Daily Archives: November 5, 2015


As I've said, the +Tesla Motors Model S is very good in many ways, but it's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination

A number of complaints this owner has apply to all EVs and some apply to all cars, regardless of the powertrain.

For example, while Tesla claims the Model S is software-driven, that is only true to the degree that the like all cars, it is hardware-limited. It doesn't matter if you buy a Dodge Dart or Model S, if a hardware feature is not available at the time of purchase, software isn't going to enable the functionality. Products evolve and change over time and you buy the best you can get at the time you need it. The sensors required to enable Auto Pilot were not included in cars built before October 2014 and they will never be there, so you just have to live with it. My 2005 Mustang will never drive autonomously either.

All RWD performance cars struggle in winter weather to some degree and you'll have to adjust your driving style. Don't whine about it, if you can't deal with it, buy a Nissan Leaf instead.

Loss of cold weather performance and mandatory trip planning are a fact of life with an EV whether you buy a Leaf or a Model S.

There is always room for improvement, that's why engineers remain employed.

10 Things I Hate About My Tesla
Actually, I could only get to seven things.


For those of you that want +

For those of you that want +Android Auto or Apple Carplay but don't want to buy a new car, there are aftermarket solutions. Pioneer makes three head units with smartphone support and I tried one out.

Living With Aftermarket Android Auto and Apple Carplay Pt.1 – Sam’s Thoughts
When you stop to consider how complex the task of driving a vehicle actually is, it’s rather surprising that there aren’t a lot more accidents and fatalities than we already have. Despite this, we keep adding more things for the driver to do on the road and designers have struggled to find a way to …


Living With Aftermarket Android Auto and Apple Carplay Pt.1

4100nex - 1 of 68When you stop to consider how complex the task of driving a vehicle actually is, it’s rather surprising that there aren’t a lot more accidents and fatalities than we already have. Despite this, we keep adding more things for the driver to do on the road and designers have struggled to find a way to integrate everything into the human machine interface (HMI). Having watched the struggles of automotive designers to develop a usable in-vehicle HMI, technology giants Apple and Google have now stepped into the breach with their own solutions to the problem in the form of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

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