow is king 😉 Thanks Hagerty! and thanx for the deets Jason ^^
I don't how Jason and his production people continualy turnout all of the stories. From the special effects, the stories, the dialog and some comedy, everything is first rate and just so entertaining. Amazing.
I've been saying for a while that electric cars should sound like KITT from Knight Rider, that turbine whine, and that's the only way they could be cool... This Tesla Roadster at the end sounds exactly like what I had in my head when I said that.
That was a great video :)
Automotive storytelling at it's best!
The fastest electric car in the world (it didn't even get a mention) was the 1972(?) Datsun 210 called the "White Zombie", it was a dragster that destroyed the ¼ mile with a low 7 ET....
Jason deserves a TV channel, c'mon Amazon, this guy is as entertaining as Clarkson!
Jason you're such a great host it's insane
Please never stop fam
The story about the sound of the roadster being used in the Batman movie is awesome! I didnt know about that before
Loving Jason's Revelations! Really looking forward to his next one. Great job guys!
Amazing production as always, and Jason is forever the exact right proportion of self-deprecation, sarcasm, snarkiness and unfiltered truth. Best automotive host period.
Ok is it just me, or in the end when Jason is driving the Roadster, it just sounds so damn cool?
This is what straight cut gears sound like if you don't have motor noise covering them up... :D
is sounds so siiick!
I wish there was more than a simple 👍 to express my enjoyment of every episode I watch .. thank you with every episode seemingly further apart I think just goes to show how much they are enjoyed .. can’t wait for the next one
I use to race electric 1/10 scale R/C cars back in the mid 1990s to early 2000s they were fast back then now they're really fast and so are the full size electric cars. I saw it coming way back then just needed to have the battery tech get better, and charging get populated.
The electric revolution took place much quicker in RC than in full size cars! Its not quite the same circumstances, but the technological battle was pretty similar. ICE RC cars are so rare now. The power and run time/range of modern electric systems are incredible.
@@bradcomis1066 I was at an RC race around the time they were starting to transition to electric, watching a guy doing a brilliant job driving his ICE RC car. He was just running away from the field, WAY out in front, and stopped to pit. Then he couldn't get it started, and wound up in the middle of the pack without enough time to catch the leader. He was super pissed, and said "That does it! I'm going electric!". Another convert. I love EV road cars and would never go back to ICE. It's mainly about the power delivery, acceleration, and low cost of operation/maintenance.
I was racing RC as well during that time mid 90s up to 2015 ish
Electric was better in most cases except for range with our club the final was three times as long as qualifying and didn't that cause issues
so much so that the electric cars had the finals cut down to qualifying length because it just became a war of attrition not racing
The nitro guys just drove into the pits lifted the lid and filled it up and went again
I mucked around with quick release battery options plugs that were magnetic but it was just to clunky and unreliable to race with so I went nitro then realised I could burn just as much money on real cars
This is awesome. Thank you Jason. You’re the best host ever. Never. Stop. Working. My first EV was an old Hyundai Ioniq and I regret not waiting another year to get a model 3. I finally found a used model 3 LR RWD with high milage for cheap and I can’t go back. It’s my bucket list and I’ll die with this car unless I can afford the cybertruck when I come up on the list. But even then, a little EV that feels like a golf cart and reminds me of the old M3 BMW in looks is a keeper. First car that I don’t want to sell…..other than my first car; 1984 Trans Am. That thing was so fun.
This was a great story. I was missing the Revelations series quite a lot. I didn't even know that noise from the Roadster was in the Batman movie, but I knew I heard it before.
Thank you so much Mr. Cammisa for your constant delightful educational entertainment!
Would love to share enthusiast's & engineering bits with you and the team for weeks.
I'm glad I'm not the only person that freaking loves that noise. When I gun it in my Mach-E it makes me feel like I'm in a starfighter--would be even more fun in a little roadster! Just wish they'd start putting gauges in front of the driver again . . .
Jason Cammisa is the best! Knowledgable, explains everything understandably, and is entertaining as hell!
