Are we not talking about the way cool new Tesla lorry and Roadster?

[island911]

Tesla lorry...

Why don't they make battery powered firetrucks?

Just think, quick response to short range events...

[island911]

Fire events like this one.

Actress Mary McCormack claims her husband's Tesla Model S 'spontaneously combusted' | Daily Mail Online

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by legion

Electric cars are not economically viable, and as such, they will never be widely adopted. (Snip) They are a fad for those who wish to virtue signal their environmental visible sainthood.

MY electric car is fun to drive and technically interesting, like my 911, my 356s, and my antique truck. It is an interesting departure from the vroom vroom cars that have been my only option for 50 years. It is also practical transportation. I don’t care if my Volt isn’t as environmentally clean as someone’s Impala, it has the virtue of being far more interesting.

[island911]

can't argue with that. ^

Some interesting manufacturing issues at Tesla.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/16/elon-musk-e-mail-to-tesla-employees-says-radical-improvements-needed.html

[Por_sha911]

Setting up plausible deniability?:
https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/elon-musk-warns-tesla-workers-that-employee-committed-sabotage-report

[legion]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Setting up plausible deniability?:
https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/elon-musk-warns-tesla-workers-that-employee-committed-sabotage-report

Sometimes, when you try to do something different from everyone else, you discover that everyone else was right. Things evolve to where they are for a reason, and new technology isn't always able to improve things.

I'd be willing to bet that code was changed because Musk wants things done faster, and Tesla probably doesn't have good source control management processes because they are more interested in speed than accountability. Just because code doesn't work correctly doesn't mean it is sabotage. But it does create a convenient scapegoat.

[cairns]

Sometimes, when you try to do something different from everyone else, you discover that everyone else was right. Things evolve to where they are for a reason, and new technology isn't always able to improve things.

Well said. I think Musk has more than a little Elizabeth Holmes in him.

[onewhippedpuppy]

The problem with ego is sometimes you can't bear to blame yourself. I think Musk is looking for people to blame for some glaring issues associated with his company.

[legion]

Tesla rips off copyrighted material and Musk whines when caught:

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/farting-unicorn-causes-kerfuffle-between-elon-musk-and-artist-2018-06-27

Tom Edwards created the whimsical image of a unicorn powering an electric car with its own gas in 2010, and put it on ceramic mugs that he sells. “Electric cars are good for the environment because electricity comes from magic,” the mugs say.

That eventually caught the eye of Musk, the chief executive of electric-car maker Tesla Inc., who tweeted last year: “Maybe my favorite mug ever.”
...
The farting unicorn also appeared as an app icon on the Tesla console screen, and again appeared on Tesla’s annual Christmas card last year.

Edwards’ lawyers got involved in May, claiming Tesla’s appropriation of the farting unicorn was a clear copyright infringement. “Please don’t take this as a shakedown,” Denver attorney Timothy Atkinson wrote to Tesla, according to a report by Denver-based alt-weekly Westworld. “What we are seeking instead is a discussion, and a mutual decision in a way to value the past and continuing use of the image, in a way that both sides can feel good about.”

Edwards told The Guardian that he’s not seeking a ton of money. “I love the fact that it’s in the cars, but I just want them to do the right thing and pay me adequately for it,” he said. “Elon Musk can be a hero for standing up for artists’ rights.”

That seems less unlikely now. On Tuesday, Edwards’ daughter tweeted: “hey y’all Grimes’ boyfriend ripped off my dad’s art! this is a true story! what do you have to say for yourself @elonmusk ??”

Musk responded: “We gained no financial benefit. Have asked my team to use a diff example going forward. He can sue for money if he wants, but that’s kinda lame. If anything, this attention increased his mug sales.”

Of course, the ultimate irony is that people like Musk (and many Tesla buyers) truly believe that electric cars are magic and have no environmental impacts.

[onewhippedpuppy]

"but that's kinda lame".........seriously? Rip off a guy's original artwork and use it as part of your luxury products but then disparage him for wanting to get paid?

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by legion

Of course, the ultimate irony is that people like Musk (and many Tesla buyers) truly believe that electric cars are magic and have no environmental impacts.

Wait. What about them being "Zero Emissions"?

