Tesla Motors might be hiding a big battery issue from their customers. Apparently, the company’s electric vehicles, including their Roadster and the upcoming Model S, feature a battery pack which if completely discharged might leave a huge financial burden on the unfortunate owner. But is the owner unfortunate, or simply a bit careless?

According to an article by Michael Degusta over at theunderstatement.com, if a Tesla electric car, such as the Roadster is parked unplugged, it will eventually become what the company calls a “brick”. The vehicle can no more be started or even pushed down the road. This is the result of the car’s always-on subsystems which continually feed on the battery.

And when the battery dies, the owner ends up paying Tesla approximately $40,000 for replacing the battery pack. Reportedly, there is no protection available via warranty or a car insurance policy for this particular problem. Apparently, at least five Tesla owners were unfortunate enough to end up with this problem. Degusta says Tesla is unwilling to let their customers know about the issue, although they know that it’s a big one.

But don’t you have a slight feeling that Degusta’s argument is nonsense. That’s because it is.

If you are familiar with electric cars or batteries or even smartphones, you might know the fact that the battery which is not recharged will eventually die. And since the battery pack on a Roadster is not your usual $100 laptop battery, people will have to pay a huge price for not finding the time for maintenance.

And a Tesla, as you know, has an electric motor. There is lot less maintenance required for the vehicle when compared to a vehicle with a combustion engine. So it’s not too difficult to pay attention to the charge in the battery packs. And the company has designed the car in such a way that it warns the owner (and even the company, in the case of the latest Roadster) when the battery is low. The owners who ended up with a brick might have ignored all the warnings.

So who is culpable here?

Tesla has this to say in response to Degusta’s article: “All automobiles require some level of owner care. For example, combustion vehicles require regular oil changes or the engine will be destroyed. Electric vehicles should be plugged in and charging when not in use for maximum performance. All batteries are subject to damage if the charge is kept at zero for long periods of time. However, Tesla avoids this problem in virtually all instances with numerous counter-measures. Tesla batteries can remain unplugged for weeks (or even months), without reaching zero state of charge. Owners of Roadster 2.0 and all subsequent Tesla products can request that their vehicle alert Tesla if SOC falls to a low level. All Tesla vehicles emit various visual and audible warnings if the battery pack falls below 5 percent SOC. Tesla provides extensive maintenance recommendations as part of the customer experience”.

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Transonic Combustion’s new fuel-injection technology used in the sports car above weighs close to the Toyota Prius hybrid and has similar aerodynamics. Running on gasoline alone, with no hybrid-assist system, it outperforms the Prius in fuel efficiency. Photo: Transonic Combustion

There was an era when muscle cars and other high performance vehicles ruled the road. If you had one, you were appreciated for your good taste.  If you drive one today, you may be frowned upon for being a green hater, but there usually is a bit of envy under those patchouli smelling dreadlocks.

The hybrid cars on the market today are oh so cute and economical, but they sure take all the fun out of owning an automobile.  A savior has been born and it’s name is Transonic Combustion. The company has developed a fuel injection system that can achieve 64 miles per gallon – a 50% fuel efficiency increase in gasoline engines when compared to a Hybrid, without castrating it.

To test the fuel injection system two vehicles were chosen – the Toyota Prius Hybrid and a sports car with the same aerodynamics and architecture as the Prius. Guess who came out on top in terms of better gas mileage. Not the Prius. The so called gas guzzling sports car with the new fuel injection system came out on top.

Here’s a bit of the science behind it. Gasoline burns better hot, after it is heated and pressurized, its then injected into the combustion chamber which places its elements in a “super critical state.”  This makes the fuel burn cleaner for the environment and combust faster in the chamber.

There is no spark to ignite the fuel because the fluid mixes immediately with air and the heat is enough to get it to combust. The maximum amount of energy is converted into mechanical movement precisely when the piston reaches the optimum point, presto, ignition happens!

You may be puzzled by how different engine loads will affect the fuel injection system. Transonic is a step ahead again, with software that will customize the engine load according to specifications required.

Everything is at in the test stage right now; the technology is expected to be put in production cars by 2014.  So keep driving your hybrid and park that gas guzzling beast back in the garage for the time being. If you ever crave the need to drive a high performance car without damaging the earth and your wallet, simulators are your friend for now.

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