Long-awaited new sleep mode still not here. Expecting it soon. Still losing 4-5 kWh per day due to vampire losses. Total lost so far: 300-plus kWh, enough to drive 1,000 miles.

There's one exception to the electric-cars-cost-more rule: the Tesla Model S.

The $60-$100K price tag for a Model S (depending on battery size, performance level, and options) is virtually the same as comparable cars. The closest ICE-powered analog to the Model S is probably the Audi A7, which starts at 60K. A high-performance version, the S7, loaded, goes for about 90K. The even-higher-performance RS7, due this fall, is expected to run about $100 K. So the price correlation with the Tesla is almost perfect.

When people ask me what the payback period is for my model S, I tell them it's zero. Compared to an A7, I start saving money on Day One. After five years, I've saved $9,000 in fuel costs.

My Model S is very comfortable--once you get in.

But getting in and out is an awkward contortion for a tall (6 ft 2), creaky old guy like me. The entry-exit for the Volt is significantly easier, and the Leaf better yet.

The problem with the S is that the B pillar (the one between the doors) is too far forward. (Stated another way, the front door is too narrow.) When the seat is all the way back, as I require, the B pillar is well in front of the seat, which means you have to scrunch around it to get to the seat. Not easy.

I'd love to see a two-door version of the S, with a much wider door. Or better yet, follow the example of the Hyundai Veloster--a single wide door on the driver's side, and two doors on the passenger's side.

Is Tesla guaranteeing the capacity of the battery? They didn't say that specifically.

I think most of us Model S owners worry more about long-term capacity loss than bricking. I do, anyway.

In the aftermath of the Leaf's hot-weather problems, Nissan now guarantees that the Leaf battery will maintain at least 70 percent capacity after five years. If Tesla wants to have an industry-leading battery warranty, they need to beat Nissan. As far as I can tell, at this point they haven't even matched Nissan.

I talked to a Tesla sales guy at a local event yesterday, and he said they've tested Roadster batteries that are five years old with 100k-plus miles, and they still retain 90-plus percent capacity. If true, that's a very good sign.

The Volt holds up very well in comparison to the Model S. In fact, I like the accelerator mapping of the Volt better than the S. In normal around-town driving, at low speeds and moderate accelerations, the Volt in Sport mode actually feels a bit peppier than the S. (Press harder, of course, and the S blows it away.)

In terms of steering smoothness and response, the Volt is right up there with the S. I typically drive my S in comfort mode.

Sound-wise, the two cars are similar--virtually silent.

Driving the S has confirmed to me what a great car the Volt is. When I take my daughter on a 200-plus mile college visit this weekend, I'll be driving the Volt (no Superchargers in that direction yet), and I won't feel all that deprived.

You're right--I was typing fast.

And never apologize for being a grammar Nazi.

After 18 months with a Volt and two with a Model S, I am appalled whenever I drive an ICE car.

A friend recently bought a BMW 328 and proudly brought it over to let me try it. I couldn't believe how noisy, jerky, and unresponsive it was, lurching awkwardly through the gears. I politely acted as if I liked it, but it was clearly a dinosaur.

I can only imagine the sinking hearts of senior management at BMW, Audi, and Mercedes when they take their first drives in a Model S.

Too bad the e-car makers (Tesla expected) don't sell performance and responsiveness more. We see polar bears hugging Leaf owners and Volt owners who can't remember how to gas up, but nobody talks about the driving experience. Once you go electric, you can never go back.

Actually, the Volt does have "regen on demand." You just demand it in a different way.

When you put the Volt in D, you get the low regen. It feels like a normal ICE car. To get the high regen, simply shift to L. It feels like you've just shifted to Low in an ICE car. It's an excellent system, easy to switch back and forth on the fly. I'm not sure that the ELR system is any improvement.

In fact, I'm still confused about why there are two paddles. Is there more than one high-regen setting?. And can you leave the ELR permanently in the high-regen mode, so you don't have to always be hitting the paddle shifters?

The paragon of regen-on-demand is still the VW E-Golf, which has paddle shifters and four different regen settings.

I tested a Bike Friday many years ago, and found it to be amazing--just as efficient and fast as my expensive full-size road bike. But I think I can live with popping off the quick release front wheel on my current road bike.

When you charge in "Long Range" mode, you get the full 100 percent of the 60 kWh to use. In the Standard charge mode, the battery tops of at 89-90 percent. Obviously, if you're contemplating a long trip of 150-180-miles, you'd select the option to charge to the full 100 percent.