I guess those folks are lying to us or delusional.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Wait. What about them being "Zero Emissions"?

Emissions from the vehicle itself may indeed be zero, but what about the negative environmental impact that results from the mining of raw materials for batteries, the generation of electricity to charge them, and their eventual disposal?

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by rcooled

Emissions from the vehicle itself may indeed be zero, but what about the negative environmental impact that results from the mining of raw materials for batteries, the generation of electricity to charge them, and their eventual disposal?

The electricity is generated by unicorn farts, didn't you hear? All you have to do is plug the Tesla into a charging port and the unicorn farts bypass the nasty coal powered electricity and charge the Tesla. The coal and natural gas plants are for powering the refineries that make nasty crude oil into gasoline and diesel and the HORRIBLE plastic that makes up 75% of a Tesla.

[island911]

I hear that production is starting up in (moving to?) Asia.

That should cut costs.

w/in 8 years.

[944 S2]

Originally Posted by island911

I hear that production is starting up in (moving to?) Asia.

That should cut costs.

w/in 8 years.

Funny, that’s the basic strategy all the other electric start up are planning. Developed in the technology center (California) and build in China. Perhaps Tesla will beat them to it.
Good move on his part.

[island911]

Yet the batteries will be made in the 'Gigafactory" in Nevada?

This strikes me as hail Mary decision. A major departure from a master plan of a successful domestic build.

Hey, did you know that even Honda's are made in the US? And yet the Great Elon Musk isn't able to make cars at a profit in the US. And not for lack of sales. All that new state of the art manufacturing was supposed to be the big innovation that would make US production sing.

I suppose that this could be nothing more than additional factory for the Asian market. --How many years of selling at a loss there? Will China give eco-tax credits on electrics? The US certainly did. Norway and Sweden even more so. And yet still no profit on a car company with so many sales north of 100k per car. --how many Hondas is that? And they make a profit! --they must have better engineers and designers.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by island911

Yet the batteries will be made in the 'Gigafactory" in Nevada?

This strikes me as hail Mary decision. A major departure from a master plan of a successful domestic build.

Hey, did you know that even Honda's are made in the US? And yet the Great Elon Musk isn't able to make cars at a profit in the US. And not for lack of sales. All that new state of the art manufacturing was supposed to be the big innovation that would make US production sing.

I suppose that this could be nothing more than additional factory for the Asian market. --How many years of selling at a loss there? Will China give eco-tax credits on electrics? The US certainly did. Norway and Sweden even more so. And yet still no profit on a car company with so many sales north of 100k per car. --how many Hondas is that? And they make a profit! --they must have better engineers and designers.

If true, odds are that it will be heavily subsidized by the Chinese in exchange for technology transfer and continuing to bolster their domestic manufacturing. Tesla has been a master of sucking on the government teat, why stop with just the USA?

[legion]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

If true, odds are that it will be heavily subsidized by the Chinese in exchange for technology transfer and continuing to bolster their domestic manufacturing. Tesla has been a master of sucking on the government teat, why stop with just the USA?

That seems like a no-win situation for Tesla. Using technology pilfered from Tesla, another Chinese company will introduce a much cheaper competing product. Tesla can't afford to build a factory in Asia without subsidies, and probably can't afford to exist without being in the Asian market.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

The electricity is generated by unicorn farts, didn't you hear? All you have to do is plug the Tesla into a charging port and the unicorn farts bypass the nasty coal powered electricity and charge the Tesla. The coal and natural gas plants are for powering the refineries that make nasty crude oil into gasoline and diesel and the HORRIBLE plastic that makes up 75% of a Tesla.

The problem is now that there are so many electric cars the unicorn farts are quickly becoming the number one greenhouse gas!

[island911]

Originally Posted by legion

That seems like a no-win situation for Tesla. Using technology pilfered from Tesla, another Chinese company will introduce a much cheaper competing product. Tesla can't afford to build a factory in Asia without subsidies, and probably can't afford to exist without being in the Asian market.

Earlier in this thread (or one on the same topic) someone suggested that Asia would be a good place for Elon to dump the floundering Tesla. We'll see.

I really don't see that Tesla has any technology that the Chinese don't have already. Perhaps on the software side.