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HydroJim 09-02-2013 06:03 PM

Tesla
 
What do you guys think about how Tesla is doing?

I think it's a good thing and I hope it lasts. I think they need to bring a cheaper car to market though. Their 70,000 price is really not too bad compared to other luxury cars but eventually the luxury car buyers will dry up.

I like their battery swap idea at their tesla stations. It's the only way I think consumers will accept electric cars for long distance trips.

I don't understand why they don't make their cars more aerodynamic for more range. I guess they have to look cool to appeal to their customers.

Anyway, it's good to see one of the start-ups actually doing well.

Xist 09-02-2013 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HydroJim (Post 388429)
I don't understand why they don't make their cars more aerodynamic for more range. I guess they have to look cool to appeal to their customers.

Anyway, it's good to see one of the start-ups actually doing well.

I think that aerodynamic cars can look great! :)

I think that it is a start-up with a good product, not just another gimmick.

NachtRitter 09-02-2013 07:13 PM

The company is solid and the cars are well built. I've been impressed with the CEO Elon Musk as well... he knows how to get things done. I enjoy seeing him upset the status quo.

sheepdog 44 09-02-2013 08:04 PM

I think the company is solid too, but i would not buy stock. I think it's way inflated, hyped, and over valued and could come crashing down. Yes, all those people who bought stock early and held on made a ton of money. If i invested in silver several years ago, i could've made a ton too. Well silver is volatile, hit an artificially inflated bubble and came crashing down 6 months later.

The Model S is actually more aerodynamic than a prius. .24, .23?

gone-ot 09-02-2013 09:26 PM

...and, a LOT of people thought / believed ENRON and the DOT.COMs were solid too.

Allch Chcar 09-02-2013 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HydroJim (Post 388429)
What do you guys think about how Tesla is doing?

I'm pretty sure he is dead. :D

NachtRitter 09-03-2013 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Tele man (Post 388481)
...and, a LOT of people thought / believed ENRON and the DOT.COMs were solid too.

You have something that says otherwise about Tesla? I believe there were a lot of clues about Enron and many of the dot coms that they weren't solid before they went down... what do you have regarding Tesla?

jeff88 09-03-2013 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NachtRitter (Post 388445)
I've been impressed with the CEO Elon Musk as well... he knows how to get things done. I enjoy seeing him upset the status quo.

I wouldn't mind seeing him be my Senator, then something might actually get done in East Coast Hollywood, err I mean D.C.

Actually in all honesty I have no clue where his delgation would be, but his headquarters is here :)

Ryland 09-03-2013 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HydroJim (Post 388429)
I think it's a good thing and I hope it lasts. I think they need to bring a cheaper car to market though. Their 70,000 price is really not too bad compared to other luxury cars but eventually the luxury car buyers will dry up.

Can't you say the same thing of gasoline luxury cars? that the gasoline luxury market going to dry up too at some point, maybe once everyone who can afford a gasoline car ends up owning one?

Quote:


I like their battery swap idea at their tesla stations. It's the only way I think consumers will accept electric cars for long distance trips.

Cars are not a good idea for long distance trips, that is why airplanes are popular.
The guy I was talking to who owns a Tesla and is planing to buy a 2nd model S, said that his plan for the very rare occasion that he wants to drive longer then his car's range is to swap vehicles with a friend or neighbor.

I think what is going to help them to keep selling cars is to build a smaller car, even if it's not any cheaper, the size of the Tesla S is the biggest complaint that I have heard, the car is huge!

sheepdog 44 09-03-2013 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryland (Post 388544)
I think what is going to help them to keep selling cars is to build a smaller car, even if it's not any cheaper, the size of the Tesla S is the biggest complaint that I have heard, the car is huge!

I've heard it was huge too, but the first one i saw in person wasn't any larger than any other luxury car.

Tesla Pays Back U.S. Early as Musk Aims for Affordability - Bloomberg
Quote:

That car, not yet named, would be priced below $40,000, and reach consumers in “three to four years,” Musk said in an interview today on “Bloomberg West.” It will have a range of about 200 miles (322 kilometers) per charge, he said in the television interview.
I wonder if the target of 200 miles at $40,000 is factoring in the cost of batteries going down. If not, hopefully it'll be really aerodynamic.

