The Fruit of Knowledge
Posts tagged Michael Degusta
Tesla bricking update: can other electric vehicles suffer the same fate? Unlikely
Feb 23rd
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, Tesla Motors, AutoblogGreen Exclusive
Remember all the way back to Monday, when “bricking” your pricey electronic gadget simply meant you needed to get a new iPhone to try and jailbreak? The electric vehicle world is still dissecting the charges that surfaced yesterday that a Tesla Roadster could be bricked – i.e., made inoperable – if the battery gets worn down to zero, as there are new questions cropping up about the motive behind the original article by Michael Degusta. That story continues to evolve, with Degusta now claiming that it was Tesla that leaked the name of Roadster owner #340, Max Drucker, who was a business partner of Degusta’s and the source for some of the information in Degusta’s original post.
As we noted when the story broke, though, something this big – an expensive EV battery dying – is something we would have expected to have heard about the first time it happened, not with the fifth car (as it being claimed). After all, people have been driving plug-in vehicles for decades, and “bricking” has not been a major (or even minor) issue among people who know what they’re doing with an EV.
So we wanted to see if other EVs on the market might be susceptible to “bricking,” now that EVs are slowly entering the mainstream. The world’s most popular passenger EV, the Nissan Leaf, is apparently safe, as you can read after the jump.
Continue reading Tesla bricking update: can other electric vehicles suffer the same fate? Unlikely
Tesla bricking update: can other electric vehicles suffer the same fate? Unlikely originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Followup: Tesla bricked battery story may have a short circuit
Feb 23rd
Filed under: Convertible, Tesla, Electric
Yesterday’s outrageous attack on electric vehicles didn’t come from the GOP (for a change), but from a seemingly disinterested blogger, one Michael Degusta. His charges against Tesla include suggesting that its cars will have “eventual, inevitable, catastrophic battery failure,” lambasting the company for poor warranty service, accusing Tesla of tracking its owners without consent, and intimating that the company is not only failing to provide owners with proper notice of this phenomenon but also covering up the whole sordid affair. Serious stuff, this post of his that’s rippled through the automotive web with the force of a 185-kW electric motor.
Yet all may not be what it seems. Late yesterday, an e-mail surfaced on Green Car Reports, in which a disgruntled owner who bricked his battery pleads his case to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The e-mail, sent by one Max Drucker, CEO of Santa Barbara-based Social Intelligence Corp, is a clear plea for assistance in the repair of his car. Drucker identifies his car as Roadster #340, the same car that serves as the primary example in Degusta’s piece. Drucker has since spoken with Autopia about his car, admitting that he drove his Roadster down to a 25 percent charge, then left it parked for six weeks, something the owner’s manual specifically warns against.
Now, let’s turn our attention towards Degusta, who noted at the end of his screed, “No one has paid me to write this article” and pointed out that his blog is not advertising-supported. That’s an important point, as it’s clearly designed to give readers the impression that Degusta is an unbiased outsider, something of a modern-day Upton Sinclair, defending the poor, innocent owners of $100,000 sports cars from the uncaring electric car company and its billionaire co-founder.
Yet, a few minutes spent with Google shows that Drucker and Degusta are also business partners, having registered at least four corporations together in California, according to Corporationwiki. It also turns up this article, from the November 15, 2000, issue of Insurance & Technology magazine, a profile of Drucker, in which he is quoted describing Degusta as his “partner in crime.” Indeed, we wonder if the famously litigious Tesla might be considering another libel lawsuit against this muckraking duo.
Tesla bricked battery story may have a short circuit originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Tesla bricked battery story may have a short circuit
Feb 23rd
Filed under: Etc., EV/Plug-in, Tesla Motors
Yesterday’s outrageous attack on electric vehicles didn’t come from the GOP (for a change), but from a seemingly disinterested blogger, one Michael Degusta. His charges against Tesla include suggesting that its cars will have “eventual, inevitable, catastrophic battery failure,” lambasting the company for poor warranty service, accusing Tesla of tracking its owners without consent, and intimating that the company is not only failing to provide owners with proper notice of this phenomenon but also covering up the whole sordid affair. Serious stuff, this post of his that’s rippled through the automotive web with the force of a 185-kW electric motor.
Yet all may not be what it seems. Late yesterday, an e-mail surfaced on Green Car Reports, in which a disgruntled owner who bricked his battery pleads his case to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The e-mail, sent by one Max Drucker, CEO of Santa Barbara-based Social Intelligence Corp, is a clear plea for assistance in the repair of his car. Drucker identifies his car as Roadster #340, the same car that serves as the primary example in Degusta’s piece. Drucker has since spoken with Autopia about his car, admitting that he drove his Roadster down to a 25 percent charge, then left it parked for six weeks, something the owner’s manual specifically warns against.
Now, let’s turn our attention towards Degusta, who noted at the end of his screed, “No one has paid me to write this article” and pointed out that his blog is not advertising supported. That’s an important point, as it’s clearly designed to give readers the impression that Degusta is an unbiased outsider, something of a modern-day Upton Sinclair, defending the poor, innocent owners of $100,000 sports cars from the uncaring electric car company and its billionaire co-founder.
