Linus Sebastian allegedly cares about technology and accurately informing his viewers... then he goes ahead and tweets something like this:
So according to Linus, Elon is very stupid and so are the top engineers he hired to create their own audio system, infotainment system and OS for the cars.
He compares the his in-laws' Tesla Model Y to his Chevy Volt... this comparison is so stupid, I don't know where to start. Let me just say that Tesla made its own infotainment system, while GM bought whatever crap the suppliers gave them... and happened to come with better/expensive Bluetooth audio license. This kind of car design however is not sustainable, as GM never made a profit on the Volt. They kept losing money until they finally shut the program down. Outsourcing everything doesn't work... and that's what Linus seems to want here, an expensive licensing fee payed to Apple/Google (for Apple Carplay or Android Auto) or to whoever holds the license for high quality Bluetooth audio.
Long story short, I'm sure Tesla is working on it, and at some point they will upgrade the Bluetooth audio experience, but that is absolutely not a priority.
The greeting "F Linus" comes from a relatively recent event, when Linuses MCN wrongfully hit a lot of tech Youtube channels with copyright strikes. These channels had the same benchmark software in their videos as LMG, that was their crime. After a proper backlash from the youtuber's fans, Linus called the whole thing "drama", even though his actions were 100% wrong and could have terminated channels, taking away the creator's livelihoods. Later he tweeted that "the problem was resolved" but DID NOT apologize, nor did he acknowledge it was his fault.
This video is episode two, aka. another major public F-up from the guy who supposed to research stories, before he runs his mouth in public, misinforming millions of viewers. Originally it was in an episode of the WAN show, later got clipped to LMG clips. This time it's about his experience buying a Tesla for his in-laws.
Linus says:
1. On delivery they (Tesla employees) have this expectation that there will be something wrong with the car
A: Yes, you ignorant fool. Tesla cars made in California have to be rushed, in order to get the customer's money as quickly as possible. Any delay would cost the customer 5-15 thousand dollars more.
In the traditional car dealership model the cars have time to sit on the lot, and you pay extra for that time. It's not common practice to inspect or fix cars on dealerships lots, maybe if they are bored they do something.
2. Fix the problems before the customer takes ownership of the car
A: If you did your job, mr. CEO, editor and journalist of Linus MEDIA Group, you would have found out that Tesla delivery centers are not dealerships nor service centers. They DELIVER ~200 cars per day, so there's absolutely no time to fix more than 10-20 of them every day, especially if it's the end of a quarter. It's absolutely the best solution to not charge you an extra 15K USD to receive a ~perfect car.
3. Anti-consumer practice
A: That I may agree with to some degree... but then again, no manufacturer tests all their computers or phones before sending them out to stores and customers. A significant percentage of all consumer products arrive DOA and/or break in the first year of use. I believe it's around 20%, and that situation is far worse than the superficial issues found in Teslas (only the ones made in California).
4. Tesla's culture is to overengineer some weird solution, rather than just take the normal path
A: That is just dumb. If you knew what you're talking about, you'd know that "the normal path" here would mean extra cost to you and basically Tesla wouldn't exist, due to the astronomical cost of delays.
Luke:
1. Linus attacked by Tesla fanboys
A: Luke is no longer a journalist nor editor, so I give him a pass. He's just not a very knowledgeable person in general. He works at Float Plane and that's where his head is, you can't blame him for doing mostly his job.
If you're still reading, be assured that this story is only about California. Teslas made in China are already the best quality cars the country, with the least customer complaints. The Texas and Berlin factories will also have excellent build quality ... hopefully they'll shut down and sell the California factory, which is way too expensive to run and a logistics nightmare.
A lot has happened at Tesla in the past few weeks, but customers are probably more interested in the products, which are available in the US right now, the most exciting of which are the 38K USD Model 3 SR+ and upcoming Model Y Long Range RWD for only 45K USD.
Model 3:
Standard Range RWD 220 mile 35K USD
Standard Range Plus RWD 250 mile 38K USD
Long Range AWD 322 mile 47K USD
Performance AWD 299 mile 55k USD
Model Y:
Long Range AWD 316 mile 50K USD
Performance AWD 291 mile 60K USD
Model S:
Long Range Plus AWD 402 mile 75K USD
Performance AWD 348 mile 95K USD
Model X:
Long Range Plus AWD 351 mile 80K USD
Performance AWD 305 mile 100K USD
So these are the electric cars available right now, all capable of DC quick charging at up to 250kW at Tesla Superchargers and public charging stations (like Electrify America).
UPCOMING PRODUCTS:
[1.] As I said in the beginning of the article, Model Y Long Range RWD is coming in a few months for around 45K USD with a range of "much greater than 300 miles", as it will keep the most efficient rear motor and won't accelerate as brutally as the higher end Model Y configurations. We should expect around 5 seconds 0-60mph.
[2.] The second product coming this year is the Tesla Semi truck, which has been in development since the end of 2017, when the two prototypes were unveiled. They will most likely start production by the end of the year, but according to the CEO's tweets, they already made at least 10-20 preproduction units.
