I acquired my first EV recently - a Tesla Model Y which I ordered on day one that you could order them in the UK. This is all thanks in part to Robert and Fully Charged. So thanks to Robert and Fully Charged and also to Tesla for making my dream EV become a reality. I remember watching the Top Gear review of the Tesla Roadster - it was only later that we all found out it was a giant FUD/anti EV piece.
😂😂😂 Not really. Eventually the only cars available to test will be EVs. Fossil fueled vehicles will not be available from 2030. How they will be powered is open to debate and my money is on hydrogen fuel cells. Today's Times (23/6/22) P42, mentions the "Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations. These regulations exist to ensure or manage the energy available for charging vehicles from a domestic dwelling's incomer is integrated with the amount of power available from the grid at any particular time. More information available from BEAMA. This applies to domestic dwellings. This is likely to result in drivers topping up their car batteries from commercial sites. Given the time required to charge batteries then the implication is that it will result in queues at commercial charging stations. I daresay the article is available online from the Times under the heading "Car charger revolution risks going flat".
@@t1n4444 Hydrogen fuel cells are not an energy source. Hydrogen used in fuel cells mostly comes from natural gas, a fossil fuel. Hydrogen made from water will drive an EV 3x to 4x as far on the same energy. Their inefficiency makes them a non-starter. That's why there are so many more EVs than Fuel Cell Vehicles.
@@LoanwordEggcorn 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Absolute blithering nonsense! Clearly you are a stranger to electro chemistry and should be ashamed of yourself for not researching the topic before posting. Plus it looks very much that you don't keep up with hydrogen technology research anyway. Clearly a dilettante when it comes to EVs. They aren't toys as in a bigger version of slot cars to amuse you ... EVs are but one part of the drive to reduce global warming. Perhaps you hadn't quite realised this?
Top Gear had it literally written in the script that the Roadster would break down even before they got the car, then tried to defend it by saying Top Gear is 'for entertainment purposes only and doesn't have to be truthful'.
I watched it long before the truth had come out, but when I watched it was OBVIOUS that they were being satirical about electric cars! I mean, it's a wonder they didn't drop a piano on it or something.
Top gear still have several "presentors" (not the current top 3) who lie constantly and misrepresent Tesla and all EV's compleatly all the time. They did an off road "test" last year that had them all deliberatly run out of power as an example. It is long past the time Top Gear need to sack the current production team and replace them with people who are less Boris and more truthful.
I had a Tesla Roadster as a wedding car in 2010, that was a really, really nice addition to our wedding day. Almost no one had seen an electric car in these days. And it was so quick!
Great fun episode, a fair review of the car itself, and well done to Neil for lending the team his precious Roadster. However, and I say this as a fellow Roadster owner (from new), there are plenty of well looked after Roadsters like mine out there than can still genuinely do 200+ miles between charges, albeit on Range mode. Their longevity has been utterly remarkable. Tesla also provides a 3.0 battery upgrade that will deliver even more range. Last but not least, there are people/companies out there working on future-proofing the car by offering retrofit battery packs etc. I still love my Roadster as much as they day I bought it, and it's still the only convertible EV I can think of ...
@@jasonsaddington7821 interesting, Jason I wasn't aware of that as I believe it was a European vehicle, perhaps limited sales in the US, I never saw one in Canada
An episode that tells us as much about the journey as the car. And it still has that Fully Charged special ingredient, fun. Thank you Robert for your efforts over many years.
The market for them globally is only a few hundred k a year. 2dr, 2seat sports cars as a whole that is. Convertibles even less. Vs ya know 70-100,000,000 other cars a year being made. So no chance to make $ on them. Hence why hardly any can be found. 🤔
The silver roadster shown here is the second generation version. The first gen had a different front bumper with a different front air intake. I remember the director of "Who killed the Electric Car" ordered a silver Tesla roadster. This is a great episode. The clips of Robert accelerating are great. Please keep up the good work. Thanks.
Lmao, this is one of the best videos I've seen from Fully Charged in a long time. Simple and fun! Seeing Robert pass between Horror and Orgasm again in the Model S nearly killed me, so funny to see again; made me subscribe straight away 😂👍
Been there with you Robert, from Red Dwarf through Scrap Heap Challenge and to the brilliant series Carpool (for which, both James Corden and Jerry Seinfeld should owe you some very considerable royalties) and on to Fully Charged! Loved to see the reunion and just how well the roadster stood up to it's modern progeny. I know Rory is doing a used ev long term for Autoblog and would hope that in the future you all could do some used ev reviews to see how well the cars are doing after their warranties run out and what the costs are for a typical life cycle of a leaf or model S. There are many of us out there who still can not afford a new ev but might give a used ev a go if we knew we were not going to have to pay a 5k bill for a battery replacement after 5 years or so. Keep up the great work and we will see you here in the States in September.
