The Tesla Model S already has people drooling, if the response to Tesla Model S photo slideshows and other chatter are any indication.
So, are we all ready for some video? Yeah, I thought so. Here it is, from OnCars:
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"The fact is that the Tesla, just like virtually every electric car for the forseeable future will be every bit as coal powered as a 19th century locomotive."
Actually, Tesla is the sister company of SolarCity, the nation's fastest growing solar company. I know because I've installed countless PV systems and some EV chargers for SolarCity. So way more kWh's have been offset than have been, or ever will be, consumed by the roadsters or the sedans.
"Fortunately this isn't much of an issue anyway."
Couldn't agree more. See above.
"The Tesla is just another rich man's eco-toy and never will be anything but."
Yes, the roadster is definitely an unattainable luxury item for most ($100k), but the sedan ($50k) that costs nickels to "fill up"? Hardly unattainable by a upper working-class family (so-called "middle-class") or the mainstream. It would save me almost $200 a month in gas alone assuming the price of gasoline never (stifling laughter) goes up. Especially with a fixed-cost renewable energy system on your property.
"By the way, electric cars run on DC current. Why did they name it after the inventer of AC?"
That's not all Tesla did. He advanced electrical theory in all areas and did more for science than Einstein. I think they're probably identifying their brand with INNOVATION (I don't mean to "yell" but I don't know how to italicize) more than the some obscure bitter feud with Thomas Edison.
The price point (50K) on this car is pretty much putting many would-be buyers out of the ring. Such a shame that the government can't prop this type of thing up for the average citizen to even consider.
Oh, and by the way, if you take the tax credit on a vehicle like this, you can't claim your child tax credit. You have to choose one or the other. I'm not buying a hybrid because of this very reason. Why pay 5 to 6 k more for a car when said promised tax credit is elimminated because of my other very needed tax credit? Are any gov. people in power listening????
Sure is pretty though. If I had more income money, I would definitely buy this.
Daimler partners with Tesla:
http://mutual-funds.biz/2009/05/19/news/companies/tesla_daimler_electric/index.htm?postversion=2009051915
Tesla delivers 500th Roadster:
http://www.motorauthority.com/tesla-delivers-500th-roadster.html
Tesla Batteries in Smart Car:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/14/daimler-taps-teslas-battery-know-how-for-electric-smart/
Well at least they're trying. The Tesla cars aren't my cup of tea , but they are DOING SOMETHING to advance the technology.
If any of you readers have some money and can ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING, you can convert the existing vehicle of your choice into an electric car. You will have to wade through some bogus claims, but that is what the internet is for. Here is a hint: google Green Motorsport. They have some great ideas, but I don't know if they have a product yet.
Lotus car company was started by some crackpots in a storage unit. Enthusiast have more fun.
Lotus was started by a college graduate and engineer named Colin Chapman, in a stable, and within 7 years was competing in Formula 1, building cars, and building racing parts.
Colin Chapman knew exactly what he wanted to do when he started the company, and while he might have been a little eccentric, was no "crackpot".
But it is still a truism that enthusiasts have more fun. They also design better cars.
Beautiful.
Fancy language to say a not a whole lot
Exxon says your check's in the mail.
Allow me to simplify.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_generation#Turbines
Steam turbines have efficiencies of about 60%. This is not possible with regular internal combustion (piston, rotary) engines. Modern coal plants can be very environmentally friendly compared to their earlier predecessors. Scrubbers can be used to clean the nitrates, sulfates, etc from the flue (exhaust) gas from Lignite (low grade coal.)
So let’s break it down: heat engines get more efficient with size. Higher efficiency means fewer pollutants per unit energy produced. You need to burn less coal to produce the same amount of energy. Add scrubbers to that, and the particulates, nitrates, sulfates, etc are reduced further. There is also a larger supply of coal than any other fossil fuel (200 yrs approx.) This gives us more time to develop a solution for energy.
Let’s look at the price for electricity. I pay 11 cents per kWh on average. I will assume electricity will double in price because everyone will switch to electric vehicles. Assuming a 50 KWh storage battery like the Roadster, that $0.22 * 50 KWh = $11. It’s still a good deal at double the current rate for electricity in my area.
Bottom line: burning coal in a centralized plant with high efficiency (60%) is better than having a bunch of cars burning gasoline--even hybrids--at 20-30% efficiency. It also produces fewer pollutants, it will give us time to develop alternatives, and it’s cheaper.
