Reading between the lines
My interpretation might be off-base, but my brows knit when I read Musk's comment about the two-speed transmission. He stated that Edison Motors "picked the wrong supplier, not once but twice, and now we’re on to our third." According to Martin's presentation on August 7 to the Motor Press Guild, the second transmission was meeting expectations. Well... evidently not Musk's expectations. And whom do you think he is blaming for that?
The irony is that, unless I'm mistaken, Martin was content to go with a single-speed powertrain to begin with. Neither did he have an objection to off-the-shelf headlights and higher doorsills. Those were all the demands of Musk. Yet Martin gets "spanked" for the delays those changes put into the production process...?! (Funny thing is, as a consumer, I don't give an at's rass about standard headlights and higher doorsills --and actually prefer a single-speed powertrain, a la EV1.)
Musk also stated: ""There wasn’t an obvious role for Martin." Oh, yeah? It sure seems obvious to public perception --which evidently doesn't matter to him. As for his assertion that "if the board thought if it would be better for him to stay he would still be there," I can only laugh and shake my head. All of us who have to deal with managers in the workplace know very well how these feudal kingdoms work. I guess from now on I will have to also start calling that so-called board the Edison Motors' politburo.
