Refreshed Tesla Model S and Model X

KAustin

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I thought I saw turn signal touch buttons on the left face of the wheel. In any case this is a situation, if no one has said it yet, of "Elon take the wheel."
Lights, horn, and turn signal are all touch areas on the steering wheel. I think Tesla said there was no need to make changes to the model S body because it has the lowest drag coefficient of any production car.
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kdryden99

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I thought I saw turn signal touch buttons on the left face of the wheel. In any case this is a situation, if no one has said it yet, of "Elon take the wheel."
Yes theyre there but NHTSA contacted tesla. Dont think itll pass especially since there's no shifter.
 
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There's lots of discussion about the refresh, including the steering "wheel" and lack of shifter on this weeks Inside EVs podcast.

 


dbsb3233

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Then you will be at fault for not overriding it.
So there is a way to overrride it then?

Even with that though, I wonder how good it is to take something so crucial out of the driver's hands most of the time. It lulls people into a sense of always being automatic for them. Then the one time it isn't, they rely on it anyway and bam.
 

ARK

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Yes. But it’s still a bad idea. The fact that Elon even stated that it “guesses” the direction and not that it “knows” already concerns me.
Yes, and I don’t see how this makes driving easier, seems to make it more stressful. Now, every time the car comes to a full stop you will have to be alert enough to make sure the car hasn’t inadvertently shifted. Even if it gets it right 999 out of 1,000 times, even 9,999 out of 10,000 the potential for a major, life-changing accident and injury are there, and I would never be able to relax driving a car like this. A clear example of a solution in search of a problem.
 

S.B.

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"Guesses"? And what if it guesses wrong?
Seriously, I’ve been imagining a bumper car scenario— or atoms in motion banging into each other. Whoops, guessed wrong again.
 

TheSteelRider

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Ben Sullins (he's winning me over more and more every day) did a very well-grounded "second thoughts" video on the refresh. I'm glad at least some of the once-die-hard "Tesla can do no wrong" crowd is finally starting to think of the vehicles like normal drivers do .. e.g., can I drive the thing not "here Elon take my money for producing and over priced product that falls apart and charges upwards of $10k for unreleased features with an ETA of infinitely in the future". In fact, I am about to re-subscribe to his channel after a couple year hiatus.

 

silverelan

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There are minor improvements, but if you load up the original S and X and put them next to the refreshed looks, it is really minor.
The updated looks were much more modest than i think a lot of people were hoping. Porsche hasn't changed the 911 much over the decades so maybe Tesla doesn't feel like they need a full do-over.

What is undeniable impressive is the range numbers on those models. 520 for the plaid+
People are guessing that Tesla is putting in 130kWh+ into the Plaid+ compared to 113 kWh by Lucid for 517 miles of range.

If the Tesla Model S Plaid+ can do 450 miles at 70mph and can recharge to 80% in just 22 minutes, then I think we'll have a good idea of where EV tech will be for $50k cars in 4-5 years.

It's possible that when they put the Plaid+ batteries into the Long Range Model S, they'll get 600mi range.
 

TheSteelRider

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If the Tesla Model S Plaid+ can do 450 miles at 70mph and can recharge to 80% in just 22 minutes, then I think we'll have a good idea of where EV tech will be for $50k cars in 4-5 years.
If that's Elon time, then you really mean 7 - 10 years. The new Roadstar (which was the original target for that "new battery tech" 500+ miles range) was pushed back *yet again* another year. The Semi (again promising same tech) has been repeatedly pushed back. If you drink the Koolaid, then Elon claims it is because of battery capacity (and, for the record, I have no doubt this is an issue). But, if you follow the numbers (e.g., both Thunderf00t and Dave at EEVblog have dissected the 4680 cell tech) you will start to suspect the battery tech is likely not where it is being hinted at being.
 

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I have to agree with TheSteelRider. His 2nd thoughts and his video saying the ME is a winner convinced me. He still loves his Tesla but he sees that there are other good BEVs to compete with Tesla.

As for the Model S, it is a sorry excuse for an update. Impressive tech and specs but who would want to buy it? If you're a driver looking for an impressively fast machine, why did they take away a lot of the controls. If you're looking at FSD, AI will not be the one I want driving that fast nor in any but the best conditions. No lane markings or snow or minor flooding and I'm supposed to give my life over to the car? NO. Not me. Here's a car that can easily accelerate to 60 MPH in under 3 seconds and travel at 200 MPH yet there's a small screen in the back so the children can watch their favorite videos. Wait? Is it a performance car or a family car? I don't want children in the back when I'm driving anywhere near that fast. I've seen an idiot in a Model S take off from a stop light and leave every one in the dust but weaving through traffic like a chase scene out of a movie. Nope. Not good. If you want to drive like that, don't put everyone at risk. In particular, leave the kids home. The big 17" center screen is impressive but also a bad idea, particularly in landscape mode. Several reviewers have noted that some of the controls to take over from AI are on that screen. So instead of having buttons or stalks I have to look over and reach, hoping to touch the correct part of the screen to respond to a decision by AI. As for buttons, I have some touch buttons on the screen in my Fusion Enrgi. I easily miss them while driving. They can be distracting rather than helpful. It doesn't help having them on the "Joke".

Don't get me wrong. I like the look of the Model S. I really like the Tech in it. I'm just questioning why anyone would buy it.
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