How buying an $80,000 Telsa costs the same as a $50,000 Camaro

[2Muchmark]

ARRRGHHHH

I ordered a 2SS/RS/1LE Camaro 6 weeks ago for $50k and am expecting to get it in about 4 weeks or so. Today my phone rang and it was a sales rep from Tesla Motors. Get this:

Financing a Camaro for 76 months will cost about $780.00 per month taxes in, plus about 2-3 fill ups per month for $293.81 per month. Total gas per year at the current prices will cost me $3525.68. total : $1073.81 per month.

An $80k + 15% HST Tesla Model S - $8,000 green tax credit from the Quebec Government. With 3.99% financing (A little high but ok) PLUS electricity ($0.08 of Electricity = $1.40 Per Litre of Gas Equivalent) means everything will cost me $1079.81 per month, ENERGY INCLUDED, Tax included.

Frustrating! For the same price I can race and beat almost anyone on the road without polluting at all.

Oh well - this will be my last gas car. Don't worry I'm still a fan of Camaro's and you can't compare the cars to each other 100%, but wow Tesla.... amazing job!

Now that I've probably upset a few people, go ahead : Let the 2Muchmark slamming begin.

[ChadG]

No bashing here, the Tesla S is an amazing car . . .

[christianmotox]

The tesla S is an awesome car, congrats.

[The Stig]

Originally Posted by ChadG

No bashing here, the Tesla S is an amazing car . . .

A tesla roadster is my dream daily driver car. Is save soooo much by not having to but gas.

I mean I'm screwed when I need to replace the battery, but that's like 7 years down the road.

[Cheveey57]

Not for me, can't see driving out of state and having to pull over for a charge and wait two or three hours. I'll pay the gas and be on my way in 5 minutes. Don't be believe the hype about pollution from autos, just look at these third world countries like China they make more pollution in a day then we do in a year.

[SoCalThug]

What color tesla? There look alot better then our camaros stock imo. Beautiful cars! But... camaro can be customized so many different ways. Post up pics of your car wen u get it

[JoansDriver]

I don't think it's nearly that simple. Questions you need to ask...

1. What's the cost of the battery replacement?

2. What's the environmental impact of replacing the battery? Both disposal, and the impact of mining for the minerals that go into these batteries.

Do that, and then decide if it's still comparable.

[2Muchmark]

Originally Posted by SoCalThug

What color tesla? There look alot better then our camaros stock imo. Beautiful cars! But... camaro can be customized so many different ways. Post up pics of your car wen u get it

oops sorry let me clarify. I didn't order the Tesla. I WANT a Tesla, but I will get one next year. This year, I still want my Camaro.

Originally Posted by JoansDriver

1. What's the cost of the battery replacement?

The batteries are guaranteed for 5 or 6 years. Today they cost $10k or $20k for the entire pack or something like that but prices would hopefully come down in the future.

Originally Posted by JoansDriver

2. What's the environmental impact of replacing the battery? Both disposal, and the impact of mining for the minerals that go into these batteries.

Much, much much less than the impact Gasoline has. And plus the batteries would not be disposed, they are recyclable.

Originally Posted by JoansDriver

Do that, and then decide if it's still comparable.

Done, and it's more than comparable...

Don't get me wrong - I love V8 Performance cars... I've owned 10 Firebirds and a 2010 Camaro and loved them all.... but gasoline is a whopping 96.42% more expensive than Electricity (in Quebec) for the same amount of energy. That's alot of money.

[jd10013]

Originally Posted by JoansDriver

I don't think it's nearly that simple. Questions you need to ask...

1. What's the cost of the battery replacement?

2. What's the environmental impact of replacing the battery? Both disposal, and the impact of mining for the minerals that go into these batteries.

Do that, and then decide if it's still comparable.

people also tend to ignore the plethora of problems the Tesla has had, the two biggest being range and cold weather effects on the battery. when The NY times took one out they couldn't even finish the test drive because the cold weather killed the battery too fast. not to mention if that battery hits 0% then it will "brick" as they call it and need a 40k replacement.

anyone who thinks they're that great, go buy one. and after you do that, go look at who owns and runs that company. you'll then understand how they've gained access to so much taxpayer money.

[Aubrey64]

I think that there are more costs then the Tesla then it may seem. But either way, they are both great cars!

[JoansDriver]

When I asked you about the environmental cost of mining the materials that make up the battery, you didn't really answer. The environmental cost for the materials is quite high. Large portions of rainforest are destroyed all the time in order to provide the material that makes up lithium ion batteries.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but I find when people claim electric vehicles are this perfect answer to the combustion engine powered car, I think people are under educated to the exact environmental impact these vehicles have.

The car itself is beautiful, the technology incredible. But it's far from the green car people claim it is.

[Firefighter]

Go see the smoke stacks at that coal power plant that supplies your house... then look at what comes out of your tail pipe. Just saying.

[JoansDriver]

Originally Posted by jd10013

people also tend to ignore the plethora of problems the Tesla has had, the two biggest being range and cold weather effects on the battery. when The NY times took one out they couldn't even finish the test drive because the cold weather killed the battery too fast. not to mention if that battery hits 0% then it will "brick" as they call it and need a 40k replacement.

anyone who thinks they're that great, go buy one.

Precisely. It's far from perfect. And to wit, I'd say it's probably far more trouble than it's worth.

I'd compare it to rotary engine vehicles. I live on an Island where any car that has a rotary engine needs to go over to the mainland to be serviced. Think about the Tesla in the same terms, likely even worse. If something goes south, I'm sure the car has to go back to a Tesla dealer to be serviced. You can't take the car into any avg Joe mechanic.

I guess it's a niche vehicle, for people that have the money, and the patience to deal with new tech still going thru growing pains. Definitely not for me.

[JoansDriver]

Originally Posted by Firefighter

Go see the smoke stacks at that coal power plant that supplies your house... then look at what comes out of your tail pipe. Just saying.

This as well. The carbon cost of electricity isn't exactly flattering.