Elon Musk's Tesla pulls into San Miguel
Electric vehicles are headed for San Miguel.
That surprised the hell out of me.
Sometime last week, with as little fanfare as organ cacti popping up in the countryside, six shiny Tesla electric car chargers appeared in the parking lot of the Luciérnaga shopping center in San Miguel, by the Office Depot store.
We of course had heard of billionaire Elon Musk, and his rockets and electric cars, but we never expected to see any of his creations in Mexico, much less in San Miguel, in our lifetimes.
Oh we of little faith.
(Amid all the Trump-inspired palpitations and wing-flapping over immigration, I can't resist mentioning that Musk is one 12 billionaires who came to the U.S. as immigrants. He came from South Africa. Others on this list are Russian Sergey Brin (Google); French-Iranian Pierre Omidyar (eBay); Israeli Isaac Perlmutter (Marvel Entertainment); and Hungarian-born financier George Soros. I could have made the list (Cuba) if I had only paid more attention in school.)
Stew and I saw a Tesla at a showroom in Amsterdam two years ago, though before that we already had noticed the growing presence of electric car charging posts in other large European cities.
Sitting under banks of halogen lights, that Tesla baby was a vision. It had a mirror-like paint we had never seen on any other car. That and its futuristic lines made the vehicle look as if it were gravitating six inches above the showroom floor. Otherworldly.
Still, when we saw the Tesla charging stations in San Miguel our reaction was eye-rolling mixed with snarkiness.
After a bit of research, though, the vision of Teslas in San Miguel doesn't appear that far-fetched.
Tesla already has a dealership in Mexico City, in the hyper-posh neighborhood of Polanco, on Calle Presidente Masaryk, Mexico's equivalent of Rodeo Drive. Whether it's a Tesla, a Brooks Brothers shirt or a Cartier diamond, it's no problema in Polanco.
In fact, when the dealership opened last year, it quickly received deposits for fifty units.
As for some logistics: The long-range Tesla now on sale ($44,000) can go 310 miles between charges.
San Miguel is 170 miles from Mexico City, so even if you run into traffic or a dead burro blocking the road, you should be able to make to the Best City in the World with no problema at all.
Conveniently, the highway from Querétaro/Mexico City feeds right into the Luciérnaga shopping center. You can pull in, adjust your Ray-Ban mirrored sunglasses, fiddle with your rakish Hermès ascot, wave condescendingly at the less fortunate souls ogling your car—and plug her in.
Assuming the posts at Luciénaga are superchargers, the batteries on your Tesla should be charged in about a half-hour (for 170 miles), long enough to stretch your legs and have some churros or empanadas at Chocolates & Churros, owned by former soap opera actress Margarita Gralia and located next to the Cinemex theater.
You can also plug in your Tesla to a conventional outlet, in which case a full charge will take overnight.
However, this being Mexico—where aspirations sometimes run ahead of reality—you must make allowances for the superchargers at Luciérnaga being out of order, or if you arrive in the middle of thunderstorm, the electricity being out altogether.
Still. Gimme one.
###
That surprised the hell out of me.
Sometime last week, with as little fanfare as organ cacti popping up in the countryside, six shiny Tesla electric car chargers appeared in the parking lot of the Luciérnaga shopping center in San Miguel, by the Office Depot store.
We of course had heard of billionaire Elon Musk, and his rockets and electric cars, but we never expected to see any of his creations in Mexico, much less in San Miguel, in our lifetimes.
Oh we of little faith.
 |
| Be still my heart, and my checking account too. |
(Amid all the Trump-inspired palpitations and wing-flapping over immigration, I can't resist mentioning that Musk is one 12 billionaires who came to the U.S. as immigrants. He came from South Africa. Others on this list are Russian Sergey Brin (Google); French-Iranian Pierre Omidyar (eBay); Israeli Isaac Perlmutter (Marvel Entertainment); and Hungarian-born financier George Soros. I could have made the list (Cuba) if I had only paid more attention in school.)
Stew and I saw a Tesla at a showroom in Amsterdam two years ago, though before that we already had noticed the growing presence of electric car charging posts in other large European cities.
