Full Version: Return of the Electric Car
You just can't keep these Silicon Valley kids quiet. Now they're out spending all those millions made on high-tech to produce viable electric cars for the mass market through Tesla Motors:
Tesla Unveils Sports Car 0-60 4 secs
The sports model is going for $100,000 and will be shipped in 2008 once some transmission glitches get ironed out. Then the plan is to open a factory in New Mexico to build a sedan version that'll sell for about $50,000
Questions for Debate:
What might attract you to buy a Tesla, assuming the price tag gets within your budget?
What might turn you away from making a purchase?
Do you see any political, economic or business problems with Tesla Motors or the electric car concept?
Bonus:
What is being "energy positive" and how does that relate to the energy markets?
Tesla Unveils Sports Car 0-60 4 secs
The sports model is going for $100,000 and will be shipped in 2008 once some transmission glitches get ironed out. Then the plan is to open a factory in New Mexico to build a sedan version that'll sell for about $50,000
Questions for Debate:
What might attract you to buy a Tesla, assuming the price tag gets within your budget?
What might turn you away from making a purchase?
Do you see any political, economic or business problems with Tesla Motors or the electric car concept?
Bonus:
What is being "energy positive" and how does that relate to the energy markets?
I've been following this company for a couple of years now and I'm excited. I've wanted one ever since I saw the prototypes. I've been telling my girlfriend that if I had $100,000 to spend on a car, this is the one I'd buy.
What might attract you to buy a Tesla, assuming the price tag gets within your budget?
Everything about it. Imagine having a car that's faster than a Ferrari with zero emissions. How hot is that!
What might turn you away from making a purchase?
I'm a tall man. If I couldn't fit into it or have it custom made for me to fit into it, then, obviously, I wouldn't buy it.
Do you see any political, economic or business problems with Tesla Motors or the electric car concept?
Some people claim an issue regarding the environmental impact of creating batteries for electric cars. I don't know if the impact there significantly diminishes the environmental benefit of driving an electric car.
What is being "energy positive" and how does that relate to the energy markets?
Energy positive means putting more energy back on to the grid than you take off. There are solar energy packages that allow you to do this. Combine that with the energy efficiency of an electric car and the "green" benefit is boosted.
What might attract you to buy a Tesla, assuming the price tag gets within your budget?
Everything about it. Imagine having a car that's faster than a Ferrari with zero emissions. How hot is that!
What might turn you away from making a purchase?
I'm a tall man. If I couldn't fit into it or have it custom made for me to fit into it, then, obviously, I wouldn't buy it.
Do you see any political, economic or business problems with Tesla Motors or the electric car concept?
Some people claim an issue regarding the environmental impact of creating batteries for electric cars. I don't know if the impact there significantly diminishes the environmental benefit of driving an electric car.
What is being "energy positive" and how does that relate to the energy markets?
Energy positive means putting more energy back on to the grid than you take off. There are solar energy packages that allow you to do this. Combine that with the energy efficiency of an electric car and the "green" benefit is boosted.
QUOTE(AuthorMusician @ Nov 29 2007, 09:13 AM) 
Questions for Debate:
What might attract you to buy a Tesla, assuming the price tag gets within your budget?
What might turn you away from making a purchase?
Do you see any political, economic or business problems with Tesla Motors or the electric car concept?
Bonus:
What is being "energy positive" and how does that relate to the energy markets?
What might attract you to buy a Tesla, assuming the price tag gets within your budget?
What might turn you away from making a purchase?
Do you see any political, economic or business problems with Tesla Motors or the electric car concept?
Bonus:
What is being "energy positive" and how does that relate to the energy markets?
Well... it's a GREAT looking car. It doesn't need gas, and I HATE the gas station. Obviously, if I came home with a $100K car, I'd be both broke and probably divorced! ! !
$50K still is probably a little high for a car, unless of course somehow we could reason the cost of gas into the payments and come out ahead. Sure- a "green car" will sell. I hope it does, but I think in the US it would have to be attractive, reliable, and under $40K to sell in any grand fashion.
