If your phone goes flat

then an electric car is probably not for you...


Tesla Motors and the New York Times reporter John Broder were exchanging salvos over a negative review of Tesla’s new East Coast fast-charging stations. When Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk says it was Broder’s fault that he got stranded with a depleted battery, Musk is right. Broder was being a bit of a plank!

But he’s missing the point. Broder’s difficulties show that electric cars aren’t for everyone. in a petrol car you can fairly well switch your brain off, you don't need to plan, only react...

In his test drive, Broder made mistakes, big stupid mistakes at every turn. If he had topped off the battery (which he says he didn't know how to do, Plank!), he more than likely would have had enough charge. If he had plugged in at an ordinary socket during an overnight stop, he probably would have had enough charge. But he didn't  and the cold weather sapped his battery (every used a digital camera when skiing?), forcing him to detour to a standard charging station, which can take hours instead of minutes to charge the battery. Then, bizarrely, he stopped charging and tried to drive 61 miles when the car’s display told him it could only go 32 miles. Plank

Broder could easily have avoided running out of power. But he was treating the car the way he would a petrol one. The car said it had plenty of charge for his trip, and he believed it. When the power levels dropped in the cold, he couldn't make the trip he wanted to. -  admittedly, that's probably not his fault. but anyone with an adventurous spirit would have come across this with other devices - but you cant keep an EV's batteries down you boxer shorts - my solution for camera battery failure up a mountain!

in a future with no fossil fuels, Broder will be the guy stuck on the side of the road with a flat car and a flat battery on his phone. he is doomed so you have to feel sorry for him...

I guess you cant help some people, do not presume intellect in drivers, not everyone has a concept of electric vehicles, but then, if you don't understand how something works, how can you give it a honest review?