As the Big 3 Struggle, TESLA Selling Cars Like Hot Cakes

[TotalPeaceCenter]

As I see it, it's just a question of seeing the need and fulfilling the need. And every recession launches new players on the horizon. What's your take?

Full Story here:
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed...-like-hot-cake

[Sidmen]

Aww. I wish I had 50 grand laying around for a car...

I would most def. Buy one of these. 300 miles on a charge is plenty for me. All I'd worry about is battery life decreasing with age.

[TotalPeaceCenter]

Thanks for your comment, Sidmen.

All,

'Seeling' in the title is a typo for 'Selling'. Sorry for that!

[JayHawk357]

Aww. I wish I had 50 grand laying around for a car...

I would most def. Buy one of these. 300 miles on a charge is plenty for me. All I'd worry about is battery life decreasing with age.

Global warming is dangerous but these cars are not the answer. Yes there are no immediate pollutants but the cars essentially run on hundreds if not thousands of dangerous lithium batteries. I also ask, what if your car needs a check up? Or breaks down? What are the chances a dealer is nearby? Not only are they irresponsible, they are impractical.

[PointOfViewGun]

Global warming is dangerous but these cars are not the answer. Yes there are no immediate pollutants but the cars essentially run on hundreds if not thousands of dangerous lithium batteries. I also ask, what if your car needs a check up? Or breaks down? What are the chances a dealer is nearby? Not only are they irresponsible, they are impractical.

Not really. I don't assume these cars are that high tech for a mechanic to not understand. The service would not be same that's for sure but what you're not seeing is that this creates a completely new industry. Now lots of companies are investing on alternative ways of producing electricity that are much cleaner. Imagine even a 20% reduction of combustion engines from the market. If you don't care about global warming think of how much it can change the air quality of a city. Almost all of the major car brands are converting all of their cars into hybrid. The next step is obviously complete electricity. At the same time, industry that revolves around electricity is growing rapidly. Say in 20 years, you'll just need to upgrade your battery cells to have longer range. You just gotta see the full side of the glass.

[Frankie88]

Hydrogen



Early model about a 270 mile range.

[Erik]

Imagine even a 20% reduction of combustion engines from the market. If you don't care about global warming think of how much it can change the air quality of a city.

Alternatively, they could make all combustion engine cars 20% more fuel efficient.
Which is a lot easier and cheaper to do, and doesn't come with any of the drawbacks of battery cars.

The next step is obviously complete electricity.

Like the folks at Top Gear, I disagree.

Battery cars have huge drawbacks, most notably the long charging times, so it's not really a step forward from hybrids or efficient classic combustion cars.

Fuel cell cars are the obvious next step.

I think battery cars will only be build for a few years and will only be driven by a couple of eccentric people.
Once the drawbacks have caught up to the "early adopters" nobody will be earlly interested in them anymore.

[Homeros]

Battery cars have huge drawbacks, most notably the long charging times, so it's not really a step forward from hybrids or efficient classic combustion cars.

Who's talking about charging batteries? When you're able to simply switch batteries at the gas-(I mean battery swapping)-station this issue is dealt with. This means you don't 'own' the battery, but simply 'renting' them. This is what the guys at Tesla are proposing btw.

Fuel cell cars are the obvious next step.

Fuel cell are light years away. The energy needed to 'charge' fuel cells exceeds the energy generated by them (hugely). They're incredibly inefficient.

[Erik]

Who's talking about charging batteries? When you're able to simply switch batteries at the gas-(I mean battery swapping)-station this issue is dealt with. This means you don't 'own' the battery, but simply 'renting' them. This is what the guys at Tesla are proposing btw.

Well, that is certainly a possibility.

But this still eaves the other big drawbacks of batteries: cost and weight.

Fuel cell are light years away.

There are already public buses running on Hydrogen fuel cells in a couple of European cities.
And in California, you can already lease that Honda Clarity (from the vid).

The energy needed to 'charge' fuel cells exceeds the energy generated by them (hugely).

Same thing applies to batteries.

They're incredibly inefficient.

Still far more efficient than combustion engines, and even batteries I think.

Note that batteries are very heavy, so battery cars consume a lot more energy than combustion engine cars or fuel cell cars.

