“Car Coach” Lauren Fix Attacks Tesla, Ignores Escape
Although I would never buy a Tesla electric car because (a) it costs a fortune; and (b) a fill-up is measured in hours or minutes, rather than seconds, I think it’s ingenious and brilliant. The fact that three of them (3) have caught fire after an accident does not bother me. Cars that get into accidents can catch fire.
But the Ford Escape is on its seventh overall recall – five of them for engine fires – after thirteen (13) of them have spontaneously caught fire after overheating and cracking of the engine block. A further twelve (12) have caught fire due to coolant leaks that were the subject of a prior recall. About 140,000 Escapes in the US are affected. An October report shows over 25,000 VINs assigned to Tesla for the US.
There’s a local car expert who makes the media circuit, and she especially appears on right-wing media outlets. Lauren Fix is the “Car Coach“, and if you Google “Lauren Fix” + Tesla, you get pages worth of her concern-trolling the Tesla fires on right wing organs Fox News and Newsmax.
If you Google “Lauren Fix” + Escape, you get pages worth of her 2013 Escape ‘Expert Car Review”. You’d never know the car was on its seventh recall, and second fire recall.
Because on right-wing media, electric car is bad and to be viewed with suspicion because Thanks, Obama. The Ford Escape, on the other hand, is an example of the superiority of the internal combustion engine.
Here’s a tip – engines catch fire. The Teslas only catch fire when they’ve been in an accident – not spontaneously. Also, as Tesla founder Elon Musk points out,
For consumers concerned about fire risk, there should be absolutely zero doubt that it is safer to power a car with a battery than a large tank of highly flammable liquid.
Looks like Don Pesola aka “Sandy Beach” has a story, now he can have her on his show and drool all over her and get all indignant about Tesla.
How bout Sandy “Whale” on the Beach?
If I may be forgiven going off-topic, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here!
The idea that Tesla is liberal and the Escape is conservative is a bit odd. One is made by union workers, and the other isn’t. One is headquartered in Detroit, and the other is run by a tech billionaire with all the usual Sillicon Valley libertarian bullshit.
But conservatives love to heap praise upon Ford for being the one American car company that didn’t accept the Obama bailout. Once again, it all comes back to Obama.
The fun thing is that the only cash Tesla Motors got from the government was from the same program that Ford did. Ford got 12 times as much money, produced the Focus Electric. Tesla gave us the Model S. Money well spent?
Electric cars are hippie shit. Lauren Fix is a WBEN winger who happens to focus on cars.
Hippie shit??? Come on Man!!
I was being facetious.
Me too! Happy Thanksgiving!
“Although I would never buy a Tesla electric car because (a) it costs a fortune; and (b) a fill-up is measured in hours or minutes, rather than seconds,…”
So lets see you never
Eat
Sleep
Do office time
Go to the Movies
Attend a concert
Attend a sports event
Have a restaurant meal
Stay in a hotel
visit friends and relatives
You do NOT wait for an EV to charge an EV charges while YOU do other things !!
As for the price you use the word NEVER so does never include in four years when
their 35K MODEL E will be out also in a longer range more luxury 45K to 50K version ?
So instead you will what buy a gasoline car for 20K then spend 30K on gasoline over a
decade plus repairs and other related costs that just don’t exist for TESLA drivers. Plus
of course that 30K on gas is 30K on pollution and a fuel source that only uses 30% tops
while turning the 70% into the poison that causes illness and disease that in turn burdens
healthcare and pushes up insurance premiums, that is sucking its fuel out of the Alberta Tar Sands the single most ecocidal and genocidal industrial complex on the planet and if all that was not enough you are screwing the climate for future generations.
If I am in the process of driving a long distance and run out of juice, I don’t have 90 minutes or a day (depending on whether there’s a high-capacity charger available) to fill up. This is the singular disadvantage of electric cars, and driving a long distance is not analogous to, e.g., going to the movies.
What do you propose people do while using an extension cord at a toilet stop on Route 17? Build a shelter?
The fact that you have 2 cars undermines your point. You can take the gas car on long trips, and then have an electric car for shorter adventures. Problem solved.
As the prices come down over the next couple years, such a strategy would seem to meet your needs, although it sounds like you may need to get over a mental hurdle in order to enjoy it.
The cute and quirky habit of catching fire after an accident cost Ford a pretty penny with the Pinto.
And of course, the Tesla’s way-shorter-than-advertised mileage in winter months is also cute.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/02/winter-chills-limit-range-of-the-tesla-model-s-electric-car/index.htm
Ford has had other issues with electrical fires starting for years. I had one back in the 80’s that had wiring issues and one day it lit itself up in the driveway…flames were 20 feet in the air before I even knew it had started…..By the way, I still drive a Ford…..
Winter does not effect range as much as the consumer reports article makes it sound.
There are 2 things to note:
1) They did not do a full charge but a 90% standard charge
2) Most of the energy consumption was not due to winter but due to speed they traveled at. This goes for any car.
Now sure, heating takes up energy but the biggest use of energy is not the heating but acceleration. Especially in winter due to higher air resistance.(this goes for all cars)
Must have been a slow news day. Right wing car mechanics? Now I’ve heard it all. BTW, “right wing” Cornell University also is concerned about the Tesla fire problem. FOX News did a story about the likelihood of the NHTSA clearing Tesla. I’m sure there are opinions, for and against Tesla, across the political spectrum for purely nonpolitical reasons.
Lauren Fix is simply the worst car reviewer I have ever seen or heard. Politics aside, she has ZERO enthusiasm, talks like she’s constantly chewing a wad of peanut butter and is so obviously and shamelessly just re-spewing car company talking points its a wonder how she even gets to have a job as a car expert in the first place. Her segment on YNN is a total waste of 2 minutes of your life.
Top Gear (UK Edition) did a pretty fair review of all-electric cars, although they used a Nissan and I think a a Renault. Praise was given where due, but they did have to stop for a night to let their cars recharge on a 150+ mile trip.
There are a couple of Canadian takes on electric cars available on YouTube. In Canada it seems they have realized by actual cost, energy and long term comparisons that current electric car technology is a looser.
I’m wondering what Artvoice’s own car expert Jim Corbran thinks.
Here’s a theory, Fix is really a shill for the liberal unionistas, attempting to drive business to union produced automobiles.
Lauren Fix is a car dealer. Car dealers make 50% of their profit on services and parts. A switch to EVs would hurt her bottom line due to EVs being low maintenance. Even worse for her is Tesla is not interested in franchised dealers.
So her hate is not a political one but a personal one.
Let’s just get rid of all cars. Boom, no more fires.
I’ll consider an electric vehicle when they come up with a minivan. An e.v. is pretty much useless with a family of 6…..
They’re coming close to it with the Model X, which is said to be a crossover SUV.
And family-sized minivans are on Tesla’s radar.