@@simonyapp I can appreciate what you say as my seven-year old Leaf had 84% battery pack capacity before I purchased in March a 62 kWh pack from a wrecking yard (97% capacity). 134k on the odometer. Single owner.
To be fair to Tesla Elon did say that for 2022 he was going to focus entirely on existing models to make and sell the maximum numbers of electric cars. Other projects are on hold as long as both manufacturing and battery constraints exist. They’ll come, be patient, is the message. Elon may be a mad genius, but Tesla is one hell of a company. No other company is close to producing electric cars in these volumes, not to mention with this level of technology and at these costs to manufacture.
The thing is - I DON'T CARE about Tezzler, and effing 'Elon' and how much of a mad genius he is, and how effing wonderful Tezzler is supposed to be as a company, and how big and clever and successful they are!! I'm not interested in the dribbling sycophancy and slavish praise heaped on Tezzler by people who are utter fools and know nothing .. I don't care... I just want ANYONE to sell an ordinary, affordable hatchback/small SUV/crossover or whatever they're called this week..with a practical boot and an electric motor! At the present rate I'll NEVER OWN ONE because they're simply MUCH too expensive and offer no relative benefit(other than planetary...) for the massive outlay at my age and for the miles I travel. Game over......
Byd might actually give them a good go of it in another 1-2 years from now actually. If you believe byds press releases that is and their just as rabid as tesla fan base. They'll sell a few more evs this year as tesla did back in 2020 and might match the tesla 2021 numbers by the end of 2023-24. But they are also supposedly opening 3 new ev only plants by the end of this year. So it could get interesting. 😀
@@andymccabe6712 MG5 LR 260 miles and the same cost as a Ford Focus titanium before you shop around and get a deal. remember to add in the current lack of road tax and if you can charge at home less than 2p a mile running costs and annual service at £99 or less that includes 12 months AA roadside cover. IF you factor all these things in I think you will find even paying finance for the thning will make it either a free car or so cheap that it is well worth the cost.
Day 1 (or near enough) subscriber here. I _think_ I've seen every FC episode. (And still haven't bought an electric car, although I have had a moped since 2007). I one of those annoying berks still waiting for a suitable vehicle with enough range for my purposes (long wild-camping campervan tours). I think we're nearly there, but it's been an excruciating wait.
With you on that, as an Aussie who will have to have to choose between a EV I can live in and a tiny house (with a powerful enough vehicle to tow it) 😔. Hoping camper truck and then swap the ice truck for EV when available
@@fullychargedshow Pfft! I remember "Wet Liberal Weekly". Now that's proper hardcore. Which is why whenever Robert apologises for ranting, I'm thinking "no, no, Robert. That's actually what I originally hit the subscribe button for", way back in the day. As that's basically all "Wet Liberal Weekly" was - the "old man yells at clouds" channel. It was glorious. :D
@@klaxoncow That rings a bell but I'm not 100% sure. My main memories of 'the early days' are watching Carpool and Machine of the Week on Channel Flip, along with David Mitchell's Soap Box.
Not really, lotus had an electric esprit way before Tesla, just the batteries weren’t practical so it just stayed a prototype. It was in the factory on an open day and wasn’t shouted about as anything special.
I'm 5'9" and I fit in my Tesla Roadster just fine, but it's definitely not made for tall people. The sound and acceleration of this car are both amazing to experience.
Robert: It's what it is, you develop an intimate relationship- Jack: Is that my leg or yours? 🤣 This is one gorgeous vehicle! And it still has so much life after all 14years, very impressive! Many thanks for Robert sticking through those years and continue bringing us all them Fully Charged Shows
Thanks for the memories. I started following Robert back when he was doing Car Pool. From there The FC Show. I’m four years into my first EV having owner an early hybrid and a later a PHEV. Electric beats them all hands-down. Even my neighbours are taking an interest now. One lady I spoke to yesterday explained how her big SUV cost £166 to fill up. Brought a big smile to my face, as I waxed lyrical about my trusty little VW e-golf. And it’s going up in value, not down as people are having to wait months to get an EV. I regularly get between 140-160 miles a charge these days as I now know how to hit the sweet spot of between 5.1 to 6.1 miles per KWH. In the winter it’s more like 4.1 m/kWh.
I think I started watching back in 2014 or 2015 and at the time you could easily just watch the backlog of all of the videos in an afternoon. Now there is an entire library. It is a fantastic resource you've build Bob!
Yup, it has been with great caution due to fear of disappointment but Jack has properly won me over as a member of this team. The chemistry ...it has worked out great...imo
I can remember Robert's show before Fully Charged, where he picked up famous people in a Prius and drove them to work. I believe Toyota was a sponsor of that show.
