Apple on Wheels

Tesla has become the new standard for modern vehicles.

Apple, under Steve Jobs’s leadership, revolutionized the cell phone industry and defined the smart phone as we know it today. Tesla is positioned to do the same for the automotive industry.

Tesla has become the new standard for modern vehicles.
A gold Tesla Model 3 symbolizes the new standard for modern day vehicles.

In 2012, Tesla reinvented the electric vehicle with the Model S and captured people’s desire for clean, sexy, and powerful.  

Book an appointment to receive Makello’s Ethical Energy Savings Report, which is the result of a detailed trade-off study of discount utility rates, grants, rebates, tax credits, and equipment options, to determine the fastest payback and highest return on investment to meet your home, business and vehicle energy needs.

The fee for the Ethical Energy Savings Report is refundable (less the 3rd-Party $15 utility data access charge) or credited towards our installation services, after you attend the presentation meeting and complete a 5 minute survey after permission to operate.

Includes up to 5 hours research by the Makello team, and 1 hour Q&A, by Makello’s Ethical Energy Efficiency Expert.

Electric vehicles existed over a hundred years ago, but they failed to succeed in the consumer market. There were also electric cars in the market in the early 2000s, but they sacrificed speed and range to be environmentally-friendly. What Tesla did differently, was create a battery electric vehicle with a futuristic design. The speed and versatile functionality made simple by advanced technology, the durability that you can depend on, and the potential to improve with time. In a way, this is roughly the recipe for the first iPhone, but on wheels instead. 

In 2008, a Tesla Roadster was ruthlessly mocked on Top Gear, the world’s most popular car show. Yet today, if you look at the Monthly Plug-In EV Sales Scorecard [2], you will find that more Teslas are sold in the U.S. than all other (42) Plug-In Vehicles combined. With Tesla finally becoming profitable in Q3 of 2018, Tesla’s stock has become one of those investments that many people wish they had made.  However, deep down, I have always had doubts toward Tesla’s success. 

In February, I decided to visit the “Meet – Greet – Share” event hosted by the San Diego Tesla Club at the Fashion Valley Mall Superchargers, to see if Tesla really is a challenger for the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) car industry. The gathering of over fifty Teslas and over one hundred Tesla owners, employees, and supporters was impressive.

Electric vehicles drive without emissions or noise.
EV enthusiasts and interested community members gather at the San Diego Tesla Club’s “Meet-Greet- Share” Event at Fashion Valley to enjoy no emission, no noise driving.

Book a FREE 15 minute appointment to: 1) Find out how Makello can help you. 2) Discuss your energy needs. 3) Get a FREE Energy Savings Estimate.

I enjoyed seeing a Roadster up close, even more than the one sent to space (see that one here).  

Electric vehicles accelerate fast and are fun to drive.
Tesla Roadster. I guess the people at Top Gear weren’t impressed with the paint job? Well, a fast car should look fast!

It’s funny how dozens of Tesla owners just came here to plug into the Superchargers, but then found out about the meeting and stayed! And these Tesla owners, unlike how some are portrayed on the internet, are great people too. They welcomed a non-owner, like me, and were happy to share how their Teslas impacted their lives. Tesla owners are passionate; many said, “Once you got a Tesla, you can never go back [to any other Internal Combustion Engine cars].” 

Contrary to what some harsh comments suggest on the internet, many of the Tesla owners are interested in seeing what the EV market has to offer and how various products have improved ever since Tesla helped to grow the EV market.

Tesla has inspired many technological advancements.
Tesla Employees and EV Enthusiasts come together to appreciate technological advancements.

The Tesla employees were friendly, too.  Signing up to test drive a Model 3 was quick and easy. Bobby, the Tesla representative, was very thorough and professional in his explanation of the Model 3’s features. 

The credit card-like car key means you can slip it easily in your wallet or purse instead of getting it scratched on the key chain. The Model 3 achieves efficient usability through the 15 inch touchscreen and the two sphere controls on the steering wheel that provide all of the customization for the driving experience. 

The experience enters a new dimension once you start driving. The lack of engine noise provides a sense of peace and calm. The car starts instantly and can drive immediately, without needing to warm up. On a hot day, the cabin cools within seconds due to the seamless full width vent. 