The AA battery bit was hilarious. I could hear the nerds screaming before the punchline.
Dude I wasn’t expecting that whatsoever 😂😂 that came from the clouds
I have heard pieces of this story many times, but your story telling is amazing. Thanks for doing this!
This was a great video. I have always been a fan of Tesla and it would be a dream to drive an original Roadster. I love the size, I just wish more companies would make 2 seater electric sports cars. The end of the video when you could actually hear the motor is amazing and I wish more were like it. Thanks!
This really is one of the best channels of all time.
These stories are always fascinating but the delivery makes it truly amazing to watch everytime.
Thank you guys for your work !
I feel like the Lotus involvement is criminally downplayed. They built the car. Maybe it's not an Elise, but it's definitely a Lotus.
Honestly, the battery explanation at 6:38 explained a lot to me... It had been passing me by. Thank you for the great story too!
Damn this is an eye-opening video as an EV hater
Thank you for telling this story. As an employee, absolutely loved it. Fascinating and beautifully presented as always
Really cool story, love it!
I love all vehicles regardless of propulsion, they all sound awsome!
when a veteran reporter and a hardcore car guy can admit on video they were wrong. not many can do so! great video !
I feel the same way about motorcycles. If you don’t think they’re cool it’s because you haven’t ridden one.
ER Doctors call them donor-cycles because they only see motorcyclists that enter their lives on a gurney, so the public has this notion that they're far deadlier to ride than they are. Even with a tremendous amount of leather-chap-wearing wannabe-badass cruiser doofuses riding home drunk from bars and frontal-lobe-lacking squids buying liter-bikes, the stats for dying on a motorcycle are still better than flying in a glider or GA plane, or even riding a horse. If you get regular training, wear protective gear, ride sober, and use a bit of frontal-lobe-powered self preservation, motorcycles are only marginally more dangerous than riding a bicycle. Car enthusiasts will remove airbags, install bolt-in 'JDM' cages, keep unsecured loads inside the passenger compartment, and drive 40mph faster than traffic all while decrying motorcycles as too dangerous to ride. 😂
I was going to say "some people don't belong on one", but you just said it with more words @@EUC-lid 😂
@@EUC-lid Motorcycles are less dangerous than bicycles, once you're experienced. It's a matter of being seen by cars or not seen, and having control over situations in traffic. Bicyclists are at the mercy of whoever is approaching from behind. On a motorcycle I get to choose where I accept risk, and generally it's not behind me unless I'm the first person at a stoplight (keep it in gear lol). Anecdotal I know, but I've ridden motorcyles daily for decades without a serious incident, but I've been clobbered twice on a bicycle (by cars) in the course of riding a few times a year. In both cases a quick blip of a throttle would have prevented it.
Absolutely fantastic.
I was working for a clean air consulting company around the time the EV1 came out. We had tested electric vehicles (along with CNG, MeOH and other alternative fuels). I remember discussing electrics with the other engineers. We came to the conclusion that an electric drag racer could challenge ICE drag racers. At the same time we were disappointed that none of the EVs we tested (Solectria, S10 conversions) were even as fast as a horse in the quarter mile (a little over 20 seconds).
Great writing, great editing, great video!
I owned a few Dodge Viper at the time. A friend in purchased one and was so wanting to give me a ride in it. I was Impressed that day. Here in Scottsdale Arizona probably 20%+ of the cars at every stoplight are a Tesla Sport Ute or Sedan. Very Impressive Company!
Not a EV fan, but that sound is Amazing.
Wow, never thought I'd say this, but that thing sounds amazing. The whining of the gears sounds awesome!
Before tonight i thought the roadster was just an elise with batteries. Guess i was wrong.
Batman reference and last shot with the sound made EV motors sound cool. Excellent job all around!
Sorry, I will stick with my S1 Elise.
I guess that I am an oddball driving enthusiast because I have little interest in electric sports cars. With current technology, it will still be twice as heavy as my S1.