[Hunter Makoy]

Alternatively, they could make all combustion engine cars 20% more fuel efficient.
Which is a lot easier and cheaper to do, and doesn't come with any of the drawbacks of battery cars.



Like the folks at Top Gear, I disagree.

Battery cars have huge drawbacks, most notably the long charging times, so it's not really a step forward from hybrids or efficient classic combustion cars.

Fuel cell cars are the obvious next step.

I think battery cars will only be build for a few years and will only be driven by a couple of eccentric people.
Once the drawbacks have caught up to the "early adopters" nobody will be earlly interested in them anymore.

I agree, battery cars will be more of a gimmick then anything else. Barring a real efficiency overhaul on the gas mileage of classic combustion cars I see hybrids leading the way on that front until something like fuel cells become easy to use. Other methods like hydrogen have a lot of hype and sound great but none of them become very practical. (hydrogen, oxygen, ethanol*)

*- being one of the biggest fails of all

On TESLA really taken over anything? I HIGHLY doubt it. I'm sure they will do just fine and turn a good buck, but I doubt they will become mainstream by any stretch.

[Homeros]

The documentary mentioned GM not Honda and I suggest you take a look at it yourself before commenting about it.

Its not a Tesla vs GM (or Honda or Toyota)

The big car makers are not interested in changing anything - they only want to protect their own interests.

The companies who designed the telegraph did not design the radio - those making money with radios did not design the television - the television folks had nothing to do with the development of the internet.

Thus, don't expect the big car companies to 'invent' the car of the future!

Vijay Vaitheeswaran (The Economist = not an environmental extremist) argues that the future of the car industry will not be in Detroit, but more likely in places such as Silicon Valley and Mumbai. Places of innovation (not stagnation). If you take the time to watch the documantery yourself - you'll notice that the engineers of GM aren't interested in changing anything.

BTW only the first minute is in Dutch - the rest is in English - see what you make out of it

[Valiant Champion]

Global warming is dangerous but these cars are not the answer. Yes there are no immediate pollutants but the cars essentially run on hundreds if not thousands of dangerous lithium batteries. I also ask, what if your car needs a check up? Or breaks down? What are the chances a dealer is nearby? Not only are they irresponsible, they are impractical.

electrical motors and their gear systems hardly ever need maintenance. The battery would be the only achilles heel.

[Sidmen]

Global warming is dangerous but these cars are not the answer. Yes there are no immediate pollutants but the cars essentially run on hundreds if not thousands of dangerous lithium batteries. I also ask, what if your car needs a check up? Or breaks down? What are the chances a dealer is nearby? Not only are they irresponsible, they are impractical.

I don't particularly care about pollutants or global warming. I just hate filling up my gastank; its always cold when I want to do it and most of the gas stations are closed. I'd much rather plug in at home.

[Lord Feloric's Ambassador]

Now they have Tesla cars, soon they'll have TESLA tanks.


My Lord is deeply disturbed by this.

[Zephyrus]

Now they have Tesla cars, soon they'll have TESLA tanks.


My Lord is deeply disturbed by this.

ing awsome!

[Treize]

James May

But that car is sold out right?

And it had tons of delays.
And you could buy an electric Lotus Elise...
Better IMO...

[Frankie88]

James May

But that car is sold out right?

And it had tons of delays.
And you could buy an electric Lotus Elise...
Better IMO...

Yeah it didn't exactly have a smooth start
But like he says in the video atleast you don't have to wait four hours for the batteries to load you can just fill it up and keep going.

[Sidmen]

But like he says in the video atleast you don't have to wait four hours for the batteries to load you can just fill it up and keep going.

Hydrogen cars have the distinction of requiring pressurized gas tanks, which essentially become bombs in high-speed collisions.

[IrishHitman]

TESLA?
My god, American taste in cars just dropped some.
With the notable exception for Ford enthusiasts, they do have taste.

Hydrogen is where we should be going, not batteries.

Why?
Hydrogen cars are used exactly like fossil fuel cars....

[Homeros]

TESLA?
Hydrogen is where we should be going, not batteries.

You should learn a thing or two about hydrogen powered fuel cells, they're extremely inefficient - batteries are the future.

Check this new virus-built battery: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/v...tery-0402.html

Why?
Hydrogen cars are used exactly like fossil fuel cars....

No they're not.