I'd have to assume that once some are hitting the road, it proves itself to be reliable, and if it gets the backing of the media the price will come down some. Maybe even the government will subsidize it or make it tax free or something. That would make sense. Have places with pollution give 0% sales tax or 1/2 sales tax. On a $40K car in Dallas that would save someone $1650 alone at 1/2 tax and $3300 on 0% tax. Not bad. On $50K it would save someone $4125 at 0% tax.
Take the "higher end" US car market into perspective, and consider that every major manufacturer has attempted to reach mass markets with a model in the $35-40K range (BMW 3 series, Mercedes C class, Cadillac CTS, Jaguar, etc, etc). It seems to have worked. What if Tesla made one at $40-45K, attacked this market, and got states to drop sales tax for the first year or two? My wife drives an Accord, and due to recent success we've discussed when her's is paid for next year that we might buy a C class Mercedes. This is mostly because the payments only jump about $80-100/month on the Mercedes from her Accord. If the Tesla electric car was just a bit more... but just as nice, I'd surely consider it.
I'd be interested in seeing how well it can integrate itself into a "palatable" pricing category.
If they made an SUV or pick up with those stats that I could afford... I'd buy it in a minute.
What might attract you to buy a Tesla, assuming the price tag gets within your budget?
I would buy the jeep-styled Tesla whenever that comes out, and I'd like to have a computer-controlled motor on each wheel, sealed from the elements, waterproof for fording deep creeks, and with the solar panel option for charging when it just sits around in the open air.
But this came up in conversation: What about fleet vehicles? The sedan for $50k might be a bargain. Consider this math . . .
100,000 miles @ 25 mpg with $3.00 gas/gallon = $12,000
100,000 miles @ $0.02 per mile = $2,000
So the base cost goes down to $40k. I think the government, post office and any traveling sales division would look closely at this.
What might turn you away from making a purchase?
The main concern has to do with the way we generate over half our electricity now. It's through burning coal, which is the worst way to do it. Can't get the emissions clean enough. The soot's gone but the CO2 and mercury are still there. We need to make electricity in a clean manner, which might happen about the time I can afford a Tesla.
The battery tech is also a concern. How well do those things recycle? But I also know that non-polluting battery tech is out there and ready to be exploited.
Do you see any political, economic or business problems with Tesla Motors or the electric car concept?
I don't think the oil/gas industry is going to take this without fighting back in some manner. I suspect they killed the last successful electric car, so I bet they try to kill this one too. This could lead to some more crazy politics, something like taxing electricity used for transportation. On the business end, dealerships might be pressured not to carry electric cars. I see many more possibilities, but something is going to happen along these lines.
What is being "energy positive" and how does that relate to the energy markets?
I wish upon a star:
That I could install solar on the roof, up the hill and along the decks.
That the electricity fed into the grid makes up for whatever I'd use for the house and electric car.
That even more electricity was generated than used. That'd be energy positive, and the energy markets would not like it. It means I'm paying nothing for electricity, except the cost of installing all that solar and buying the electric car.
But it would be so darn cool
I would buy the jeep-styled Tesla whenever that comes out, and I'd like to have a computer-controlled motor on each wheel, sealed from the elements, waterproof for fording deep creeks, and with the solar panel option for charging when it just sits around in the open air.
But this came up in conversation: What about fleet vehicles? The sedan for $50k might be a bargain. Consider this math . . .
100,000 miles @ 25 mpg with $3.00 gas/gallon = $12,000
100,000 miles @ $0.02 per mile = $2,000
So the base cost goes down to $40k. I think the government, post office and any traveling sales division would look closely at this.
What might turn you away from making a purchase?
The main concern has to do with the way we generate over half our electricity now. It's through burning coal, which is the worst way to do it. Can't get the emissions clean enough. The soot's gone but the CO2 and mercury are still there. We need to make electricity in a clean manner, which might happen about the time I can afford a Tesla.
