And this is how we learn that the same data can be used to come to opposite conclusions.
Posted 02.14.2013 at 7:52 pm
15 Comments
Tesla Model S, Full Frontal
Tesla says the 3,825-lbs Model S, which is powered by a similar all-electric powerplant as the roadster, will get from zero to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, around the same as a BMW 535i.
Tesla Motors
And the battle between Tesla's Elon Musk and the New York Times's John Broder continues! Broder just published a point-by-point response to Musk's inflammatory blog post, and it mostly seems reasonable. Broder explains that his half-mile drive around a Connecticut parking lot was simply an attempt to find the "not prominently marked" charger. Broder can't explain the discrepancy between his claims of setting the cruise control at 54mph and Musk's data showing that he actually drove at around 60mph.
Broder's statements are much clearer than Musk's; the Tesla founder's blog post referenced image captions, quotes, and assumptions without much transparency, and Broder's is a very clear response to individual comments. There's certainly some weird numbers stuff going on here, with some of Broder's notes not matching up exactly with the data taken by Tesla, but it also seems like Musk attacked the Times article based on some assumptions he drew rather than on what's in the piece, and also that Musk is manipulating a bit of the data or at least misrepresenting it. For example, Broder did not fully charge the Model S at each stop. That's true! But Tesla's representatives told Broder specifically that he had charged the car enough, and that he could proceed comfortably to his next stop. And given that the Model S takes hours to charge, why would Broder charge it longer than necessary?
Clearly Musk is unhappy with the article. I think this is a very telling excerpt, from that post Musk published yesterday:
When Tesla first approached The New York Times about doing this story, it was supposed to be focused on future advancements in our Supercharger technology. There was no need to write a story about existing Superchargers on the East Coast, as that had already been done by Consumer Reports with no problems!
Tesla pitched the Times a story that would suit them, a puff piece. "Hey guys, want to write about the future of our groundbreaking technology?" And then the NYTimes took the access and wrote the piece they wanted to write. Yes, Tesla would have preferred that the Times write nothing but positive things about the company, but that's not how journalism works; if you're a subject, you don't get to choose the story. And it's increasingly looking like Musk is merely lashing out.
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Well this did not seem bias at all. PopSci please do not become a rag.
"it's increasingly looking like Musk is merely lashing out."
It's increasing looking like you only know how to write opinionated pieces on a site that is supposed to be about science.
Sorry that was rude. In other news, does anyone know the complications of covering a roof of an EV with thin film solar (besides additional cost of course). It seems like that would be a good way to help increase range on a sunny day? Or helping to charge the battery when the car is parked as you are shopping.
@ Bob Clemintime
You should invent it. Solar Clemintime.
The NYT has an established reputation of promoting political agendas over facts. But on the other hand, Mr. Musk seems to have fallen for a common journalist trap that ensnares many unwary principal shareholders of public corporations. As a principal shareholder in TSLA, Mr. Musk should have known better than to make any public statements that may influence TSLA share prices. By making such public statements he has exposed himself to shareholder lawsuits.
Tesla fanboys are almost as annoying as Apple fanboys, constantly defending their team, no matter how good the competitors are, and no matter how childish the company starts to behave. Please, stop behaving like cheerleaders and accept criticism like grown ups.
lol Musk doesnt answer straight?! WTF he doesnt have to, HE SHOWS DIRECTLY THE DATA.(numbers > 10^12 words)
@juujuuuujj
agreed at some point but some of us are only defending the false accusation as this one which only shows the anti-scientific purposes of oil-butts... gaz-tech is clearly superior to EVs today, but we dont like that the first one puts sticks in the wheels of the second...
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(Type 0.72) = We are still just cleaver monkeys!
I have to check to see if an article is written by Dan Nosowitz before I waste my time reading it.
His blatant ignorant far left liberal uneducated scientific bias makes me ill.
Dan thanks for wasting my time this morning yet again with your crap article.
Wouldn't a left-leaning commie liberal commie pinko commie be trying to make a FAVORABLE spin on an electric car story?
@HBillyRufus
You would think so wouldn't you. Someone should tell him he is not doing it right D:
@vt007 - Elon Musk has been really hostile towards other green car manufacturers, like BYD, and his fans have defended him like they would the captain of their favorite football team. I agree with your opinion on the oil-butts, but the Musk-heads are becoming just as annoying.
@juujuuuujj
lol cant hate the man for knowin his shit ^^
but i can relate to the apple (all this inovation and stuff makes him a bit agressive) but hey im not a miltibillionaire so i cant know what he is going through
as long as tech prosper and eldery shut the eff up about their wallets, im cool...
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(Type 0.72) = We are still just cleaver monkeys!
For those of you ripping Dan for this article, maybe if you actually followed all the PopSci posts you'd know this is simply a follow up to a previous article. All your attempts to rip Dan, simply make you look like twits.
http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2013-02/end-fudging-numbers-reviews
Mr. Musk has fallen for the typical ploy used by tabloid journalists by responding to the questionable claims made in the NYT article. He should have just ignored them. He has nothing to gain by publicly responding to them, and it's an argument he can never hope to win.
Wow: to side with the NYT against Tesla, against the fact that the logs are valid, takes a heaping helping of willful ignorance, and a dash of cognitive dissonance.