The local Lotus club did a lapping day on a karting track. Four Tesla Roadsters showed up. The fastest Tesla driver was still significantly slower than me in my S1 (and I am not a brlliant driver).
I have a VX and totally agree. The roadster isn’t even a fast EV. Let alone a fast car.
to be fair any purchase or investment made was a mistake compared to buying Tesla stock during that time
Jason was the best part of Head to Head. Glad I found him again. Best thing on the internet.
The 3 things that made this so work were also weight, steering feel and battery location. It's relatively lightweight compared to other evs, has amazing steering feedback with steering based off the elise and the betteries behind the driver lets you sit lower while also giving it further rearward weight bias. Lower weight also meant they could get more range out of a smaller battery compared to modern evs.
Jason’s vids are the most well written funniest on the net. Predict this will be his lowest viewed
Why would you think this will be his lowest? Very dumb assumption. Quite the opposite
Because it's about a world shaking ev? All his recent ev content has been killing it. 🤔
I just recently ( this year) discovered this channel and Cammisa is the best fkn mouth piece, journalist, wtevr….today, in all of media. Thanks , I enjoy watching.
it really is a shame that the idea of a lighter electric sports car hasn't really caught on. Electric cars are only really marketed now for there daily drivability and there tech.
A lighter electric sports car is not a possibility because of the weight of the battery.if a range of even 200 miles is the goal, or a high speed is desired.
3000 pounds of battery would be necessary.
The next Porsche Boxster/Cayman is all electric
@@briankearn6991 Kinda silly to say when the the very car this video is about has 240 miles of range while maintaining a sub 3000lbs weight...
(All of this from a fresh, inexperienced startup using a borrowed chassis.)
There has been many incremental improvements in EV tech and EV design since this car launched, and newer small evs like the aptera and mcmurtry offer decent range while weighing less than 2200lbs.
@@RB-kb3tc He was talking out of his tailpipe.
2024 BMW M3 Curb Weight: 3929 lb. A Tesla Performance Model 3 is 4,065.
@@briankearn6991 eh not really these days i mean if formula E gen 3 is getting as small as those grand prix cars in the 60's (with now the same top speed, just look at Portland).
there is also an argument to be made that an electric sportscar built in the same philosophy as the F40/Lotus/Viper would win the hearts of car guys and this is why out of all of the car companies that would nail the electric sportscars its not tesla...its LOTUS who have helped Tesla and ex-lotus execs working with Lucid (which their chassis tuning based on the E39 M5) Colin Chapman's Philosophy works THE BEST in sports EVs than ICEs, soo while people complained that lotus would now only make electrics cars, for me...ITS JUST in-character for them to do so!
Wow. I truly forgot where I was and what time it was while I watched this review. I was fully fully engaged and anybody who wants to know how a review of anything should be done should look deeply second by second study this video here. My hats off to you you are an amazing host and my thank you. Jason.
Telsa isn't a car company, they are a tech company. They've always sold it as that. that's why it's so massively overvalued. (and it shows in their manufacturing)
Wow. I didn't even know the story of Tesla or cared much for this video but i had to watch the whole thing as it was so insightful and fully engrossing. Well Done
The terrifying thing about electric sports cars is how quickly and how easily you can end up going way, way faster than you intended to go, and subsequently how difficult it can be to actually feel the limits of the vehicle before you exceed them. To their immense credit, the engineers at Tesla have made their vehicles, particularly the performance sedans and roadster, handle exceptionally well for their weight, so the handling ceiling is quite high and it is somewhat difficult to actually push through it, but it certainly isn't impossible. I suspect whenever they do finally get the new roadster into the hands of anxious buyers that there will be a slew of very destroyed roadsters and some owners who are very surprised that they survived the crash. Not because it doesn't handle well, but because it has just too much performance for a normal mindset to cope with. As previously mentioned, it becomes very difficult to intuit how fast you're going and exactly how much speed you're taking into a corner and, subsequently, how much force you'll be generating as you try to take said corner. The more effortless the acceleration feels to the driver, the easier it is to lose track of the speed you're going. Take James May's track day with the Bughatti Veyron. After his top speed run, he went to stop and open the door, not realizing that he was still going nearly 60MPH because the speed dilation that he experienced made that feel akin to standing still. I've felt a lesser degree of this when I finished a long, uninterrupted road trip at 90MPH and went into town where I'd have to slow to 35 and it felt unbearably slow, like I was idling around. So you have a car that makes 60 feel like 15 and you try to toss it through a turn you should be taking at 35...