Xist 09-03-2013 12:57 PM

To be honest, I had not realized that Tesla took a loan from the government, but according to the article, the loan returned profit. My dad is a Ford man and he always says that Ford begged, borrowed, and stole (hopefully not that last one) everything they could to avoid bankruptcy and taking money from the government, and that GM and Chrysler are paying back less than they borrowed.

From the article:
Quote:

Daimler has 4.87 million Tesla shares valued at $425 million, while Toyota has 2.94 million shares valued at $257 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Quote:

Originally Posted by sheepdog 44 (Post 388555)
I wonder if the target of 200 miles at $40,000 is factoring in the cost of batteries going down. If not, hopefully it'll be really aerodynamic.

More details (from the article):
Quote:

In the interview yesterday, he said he hasn’t had any discussions with Apple beyond iPhone integration, and isn’t looking to be acquired by anyone until he can produce “a compelling, affordable car” that is less expensive than the Model S and nicer than Nissan Motor Co. (7201)’s electric-powered Leaf.

“With the Model S, you have a compelling car that’s too expensive for most people,” he said. “And you have the Leaf, which is cheap, but it’s not great. What the world really needs is a great, affordable electric car. I’m not going to let anything go, no matter what people offer, until I complete that mission.”
Quote:

Musk has beaten odds that felled John DeLorean and Preston Tucker. The Model S sedan, priced from $69,900, snagged Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year and a rave review from Consumer Reports.

Should Tesla remain a going concern, it would be the first new U.S. automaker to do so since Walter Chrysler founded Chrysler Corp. in 1925.
I understand that the Tucker was a great car, while the DeLorean was not. I doubt that anyone would claim the difference was that Musk did not name the company for himself. :)

They plan on developing an electric SUV before the "lower-priced model."

I apologize to anyone who read the article, since I just repeated what you already read. Usually, when someone links an article or a YouTube video, I skip ahead to see what others comment about it, because there are other things that I should be doing.

euromodder 09-03-2013 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HydroJim (Post 388429)
What do you guys think about how Tesla is doing?

I think they need to bring a cheaper car to market though. Their 70,000 price is really not too bad compared to other luxury cars but eventually the luxury car buyers will dry up.

That market won't dry up - but it'll be saturated.

Tesla don't really have other revenue to finance their electric cars with, so buyers pay full price for what they get.
Going for the higher markets is the only realistic way to do it
As the Tesla are decidedly up-market, while the batteries aren't cheap and there's plenty of them, the price is high.
Other car manufacturers pay their current losses on the EVs with whatever they make from regular cars.

Even then, it's a bargain compared to VW's tiny XL1 ...


Quote:

I like their battery swap idea at their tesla stations.
It's the only way I think consumers will accept electric cars for long distance trips.
The battery swap is dead already - see BetterPlace .

There's simply too few Tesla stores around to make it work.

Smurf 09-03-2013 04:08 PM

Tesla was a breath of fresh air in the auto industry. Sure, some car companies were contemplating an electric car, or dabbling in hybrid cars. But Tesla woke them up a bit.

But Tesla has built their Corvette, they've built their Cadillac... Now they need to bring out a $25,000-$30,000 practical Cavalier-type vehicle. Get your drive technology perfected, and adapt it to different body styles. A small CR-Z type car, a four door affordable family car, perhaps even a basic pickup truck for NAPA delivery operations.

They have amazing technology, but I wish they'd stop trying to build a Mercedes and concentrate on every day vehicles.

euromodder 09-03-2013 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smurf (Post 388607)
They have amazing technology, but I wish they'd stop trying to build a Mercedes and concentrate on every day vehicles.

They can, and likely will.
But they approach the market from where the money is.
Can't blame them for that.

Start with posh sporty cars, at a premium price.
Then overpriced SUVs.

Don't hold your breath for the everyday-Tesla to come around ...

cbaber 09-03-2013 05:36 PM

Tesla won't be able to sell low end cars. They can sell to the high end because those consumers buy cars for different reasons. Why would a $40,000 Tesla sell differently than a $40,000 Volt?

EV technology has a bit more to go before it's ready for the masses. The main problem is the pricetag. The technology is expensive to develop and produce. Since they don't sell EV's like they do Civic's, the consumer gets the full bill and pays a high upfront cost.