Sitting under banks of halogen lights, that Tesla baby was a vision. It had a mirror-like paint we had never seen on any other car. That and its futuristic lines made the vehicle look as if it were gravitating six inches above the showroom floor. Otherworldly.
Still, when we saw the Tesla charging stations in San Miguel our reaction was eye-rolling mixed with snarkiness.
 |
| Plug me in Scottie. |
Tesla already has a dealership in Mexico City, in the hyper-posh neighborhood of Polanco, on Calle Presidente Masaryk, Mexico's equivalent of Rodeo Drive. Whether it's a Tesla, a Brooks Brothers shirt or a Cartier diamond, it's no problema in Polanco.
In fact, when the dealership opened last year, it quickly received deposits for fifty units.
As for some logistics: The long-range Tesla now on sale ($44,000) can go 310 miles between charges.
San Miguel is 170 miles from Mexico City, so even if you run into traffic or a dead burro blocking the road, you should be able to make to the Best City in the World with no problema at all.
 |
| One missing detail: How do you pay for the electricity? I assume by credit card. |
Assuming the posts at Luciénaga are superchargers, the batteries on your Tesla should be charged in about a half-hour (for 170 miles), long enough to stretch your legs and have some churros or empanadas at Chocolates & Churros, owned by former soap opera actress Margarita Gralia and located next to the Cinemex theater.
You can also plug in your Tesla to a conventional outlet, in which case a full charge will take overnight.
However, this being Mexico—where aspirations sometimes run ahead of reality—you must make allowances for the superchargers at Luciérnaga being out of order, or if you arrive in the middle of thunderstorm, the electricity being out altogether.
Still. Gimme one.
###
It will be my next car. Currently driving a vehicle I bought new 12 yrs ago, and which is still in fine shape inside and out, so I have time to wait for the modest priced model.
ReplyDeleteI can never remember as I throw on my scarf, pronounce the s in Hermes or no?
DanaJ
I'm glad to hear that. Let me know when it arrives. Right now I understand there are about half-million order and a wait of about eighteen months. So keep your current wheels rolling for the time being.
ReplyDeleteal
They are a fantastic driving car, I test drove one awhile ago when we were in California. I would love to have one down here, but I can just see myself pulling up to a charging station and seeing the charge cord missing or the pedestal totally gone.
ReplyDeleteIn the US the charge is free so far, down here, a fast charge would be the equivalent of about 3 months energy use for an average household, so somehow they would have to figure out payment for the energy. I am sure they will work all that out, maybe we can pick up a used one in 5 years or so.
I agree with your scenario of pulling up to a charging station with no cord. I think as they begin to sell more of these cars the charging station issue will not be such a big deal. They'll have charging posts at motels, restaurants and all over the place, just like they have hitching posts in Wisconsin and Minnesota for plugging in your block heater during the winter.
DeleteStay tuned and thank you for your comment.
al
I see Volvo will stop making internal combustion autos and the Brits want to outlaw that engine. Here is another view of the issue. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-02/electric-car-fever
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter to me. I have already been priced off of the road. I am a bus person.
Robert Gill
Phoenix, AZ
I checked the site you mention and he's (Tyler Durden is a pseudonym) got some good points, though I think the electric car horse is out of the barn and his views are unduly pessimistic. The same doomsday predictions were made about the hybrids and now hybrid cabs, private cars and buses crowd the big cities.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it a little hot in Phoenix to travel by bus?
Thanks for your comments.
al
Yes, it is very hot here, and the air on the bus never seems to work. When we set out to go somewhere, we take two bottles of water. One liquid and one frozen; one to drink on the way there and one to drink on the way back.
ReplyDeleteNow, just how well will and electric car be refrigerated? I suspect that will eat up all of the juice.
Oh, and by the way, Tyler Durden is a character from "Fight Club." Zero Hedge is a product of some traders and market people that want to have their say, but still stay alive. There is a lot of good information there.
Robert Gill
Phoenix, AZ
Elon Musk Quotes
ReplyDelete