Once we got to the open road, Bobby encouraged me to put my foot down on the accelerator pedal. After stepping gently on the pedal several times, I said to him, “I am gonna give it the beans, you ready?” Bobby said, “Yeah.” I floored the accelerator pedal. Within 3 seconds, the silence of the sudden acceleration was interrupted by a warning beep for going over the 40 mph speed limit. In the process, Bobby almost spilled his coffee (good thing there was a lid). When the light turned green at the next intersection, I did it again. None of the other cars had moved by the time we were through the intersection. 

Are you ready to save money on solar power, EV charging or Energy Storage? Get an instant quote from Makello!

Now, following the launch of the Model Y, there really is something “S-3-X-Y” in Tesla’s lineup. The excitement and innovation that Tesla products offer makes those of us who love cars, love them even more, and for those who never cared, can now find driving more enjoyable than ever. 

Progress works in unique ways, even when it doesn’t happen easily or overnight. Not all of us can recognize the next big thing when it comes along, and some of us might even reject it at first. That’s why despite the challenges laid ahead of Tesla by profitability, layoffs, the stock market, and even the SEC, Tesla’s role in the history of automobile development is undeniable.

Today, we are at a turning point of automotive history, similar to when the early cars displaced the use of horses for transportation.  It is our job to embrace the future that belongs to electric vehicles. When we face our grandchildren decades from today, we can proudly tell them, “We weren’t the ones crushed by the giant wheel of history. We were the ones who rode on it. In fact, we were in ludicrous mode on a Tesla.” 

After the event ended, I test drove the MINI Countryman SE All4 featured in my last blog article (which you can read more here). The Countryman’s 0 – 60 mph time of 6.7 seconds isn’t slow at all, but it was not even close to the acceleration and thrill of driving the Model 3.
Click on the videos below to learn more about EVs and how you can afford to get one for yourself!

Makello makes driving easy as 123
Makello Makes Driving Electric as Easy as 1-2-3
Electric vehicle. Ride and drive Liberty Station
Joyrider “Fozzy’s Point of View”
Electric Vehicle Cahrging Stations at home
EV101: Home Charging

Reference:

1.  Sales figures obtained from http://carsalesbase.com/

2. Monthly Plug-In EV Sales Scorecard from https://insideevs.com/monthly-plug-in-sales-scorecard/

In Love with a Countryman

Plug-In MINI Cooper S E Countryman All4

To tell my grandparents that I’ve fallen in love with a countryman, might send them into a panic.  Today, spending time with a countryman is more desirable than ever before, because of the cute and cuddly Plug-In MINI Cooper S E Countryman All4.

Plug-In MINI Cooper S E Countryman All4
Plug-In MINI Cooper S E Countryman All4

Are you ready to save money on solar power, EV charging or Energy Storage? Get an instant quote from Makello!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1l8W-iIkRo&list=PLrHVPFynJo11MwBGAPPcDJaNk8kVrCSsv

Many people think, being a MINI, the Countryman would have to be small. That’s not true at all.  It’s designed to accommodate a driver that is 6’3” tall. With a dimension of 169.8 in x 71.7 in x 61.4 in, the Countryman looks like a giant next to the original Austin Mini. It sits 5 people comfortably and still has 17.2 ft3 of cargo space. Unlike the two-door MINI Cooper S, the Countryman is practical and works well as a family car.
​
The Countryman’s exterior inherits MINI’s tradition of an abundant selection of customizations.  You can pick multiple selections of rich colors, for the body, trim, mirrors and racing stripes.  You can add sporty black wheel rims, and my personal favorite — the irresistible union jack mirror caps! When you finish customizing your car, it feels almost as if you completed a piece of artwork. When the Countryman is delivered, the art comes alive.

My personalized Plug-In MINI Cooper SE Countryman All4
My personalized Plug-In MINI Cooper SE Countryman All4

The excitement doesn’t stop when you get inside. Just like any MINI, it is almost impossible to find a right angle in the interior design of the Countryman, everything you can see is round and curvy. Grabbing onto the steering wheel, flicking the toggles on the dashboard, stepping on the floor-mounted accelerator pedal, even turning the AC knob, makes you realize the Countryman is exquisite and refined. You can also tell some serious thought went into the designing the Countryman from the beautiful circular LED light ring on the dashboard displaying both battery status and AC setting, the secret storage space on the door panel and the fashionable design of charging port plus another LED light ring displaying charging status. The Countryman as a car then, is the opposite of a countryman.

However, don’t think for a second, that since the Countryman only has a three cylinder engine, it is all hat and no cattle. Because you know what else has a 3-cylinder engine?