Why don't they sell like Civics? Most EV's have a range under what the masses are comfortable with. The current cars on the market don't offer anything over their gasoline competition besides being labeled as environmentally friendly. You may not have to buy gas, but you pay more up front for the technology, and it still costs money to charge. I think I read the payback period for the Nissan Leaf if gas was $4/gallon is 7 years compared to Nissan Versa. Why would the masses switch to EV if gas is cheaper for the first 7 years? Most people finance or lease the car for 5-6 years, not enough to actually benefit from an EV.

EV technology will eventually get cheaper, and companies will figure out better ways to sell them. Even though a Telsa is out of reach for most, they are paving the way for other car companies to follow.

gone-ot 09-03-2013 06:13 PM

Interesting "concept" to consider -- Induction-coupling of electrical energy *from* the roadway into onboard ultra-capacitors, via "grid" wiring embedded in the roadway!

This could *really* bring EV acceptance down to the general automotive population. However, one has to ask the obvious question: WHO pays for that electrical power and how do they BILL you?

My guess is a sudden conversion of all of the current "free" freeways into "pay-as-you-go" TOLLWAYS, where you would either: (a) prepay (rf card, etc.) or (b) the toll booths (at each terminus) would 'read' your car VIN and bill directly to your home electrical company.

Thoughts? Comments?


...and, "NO!" I am not related to Elon Musk (ha,ha).

Smurf 09-03-2013 08:18 PM

I understand the cost of batteries and other tech is high. However, I don't buy that as an excuse for car companies to not market multiple options.

If a large corporation such as Toyota were to design hybrid vehicles using the same basic concepts that could be readily adapted between their Tundra, Camry, Sienna, etc lineups, then they would theoretically be able to hire a herd of professional nerds to develop their own battery technology. Why hasn't a big auto corporation bought one of these battery companies?

Don't blame the price of the technology, blame decades of "old thinking" in the boardrooms. If Elon Musk were the head honcho at GM the last 15 years, we would be lightyears ahead of where we are now.

NeilBlanchard 09-03-2013 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbaber (Post 388630)
Why would a $40,000 Tesla sell differently than a $40,000 Volt?

The Tesla Model E won't use any gas. You can power it with sunlight or with the wind; and renewable energy doesn't require a military to defend it.

And it won't hardly require any regular maintenance. Compare an EV with a typical car, and you save roughly $17,000 per 100,000 miles driven.

NachtRitter 09-03-2013 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by euromodder (Post 388568)
Tesla don't really have other revenue to finance their electric cars with, so buyers pay full price for what they get.

Eh? You must have missed the news: Tesla Motors - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:Collaborations and Tesla Motors - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:Partners. They are not just building the cars, but also supplying components to other (big name) manufacturers.

cbaber 09-03-2013 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard (Post 388663)
The Tesla Model E won't use any gas. You can power it with sunlight or with the wind; and renewable energy doesn't require a military to defend it.

And it won't hardly require any regular maintenance. Compare an EV with a typical car, and you save roughly $17,000 per 100,000 miles driven.

Whether or not it uses gas is not the point. It's price that appeals to the masses. The Nissan Leaf is the about the closest attempt yet at a mainstream EV. Even with a range of about 100 miles per charge, it would still take the average driver 7 years to save any money compared to the comparable Nissan Versa. That includes maintenance. 7 years is too long for most. And as I mentioned, it's pretty rare for consumers to keep their vehicles that long to actually save any money by buying the EV.

If you want to talk environmentally friendly, that is a different issue. What I am talking about is making EV technology accessible to more people. And as I addressed, that means being cheaper and having more range.

BTW, how much power are the Telsa E's solar panels and wind generator able to supply? While it may sound nice to have your car supplied with renewable energy, I am skeptical of how much range the auxiliary charging methods actually provide in the real world. Certainly solar/wind alone is not enough to actually power the car, unlike the Volt which can drive only on the gas generator.

Xist 09-03-2013 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard (Post 388663)
The Tesla Model E won't use any gas. You can power it with sunlight or with the wind; and renewable energy doesn't require a military to defend it.

Yet! I watched the Matrix!