The battery tech is also a concern. How well do those things recycle? But I also know that non-polluting battery tech is out there and ready to be exploited.
Do you see any political, economic or business problems with Tesla Motors or the electric car concept?
I don't think the oil/gas industry is going to take this without fighting back in some manner. I suspect they killed the last successful electric car, so I bet they try to kill this one too. This could lead to some more crazy politics, something like taxing electricity used for transportation. On the business end, dealerships might be pressured not to carry electric cars. I see many more possibilities, but something is going to happen along these lines.
What is being "energy positive" and how does that relate to the energy markets?
I wish upon a star:
That I could install solar on the roof, up the hill and along the decks.
That the electricity fed into the grid makes up for whatever I'd use for the house and electric car.
That even more electricity was generated than used. That'd be energy positive, and the energy markets would not like it. It means I'm paying nothing for electricity, except the cost of installing all that solar and buying the electric car.
But it would be so darn cool
QUOTE(AuthorMusician @ Nov 29 2007, 03:12 PM)
What is being "energy positive" and how does that relate to the energy markets?
I wish upon a star:
That I could install solar on the roof, up the hill and along the decks.
That the electricity fed into the grid makes up for whatever I'd use for the house and electric car.
That even more electricity was generated than used. That'd be energy positive, and the energy markets would not like it. It means I'm paying nothing for electricity, except the cost of installing all that solar and buying the electric car.
But it would be so darn cool
I wish upon a star:
That I could install solar on the roof, up the hill and along the decks.
That the electricity fed into the grid makes up for whatever I'd use for the house and electric car.
That even more electricity was generated than used. That'd be energy positive, and the energy markets would not like it. It means I'm paying nothing for electricity, except the cost of installing all that solar and buying the electric car.
But it would be so darn cool
Don't forget windmills... I don't know where you live, but places here in Tx are pretty windy.
Solar Panels + Wind Mills + Electric car = thousands saved.
Now if I could just figure out how to efficiently make my own beer.... hmm...
QUOTE(AuthorMusician @ Nov 29 2007, 09:13 AM)
You just can't keep these Silicon Valley kids quiet. Now they're out spending all those millions made on high-tech to produce viable electric cars for the mass market through Tesla Motors:
Tesla Unveils Sports Car 0-60 4 secs
The sports model is going for $100,000 and will be shipped in 2008 once some transmission glitches get ironed out. Then the plan is to open a factory in New Mexico to build a sedan version that'll sell for about $50,000
Questions for Debate:
What might attract you to buy a Tesla, assuming the price tag gets within your budget?
What might turn you away from making a purchase?
Do you see any political, economic or business problems with Tesla Motors or the electric car concept?
Bonus:
What is being "energy positive" and how does that relate to the energy markets?
Tesla Unveils Sports Car 0-60 4 secs
The sports model is going for $100,000 and will be shipped in 2008 once some transmission glitches get ironed out. Then the plan is to open a factory in New Mexico to build a sedan version that'll sell for about $50,000
Questions for Debate:
What might attract you to buy a Tesla, assuming the price tag gets within your budget?
What might turn you away from making a purchase?
Do you see any political, economic or business problems with Tesla Motors or the electric car concept?
Bonus:
What is being "energy positive" and how does that relate to the energy markets?
As mentioned my concerns, outside of cost and size of this car, is the way we currently make electricity. If we switched rapidly to electric cars it would be an environmental disaster as we poured sulfur, mercury and small particles out of power plants that are already stressed in the summer.
To date the Congress is too busy to approve nuclear plants which we would need dozens of to do this right. Call back in 20-30 years.
Finally the infrastructure to handle charging cars on the road, the batteries needed for bigger vehicles to go a min on 300 miles and their disposal all are still open issues that are not yet settled yet. How long would a "charge" take?
Simply put we are not even close to being ready for significant numbers of electric cars regardless of their availability.
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