Tesla Model X...better have a tall garage.

[botsapper]

I'm personally afraid that the falcon-wing doors were a concession to a 'qualified' marketing criteria. A checklist was filled, front-hinged doors are too pedestrian for the early adopters. Tesla is using the cliched tech template, that the key to marketing success depends on the excited first adopters for their free publicity, buzz, detailed consumer information and opinionated feedback. Early adopter marketing has a very narrow focus, targeting a specific 10% of the population, an affluent technically and socially mobile 'digerati' - the greying geeks who are financially peaking.

They are also the opposite edge of a knife, if Tesla ignores the first droppers' valuable feedback - they are also going to be the first to leave.

[Astro]

Originally Posted by brucey

...
When public transport is clearly the logical alternative to personal automobiles in every scientifically measurable way, why are cars sold or driven at all beyond the lobbying efforts of the auto industry and actions such as the GM Streetcar Conspiracy?
...

Public transport is good in theory but fails in practice. People have personal space requirements. Public transport does not allow for that. The average person feels discomfort at being forced into a confined space with people that they do not trust.
Then it only takes a few, "to cool for rules" travellers making a nuisance of themselves to push that discomfort to the point where the person actively avoids public transport if they can.
Human nature is a powerful thing.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by P-hack

This was all emotional garbage, who in their right mind has an emotional attachment to a car?!?

"I have the most awesome @#@#$@ing hammer!!! you really don't want to sell your soul on one of those other inferior hammers!!"

Plenty of people have emotional attachments to inanimate objects. I had many adventures in my Subaru, and even dreamed about the car after it was totaled and hauled off. There was a pair of shoes an ex GF had given me that I was sad to part with when I wore them out.

Objects help people to remember important events in their lives and provide a way to feel connected to the past.

That said, I agree with your point of how silly it is that people get caught up in the emotion of purchasing something that is primarily a tool.

Originally Posted by brucey

When public transport is clearly the logical alternative to personal automobiles in every scientifically measurable way, why are cars sold or driven at all beyond the lobbying efforts of the auto industry and actions such as the GM Streetcar Conspiracy?

Public transport is not clearly the logical alternative to personal vehicles. The U.S. is not Japan. What public transportation will pick me up from work at 1am, or take me to my parents house out in the countryside? How do I get into the mountains to go camping? Public transportation goes nowhere I'd want to go.

[brucey]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Public transport is not clearly the logical alternative to personal vehicles. The U.S. is not Japan. What public transportation will pick me up from work at 1am, or take me to my parents house out in the countryside? How do I get into the mountains to go camping? Public transportation goes nowhere I'd want to go.

Well, not now that we have a major infrastructure to support passenger cars... And we have a neglected public transportation system... But before the Eisenhower Interstate system? Before Route 66 was part of Americana? When cars were just toys for the rich?

If we put as much support, financial backing, and long term mindset changes into public transportation, it clearly would do all those things and more, at a lower cost and environmental impact. For the record I love cars. But the idea from the previous post was simply backing the statement "Because its' Cool" is enough reason to do something.

[Superfuelgero]

I live in a town of 450. Public transportation never existed, and never will.

[Giovanni LiCalsi]

The asphalt, cement, oil and auto industries have always lobbied against public transportation. We could have high-speed bullet trains and light rail everywhere, if not for the corporations dictating what we citizens can have for transportation.
They dismantled and completely destroyed the early light rail routes and implemented the dirty bus lines.

[wdb]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Would you rather live next to a refinery or a wind farm?

Wind farm. All that free bird meat, yum.

Or even live next to a gas station vs a Supercharger station?

Supercharger station. I'd sell overpriced iced tea to the folks milling around waiting for their cars to charge.

I think the falcon wing doors are an alternative to sliding doors found on minivans. I have no doubt they improve access to the rearmost seats, and they would also improve access for loading/unloading of stuff like baby seats and the babies in them. In other words, maybe they put them there for practical purposes.

My biggest issue with them would be how wet the inside of the car would get when they're open on an inclement day. Or, now that I think about it, when the roof of the car has a few inches of snow on it.

[Giovanni LiCalsi]

I'm sure that the same criticism was given to electric starters over hand cranking the engines.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by Giovanni LiCalsi

I'm sure that the same criticism was give to electric starters over hand cranking the engines.

Has anybody here tried that?

[RedDevil]

I have a flat battery in my Insight. Switching off on a red light it refused to start on go green.
I had all the lights and radio on, swiched them off and gave it another try. It turned over a few times without running, then slowed ... but just then kicked to life!

I believe i curse started that engine !