Ryland 09-03-2013 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbaber (Post 388665)
BTW, how much power are the Telsa E's solar panels and wind generator able to supply? While it may sound nice to have your car supplied with renewable energy, I am skeptical of how much range the auxiliary charging methods actually provide in the real world. Certainly solar/wind alone is not enough to actually power the car, unlike the Volt which can drive only on the gas generator.

Payback on Solar when offsetting gasoline is 7-8 years and the solar will last the rest of your life, 60+ years.

Is the Tesla S selling because it's going to save the owners money or because people who DRIVE ev's like them better then gasoline cars and figure it's worth the cost.

user removed 09-03-2013 11:42 PM

The as yet unasked question is life expectancy of the batteries and the replacement cost. Is there a battery warranty period, like 10 years and 150k miles?

regards
Mech

NachtRitter 09-04-2013 12:11 AM

A very simple thing to find out via a web search... here, I'll do it for you: Model S Facts | Tesla Motors which says
Quote:

An additional warranty covers the battery and varies by capacity. The 60 kWh battery is covered for 8 years or 125,000 miles, whichever comes first. The largest battery, 85 kWh, is covered for eight years and unlimited miles.

cbaber 09-04-2013 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryland (Post 388680)
Payback on Solar when offsetting gasoline is 7-8 years and the solar will last the rest of your life, 60+ years.

Is the Tesla S selling because it's going to save the owners money or because people who DRIVE ev's like them better then gasoline cars and figure it's worth the cost.

It's not the question of whether people want the car, it's a matter of can fit it into their budget and lifestyle? Sure a high end luxury car like this will attract buyers, especially high profile brands like Tesla, no matter if it's EV or not. I'm sure I would like to drive a BMW M3 more than my Civic, but it's just not within reach. And that's my point, EV technology is out of reach for everyday people who don't buy cars as luxury items or accessories to define their image. Most people buy the cheap, economical, reliable cars. If any EV is going to take that market, the technology is going to have to allow cheaper production and better range. I would like to see an EV in the $20k range competing with popular cars like Civic and Corolla.

Are companies like Telsa really beneficial to the EV revolution if they don't produce vehicles for the 99%? EV is such a new technology with it's own problems to overcome, yet Telsa continues to focus on high end rather than a car for everyone. If thats their goal then fine I can accept that. But to hear everyone talk about how Telsa is proving that electric is the future, I just don't see it with their current line up. They don't want everyone to be able to drive EV's. Henry Ford wanted everyone to have a car when he built his company. Thats not what Telsa is doing, they are keeping electric exclusive. Yet taxpayers continue to fund the purchases of these cars, that are out of reach for most of the taxpayers. The Nissan Leaf is pretty much the only EV that can compete with the economy gasoline cars, yet as I illustrated they don't give enough benefits to justify the downsides.

Ryland 09-04-2013 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbaber (Post 388704)
It's not the question of whether people want the car, it's a matter of can fit it into their budget and lifestyle? Sure a high end luxury car like this will attract buyers, especially high profile brands like Tesla, no matter if it's EV or not. I'm sure I would like to drive a BMW M3 more than my Civic, but it's just not within reach. And that's my point, EV technology is out of reach for everyday people who don't buy cars as luxury items or accessories to define their image. Most people buy the cheap, economical, reliable cars. If any EV is going to take that market, the technology is going to have to allow cheaper production and better range. I would like to see an EV in the $20k range competing with popular cars like Civic and Corolla.

Out of the 10 or so EV's that are now on the market, the Tesla S is the 2nd best seller and I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes the best selling EV at some point soon.
Most people I know don't buy new cars, I bought my EV used, my parents bought their EV used, you look at Ebay and you see used factory built EV's that are a few years old so they are selling for the price of a 2-3 year old car!
One of the nice things about people who are willing to spend a lot on new things is that they often like to keep buying new things, you want a cheaper Tesla S then wait a few years and buy a used one!

hamsterpower 09-04-2013 11:09 AM

The revolution is not going to happen over night. But it is happening and at an amazing pace. Tesla has to sell expensive cars because they are doing TONS of R&D. Look at the remarkable difference between the roadster and the model S. The roadster took what ten years to develope and was based on an existing car (a Lotus). The S is new from top to bottom and has been called the best car EVER. IE. better than what others can make with ~100 years of experience.

