Comments on: Trouble at EV-maker Tesla http://climateprogress.org/2008/01/29/trouble-at-ev-maker-tesla/ The Latest on Climate Science, Solutions, and Politics Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:24:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: Daniel Bell http://climateprogress.org/2008/01/29/trouble-at-ev-maker-tesla/#comment-8308 Daniel Bell Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:38:39 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/01/29/trouble-at-ev-maker-tesla/#comment-8308 Pretty interesting, perhaps they're trying to get on top of their own message by giving bloggers access to the car and making claims that production is about to start. See this: http://www.greenfuelsforecast.com/ArticleDetails.php?articleID=445 Pretty interesting, perhaps they’re trying to get on top of their own message by giving bloggers access to the car and making claims that production is about to start. See this: http://www.greenfuelsforecast.com/ ArticleDetails.php?articleID=445

]]> By: DC http://climateprogress.org/2008/01/29/trouble-at-ev-maker-tesla/#comment-8316 DC Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:37:17 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/01/29/trouble-at-ev-maker-tesla/#comment-8316 It is a lot easier for Toyota or Honda to produce an electric plug-in sedan than any start up. simply because they already got all the vital supporting systems in place. To be more than a bling novelty item Tesla has to figure out all sorts of things beyond just design and production including: testing (e.g, crash, hot & cold test), certification, distribution, sales and delivery process (not so simple), service & parts (who will fix these things), warranty, etc. These are huge fixed costs and required investments that are going to be spread over a low volume. I'd bet Tesla goes under with the first model. The sedan is out of the question. That is a $500 million+ engineering project if they do it on the cheap. Toyota, Honda, or GM can pass Tesla up an anytime they want to. GM has already done this car with the EV1 in the 1990s. It is a lot easier for Toyota or Honda to produce an electric plug-in sedan than any start up. simply because they already got all the vital supporting systems in place. To be more than a bling novelty item Tesla has to figure out all sorts of things beyond just design and production including: testing (e.g, crash, hot & cold test), certification, distribution, sales and delivery process (not so simple), service & parts (who will fix these things), warranty, etc.
These are huge fixed costs and required investments that are going to be spread over a low volume. I’d bet Tesla goes under with the first model. The sedan is out of the question. That is a $500 million+ engineering project if they do it on the cheap.
Toyota, Honda, or GM can pass Tesla up an anytime they want to. GM has already done this car with the EV1 in the 1990s.

]]> By: John Mashey http://climateprogress.org/2008/01/29/trouble-at-ev-maker-tesla/#comment-8323 John Mashey Wed, 30 Jan 2008 05:26:51 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/01/29/trouble-at-ev-maker-tesla/#comment-8323 Much as I hope Tesla succeeds, I have concerns similar to DC's, driven by experience in the microprocessor and computer business, i.e., Volume Counts. On the other hand, in those businesses, there have been many things done as uphill fights by small companies that: - stirred up incumbents to move faster - created approaches that got copied or bought by the incumbents And one can hope that similar effects can operate here, at least occasionally. I used to help sell workstations and supercomputers to auto companies, and know there are a lot of engineers, at least, out there eager to do Good Things. Much as I hope Tesla succeeds, I have concerns similar to DC’s, driven by experience in the microprocessor and computer business, i.e., Volume Counts.

On the other hand, in those businesses, there have been many things done as uphill fights by small companies that:
- stirred up incumbents to move faster
- created approaches that got copied or bought by the incumbents

And one can hope that similar effects can operate here, at least occasionally. I used to help sell workstations and supercomputers to auto companies, and know there are a lot of engineers, at least, out there eager to do Good Things.

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