The Roadster is a car that is capable of making people see how good electric cars can be. The point I think people are trying to make here is that Tesla has done something that no major car manufacturer has done. They have made a sexy electric car, available today, without bailout money from the government. They are working on the Model S sedan. This talk of the Tesla not being green--do the math, you will find that the efficiency and emissions from large power plants (engines, generating stations) are lower per unit energy than small power plants.
For example, diesels in large ships can easily exceed 35-40% efficiency. That's great considering most car gasoline engines have about 25-30% efficiency. The same is true of large power generation stations that have multiple heat exchangers/stages with low and high speed turbines for the high pressure and low pressure steam. This means the overall generation efficiency is greater, and the emissions are lower per unit energy generated. In addition these facilities have scrubbers that clean the flue gas. This is today, not considering you can use nuclear energy along with others (wind, solar, etc) to generate power too.
The Tesla is available today, unlike other electric cars (which don't exist yet, or no longer exist--EV1.) The Volt is a series-hybrid which is better than the hybrids you see on the road today. Its better than nothing, but the Model S and Roadster are better, IMHO.
Call me in 30 years when the price is reasonable and I know what my future electric costs are going to be. (Locally here in Central Florida the my City Owned Power Company is expecting the cost of electricity they must purchase from the grid to increase 30% to 45% within 24 months if Cap and Tax goes into effect as it is currently proposed.)
So if the car costs twice as much as a hybrid, doesn't that mean that for one of these one could replace two, not one, gas guzzlers with a really efficient car for the same investment? And wouldn't that help both the environment and the national security a lot more?
Just a little something to think about.
With that math, you could probably replace that hybrid with two really efficient small diesel-powered cars that had a far lower eco-impact while being built.
The VW Lupo, which never made it to this country, could easily hit 60 mpg on the highway.
Starting electric cars out as high-performance luxury models is a good idea.
But whose idea of "sexy" is that ad? It's just some guy sitting there in front of a car, talking about the car.
"But whose idea of "sexy" is that ad?"
My first impression is that it was probably the idea of the guy who is sitting in front of the car, talking about himself...
:-)
Tesla is not green and I do not think they should be in the "Green" section or the "Climate Change" section of the Huffpo. It's a high ticket luxury items with a large carbon footprint. Tesla "cheapened" the electric car by making it a novelty for the rich and unachievable for the poor.
So Tesla has a "large carbon footprint." even though it doesn't even have a tailpipe? Charge the thing up with solar panels or a wind turbine and you don't have any carbon output at all. Zero, Zilch, Nada, Nothing. I think you are suffering from some sort of confusion.
Just because something is expensive doesn't mean it isn't green. Have you priced solar panels lately?
In addition to the high end Roadster, they are also developing a lower priced sedan and supplying the batteries for the electric version of the Smart Car. Seems to me the are planning to put people of high, medium-high and medium-low income levels in electric cars. It's going to be quite a while before the truly poor can afford electric cars, but eventually it will happen.
What do you think belongs in the green section, the Hummer?
Just because something doesn't have a tailpipe doesn't meant it doesn't have a carbon footprint. That's the simplminded thinking that has people buying into the Big Lie of the green car. The fact is that the Tesla, just like virtually every electric car for the forseeable future will be every bit as coal powered as a 19th century locomotive.
Fortunately this isn't much of an issue anyway. The Tesla is just another rich man's eco-toy and never will be anything but.
By the way, electric cars run on DC current. Why did they name it after the inventer of AC?
Yeah and they already had to recall them for problems. So much for your great electric car....
The Tesla S is still in the development stage and has not yet entered production. There is no such thing as a recall of a car model that has not yet been produced. FAIL.
Then, why was it on the National News regarding the recall?
THAT'S A NICE ASS CAR... I LIKE TRUCKS...BUT FOR THIS...I WOULD GET ONE.
I JUST NEED TO HAVE ABOUT $12000 DOWN PAYMENT SO I CAN AFFORD IT
The S looks great, and the critics have been scoring the Roadster pretty high too. With an average of 81 of 100, the S has it's work cut out for it to stand up to the Roadster: http://motormouths.com/car/tesla/roadster
That's a beautiful car. I like the 17inch monitor and upgradeable personalization of the dash. Cool. More electric cars here (lots of videos): http://www.dasolar.com/solar-energy/solar-powered-cars
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First Posted: 06- 8-09 03:12 PM | Updated: 06- 8-09 03:51 PM