It’s about 6:45 AM as I write this. I couldn’t decide if I should write a post or take a drive in my Z06 and, eventually, stop at a gas station. For the first 35 years I drove I never let my gas tank get below half full. I was always told it was unsafe to let the gas level fall below half.
Now, while I try to fill the tank before it gets below half, I often do not. Is that simply a manifestation of the “speeding up” of time that occurs as one grows older? Anyway, the Z06 fuel level is only about a quarter full.
If it had been 6:00 or 6:15, I probably would have gone for the drive. The result of my choice is what you are reading.
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On this day in 2006 Tesla Motors unveiled its Roadster prototype to 350 invited guests at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California. The Roadster wouldn’t be put into production until February, 2008; Tesla co-founder and chairman Elon Musk (I think you’ve heard of him) received the first vehicle. This car was Tesla’s first production automobile.
The Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise chassis and looked very much like an Elise. The Tesla Roadster was the first production electric car that claimed more than 200 miles of range per charge.
I have no doubt that electric cars will become the dominant paradigm in personal transportation. I also have little doubt that will not happen as quickly as the zealots think or want. In the US, the share of the new car market for electrics has seemingly plateaued at 2%, although hybrid sales continue to increase.
Remember that something like 1.3 billion cars and light trucks are owned by people all over the world, almost all of which run on gasoline or diesel. Remember that another 60 or 70 million new vehicles are sold every year around the world and most of them run on gasoline or diesel.
In my opinion, some segment of the car buying public will prefer an internal combustion engine powered vehicle for years to come. From carsauto.com a picture of a 2008 Tesla Roadster.
I must admit it’s not a bad-looking car; most Lotus models look good. The only exception for me is the Europa.
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My wonderful wife and I are both struggling under the weight of the stress related to our efforts to sell our house and to move to the desert. Both of us are suffering from diminished sleep. It seems as though no matter how much we’ve done, and we have been busy for weeks, a seemingly infinite number of tasks remain.
I would write “this, too, shall pass,” but I have the nagging feeling that something very bad is going to happen before, during, or just after the move, if we are able to move. Remember that I am neither a glass half-full nor glass half-empty person, but am someone who doesn’t even see the glass.
#SundayChoice
#TeslaRoadster
#MovingStress
#somanycarsjustonelife
#disaffectedmusings
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Disaffected Musings 
I hate moving. My last move, 9 years ago, is hopefully my last. I came to the conclusion that I have entirely too much “stuff”. I think if I did have to move again, I would sell as much as possible and then burn what ever didn’t sell. I have been trying to “de-clutter” with mixed results. While I have sold off some projects that I realized I would NEVER get to, I have replaced one with a different, complete, vehicle.I have bartered/traded/sold some machinery and tools (who needs 4-5 of the same type of power tool?). I have had to force myself to NOT stop at yard sales, not peruse Craigslist and stay away from government surplus auction sites.
If there was a Packrats Anonymous, I would be a poster child for it. “Hi, I’m Dirty Dingus McGee and I collect EVERYTHING”.
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LOL on the Packrats Anonymous line!
I think most people realize they need to rid themselves of some/most possessions as they age. Moving makes the realization sharper.
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Sometimes I think I am a candidate for the reality TV show “Hoarders”.
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In our efforts to prepare for a move, it is amazing how easy it’s been for me to get rid of things.
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Elon Musk needs a marketing director. He needs to convince those families that have two/three/four cars that one of those should be a Tesla. His $500 charger also is a good step towards wider adoption. He may also need a designer to make the car mor “luxurious”. Finally, the 400-600 mile/charge/million mile lifetime battery will be a game changer, especially if it can go into taxi/Uber vehicles in places like NYC/Hong Kong/New Delhi around the world.