35 is unbearably slow and only a nuisance does that outside a school zone or parking garage. Add 10-15 to the speed limit or gtfo
Part of the problem is that electric motors can vary torque almost instantaneously, while even the best ABS systems actuating large brakes cannot slow the vehicle as quickly as it can accelerate. Add in the weight of an electric car, and you can get into trouble very quickly.
That's how I got a ticket so soon after buying my Model 3 Performance - the tiniest bit of pressure on the pedal is enough to run you up to 60 MPH and my neighborhood is a 30 MPH limit. Really wish it had a setting somewhere between "Sport" and "Chill" since Sport is way too eager to get you in trouble and Chill is so neutered that you'd think it was a land yacht from the 70s. It's not just the effortless acceleration that does it, it's also how silent it is - I drove a 2016 F-Type R for a few days prior to buying my Model 3 Performance and the 0-60 and 1/4 miles times are comparable between them, but the F-Type had a much better sense of speed because you could hear it and you could feel the transmission go through the gears... the only time I hear my Model 3 is when I floor it and get the whine of the motors loud enough to hear inside the cabin.
Too much performance for the average person. I've never met an owner who had any seat-time on a track, although I know they exist. We need another license class for these cars, the tests we developed for driving base model thunderbirds won't cut it.
@@borntodieworldisafuck Honestly, I'd have to agree. We need a performance license to allow people to purchase cars with those kinds of acceleration figures. I've driven a Model 3 Performance and it takes quite a bit of driver awareness to avoid going significantly faster than the speed limit. A large part of the problem that I've noticed from that particular model is just how sensitive the accelerator is to input. Like, it's just a bit too linear and you can hit 60 in a hurry with only, like, a centimeter of travel, which feels very minute compared to most other cars' throttles. And Chill mode isn't quite the solution I wish it could have been, since it just constantly pulls accelerator input timing to make the car accelerate more slowly, which isn't exactly the solution that I want. I, more or less, would prefer to have it emulate the throttle and acceleration rate of a 350-ish HP car with a CVT transmission unless I depress the throttle more than, like, 2/3 of its travel. If I've stabbed the throttle that hard then I want as much acceleration as I can get.
I tend to think that we need more stringent driving tests to begin with, since basically nobody understands how four-way stops and rotary interchanges work, how school bus right of way and emergency vehicle right of way works, which lane you're supposed to turn into when making a turn onto a multi-lane road, how the zipper merge method works, what appropriate following distance looks like, etc. I know for a fact that all of these things were taught when I was in the driver's education class, while the practical driving course was more about familiarizing yourself with the vehicle and more practical road skills.
Jason is without doubt THE best car journalist on the planet!!
Here's a reminder to everyone.
Tesla is doing the exact same thing with autonomous driving. All the media hit pieces would have you believe Full Self Driving (FSD) is a failure of a program. But speaking from my experience on the inside, testing since 2019, we are on the cusp of a new paradigm.
Bravo Tesla for all the successes of the past, present and future.
“Testing since 2019” “WE are on the cusp of a new paradigm” LMFAO! 🤡
Jason, you are the most entertaining automotive journalist I've ever watched and I remember Brock Yates and Jean Lindamood. I always watch one of your videos and end up hours later, having watched many of your videos, wondering where the day went. Thank you for all of the info and great fun.
You buy a Tesla for the price of a new luxury limousine and then drive at a price twice as expensive as if you had bought a luxury diesel vehicle - a priceless feeling, especially when it leaves you on the road if you accidentally turned on the air conditioner.
