Anti-Tesla Gibberish

[lodenthal]

Well Bonnie, I guess you got he last laugh in that Coda filed for bankruptcy today! That poor guy is now out of a job...maybe its the sales pitch that soured people on Coda.

 

[JRP3]

No, it was always the lame ass vehicle they were producing.

 

[stephenpace]

Did anyone link to this yet? I hate to give such a poorly written piece more hits, but climate change denier and Fox Business contributor Steve Tobak tells us why we shouldn't buy electric cars:

http://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/2013/04/05/dont-buy-electric-car/

Gems:

"I wouldn’t buy an electric car if you paid me."
"it’s a free country, it’s my money, and the car I want to drive doesn’t come in electric": Fair enough, but then he is basically saying not to buy them because no EVs fit his amazing taste.
"The whole government subsidy thing." He 'reluctantly' took a subsidy for something he wanted (his solar panels) but rails against it for things he doesn't want.
"You have to plug it in." Such a burden.
"Who says electric power is clean?" In a previous line, he states he has a huge solar array, so basically he is saying that while he could drive on pure sunlight, he chooses not to.
"I don’t like dumb fads." EVs aren't fads, they are a matter of national security and for the health and safety of the entire planet. In 20 years, most new cars will likely be electric.
"Let rich people like rock stars and actors buy Teslas and Volts. They’re not for you." I'm not sure how many rock stars are buying Volts, but to quote him earlier in the piece, it's my money, and the Tesla is for me.

 

[vfx]

The united economics paper is garbage...
Now their conclusions...

Dan did I miss the part where ICE cars get less MPG and dirtier each year after new? My smog checks here in CA certainly remind me every other year. MY EV gets less range per charge but gets cleaner with every new wind turbine and solar farm.

- - - Updated - - -

This is mostly an anti-Elon piece, ...

Myopic writing. Commenters eviscerate him
How many millions of gas free miles have we driven now? 10M was the old Roadster number. He's in Santa Monica with has strict air requirements. I'd guess a lot less lung Cancer there that in say, major Mexico, Indian, or Chinese cities.

I noticed Richard Thalheimer
posted against the piece. I remember him as the guy who started Sharper Image. Wonder if he's a Tesla owner? He's paying attention

 

[lodenthal]

Bonnie,

I guess you got the last laugh. Your buddy is now most likely unemployed since Coda filed for backruptcy today!

 

[jvonbokel]

I noticed Richard Thalheimer posted against the piece. I remember him as the guy who started Sharper Image. Wonder if he's a Tesla owner? He's paying attention

If so, it would seem to represent a reversal of sorts. In Dec 2009, he said in an interview that "I don’t think Tesla Motors is going to to succeed. I personally just don’t think that you can just reinvent the car business- competing against companies that have been building great cars for many years."
Then again, he's not saying he doesn't like their products, just that he doesn't think they'll be successful, and the question was about what worked in building his company.

 

[lodenthal]

I find it hard to understand why so many find Tesla so threatening. There is plenty of space in the EV for all options. Tesla's success benefits them all.

 

[jerry33]

I find it hard to understand why so many find Tesla so threatening. There is plenty of space in the EV for all options. Tesla's success benefits them all.

I don't find it hard at all. Tesla built a real car, all the others are either secondary cars or have a dirty gas engine. Tesla, in one swoop, has made every other plug-in vehicle manufacturer look like they didn't know what they were doing--just like the iPhone made every other cellphone look obsolete. As far as I know, every other plug-in vehicle manufacturer believes there is only a limited demand for plug-ins and so if Tesla sells 20,000 cars this year, there won't be anyone left to purchase theirs. I believe there is an almost unlimited demand for plug-ins--but only if they are real cars.

 

[qwk]

I don't find it hard at all. Tesla built a real car, all the others are either secondary cars or have a dirty gas engine. Tesla, in one swoop, has made every other plug-in vehicle manufacturer look like they didn't know what they were doing--just like the iPhone made every other cellphone look obsolete. As far as I know, every other plug-in vehicle manufacturer believes there is only a limited demand for plug-ins and so if Tesla sells 20,000 cars this year, there won't be anyone left to purchase theirs. I believe there is an almost unlimited demand for plug-ins--but only if they are real cars.

Yep. Who wants to pack around CD's when there is an Ipod.