Even though the Tesla Semi was meant for transporting cargo, the price starts at 150K USD for the 300+ mile range configuration, which makes it almost affordable for towing your camper. Do realize that with its ~500kWh battery pack it can power an average travel trailer for days, maybe even weeks with the AC on and proper refrigerator, water heater...etc... The range should also be around 500 miles with a very light trailer.
[3.] Although it wasn't officially confirmed after the human mallware thing delayed things, it's an open secret that a major refresh is coming to the Tesla Model S, which will include a bigger battery, a wider body and a three-motor "Plaid" configuration, capable of much better acceleration and efficiency at high speeds.
The test mules were filmed and photographed testing at Germany's Nurburgring, achieving an unofficial record 20 seconds better than the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. They were scheduled to enter production "this summer", but then the virus came, everything got delayed and we haven't heard anything about it since. In theory, we'll see the new Model S before or at the September 22. shareholder meeting/battery day.... that makes the most sense.
[4.] The Cybertruck is coming in 2021. It's unclear where they'll make it and what the target production volume is, but the Cybertruck is the most simple to build Tesla to date. The only thing holding it back is battery supply, as even the cheapest Cybertruck will need at least a 130kWh battery pack to achieve the promised 250 mile range... and they are not starting with the base model, but with the two-motor and three-motor variants, promising 300+ and 500+ mile range .... so ... yeah...
I still have my first smartphone from 2011, called ZTE Racer II, which has Android 1.6, 256MB RAM, 500MHz single core processor ...etc... BUT it still works, or at least it would still work if the battery could store some power.
The battery has swollen a few years ago, but it still worked until last year, when it suddenly refused to recognize the battery, showing the message "Unknown battery status" and shutting down every time I connect the charging cable.
I had the solution in my head for a long time, but finally decided to try it, after the phone stopped working. So here's the basic concept:
almost every rechargeable battery in every device consists of one (or more) battery cell and a circuit board, with some electronics, maybe a sensor or two.
if a battery cell goes bad, it can be replaced and the device will continue to function as if nothing happened.
In this video I complete the procedure with a completely different type of battery cell, harvested from a power bank:
The result was as expected, the battery is recognized, BUT because the cell is not identical, it has slightly different min/max/charging voltages, the phone doesn't display the charge state accurately.
NOTE: in this case, you have to remove the battery shell from the phone, connect the new battery cell, then put it back in. Other devices may behave differently, they won't care in which order you do it or will require some sort of factory reset procedure, or whatever.
So the end result is that my phone works, BUT cannot charge and is no longer portable, as the battery doesn't fit into the phone. If I wanted it to charge, I'd have to find a battery cell with identical voltages, capacity doesn't really matter.
If you want the phone to be portable, just like new, then you have to find a battery cell that fits inside and has the proper nominal and charging voltages. With older phones this shouldn't be a problem, because an identical or slightly smaller cell (manufactured with recent technologies) will have a bigger capacity.
IMPORTANT: if you don't care about portability and charging, then you can buy any external power bank, even the cheapest ones have at least a ~2200mAh battery inside. You open it up, solder two wires to the battery cell (not to the 5V output!!!)... and solder the wires to the cellphone's battery pack electronics. You'll be able to "charge the phone" by charging the power bank.
Proposed right to repair legislation tends to be too complicated to understand, but this is it's main goal: let replacement parts and schematics legally enter the free market.
Louis Rossmann repairs Apple products in New York. His business has 10+ technicians, who replace monitors, keyboards and other components in Apple laptops, BUT Louis, Paul and a few others also repair laptop mainboards by replacing liquid - or otherwise - damaged components on them.
Today, in order to repair mainboards, they have to take components off of donor mainboards, which are recovered from recycling bins near Apple factories in China. They have no access to new components from Apple, nor from Apple suppliers. Not even Apple authorized repair shops are allowed to repair mainboards for one single reason: they want you to buy a new product instead.
These components, needed for repairing mainboards, hold no trade secrets nor IP (Intellectual Property). If Apple would allow suppliers to sell these SMDs (Surface Mount Devices) to repair shops, then most defective mainboards could be restored to their original condition for just tens of dollars, without compromising encrypted data on them, which could cause legal problems for Apple or for the owners. This wouldn't require Apple to spend money on anything extra, just give written permission for suppliers to sell the parts on the free market.
Proposed right to repair legislation tends to be too complicated to understand, but this is it's main goal: let replacement parts and schematics legally enter the free market.
The Fast Lane is a car oriented Youtube channel and on-line publication. They mostly review trucks and SUVs, but recently they purchased a Tesla Model 3... and ... they want clicks and discussion... so ...
I watch these guys when I have absolutely nothing else to do, because they are not very knowledgeable, even when it comes to traditional cars. They have the right attitude in the videos, they are not afraid to try new things, but IMO they are not useful for the majority of viewers nor car makers.
Yes, I usually read the comments under the videos, because I like to know what the audience thinks. They are usually the loud minority, but they do count, as many people choose to agree with them, without verifying the information and opinions.
I'll probably write about some of their videos and the mistakes they made in them, but for now I just want to say to all the Tesla haters out there: you're misinformed. People who like Tesla are not in a cult, they just really really like the brand, because it changed their lives for the better and it promises a lot more positive changes in the future. In the meanwhile no other technology company seems to be doing that in any meaningful way.