The price of tech is coming down because Tesla is moving to bulk manufacturing from one-off hand builds. "Common-man" EV's will come with the financing of the weathy buying luxury models.

NachtRitter 09-04-2013 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbaber (Post 388704)
Are companies like Telsa really beneficial to the EV revolution if they don't produce vehicles for the 99%?

Yes, I believe so... Did you check out the wiki links I posted? All the experience they are gaining producing their own cars and supplying the electric drivetrains for cars like the Mercedes A-class and the Smart e-drive will go toward building an affordable EV, which Tesla has already said they plan to do. As with a lot of technology, it is the early adopters with money to spend (or enough credit, I suppose) that help fund the cost of the R&D to get the technology to the rest of us...

It doesn't hurt that the Tesla S achieves the highest crash test rating possible and that most reviews of the car are very positive... comparing the car favorably to the luxury car benchmarks such as Mercedes and BMW.

NachtRitter 09-05-2013 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Tele man (Post 388481)
...and, a LOT of people thought / believed ENRON and the DOT.COMs were solid too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NachtRitter (Post 388516)
You have something that says otherwise about Tesla? ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Tele man
<crickets>

Ya, I thought not.

gone-ot 09-05-2013 06:38 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Tele man http://ecomodder.com/forum/images/em...s/viewpost.gif
...and, a LOT of people thought / believed ENRON and the DOT.COMs were solid too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by NachtRitter http://ecomodder.com/forum/images/em...s/viewpost.gif
You have something that says otherwise about Tesla? ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Tele man
<crickets>

Quote:

Originally Posted by NachtRitter (Post 388976)
Ya, I thought not.

Does the cautionary phrase "...too good, to be true..." ring any alarms?

NachtRitter 09-05-2013 07:15 PM

What do you see as "too good to be true" here? Too good to be true would be selling the Tesla S for $15K. Or Tesla asking for your down payment when they have nothing but a pretty 3D graphic. Fisker, on the other hand, was "too good to be true" and that was pretty obvious.

So... what are you seeing WRT Tesla that we aren't?

cbaber 09-05-2013 07:36 PM

There should really be a disclaimer attached every time someone says the Tesla S is the safest car ever made. Yes, indeed, it achieved the highest rating ever (*gets really quiet and speaks rather quickly*) of any car tested. To be completely fair, and to bring everything into perspective, high end cars are not crash tested like the normal cars. You won't find crash test data for most Ferrari's, or many of the Tesla S competitors like Audi, BMW, Mercedes, etc. There are many reasons, one being they are really expensive to destroy and test. I won't go into that debate, but I just wanted to be fair.

Another point is how the company and sales will be effected when the state and federal government stop subsidizing the purchases. With all the taxpayer money pouring into their accounts it's pretty easy to be optimistic, but when the price goes up $7500 will that effect sales? Also you have half of the companies sales taking place in one state. The majority taking place on one side of the country. I'm not saying Telsa is bound to fail, or we shouldn't be optimistic, but all the media saying that Tesla will topple GM and Ford is just really hyped up commentary. We haven't seen enough to judge their long term profitability, or to call Telsa the Apple of the car world.

BTW that is a pretty crappy comparison because Apple is losing smartphone market share like there is no tomorrow. I wouldn't want Tesla to climb to the top and then jump off a cliff.

gone-ot 09-05-2013 07:59 PM

Until *I* personally see actual:

a) battery 'production' costs
b) battery 'replacement' costs
c) demonstrated battery charge/use 'life-cycle' curves
d) promulgated emergency battery-disconnect procedures

...everything about TESLA's "halo" shouts "...too good, to be true..." to me.

So, while YMMV, I shall remain seated, at idle, with my doubts, until I see convincing DATA answering *my* concerns.

NachtRitter 09-06-2013 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbaber (Post 389031)
There should really be a disclaimer attached every time someone says the Tesla S is the safest car ever made. Yes, indeed, it achieved the highest rating ever (*gets really quiet and speaks rather quickly*) of any car tested. To be completely fair, and to bring everything into perspective, high end cars are not crash tested like the normal cars. You won't find crash test data for most Ferrari's, or many of the Tesla S competitors like Audi, BMW, Mercedes, etc. There are many reasons, one being they are really expensive to destroy and test. I won't go into that debate, but I just wanted to be fair.