 The 3-cylinder, fast and beautiful BMW i8!
The 3-cylinder, fast and beautiful BMW i8!

Taking a leaf out of the Halo Plug-In Vehicle in the BMW Group, the Countryman has a 134 hp gas engine driving its front wheels and a 65 kW electric motor driving the ones in the back, giving it a total of 221 hp and 284 ft-lbs [1]. The hybrid powertrain results in a 0-60 mph time of 6.8 seconds, making this compact SUV as fast as some hot hatchbacks, and certainly a lot livelier than the Plug-In Hybrids in the same price range. 

More importantly, the powertrain gives the Countryman an intelligent all-wheel drive system that saves the day when you need it and saves fuel when you don’t by letting you choose  different driving modes [2]: In the default AUTO eDRIVE, the Countryman is AWD while balancing output between the electric motor and the ICE for max efficiency. You don’t get four-wheel drive in a battery EV until you choose the expensive dual-motor version, which is not even available for many EVs. 

For a short commute, you can select MAX eDRIVE, and the 7.6 kWh battery allows you to experience driving a RWD fully electric car up to 77 mph, rated for up to 24 miles. In the real world, you might expect 18 miles of quiet fully electric driving.  A federal tax credit of up to $4,000 will pay for a lifetime of EV charging on the go, too! 

If you are nowhere near a charging station and you want the benefit of reserving the EV boost for the mountain uphill, you can choose SAVE mode and run on the gas engine alone.  Otherwise, for blended driving with gas and electric combined horsepower, you can use “AUTO” mode. When you are ready to unleash your inner child and have some fun, you can press the accelerator pedal and immediately, the electric motor is summoned to give you a sensational eboost. For an over-the-top thrill, switch to Sport Mode and leave the muscle cars at the starting line with instant EV torque.  Regenerative braking captures the energy from braking and recharges the battery for more EV driving at the bottom of the mountain. 

Book an appointment to receive Makello’s Ethical Energy Savings Report, which is the result of a detailed trade-off study of discount utility rates, grants, rebates, tax credits, and equipment options, to determine the fastest payback and highest return on investment to meet your home, business and vehicle energy needs.

The fee for the Ethical Energy Savings Report is refundable (less the 3rd-Party $15 utility data access charge) or credited towards our installation services, after you attend the presentation meeting and complete a 5 minute survey after permission to operate.

Includes up to 5 hours research by the Makello team, and 1 hour Q&A, by Makello’s Ethical Energy Efficiency Expert.

In any case, with enough juice in the battery, the all-wheel-drive system will always keep you safe and in control, may it be from hydroplaning on an icy road, pothole on a poorly-built road, or even some mild off-roading on a trail. [3] 

For people with doubts toward fully electric cars and range anxiety, the MINI Cooper SE Countryman All4 is an ideal first step to take. It joins fuel efficiency and driving pleasure in perfect harmony by focusing more on the benefits (fuel economy, extra boost, and intelligent all-wheel-drive) rather than the disadvantages (range, weight) of an EV. The Countryman gives you a taste of what the world is like in an electric car (which is great, seeing how passionate EV owners are about their cars) while the Plug-In Hybrid setup acts as a safety net in case you get cold feet on the commitment to an EV owner’s lifestyle. 

When you drive a MINI Cooper SE Countryman All4, it appeals to the innocent child in your heart that you once were and deep down, still want to be, by encouraging you to enjoy life through driving, even where the road is wet and muddy.  When you get behind the steering wheel, you can almost hear every component of the Countryman joining together in a chorus, singing “Go have some fun! Do it! Be passionate about your life! Go for it!”

Plug-In MINI Cooper S E Countryman All4

So yes, I have fallen incurably in love with a Countryman, for it brings happiness to my life without asking me to compromise. Except the part that I have to explain to my grandparents that I am still single, of course.

Book a FREE 15 minute appointment to: 1) Find out how Makello can help you. 2) Discuss your energy needs. 3) Get a FREE Energy Savings Estimate.

Would you also fall in love with a Countryman? You never know until you meet one. Join us at the Green Energy EPC booth on the 34th Spring Home and Garden Show this weekend!

Del Mar Fairgrounds Spring Home and Garden Show
Del Mar Fairgrounds Spring Home and Garden Show
Makello and Green Energy EPC Spring Home and Garden Show
Makello and Green Energy EPC Spring Home and Garden Show

Reference:
1. https://www.miniusa.com/model/countryman/specs.html
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrX8WBRA3pI
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyFxPHPpn8c