Tesla Profitable - Page 2

MotoSook · 08-08-2009, 02:45 AM

Dont' forget that the electricity used to charge those plug-in's isn't as clean as everyone wants to believe. Might as well drive around in a coal fired steam engine'ed car 1/2 the time.

But who cares, as long as the crap isn't shooting out the backend of their car it's someone else's problem and I'm doing my part to save the world.

JonT · 08-08-2009, 06:23 AM

Some funny math going on there 109 vehicles a month and they are profitable?

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by island911

What's your hybrid sound like?

The funny stuff aside, this is the real issue with Hybrids today. They do not get astounding fuel economy. You could put a 60 hp, 1.6 engine into the car with a standard drive train and probably get better mileage for 1/2 the cost.

And a hybrid is false economy. The energy required to make a hybrid car is enough to make the life energy (manufacturing + life time operation) MORE than some smaller SUVs, let alone small standard cars.

My 1978 Datsun B210 would do an actual 39 mpg on the highway, at 70 mph. And when I owned it, it was 6 years old. That same 1.6l engine, with a modern valve train, fuel injection, etc, inserted in a Hybrid body, would probably do 50 mpg, on gasoline. Remember, the Jetta gets a mileage boost of around 20% just from being on diesel, since it has more BTUs per gallon.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonT

Some funny math going on there 109 vehicles a month and they are profitable?

When each one costs well north of $100,000 (that's $10.9M per month), it's not so hard to believe at all.

m21sniper · 08-08-2009, 09:58 AM

Let's see....

Tesla= whoosh

928= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myMZQsFNhn4&feature=channel_page

928 ftw. I don't care how fast the tesla is. It has no character.

lendaddy · 08-08-2009, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWebb

the development grant is for a sedan and is separate from this

Is there a supplement to the article that you read that in? Hell, there are no specifics in the article at all.

It says $20mm in revenue and $1mm in profit on sales of 109 cars. That's $183k in revenue from each car which has an MSRP of $109k. Where did the extra dough come from?

lendaddy · 08-08-2009, 10:53 AM

Here is a more complete article:

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/08/tesla-profit/

Looks like the car is now more like $130k and a portion of revenue (undisclosed) came from the one time sale of technology to Daimler.

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by NOTm21sniper

I don't care how fast the 928 is. It has no character.

911s for me.

Of course, I recognize that others may have somewhat different desires re speed, and I support having a variety of choices out there.

Who knows, when I get old & gray (ok, older & grayer) I may give up on my current hotrod and buy a 989 Boxster or a Tesla III or something.

Dantilla · 08-08-2009, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m21sniper

I don't care how fast the tesla is. It has no character.

I disagree. A while ago I was thinking semi-seriously about getting a Tesla, because it's a desirable sports car. The electric part is just icing on the cake.

And here in the Northwest, most of our energy is hydro.

m21sniper · 08-08-2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWebb

911s for me.

Of course, I recognize that others may have somewhat different desires re speed, and I support having a variety of choices out there.

Who knows, when I get old & gray (ok, older & grayer) I may give up on my current hotrod and buy a 989 Boxster or a Tesla III or something.

Compared to a 928 a 911 sounds like a lawnmower engine.

m21sniper · 08-08-2009, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dantilla

I disagree. A while ago I was thinking semi-seriously about getting a Tesla, because it's a desirable sports car. The electric part is just icing on the cake.

And here in the Northwest, most of our energy is hydro.

When i nail the throttle in my hot rod (which i consider my 928 to be), i want to be greeted with a full on audio onslaught by it's glorious V-8 engine.

Not a quiet "whooooooosh."

Though if you like to speed around in traffic, the quiet car would definitely garner far less cop attention. My saab turbo is very similar in that way. I can be beating the snot out of it and it barely makes any noise at all. Good feature in a daily driver.

island911 · 08-08-2009, 01:09 PM

Six Thousand Eight Hundred & Thirty One batteries.

how do they hold up to quick discharge? ...do they last as long as a typical notebook battery?

m21sniper · 08-08-2009, 01:31 PM

I suspect battery tech. will finally catch up to these electric cars in about 10-15 years. Then they'll really be something.

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

I'm sure it can be green for the well settled cat who has a couple of acres of solar panels... ( i'll ignore the eco impact of producing the panels for the sake of driving an electric performance car)
So anybody you see, that claims to be green with his Tesla, just ask him " How many acres do you have invested in this car"...

Then see how they try and weasel out of that question.

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic dB

she was the fiance of Musk the CEO. She is a British actress who is engaged to that guy... .

This one?

looks like she has a short circuit

island911 · 08-08-2009, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svandamme

I'm sure it can be green for the well settled cat who has a couple of acres of solar panels... ( i'll ignore the eco impact of producing the panels for the sake of driving an electric performance car)
So anybody you see, that claims to be green with his Tesla, just ask him " How many acres do you have invested in this car"...

Then see how they try and weasel out of that question.

Damn it Stijn, in this country we don't care about facts. All that matter are intentions. ...or the image of good intentions .. .or . ..whatever. We have standard!

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by island911

Damn it Stijn, in this country we don't care about facts. All that matter are intentions. ...or the image of good intentions .. .or . ..whatever. We have standard!

intentions inschmentions. whatever.

I intended to be a world ruling dictator by the age of 20, when i was aged 10. Look where that go me.. it's 00h22, i'm 33, sitting at home, drunk, behind my pc, posting on some car-forum in the "off topic" section... woop-di-doo!

Sonic dB · Sonic dB's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by svandamme

This one?

looks like she has a short circuit

Yes, her name is Talulah... imo she is very hot, you should see her in person. She looks great in a pair of jeans and a T. She was also very cool and chatty and I like that confidence in women. Anyway, Musk is a lucky dude. The rich get richer.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1506908/mediaindex

Moses · 08:19 AM

Tesla? Humbug. I want 600 HP, 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. A 250 mile electric range or a 900 mile range when burning gas. And when I'm burning gas, I want my 600 HP car to get 80 MPG.

What happened to the PML Flightlink Mini Cooper QED?

http://www.autoracing1.com/article.asp?id=1165

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by m21sniper

I suspect battery tech. will finally catch up to these electric cars in about 10-15 years. Then they'll really be something.

I hope so. The two inventions that would REALLY change the world would be (1) good batteries (and by "good" I mean orders of magnitude better than the junk we have today) and (2) room-temperature superconductivity.

Either (or both) of these would seriously change the world forever as much as the invention of the lightbulb or the transistor.