True, but they do kinda raise the bar then, don't they? I mean, if a dinky little company that is planning to build 22,000 units this year can crash test a car that they sell for about $70,000, why couldn't a company like Volkswagen Group crash test the Audi A8 which also sells for about $70,000? Granted, they have more models to test, but they sold over 9 million vehicles in 2012, of which nearly 36,000 were A8s. (From Audi A8 Production Numbers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbaber (Post 389031)
Another point is how the company and sales will be effected when the state and federal government stop subsidizing the purchases. With all the taxpayer money pouring into their accounts it's pretty easy to be optimistic, but when the price goes up $7500 will that effect sales? Also you have half of the companies sales taking place in one state. The majority taking place on one side of the country. I'm not saying Telsa is bound to fail, or we shouldn't be optimistic, but all the media saying that Tesla will topple GM and Ford is just really hyped up commentary. We haven't seen enough to judge their long term profitability, or to call Telsa the Apple of the car world.

Ya, that will be interesting to see. My own impression is that even if the EV subsidy goes away, the Tesla S will be attractive since it competes well with luxury cars in the same (non-subsidized) price range (with the exception of the ability to drive across the country, of course). The real challenge will be when the big auto makers release luxury hybrids or EVs which target the same affluent "green" consumers (ya, that's probably an oxymoron -> "green consumers"), like the BMW i8 hybrid (slated for 2014 deliveries at a price of ~$120,000+ according to BMW i8 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

I also agree that anyone saying that Tesla will topple one of the Big Three (err, Big Two?) is getting ahead of themselves... Tesla needs some time before anybody can make that kind of a call. Yes, Tesla is building about the same number of Model S sedans as BMW is building the 6-series sedans (around 22,000 for 2013, according to A Guide to Determining Tesla's Production Numbers), but that is still a tiny fraction compared to what BMW builds overall per year (~1.5 million).

NachtRitter 09-06-2013 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Tele man (Post 389034)
Until *I* personally see actual:

a) battery 'production' costs
b) battery 'replacement' costs
c) demonstrated battery charge/use 'life-cycle' curves
d) promulgated emergency battery-disconnect procedures

...everything about TESLA's "halo" shouts "...too good, to be true..." to me.

So, while YMMV, I shall remain seated, at idle, with my doubts, until I see convincing DATA answering *my* concerns.

Ah, so you don't actually HAVE any information that says (or shouts?) that it is "too good to be true"? Just a lack of information? And since a few simple web searches reveal the answer to most of your concerns (and the rest may require slightly more effort), it's not that the information isn't there... it is just that you haven't taken the time to look for it and would rather take the time to cast doubt on the company instead...

OK, I get it... :rolleyes: :thumbup:

NeilBlanchard 09-07-2013 04:31 PM

Electric motors are really about THREE TIMES as efficient as a typical ICE.

THAT is why the Tesla Model S is so much better than ICE cars. No magic is involved, just solid engineering.

NeilBlanchard 09-10-2013 09:00 AM

Tesla Model S continues to amaze - it is a ground breaking car!

Tesla Model S squares off against Aston Martin Rapide S

They only mention how little it costs to drive the Model S, and don't mention that it is far more efficient than a Prius...

Ryland 09-10-2013 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbaber (Post 389031)
Another point is how the company and sales will be effected when the state and federal government stop subsidizing the purchases. With all the taxpayer money pouring into their accounts it's pretty easy to be optimistic, but when the price goes up $7500 will that effect sales?

Really??? you think that people are buying a $70,000 car because they can get a $7,500 tax credit? look at the options on their web site, you can bump the price up by $20,000 if you get a few extras added on over the base model.

I've also talked to people who didn't qualify for the tax credit but bought a new EV anyway.

They are selling something that people want and it's selling well, that is where the other automakers are failing.

AntiochOG 09-10-2013 12:24 PM

I'd love to own a Tesla if I had the money. I sat in one in a Tesla store a few months ago and had the salesmen explain all the features to me. It is a very impressive car, electric or not.


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