Hi Gent's, Cracking video as always, but all the talk about carbon neutral Tesla factories sparked another industrial thought that I have never seen mentioned in all the environmental Arguments, How much electricity does it take Refine 1 litre of petrol and diesel and how many miles would that take me in my Electric Kona ?.
And how much range does the electric car loose overnight? Doubt it will be as much as the refining cost in co2 but it still looses rang and therefore wastes energy. Unfortunately on bother sides there are chunks of the equation missing so I doubt we’ll ever see the truth as there are too many vested interests.
Hmm, but would you buy one, or its modern day equivalent, based on splendid acceleration? I don't suppose you'd use such acceleration very often and such "extravagance" wouldn't do a lot for range.
I work part time as a taxi driver, and half of the time I drive Skoda Enyaq IV 60, which is based on the VW ID.4 chassis and drive train. We have ten of them, purchased in august of 2021. I have to say, it's a really nice car. It tops out at 160kph but it has a good range (350-380 km) which is more than enough for a day's drive , has good acceleration and is very comfortable, although for a taxi it could have done with slightly less sporty suspension. In november they are all getting a firmware update due to a recall involving false 12V battery warnings. Other than that and a couple of minor things, the cars have had no major issues or breakdowns.
Thanks guys! Super proud of Robert and how well this channel has grown. Thanks for supporting EVs and clean energy! I was definitely an early subscriber, and not just for Red Dwarf. We've been driving and supporting EVs since before we leased and drove the GM EV1.
I love the chemistry of you guys, another lovely episode. Quick thought: I wish the releases were timed for 8pm UK time, because at 5pm I can't watch them - work / kids / dinner / kid's bedtime / etc and then after that the notification gets a bit forgotten. An 8pm notification would likely get watched straight away.
Thank you so MUCH Jack & Robert for a great video. Informative, funny & you have such a great rapport between you. Lovely to see & hear how it all started way back when. Keep up the good work.
I am over a foot shorter than Jack and his view of the road reminds me of my buying an E-type in the early 70s. I had to duck under the steering wheel when I pressed the accelerator. Fabulous video.
Back in 2008 I was living for some time in LA, just when the very first Tesla show room opened. I was fortunate enough to have a test sit in a roadster there, in the exact same pale blue colour as the car you drive, and I remember clearly the revelation that here was a fun sports car that you could drive without the feeling of guilt of polluting the air or be in the hands of big oil. Later I saw a black one zipping by in Beverly Hills and the feeling of viewing the future was palpable. If I knew back then that I still, in 2022, was gonna be putting petrol in my car and not electrons, I probably would not believe it... one day... I hope...
At 6 min 12 sec, Robert Llewellyn says "I don't know if there were any combustion cars that had [gear selector] buttons, I don't think there were". I lived in Albany, the New York State Capital, in 1969/70 and for US$120 I bought an ancient, rusty 1961 Dodge Dart Seneca with GLASS gear selector buttons built into the dash. They were light-pipes as well and were illuminated at night so that you could see them to make your selection. Worked perfectly for the year that I owned it, then flogged the car for US$100 when I left USA. The US$ to GB£ exchange rate then was 2 Dollars 50 cents to the pound! And Harold Wilson let us take a maximum of GB£50 each to the USA for a year's stay. Luckily my brother was living in Oregon so we did a currency-exchange to be able to live for the first few weeks till I got paid.
Good to hear an independent channel acknowledge the vast difference Tesla has made to the electrification of road transport. I'll go further. I've long held the opinion now that H2 [Hydrogen] was earmarked as the long term replacement of road transport fuelling. A tiny company called Tesla smashed that to pieces because H2 was expensive, it would be very late, it would be inefficient and wasteful, arguably dirtier than the dream, and our fates would be in the hands of oil/gas companies once again. They would literally hold our environmental futures hostage at a price which they would dictate, as they do currently with fossil fuels. Fully signed up to this were relatively progressive auto companies like Toyota. Tesla said NO. So they provided electrical transport, electrical power generation, electrical storage, and an electrical charging network second to none. And eventually, autonomous driving, where the user can summon a vehicle and go anywhere - without even owning it or driving it. And this, still relative minnow in the vehicle industry, although growing exponentially fast, has managed to turn the tide in our favour. A Tesla is still pricey because they still can't afford to make a cheaper one. But it's actually astonishing what the company have achieved so far. And it has been been achieved by many hugely talented people, by word of mouth, I might add [no advertising department], but basically driven by one man. I don't agree with bits/some/much of Elon Musk's behaviour, but hat's off to the single vision and work ethic. and what he does in his other time is relatively unimportant to me, undoubtedly just like mine is to him. So, in my opinion, if one praises Tesla for changing the traffic fuelling landscape, one is still under estimating it's influence. In a decade's time we'll look back and fully realise what a revolutionary change it has made. It will have been the catalyst company that saved us from the worst of the fossil fuel industry, it's hangers on, devotees and groupies. And possibly even kick-started the sea-change in the general public's attitude towards Human Induced Climate Change.
