Posted on 02/04/2013 11:41:37 PM PST by grundle
Big Milestone Tesla keeps proving the skeptics wrong. For years we've heard all kinds of arguments explaining why they couldn't possibly succeed, and why they wouldn't deliver what they promised, how the auto industry was too hard to break into, etc. From the first promo pics of the Tesla Roadster in July 2006 to now, every time Tesla hits a new milestone, the naysayers go something like: "Well, they did this thing, but they won't get to this next thing." So I'll be curious to see what they'll come up with now that its been revealed that Tesla's factory has now reached its goal of producing Model S electric sedans at a rate of 20,000 a year, or 400 a week.
This is a big deal because economies of scale; that is, the more you make of something, the less it costs you per unit because you can amortize your fixed costs over more products and you have more bargaining power with your suppliers. This is a big part of Tesla's strategy. It'll also help clear their backlog of orders, which have piled up to around 13,000-15,000, and promise faster deliveries to new customers (some people might be deciding against the Model S because of the long waiting lists).
Another change is that so far, Tesla has only been making the more expensive top-of-the-line 85kWh model. It will now have the production capacity to start making 60kWh models too, filling some of those orders.
The company is also working hard on the Model X release, which should happen in mid to late 2014. Automotive News reports:
The Model X development is undergoing the transformation from the functional initial prototype that was unveiled last year to a production-ready prototype. The company will be making final decisions on the interior and exterior dimensions of the car in the first quarter of 2013, Musk said in an interview.
A key part of the Model X will be its dual-motor all-wheel drive system, which Musk predicted would give the crossover "the best road handling of any car in the world."
And after that the next step will be a new model based on a third platform, closer in size to a BMW 3 and with a price around 30,000-35,000. This should be released in 3-4 years, and could be a major breakthrough for electric cars in my opinion, especially if the Supercharger network of fast-charging stations that provide free power grows all around the country and the world.
Kudos to Tesla for making an electric car that actually looks like a car ... not another egg on wheels. Now if only they could make it affordable.
If they actually had a marketable idea that was worthy of bringing to the market, why couldn’t they find investors outside the political realm.
Theres a reason that they had to go to the government for the cash.
Yeah, I think we all see the flaw here.
LOL
Dork...
I actually drove their 1st test car at an investment conference 6 years ago.
I was walking toward the front door of the conference and this thing goes flying past me, with a high wirrhh and I got this huge grin on my face.
I thought “That is one kewel go-kart”.
So I walk up to this guy, who had the same grin on his face and asked if he knew what the heck that was and if it was some promotion gimmick for the conference.
He laughed and went into this business pitch about how it was the future...
I said “Yeah? Go Karts?”.
He laughed and introduced himself. I was talking to Elon Musk!
Didn’t know who he was but he offered me a test drive.
I’m like “Hell yeah, I want to drive it”.
This thing was zipping by at an incredible speed and when I learned it was all electric I thought “Kewel gimmick”.
So I sat in this electric Formula One and slapped the Go Pedal to metal. Scared the begesus out of me.
Still, I walked away with a huge grin but, still thinking “Ain’t no one gonna buy this POS”.
So, I’m looking at some companies to invest in and he finds me. Strikes up conversation and with great confidence and in business terms talks up the future of his offering.
Yeah, he’s going to start the market with a high end offering and he’s telling me all these details of what the car will offer in amenities and who his initial target market is.
Wants to know if I know any first movers, who acquirer wiz bang crap.
I tell him “Sure. My friend Woz will probably find this very interesting”.
Asks if I would introduce him.
Told him who to contact and next thing I know Woz pings me that it’s a totally kewel innovation, thanking me for putting them in contact.
Sure enough, Woz is getting one, when it comes available.
He’s a dork, interested in all things exclusive that are innovative.
I had spent a day beating up one of his Segway’s at his girlfriend’s and felt “That’s great. He’s actually interested in this dumb thing”.
Turns out, it’s a great car.
I have at three friends who have one or will be getting one.
I’ll have a chance to ride in one next month, when I visit a friend in LA.
They have private jet money and this thing is going to be their kicking around town car, when they are in LA.
Looking forward to giving it a whirl and will post my experience afterwards.
Dream on knucklehead.
“EVs are good vehicles for a very rich country where citizens don’t have even a single worry in their lives and who can easily pay $30-40K for a car. I don’t know where such a country might be located.”
Actually Norway likely fits that bill...but we CERTAINLY don’t.
I’ve never understood the almost automatic disapproval many FReepers exhibit regarding electric vehicles or even gas/electric hybrids.
Having some percentage of vehicles on the road relying on a different energy source is a good thing. It’s that much closer to being able to tell the mullahs to kiss off.
It’s a nuclear powered car. Or coal, or hydroelectric.
So, it’s expensive. New tech nearly always is. That will change over time with broader adoption, economies of scale and further advances.
They’ll likely always be more urban but that’s OK by me.
There is no such thing as free electric power. Somebody has to pay for it in the long run. Home owners is my guess. Then there is the bypassing of the gas tax, which eventually will lead to taxing electric cars by the mile.
Thanks for the story. I wish Tesla the best. Elon Musk is a perfect example of how successful African Americans can be in this country.
Uhmmmm...He’s fairly white and Hebrew..
He’s also from South Africa and an American citizen.
LOL
forgot about that.
The investment group I belong to is heavily “Heb” and I was focused on that.
You usually don’t have to pay for nothing unless you get your nothing from the government, then everybody pays.
So I’ll be curious to see what they’ll come up with now that
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How about, what’s the trade in value when the battery goes dead, and needs replacement.
I heard that there is a 152” plasma TV that sells for $500,000 that is selling very well. And there are companies that sell $50,000 and $100,000 stereos that are doing well. When you have a niche market for a very expensive item, there is always the possibility that there will be enough millionairs and billionairs out there to keep your doors open.
And that is the tesla market, and why this has nothing to do with electric cars, but with the concept of unique, expensive items having a market in the limited number of rich people. Kinda like cars were before Henry Ford applied the assembly line to their manufacture.
Electrical power is cheap. You can produce lots of power by simply discharging a capacitor into a very low resistance. It's electrical energy thats expensive.
I think it's because electric cars are being purchased with our tax money.
Personally, I think a hybrid gas/electric car makes a lot of sense. Trouble is, batteries still suck. I'm still wondering why there isn't a diesel/electric hybrid out there, other than locamotives. From what I understand the watermelons (green on the outside, red on the inside) disdain diesel, because it's not "clean". I would think it would make a lot of sense to set up a diesel engine as your generator, because they will run nearly forever.
So, it’s expensive. New tech nearly always is. That will change over time with broader adoption, economies of scale and further advances.Yeah, think radio-telephones and their growth over 50 years. At one time, the unit was thousands of dollars plus obscene air-time costs, so you had to justify the purchase and the use of the service with the money you save being in contact. I remember one radio reporter who justified the expense by the number of news scoops he picked up because his station could let him know now of a breaking event, rather than the next time he checked in. Newspaper reports in that town hated him.
Now radio-telephones (you know them better as cell phones now) are so cheap the government is giving them away.
Oh, wait...
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