Tesla Model X Launch, Tonight 8pm PST
teslamotors.com
teslamotors.com
Starting with 2020 electric cars should start going mainstream, which is not too bad. I think many people wouldn't have expected this until 2050 (when we'd be really running out of oil) about 5-10 years ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_car#1890s_to_1900s:_Ea...
1. They become priced like regular cars 2. They have the range of regular cars 3. They come in form factors similar to regular cars 4. They are cheaper to own and operate than regular cars 5. They stop being about "the environment". San Francisco is not the entire US.
It looks like we're getting a bit closer to all of these milestones, which is good.
In Chicago, we desperately need a battery that can make it through a morning commute when it is 15 below zero.
Anyway, they're getting cheaper all the time, batteries are getting better, and when you can convincingly pitch the TCO as being less than a gas car, you'll start to see people jump on it. Infrastructure will follow from there.
With a decent range, say 200+ miles, planning for a 3 hour charge isn't too terrible a shift. Long distance travel is another story. Charging stations at rest stops and restaurants would be a big help there, but I'm worried that the premature installation of those GE power stations, which have been subsequently torn out in many places, have left a bad taste in the mouths of people who can make that happen.
I can make a 12 hour trip from SF to UT or 7 hr SF to LA. With an electric you add in 3hrs * 2 going to UT and 3hrs * 1 going to LA. That totally changes travel plans because I'd have to stop for the night or else push through on nothing but uncomfortable naps in the car during the charge cycles. So electric is out.
If I had 2 cars (if I didn't live in a small apartment complex, and if I had a bunch of kids so I needed a separate van or something) then I'd have one electric for commuting and one gas for road trips.
// Although some of the dates seem to be slipping (ie - the 2011 Canberra roll-out)
Most Europeans already believe 300 miles range and room for eight passengers is a luxury. Why? Their gasoline costs about twice as much per liter/gallon. Their automakers build mostly hatchbacks to match demand. It's rare to even see a large van on the roads. When you see an SUV/crossover in Europe, it's the sign of a wealthy person who lives to excess.
As I pointed out in my article, ten minute chargers are only five to ten years from commercial release. You can charge your Nissan Leaf from 0 to 80% in 25 minutes using today's Level 3 charger without waiting for any new technology. That'd be ~45 minutes for a Tesla Model S.
If gasoline prices predictably rise and it only takes as much time to top up at the local mall as it takes to stop there for a latte and a sandwich, you'd be a fool to not own an electric vehicle.
The Leaf already costs double what my car does. We're not quite at the point where this makes sense.
But the thing is most europeans do not have garages next to their house. They just park their cars on street. I am curious about how they will handle charging system.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/aug...
Also, Tesla complained about that episode, and Top Gear responded that everything shown was an accurate portrayal of how it went. Who you choose to believe, I suspect, has a great deal to do with the distance between one's home and SV. As for me, I imagine the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Top Gear regularly embellishes for the purposes of entertainment, but I find it highly unlikely that they would flat-out make shit up just to slag a particular company.
I ran the numbers here: http://colintheshots.com/node/10
They have: 5 cents per mile variable cost of driving. Cheapest insurance for vehicles in their price range due to five star safety ratings. Federal and state incentives.
They're cheaper than regular cars, if you can find affordable financing. Right now, financing is the cheapest it's ever been if your credit is good. Think of it as buying your fuel years in advance at low interest rates.
Then i remembered how you write dates.
The next model after this is the one he wants to make for like $15000-$20000
They seem to think Model X will be very well received.
His next tweet said they are not gull-wing. They definitely do something interesting though.
And how many seats? I'm pretty stoked. And maybe my Tesla stock will have a nice bump after the unveiling. [weak disclosure] :)
I wouldn't want Tesla to release a car even at $30,000. It takes away the from the rarity and coolness. Electric cars certainly do need to evolve and Tesla has done an incredible job, but there are dozens of other manufacturers out there that are just as capable. If you could buy a Bugatti or Koenigsegg for $75,000 they would certainly be less attractive to auto enthusiasts. It's human nature to want what we can't have. If Prada (not knock-offs) started selling their bags at $50 a pop do you think girls would still worship them?