I was expecting not to like this episode so held off watching it for a few days but am so glad I finally did!! It's perfect from Cammisa as usual. An insightful and truly interesting story told in an engaging way.
Thank you for bringing us these delicious slices of car culture.
Would rather have the Elise all day long.
One of the best automotive journalists in the industry right now. Keep up the great work.
PLEASE STOP with the effect on every old footage that makes it look like there's something on the screen.
It's stupid and honestly infuriating. Not to mention WILDLY DISTRACTING when we try to clear the thing only to notice it's some random editor trying to bug us instead of an actual issue. Not like it induced the EXACT same axiety of it being an actual issue with our monitors or our GPUs or even our anti-virus or OS versions.
STOP THIS BULLSHIT.
Electric motor sound is the reason I open the tonneau cover and back window on my F150 Lightning whenever I drive it, as it allows you to clearly hear the raw propulsion sound. Punching it and out-accelerating almost anything on the road while hearing that whine certainly isn’t like an angry V8 - but it’s different, and it’s fantastic.
I’m all in on EVs taking over. I daily my Lightning and wouldn’t daily anything else right now… Waking up to a 320 mile range, blistering acceleration, fantastic comfort and refinement is stellar. But I’ll take the V8 out on the weekends for the fun winding backroads.
Biologically speaking a 2% difference in dna might sound insignificant but in reality that 2% is analogous to the length of the universe. There’s nothing trivial about a 2% difference. So even though it sounds cute it’s entirely misleading. Now back to cars…
Another top quality car documentary video. There is no one even close to Jason.
Love that the auto-generated closed captioning at 19:54 decided that the motor noise was [Applause]. Classic. And deserved.
Most EV haters haven’t even driven an EV. And when they do, they pretend not to be impressed. 😂
Model S P65 I found used at a jaguar/rover lot.
It accelerated alright, but the Stelvio Quad I was familiar with was far more fun, and it came with vibrations and noise, whereas the tesla was dead quiet and sitting in silence with the salesman who was with me test driving the car made the experience incredibly awkward.
If car guys want contained explosions punching them into their seat, then EVs will never replace that.
The Tesla Roadster was my gateway into the world of electric cars as well. A former school friend of mine had one (a green Roadster Sport) and let me drive it (around 2013/4 IIRC). On a twisty mountain road. On that day, I learned to love EVs. The acceleration, the handling, the driving position and the „space-age“ whirring noise of the drivetrain - everything was just amazing.
Such a shame that the Roadster cost more then when it was new now. Would love to drive one again!
Great episode as always ofc. You’re amazing Jason!
The EV1 never went "on sale".
He said it was lease only in the video.
@@EUC-lid after he said it went on sale...I realized that afterwards.
The amount of details on these are truly a Revelation!!!
Those months and months behind schedule were mostly Elon's fault. The OG roadster was ready to be shipped when decided to make last minute changes to the car that drove the release date back. He then LIED to the board of directors about the situation and used that excuse to drive Marc Tarpenning (one of the other REAL founders of Tesla) who was at the time the Vice President of Engineering out of the company. Musk was sued by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning for his actions that led to them being dismissed from the company. Part of the settlement from the lawsuit stated that Musk could call himself a founder of Tesla even though he was not actually part of the company at the time it was founded. Musk didn't even have an initial investment in Tesla at it's inception. His first buy in was 8 months after Tesla was founded.
When you've got the CIA (Michael Griffin / In-Q-Tel) on your team ...
You sir, are the best automotive storyteller in the game. The battery in a bag with water was a perfect nod/foreshadowing. I wonder if people watching this video in 20 years will pick up on it.
And people are continuing being tricked to think EV's are good.
EVs are excellent though. Not perfect, but it's a tall mountain to climb.
Oh my god, the sounds that car makes!! That's awesome!
What is missing here is that Elon created a cult following him and his ideas, which is stronger than any marketing campaign you can imagine