How is an electric car like a smartphone? While one can fit in your pocket, and the other can fit you in its pocket, the key common factor is a high-tech yet ubiquitous technology: the battery.
Recently a spat erupted online over an unflattering New York Times review of a Tesla Motors electric car—its Model S luxury sedan. Tesla asserts that you can drive its electric cars pretty much like any car, while the NYT reviewer’s test drive results under supposedly real-world conditions imply that maybe you can’t. In fact, the reviewer ran out of electricity before reaching his destination, and a photo of the out-of-juice Tesla being towed accompanied the article.
Tesla cried foul and the NYT—predictably—defended itself.
We’ll spare you the ping-pong match of claims, counterclaims, accusations, and name-calling. We’ll spare you the recitation of what the car’s onboard computer revealed in contrast to what the reporter wrote. However, there is one key point that both sides agree on: The reporter did not fully charge the car’s battery the night before it ran out.
Let’s season the discussion with a dash of common sense. If you have a smartphone, you know that, on days that you use it, you need to charge it fully—otherwise, if the battery didn’t run out today, it will probably run out tomorrow. Many people adopt the habit of charging overnight, regardless of the day’s use.
If you used your smartphone today, why wouldn’t you plug it in tonight to ensure a full battery tomorrow? Likewise, if you drove your electric car today, and you can charge it in the evening to ensure a full battery tomorrow, why wouldn’t you?
SAYS EPOCH TIMES: Charge your batteries fully and you’ll go far.
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Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
