Tesla moves closer to mass-market electric car by 2017

[mentalfloss]

Tesla moves closer to mass-market electric car with Nevada gigafactory, Canadian supercharger stations

Tesla vehicles may still be niche toys for the wealthy, but the announcement of a massive new battery factory and the launch of a network of charging stations in eastern Canada moved Elon Musk’s company closer to its goal of producing mass-market electric vehicles by 2017.

As expected, Tesla said Thursday that it has chosen Nevada as the site for its “gigafactory,” a large-scale battery plant that aims to lower the cost of the lithium-ion batteries used in Tesla’s vehicles by more than 30%. Panasonic Corp. will partner with Tesla to manufacture the batteries and contribute about 35% of the initial costs, which are estimated to be US$4-billion to US$5-billion.

The plant is expected to employ about 6,500 people and will be located outside Reno.

The goal of Mr. Musk, Tesla’s visionary CEO, is for the factory to produce more batteries in 2020 than were produced worldwide in 2013. That would be enough to support about 500,000 Tesla vehicles a year including the new, cheaper Model 3 which is expected to hit the market in 2017. That compares to the approximately 22,500 vehicles Tesla sold in 2013 — a 21-fold increase.

Tesla moves closer to mass-market electric car with Nevada gigafactory, Canadian supercharger stations | Financial Post

 

[petros]

If you're smart, and can't afford the car, invest in lithium ventures and wait until you're a grown up and buy the car for pennies on the dollar when your ventures go to main markets.

That is how you become wealthy to get toys like a Tesla.

 

[taxslave]

I'd like one before I retire.

 

[petros]

I'd like one before I retire.

Buy an aluminum F-150 with a coyote and go where ever the hell you want when you want with what you need. Fast.

 

[Blackleaf]

Where would you plug it in?

Silly electric cars. What's wrong with the ones we have now?

This is actually another case in which the Top Gear guys have "offended" someone (it doesn't take much for someone to be "offended" by Clarkson, May and Hammond):


Elon Musk on 'electric car-hating' Jeremy Clarkson

24 October 2013


Earlier this year the court of appeal dismissed a case brought by Tesla cars against the BBC's Top Gear show in which the car manufacturer asserted that the programme had faked a scene which appeared to show a Tesla Roadster running out of power.

The California-based car maker claimed that the episode in 2008 had caused sales of the electric sports car to drop. However, the court of appeal rejected the claim that the report on the often provocative programme had damaged the company's reputation.

BBC Newsnight's Gavin Esler went to talk to Mr Musk, the founder of Tesla, SpaceX and PayPal, whose latest proposal is a near-supersonic Hyperloop transport link between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Here Esler asks him about his feelings towards Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson now.


BBC News - Elon Musk on 'electric car-hating' Jeremy Clarkson

 

[gopher]

electric cars - an old idea whose time has come back:


History of Electric Vehicles - Early Years

 

[Blackleaf]

Top Gear Electric Cars - YouTube

 

[CDNBear]

"This is the future of motoring" lol!

 

[gopher]

Top Gear Electric Cars - YouTube

He should have gotten one of these:

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

So where exactly do you charge these vehicles?

 

[#juan]

Tesla vehicles are still be niche toys for the wealthy and that is what they will be until they make a car for the mass market. A thirty five thousand dollar economy car is not where it's at. It will be decades until there are enough charging stations. It is fine to call the car green but I don't think the charging stations are necessarily green..

 

[CDNBear]

But hey, the provincial Liberals will give the rich that can afford $140,000 Tesla's a tax credit for buying one, lolz.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Tesla vehicles are still be niche toys for the wealthy and that is what they will be until they make a car for the mass market. A thirty five thousand dollar economy car is not where it's at. It will be decades until there are enough charging stations. It is fine to call the car green but I don't think the charging stations are necessarily green..

I think that just because a car does not burn fossil fuels does not make it green. My understanding is the batteries made take more energy to make than the fossil fuels they save.

 

[lone wolf]

They probably take just as much energy to recycle them too

 

[gopher]

So where exactly do you charge these vehicles?

Evidently, some of those old days can still hold a charge for 40 miles:


115-year-old electric car gets same 40 miles to the charge as Chevy Volt | The Daily Caller



Well, you can get at least enough mileage to get your groceries and pick up the kids at school.

 

[spaminator]

Tesla fires hundreds after performance reviews
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Saturday, October 14, 2017 02:00 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday, October 14, 2017 02:04 PM EDT
SAN FRANCISCO — Tesla Motors fired hundreds of workers after completing its annual performance reviews, even though the electric automaker is trying to ramp up production to meet the demand for its new Model 3 sedan.
The Palo Alto, California-based company confirmed the cuts in a Saturday statement, but didn’t disclose how many of its 33,000 workers were jettisoned. The San Jose Mercury News interviewed multiple former and current Tesla employees who estimated 400 to 700 workers lost their jobs.
The housecleaning swept out workers in administrative and sales jobs, in addition to Tesla’s manufacturing operations.
An unspecified number of workers received bonuses and promotions following their reviews, according to the company.
Tesla is under pressure to deliver its Model 3 sedan to a waiting list of more than 450,000 customers. The company so far has been lagging its own production targets after making just 260 of the vehicles in its last quarter.
Including other models, Tesla expects to make about 100,000 cars this year. CEO Elon Musk is aiming to increase production by five-fold next year, a goal that probably will have to be met to support Tesla’s market value of $59 billion — more than Ford Motor Co.
Unlike Ford, Tesla still hasn’t posted an annual profit yet.
Despite the mass firings, Tesla is still looking to hire hundreds more workers.
Tesla fires hundreds after performance reviews | World | News | Toronto Sun

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Sounds like the company is on firm ground. Wonder if it will require a government bailout?

 

[Curious Cdn]

Tesla Motors fired hundreds of workers after completing its annual performance reviews

Bombardier needs to hire their hatchet men for their rail car division up in Thunder bay that is now years behind in the delivery of street cars to Toronto.

 

[mentalfloss]

Sounds like the company is on firm ground. Wonder if it will require a government bailout?

No, it's not TransCanada. :lol:

 

[TenPenny]

Tesla Motors fired hundreds of workers after completing its annual performance reviewsoronto.

Tesla fired the people who weren't willing to work 80 hours a week for 40 hours pay, because they've been lying about targets and their ability to meet them for years.