It is safe to run over debris at highway speed with a Tesla Model S

Due to the negative press lately, I felt I had to share our story for all the current, future and potential Tesla owners.

During our trip to Gaspésie last summer, we went over a big debris on the highway at 110 km/h per hours (About 68 miles per hours). The car was fully packed with a family of 4.

When we hit the wood log, we felt a huge impact. My wife and I looked at each other: “Holy smoke, I hope the battery pack is ok” We stopped at the next exit, did visual inspection. We saw nothing special to report except for some left over pieces of wood, no fire!

We finished our trip safely without any problems. The car was inspected by the service centre, everything was fine.

I wish the medias would support Tesla when these types of accidents happen. We are talking about a startup company (10 years is a small number in the car industry) that is doing miracle with electrical cars. We should encourage them instead of trying to come up with sensational and very often incorrectly reported news.

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A week without my Model S

After spending a week without my Model S, I found I missed the following features: (putting aside the fact that it is quiet, fast and has great handling)

• I listen to Slacker radio often. (Signal quality is way better than the Sirius radio on the Ford fusion loaner)
• Twice a day I plan my route to avoid traffic, very convenient with an overview of the Ottawa city on the 17 inch screen.
• I use the backup camera in traffic to cover the famous dead angles.
• I was not getting the regular thumbs up from the enthusiasts 🙂

I was also very surprised to notice how much we use the break pedals with a regular gas car. The Model S one pedal driving is very efficient and convenient.

The service centre kept the car for a week because they ended up replacing the whole drive train. The service centres are not allowed to open the drive train nor the battery pack. If either one needs special attention, they replace it. Once the work was completed, they returned the car home on a flat bed trailer. Isn’t that great?