Yet, a few minutes spent with Google shows that Drucker and Degusta are also business partners, having registered at least four corporations together in California, according to Corporationwiki. It also turns up this article, from the Nov. 15, 2000, issue of Insurance & Technology magazine, a profile of Drucker, in which he is quoted describing Degusta as his “partner in crime.” Indeed, we wonder if the famously litigious Tesla might be considering another libel lawsuit against this muckraking duo.
Tesla bricked battery story may have a short circuit originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Tesla Roadster facing ‘brick’ battery problems?
Feb 22nd
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Tesla Motors, AutoblogGreen Exclusive
Here’s a new worry for electric car owners: bricking your new, expensive ride.
Using a word taken from the computer world, to “brick” an EV means to make your electronic device inoperable. In the case of an EV, it would mean to run the battery state of charge so far down that nothing works anymore, thus requiring an expensive flatbed tow and an even more expensive battery pack – about $40,000 in a Tesla Roadster.
This is the charge of Michael Degusta, who wrote a detailed post on the matter in which he claims there have been five cases of Roadsters being bricked that he knows about. Since this is the first we’ve heard about it (and we imagine all those Silicon Valley Roadster owners know a thing or two about Internet communication), we’re surprised we didn’t hear about this before the alleged problem claimed five non-working cars. Thus, we figure there’s more to the story, especially since some people are already poking holes in some of Degusta’s statements. We’ve emailed Degusta and asked him to provide further proof of and details about these bricked cars, but he has not responded yet.
For its part, Tesla has offered AutoblogGreen a fairly noncommittal statement on the matter:
All automobiles require some level of owner care. For example, combustion vehicles require regular oil changes or the engine will be destroyed. Electric vehicles should be plugged in and charging when not in use for maximum performance. All batteries are subject to damage if the charge is kept at zero for long periods of time. However, Tesla avoids this problem in virtually all instances with numerous counter-measures. Tesla batteries can remain unplugged for weeks (even months), without reaching zero state of charge. Owners of Roadster 2.0 and all subsequent Tesla products can request that their vehicle alert Tesla if SOC falls to a low level. All Tesla vehicles emit various visual and audible warnings if the battery pack falls below 5 percent SOC. Tesla provides extensive maintenance recommendations as part of the customer experience.
It’s also true that all vehicles will require some attention if they sit unused too long, and people know what happens if you leave your laptop unplugged for two weeks. In the owner’s manual for the Roadster 2.0/Roadster Sport, Tesla does say that “Over-discharge can permanently damage the Battery” and that “If storing for more than 15 days, it is strongly recommended that you keep it plugged in” (see the full section on “Leaving the vehicle unplugged” after the jump, or download the manual in PDF here), but it doesn’t specify what sort of damage that is, or how expensive it might be to fix it. Tesla spokesman Ricardo Reyes did tell AutoblogGreen that he is working to demystify the situation and will get back to us with more information.
Continue reading Tesla Roadster facing ‘brick’ battery problems?
Tesla Roadster facing ‘brick’ battery problems? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Report: Tesla Roadster facing ‘brick’ battery problems?
Feb 22nd
Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Safety, Technology, Tesla, Electric
Here’s a new worry for electric car owners: bricking your new, expensive ride.
Using a word taken from the computer world, to “brick” an EV means to make your electronic device inoperable. In the case of an EV, it would mean to run the battery state of charge so far down that nothing works anymore, thus requiring an expensive flatbed tow and an even more expensive battery pack – about $40,000 in a Tesla Roadster.
This is the charge of Michael Degusta, who wrote a detailed post on the matter in which he claims there have been five cases of Roadsters being bricked that he knows about. Since this is the first we’ve heard about it (and we imagine all those Silicon Valley Roadster owners know a thing or two about Internet communication), we’re surprised we didn’t hear about this before the alleged problem claimed five non-working cars. Thus, we figure there’s more to the story, especially since some people are already poking holes in some of Degusta’s statements. We’ve emailed Degusta and asked him to provide further proof of and details about these bricked cars, but he has not responded yet.
For its part, Tesla has offered AutoblogGreen a fairly noncommittal statement on the matter:
All automobiles require some level of owner care. For example, combustion vehicles require regular oil changes or the engine will be destroyed. Electric vehicles should be plugged in and charging when not in use for maximum performance. All batteries are subject to damage if the charge is kept at zero for long periods of time. However, Tesla avoids this problem in virtually all instances with numerous counter-measures. Tesla batteries can remain unplugged for weeks (even months), without reaching zero state of charge. Owners of Roadster 2.0 and all subsequent Tesla products can request that their vehicle alert Tesla if SOC falls to a low level. All Tesla vehicles emit various visual and audible warnings if the battery pack falls below 5 percent SOC. Tesla provides extensive maintenance recommendations as part of the customer experience.
It’s also true that all vehicles will require some attention if they sit unused too long, and people know what happens if you leave your laptop unplugged for two weeks. In the owner’s manual for the Roadster 2.0/Roadster Sport, Tesla does say that “Over-discharge can permanently damage the Battery” and that “If storing for more than 15 days, it is strongly recommended that you keep it plugged in” (see the full section on “Leaving the vehicle unplugged” after the jump, or download the manual in PDF here), but it doesn’t specify what sort of damage that is, or how expensive it might be to fix it. Tesla spokesman Ricardo Reyes did tell AutoblogGreen that he is working to demystify the situation and will get back to us with more information.
Continue reading Tesla Roadster facing ‘brick’ battery problems?
Tesla Roadster facing ‘brick’ battery problems? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
