Batteries are expensive.

Folks staying on the strip generally don’t get in their car to go everywhere.

Switching off a few dim LEDs in the most densely populated area for 500 miles isn’t going to suddenly reveal a sky full of undiminished stars.

My God - what a waste of a Merlin.

I like the idea of biometrics like Genesis is trying out better. No concerns about having my phone charged or losing my key.

Small steps in the right direction are still worth taking.

Why is it surprising SEMA would sponsor this? Their whole reason for existing is to promote the automotive aftermarket sector. It doesn’t get more aftermarket than swapping out the entire drivetrain with non-OEM equipment.

Long beds are overrated. Every truck can carry plywood so long as the tailgate comes down. Most even have some means of supporting plywood/sheetrock (usually slots for 2x4's to make a shelf or the tailgate can be stopped part way down). Plenty of usability for the DIYer. Even most contractors I see (and know) don’t…

That truly sucks and I feel for you. C-suite folks definitely never take it on the chin as much as the people they manage. Part of the problem with stock-based compensation is that market sentiment can suddenly make you take a huge pay cut, regardless of your own job performance, or even the performance of the company…

A lot of them are. Whenever you see a c-suite guy “leave by mutual decision” (as quite a few recently have) it’s basically them getting fired.

Erik, try to have a little perspective here. Even a successful, profitable company, run by the most competent CEO to ever live has to occasionally reduce its workforce, particularly during times of difficult macroeconomic uncertainty. And before you start bitching about cutting the CEO’s salary, do a little math first.…

^This^

They are having a hard enough time figuring out how to wipe the outside of the windshield. Good luck with the inside.

Only because I am building out a camper van for track weekends and just went down the rabbit hole trying to figure out if I could do a heat pump for it. Either way I think the original point stands... Tesla likes to be cheap.

It does seem strange, especially with torque being the same. Perhaps they will eventually pair the 6cyl with the plug-in hybrid? I can’t think of any real reason otherwise.

It’s slightly more complicated than that. Expansion valves and compressors only work in one direction so you need a second expansion valve, a reversing valve, the additional ducting you mentioned, and possibly a resistive heating element if the heat pump is equipped with an auxiliary heater for extreme temperatures.…

Just about everything you said is absolutely correct. But I’m not trying to rob Tesla of kudos for their engineering successes I’m trying to point out that many of those successes were intended to same them money (just like every mass market automaker), often at the detriment to the consumers’ ownership experience.…

It still requires a more complicated piece of equipment than an AC only system.

Fuck that. If I see a hit and run I am absolutely calling the cops.

Tesla does a lot to cut costs that legacy companies generally won’t do. Cheap interior materials, minimalist interior design (no buttons etc), extremely long refresh cycles (Model S interior aside there haven’t been any), skipping beta-phase production runs (primary reason for fit and finish issues), few paint…