[norwaypinesavage]

"Have they fixed the problem where if the battery fully discharges, the car becomes a worthless brick?"

No, it starts out as a worthless brick. The battery problem is just frosting on the brick.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

“....Tesla built the Supercharger network, which can take a Model S from flat to full in an hour, in secret at six locations in California. Those solar carports, which look a little like regular filling stations, will be switched on next month and the car company is planning more in “high traffic corridors” across the US and in Europe and Asia in the second half of next year.

But even for Model S owners, the network comes with a catch. The rapid charging from the carport will take its toll on the lithium-ion batteries in the vehicles, so the Supercharger is only for occasional use....”

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/26/tesla_supercharger_network/