TEG

For Tesla there is a "west coast style" thing going as well.
It isn't just what American's want, but Tesla is run by people with upscale west coast tastes.

If you look at what Silicon Valley and Hollywood types have bought for decades you find a high ratio of BMW and Porsche's compared to the rest of the country.

I hope (and expect) that Tesla will want more "European style flair" in their product style just like they have with the Roadster.

DDB

There's an awful lot of celebs out there buying Toyota Priuses. They seem to want practical. I'd rather have practical (and something that would sell) rather than a conversation piece.

__________________
Dave

'05 Passat powered by Biodiesel
'54 Corvette

TEG

Yes, but they want the style too... Some have expressed the interest to buy something as "green" as a Prius but not so boring. There is a market for a Prius with more panache.

mt2

Since the BlueStar is at least four years away, a lot could happen between now and then - and I don't mean just technology. These guys have a lot of business savvy and have demonstrated that they don't mind alliances at all. Hypothetically - and only hypothetically - Tesla could co-develop a PHEV vehicle with TH!NK using Dean Kamen's Stirling engine with their own ESS.

TEG

Someone posted this link on the Tesla blog mentioning that Moller has been thinking about small rotary engine generators for hybrids.

mt2

Moller!? It's the 21st Century, damn it. Where's my flying car? In June they announced they found a Romanian manufacturer for the Rotopac, but I remain skeptical.

Seriously, if I were betting on any type of combustion engine in the BlueStar, I'd bet on the DEKA Stirling. Kamen has a long history of bringing revolutionary products to market. He's already put a CNG powered Stirling in his own City Car and has made it public knowledge that he's in discussions with TH!NK about mass producing it for them.

Still, I'd rather put the Stirling in my tool shed and power the house and BlueStar with bio-waste and passive solar heat. But if a smaller battery and Stirling make the BlueStar a 'people's car', I say go for it.

__________________
Mark Tomlinson
"I am not a trouble maker; I'm a catalyst for change."

TEG

Moller also has a smaller version:

DAVIS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Moller International (OTCBB:MLER) announced today that it has successfully coupled its 150cc Rotapower® engine to a high-performance brushless generator to create a breakthrough in the portable 10KW electric power range. This latest Rotapac Power Module follows an earlier 35 KW very compact Rotapac unit the company developed for the hybrid car industry under a DARPA/CALSTART contract. Both units occupy less than 20% of the volume and weight of existing gen-sets. This remarkable achievement is due to the attributes of the company’s Rotapower engine originally developed for its aeronautical products. The 10KW Rotapac occupies only 1.5 cubic feet and is one-man portable. Existing gen-sets of comparable power can occupy 8-to-12 cubic feet of volume.
In the emerging Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) market, using either Rotapac would leave far more volume available for batteries. “The Rotapac is a marvelous little package for anyone in need of portable electric power,” said Dr. Paul Moller, founder and President of Moller International. “It can be used in many applications such as home emergency power, construction or transportation.” A single 10KW Rotapac Power Module provides enough electrical power for a number of average size homes during an emergency.
In recent emissions tests the Rotapower® engine ran equally well on gasoline or ethanol and has demonstrated its potential to run on diesel fuel as well. Previously the Rotapower® engine was able to achieve very low emissions (see “Moller's Rotapower® Engine Produces Emissions Far Below California's SULEV Standard”, September 15, 2006). In these tests it met the California’s Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) standards on gasoline and the Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) standards on ethanol.
Moller International is soliciting manufacturers, clients or co-developers who require a very compact portable power source for their applications. For more details please contact Mr. Bruce Calkins, email: bruce@moller.com , Voice: (530) 756-5086 ext. 33, Fax: (530) 756-5179
Safe Harbor Statement:
Except for historic information contained in this release, the statements in this news release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause a company's actual results in the future to differ materially from forecasted results. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the company's ability to attract qualified management, raise sufficient capital to execute its business plan, and effectively compete against similar companies.
Rotapower® is a registered trademark of Moller International, Inc. in the US and other countries.