Are you trying to argue that you're not paying for a brand? If so, by your logic then stores like Saks Fifth Avenue's "green" brands or high end auto manufacturers with hybrid vehicles have no place in America.
The Tesla S is great because it seems that upper-middle class folk will be able to own it, and I hope they continue down that path bringing electric cars to everyone.
EDIT: Also the other large manufacturers weren't interested in investing in electric because their analysis showed them they wouldn't see enough return. Tesla is there to prove them wrong. (Some large car-companies are only now building electric cars but it feels rather like a green-washing campaign - it's usually only one model, cars are dinky and impractical...etc)
Think about premium brands such as Sony, Apple, and Samsung. They make high end electronics that cost a pretty penny. Not everyone can afford a $2,500 laptop or $3,000 TV. When these giants come out with new technology it's terribly expensive at first(think plasma TV's 7+ years ago). Well, after a few years of production and a limited market, the lower-rung guys are able to catch up and get their share too(Vizio, Olevia, Sanyo) granted their products generally aren't as polished. The technology has evolved enough that others are able to produce it so everyone can afford it, while the big name guys still reign king because not only did they offer it at first, but their product is still superior. This same thing is happening right now. Tesla is the premium brand leader, and the other guys (Chevy, Ford, Nissan) are finally starting to get their act together.
The majority of people would rather have a Sony TV than a Vizio(assuming the picture quality is very similar) all because of that little Sony logo. Brands rule America. It's sad but true. Otherwise there would be no reason to spend $100 on a t-shirt.
I don't think Sony, Apple Samsung are the "premium/luxury" brands (Apple maybe was considered one when it first came out but it certainly wasn't in the same class of exclusivity as a Bugatti is in the car world). I see all of those electronics manufacturers as the GMs or Toyota's of the hardware industry. They make a wide variety of electronics at different price points for different buyers. There's nothing exclusive or elitist about owning a Samsung or an Apple product.
I'd like to see Tesla as the disruptive force among the well-entrenched car brands like GM or Toyota, but I'd rather it not become the super-rare and expensive alternative to them. I realize we pay some premium based on what brand we choose but I was just expressing what I hope the Tesla brand would come to represent (and also what I had heard its mission was initially).
Apple also makes a sub $1k laptop, and a $600 desktop.
In this case though, Tesla wants to make electric cars affordable. They're only rare and exclusive right now because they're expensive and brand new. They may continue to be rare even at $15,000. A Lotus Elise is cheap and fast and everyone wants one, but I never see them driving down the road.
That's because of practicality, and because not everyone actually wants one.
Audi cars are nice, but ultimately nothing special. Anybody can own an Audi, because the cheaper ones aren't that expensive. That doesn't prevent them from having the R8, though, which at $130,000 is purely a luxury sports car. Everybody who sees an R8 knows that whoever owns it is probably a millionaire. The fact that there are cheaper Audis doesn't minimize the value of the luxury model. The luxury brand essentially becomes "R8," not "Audi."
Other examples: Mercedes and the McLaren SLR, BMW and the i8 supercar. Ford and the Ford GT. So can it be with Tesla and the Tesla Roadster.
I'm not quite sure why you picked BMW and Audi as examples. Everyone knows they're luxury and in the premium class. I'll give you the Ford GT, but as far as Mercedes goes, they're still viewed in the upper-class spectrum in the car world. The C class is currently the cheapest Mercedes and you're lucky to find one for less than $38k on a dealer's lot.
^A 3 series almost as old as myself.
A car that sells for 15k pounds in the UK can easily sell for over $50k AUD. (which is 1:1 USD atm)
Indeed, I got mine for 2.5k so that I could pick up "classy chicks". ;)
Surprisingly it worked, to some degree.
You're taking this far out of context and acting as if the current models don't matter just because they were designed one way 15+ years ago. The only "cheap" BMWs are the base model 1 and 3 series. Compare the average new 3 series to a high end model from Toyota, Dodge, Chevy, etc... They don't stand a chance in terms of aesthetics and overall "feel."