 

[mitch672]

I find it hard to understand why so many find Tesla so threatening. There is plenty of space in the EV for all options. Tesla's success benefits them all.

The other issue is, the ICE industry and business built around it are worried about their phoney baloney jobs..
How many mechanics will be needed at dealerships to change oil, rebuild engines, replace brake pads.
That's only the service side.. If people have EVs that last 12 years or more with very little service required, there won't be as many fast talking car salesman. Finally Tesla is threatening the entire dealership model by selling directly to consumers.

They have plenty to worry about, but there is no stopping progress.
I'm sure horse & buggy salesman tried to stop "those infernal machines" (cars) too, we see how we'll that worked.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

I wonder though as to how many non-dealer car service jobs - the Jiffy Lube variety - will be lost though in a world full of EVs. Even if some of them adapt and start servicing EVs, given how limited the scope for that is going to be, there'll be orders of magnitude difference in jobs on that front.

Maybe a topic for a different thread...

 

[Lloyd]

I wonder though as to how many non-dealer car service jobs - the Jiffy Lube variety - will be lost though in a world full of EVs. Even if some of them adapt and start servicing EVs, given how limited the scope for that is going to be, there'll be orders of magnitude difference in jobs on that front.

Maybe a topic for a different thread...

I see those jobs being taken up by "noise consultants" that will fix all the squeaks and wind noises etc that we would never hear in an ICE!

 

[mitch672]

I see those jobs being taken up by "noise consultants" that will fix all the squeaks and wind noises etc that we would never hear in an ICE!

So all the repair shops will become specialty shops that add noise proofing insulation and aftermarket products to quiet "noisy EVs", interesting thought, I'm sure a good number of "EV pack rebuilders" will also surface

 

[vfx]

If so, it would seem to represent a reversal of sorts....

A lot of people have changed their mind since the Roadster days. Thanks for haring

 

[brianman]

I don’t think Tesla Motors is going to to succeed. I personally just don’t think that you can just reinvent the car business- competing against companies that have been building great cars for many years."

Elon has stated multiple times he didn't think most of his ventures would succeed. He thought they could succeed, but not that they would. That doesn't make them not worth doing, and it doesn't make other people fools for not thinking they would succeed either.

 

[djplong]

That (the reduced service) is exactly what I started thinking of when I learned of the Gen III plans. Before that, my thought process was "Oh, it's a $100K car - I'll never afford something like that".

Suddenly - when the price was closer to other new cars I'd been thinking about eventually getting - the thoughts turned to all the maintenance I pay for (my primary car is 11 years old). No oil changes, air filters, water pumps, timing belts, sparkplugs, plug wires, alternators (in the ICE sense), exhaust systems (including $800 catalytic convertors), transmission servicing, coolant system winterizing... I've never had rings/pistons fail me - but in the past for other cars I've needed a new transmission... What would I still have? Brake jobs (about 1/3 as often based on some tests I've read), tires, windshield wipers, steering and suspension, and all the electronics and air condition-type stuff.

I'm reminded of the time my cousin turned a car engine into a big bookened because she never put oil in it. Not an issue with Tesla.

 

[Dan5]

Only a matter of time before the united economics made it to seeking alpha...
A day after positive results..coincidence anyone?

 

[JRP3]

Weiss/United economics taking another shot with a rehash of the same article: http://seekingalpha.com/article/1430161-in-summary-the-tesla-model-s-is-a-dirty-car
This is his "dumbed down" version.

 

[SebastianR]

Weiss/United economics taking another shot with a rehash of the same article: http://seekingalpha.com/article/1430161-in-summary-the-tesla-model-s-is-a-dirty-car
This is his "dumbed down" version.

Guess the stock price is too high for their taste

In fact, now that the stock was rising so much, I would expect a lot more of these kinds of "articles". Of course in blogs etc. but also in more established news outlets.

 

[Dan5]

Weiss/United economics taking another shot with a rehash of the same article: http://seekingalpha.com/article/1430161-in-summary-the-tesla-model-s-is-a-dirty-car
This is his "dumbed down" version.

Weiss is an incompetent shill; calls himself an expert and analyst in the oil sector, BUT then tries to use cost and tries to back calculate the energy needed to refine and comes up with a measly 0.16 kwhr per gallon. Had he done a simple energy balance he would have figured out the real number.

Sometimes I miss Petersen, at least his stuff required a tad bit of digging and wasn't as transparent.