I've been watching from the beginning and loving it all along. I remember constantly checking for new video from fully charged and being disappointed at how long it was between them.
The irony of the Top Gear review was that it was my first introduction to Tesla and electric cars that could move. I immediately wanted one, though it took a few years and models before I could afford it. I have now had my Model 3 for just over two years and it is without doubt the best car I have ever owned or driven. It was Clarkson who in his idiocy and mendacity sold me the brand.
What a fab video. Really nostalgic. I remember being excited by this car way, way back when I was just a teenager. I once saw one parked up and waited around for hours to speak to the owner (who was lovely!) such was my enthusiasm. There is just no doubting that Tesla has changed the game in the vehicle market. And it's fantastic just how well Fully Charged has done in the intervening years too!
Great to see where you started. For me Which? magazine introduced me to your channel, an article which mentioned Maddie's first EV. Then watched more of Fully Charged. As a result. I order my first EV Lexus 300e. Fitted solar panels plus all the My Energi stuff - Zappi, Eddi etc. Haven't looked back since. Now on my 2nd EV Kia Soul EV (changed because of Lexus poor range). 3rd EV on order, Kia EV6 due Jan 2023.Thanks Fully Charged for pointing me in the right direction.
I wonder what it would cost to make a small EV like this Roadster in 2022. Just a straight forward EV 2seater/cabrio without all the gimmicks and luxury.
Not quite as early as 2010, maybe 11/12. It's been interesting to see the wide variety of content in early 'seasons' of around 5 episodes to now with a new show every week and the podcast.
I've lived in Taiwan since 2017, I bought a gogoro 2 plus e-scooter in 2019. It cost around $3000 new and it's one very solid very well built very fast machine. It easily keeps up with sports bikes. There are cheaper options, just not made by American or European manufacturers.
I own a Tesla vehicle. I have Tesla stock. I'm thoroughly on board with their product roadmap. ...but I REALLY hope that Tesla is a very tiny portion of the EV market inside of a decade. Not because they're any smaller a fish, but because the pond got a whole lot bigger.
Nice trip down memory lane! I'm glad I've been around long enough to remember the episodes talked about and of course truly grateful for Tesla as a company to lead the movement we needed.
I routinely did the round trip of 180 miles over the mountain to Laramie and back, before Laramie got its Supercharger, in my Roadster 2.0. Unbelievably sweet car. Couldn't have Supercharged it anyway, tbt :)
Hi Robert. Been a subscriber since the Carpool days thus moved over to Fully Charge back in the day. I remember the Tesla Roadster era very well and it's kind of insane how much has changed in a decade. I first worked on a BEV conversion of old cars in 2004 and got obsessed. Back then I thought EVs would be a slow growing niche interest for the foreseeable future. The way the EV industry and mainstream awareness grew beyond my wildest dream, proving reality is stranger than fiction. A lot of horrible things have happened proving how important they are. A highly deserved I Told You So.
‘Why there aren’t more small, cheaper EVs’....Easy. Batteries are a scarce and expensive input to the finished product. An OEM has to use them in the most profitable way they can, so they obviously end up in the higher end of the product mix than the lower end. Give it time.
OK guys... You need Ginny Buckley as your chauffeur and give the lad some Biggles glasses for goodness sake! 😂Jack, bless your heart, you did look a bit like Fred Flintstone when you arrived waving and looking over the top. 😆 Regarding your chat at the end: I still want one of those little black solar panel covered box-like things that Jack went to look at... Was it the Sonos Sion... or possibly the other way around?? It looked pretty much the same sort of shape as my Skoda Roomster which is ideal for our needs. Any more news on its progress do you know? Really loved this video, had me laughing out loud and it was great to see again Roberts expletive fest the first time round. 😁👍
Fully charged has been so interesting over the years but the biggest thing it has given me is the full picture. Yes electric cars are great and economical yadda yadda yadda, but you've also shown me how they fit into a coherent and workable future and are not going to 'melt the grid' etc. Thanks Robert, and the young upstart too.
Robert, this Tesla was by no means the first car with a push button transmission. The Plymouth Belvedere and the Ford Edsel of the mid 1950s had this. Great review, it was fully changed that got me into EVs. The original Elise was noisy, hot, harsh, very basic and very darty to drive not good on a long journey.
I don't understand why "promising to build cars" is somehow a criticism. They haven't given up, they are still building them. The whole world had an epidemic and now supply chain issues. Many things are delayed. Its not a lie for them to say that they are planning to build things in the future. Even if they give up building, its not a bad thing. Companies should ALWAYS be trying to build new things.
I remember that Colin Chapman’s original racing car deigns were all about the lightness of the car and many were built with a driver the size of Jim Clarke in mind