You really can’t lump pure EVs in with the Volt though. It IS far more complex than any current model pure EV. They all have a single motor through a reduction gearset. Many of them don’t even have battery temperature regulation.

We probably agree that the two drivetrain approach, at least as employed by the Volt, is likely to become part of history. The cheaper batteries become, the less sense it makes. The battery does not have a dedicated cooling system BTW, only a separate loop that utilizes the same compressor as the interior.

I don’t have to, I leased an ‘11 Volt, VIN 777. I’ve watched the Pam Fletcher Volt “deep dive” several times. Two electric motors, a simple ICE, a planetary drive, and 3 clutches. If you feel that it’s more complex than a modern turbo DI ICE hooked up to an 8sp auto or dual clutch transmission, we’re not going to find…

FWIW, I commute in an e-golf because it’s smooth, silent, requires no trips to the gas station, dirt cheap to operate, and maintenance free. In the winter, there’s zero warm up and I can pre-warm the interior in my garage, which is nice. None of these reasons are environmental.

Currently, all pure EVs use simple reduction gearsets. The Volt’s “complicated” drive system is laughably trivial compared to a modern 8 speed automatic as another poster pointed out.

There’s no evidence in the source article that it would cost Tesla $20k, only that he was offered a different car for $20k more. We don’t know if it was identical or not.

EDIT: meant to reply higher

I just made a similar point. My wife’s E30 looks impossibly small next to any modern BMW. My small-for-today Mk7 Golf looks gigantic next to it.

It’s funny how our frame of reference changes. The “small” 340 is 2" wider and only 3" shorter than an E34 5 series!

It was not a good idea because the advantages of the design - yes, there are several - are overwhelmingly outweighed by the disadvantages. Mostly the complexity of them but also the structural compromises resulting from removing a huge part of the roof and even the roof rack issue. The risk just wasn’t worth the…

That’s really cool but I’m not sure how a car I’ve never seen before bolsters your claim that Tesla’s door design “has existed for DECADES and honestly exists in every single hatchback and minivan rear door”.

You haven’t looked at it closely - it has two hinges and is far more complicated than previous designs.

Those door handles were completely trivial compared to the doors and were still a major headache early on. That should have been a learning moment...

That actually seems like a real differentiator. In the Tesla case, I get out of the car and walk away, clicking the remote as I do. With the BMW, it sounds like I have to monitor it. Also, the Model S manages the garage door through RemoteLink.

Man, you guys are crazy. In college my friends and I did Baltimore to LA in 48hrs, stopping for fuel every 300 miles, but we had 4 drivers. These days, I’ll do 150 non-stop each way for an occasional business meeting but I’ll often stop for gas even then.

I have a friend with a P85+ (the top of the line at the time) with the cloth interior. Tesla has always been more flexible about it than most automakers.

This. I once went to a vegan place, hoping to be wowed by interesting dishes, only to eat lousy fake meat substitutes.

5 cells. The 20V stuff is marking fluff as you say. They hedge with the “MAX” on the label.

Those are 5 cell packs. Nominal voltage is about 18V but unloaded full charge voltage is (briefly) 20V. Notice that it says “MAX” on the side?

FWIW, I know someone who’s had one for a year. Couldn’t resist the $100k discount on a 3,000 mile car. Only one trip to the dealer I think, for a minor coolant leak early on. 9000 miles on it now.