If I had a three car garage, a Tesla certainly would be a consideration, since most of our trips are less than 200 miles round trip. Plus a Model 3 can beat a Corvette 0-60.🤣
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Sorry, a Tesla Model 3 will do 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. My Z06 can do that in 2.9 stock as can a base 2020 Corvette. Anyway, the Vettes sound much better. 😉
I think Musk deserves kudos for creating Tesla and for pushing it to sales levels that were thought impossible.
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“In fact, when put up against a Tesla Model 3 Performance, the Corvette is a tad slower than the electric sedan. It certainly starts picking up the pace afterward and it catches the Tesla, but off the line its all-wheel drive and instant torque delivery give it the edge.“
https://insideevs.com/news/404640/video-tesla-model-3-corvette-c8-drag-race/amp/
We can agree to disagree.
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I’ll stick with the 0-to-60 figures I cited. The Tesla is quicker 0-to-30.
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Those of us who endured and survived the 1973 oil embargo and the resulting lines at the gas stations always keep the gas tank above the one half mark. We always fill the tank before a road trip on the highway. The Boy Scout and emergency prepper that I am guides my thinking.
The only thing about the Lotus that excites me is the engine, the Lotus Twin Cam. With enough money, I’d probably build a Street Roadster class Bonneville car with a Lotus Twin Cam sized to fit in the Class H engine size. We all have dreams.
I understand the anxiety of planning a move. Make a plan, as best you can around the knowns and expect changes. Let us know if we can help in anyway as we are already here in the desert. Family helps out family! We will do our part on this end.
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Thanks for offering your help, Philip. When I am in a store or on the phone with a company rep they will often ask, “How can I help you?” I often answer, “I am beyond help, but thanks for asking.” About 90% of the time that line will get a laugh.
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When the store checkout person asks me how I’m doing, my reply is :”I’m still deciding”. The regular clerks know me well enough that they ask when I’m going to make up my mind. I give varying responses. Keeps them on their toes.
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I like giving off the wall answers to see if people are paying attention.
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After two Avalon hybrids, I am pretty sure my next car will also be a hybrid. I like the quiet acceleration, though the 4-cylinder does labor if it kicks in when I expect a quick response. I’d love to go “all-electric” but it would have to deliver more than a couple of hundred miles, and I’m not at all enthused to have to sit around and wait for the battery to charge while on a trip.
You are correct that gasoline/diesel will be a long time going away.
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Hey, as everyone knows, my motto is drive what you want, but don’t try to cram your choice down my throat. That applies in the electric/hybrid/ICE debate, the automatic/manual debate, the American/Foreign debate, etc.
As I wrote, while electric sales have plateaued in the US–at least for now–hybrid sales are increasing. I think concerns about range and charging times are keeping many people from buying electric cars.
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My girlfriend is someone who regularly purges items, and has some decent luck turning some of them into cash through various online marketplaces. I have had less such luck, though I still have a lot of items listed online. Luckily I have managed to break free from my the mindset my father still has – “I can still use this for something” and “do you know what I paid for this? I’m not just going to give it away!”. I do find that often once you get rolling, it gets easier to separate things into ‘keep it’ or ‘kick it’.
I thought the ‘once it gets rolling’ thing would also apply to electrics and hybrids. Part of that was based on the idea that it seemed people were gravitating back to urban living. In that case, small electric ‘city cars’ would (to my mind) find support, and you’d see charging stations replacing gas stations downtown – adoption would acceprate.
I’m not so sure now as the COVID situation, coupled with political upheaval, seems to have caused some kind of shift back to where people are again considering they can telecommute from the burbs or further. I wouldn’t say death blow to electrics by any means, but I think it will delay their widespread adoption because the impetus is lessened.
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Great comment, sir.
Yes, once again we have more of the many examples of how human beings cannot predict the future with accuracy. New York City now has a glut of available properties that used to have multiple suitors anytime they were on the market. I have long thought that it was the arrogance and obstinacy of managers that kept people from working at home. In the long run, I think at least having the option to work from home will be a good thing.
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