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View Full Version : Tesla's new roadster will deliver 'hardcore smackdown' to gasoline cars: Musk



Teh One Who Knocks
11-17-2017, 11:22 AM
FOX News


https://i.imgur.com/T3nfTeX.jpg

Telsa unveiled a $200,000 roadster on Thursday the company claims will be the fastest production assembly vehicle ever, with the capability of reaching 0 to 60 in 1.9 seconds.

Elon Musk, the company’s CEO, told the crowd in Hawthorne, Calif., that the four-passenger car has a removable glass roof and can travel 600 miles on a single charge, Reuters reported.

"You’ll be able to travel from LA to San Francisco, and back, at highway speed without recharging. The point of doing this is to just give a hardcore smackdown to gasoline cars. Driving a gasoline sports car is going to feel like a steam engine with a side of quiche,” Musk said.

Car enthusiasts hoping to get their hands on one of the sports cars will have to wait until they become available in 2020, and pay $250,000 if they want to be one of the first thousand behind the wheel. After the first 1,000 cars, the price will drop to the base price of $200,000, Reuters reported.

Musk also introduced the company’s new electric semitractor-trailer. Musk said customers can put $5,000 down now but production will begin in 2019. The semi will be capable hauling 80,000 pounds for 500 miles on a single electric charge, and will be more cost efficient compared to a diesel truck when factoring in gas, maintenance and other expenses.

"We're confident that this is a product that's better in every way from a feature standpoint," Musk told a crowd of Tesla fans gathered for the unveiling.

The truck will have Tesla's Autopilot system, which can maintain a set speed and slow down automatically in traffic. It also has a system that automatically keeps the vehicle in its lane. Musk said several Tesla semis will be able to travel in a convoy, autonomously following each other.

The Tesla CEO also said he plans to install a worldwide network of solar-powered “megachargers” that can get a vehicle up to 400 miles of range in just 30 minutes of charging.

https://i.imgur.com/c8zZszg.jpg
Tesla unveiled its new electric semitractor-trailer on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017

To help customers feel at ease, Musk said Tesla will also guarantee the semi’s powertrain for one million miles.

The move fits with Musk's stated goal for the company of accelerating the shift to sustainable transportation, but the semi also adds to the chaos at the Palo Alto, California-based company.

Some analysts are skeptical given the fact that Tesla is already way behind on production of the Model 3, a new lower-cost sedan, is still negotiating on a new factory in China and the company posted a record quarterly loss of $619 million it its most recent quarter.

Musk also has his hands in many different projects, including SpaceX, artificial intelligence and developing a high-speed transit.

"He's got so much on his plate right now. This could present another distraction from really just making sure that the Model 3 is moved along effectively," said Bruce Clark, a senior vice president and automotive analyst at Moody's.

Despite venturing into an unknown market, with the U.S., Europe and China all tightening their emissions regulations, electric truck sales are expected to grow from 4,100 last year, to more than 70,000 in 2026, says Navigant Research.

But most of that growth is expected to be for smaller, medium-duty haulers like garbage trucks or delivery vans. Those trucks can have a more limited range of 100 miles (160 kilometers) or less, which requires fewer expensive batteries. They can also be fully charged overnight.

Long-haul semi trucks, on the other hand, would be expected to go greater distances, and that would be challenging as there is little charging infrastructure currently on global highways.

Without Tesla's promised fast-charging, even a mid-sized truck would likely require a two-hour stop, cutting into companies' efficiency and profits, says Brian Irwin, managing director of the North American industrial group for the consulting firm Accenture.

Irwin says truck companies will have to watch the market carefully, because tougher regulations on diesels or an improvement in charging infrastructure could make electric trucks more viable very quickly. Falling battery costs also will help make electric trucks more appealing compared to diesels.

But even lower costs won't make trucking a sure bet for Tesla. It faces stiff competition from long-trusted brands like Daimler AG, which unveiled its own semi prototype last month.

"These are business people, not fans, and they will need convinced that this truck is better for their balance sheet than existing technology. It probably is, based on the specs provided, but this isn't necessarily a slam dunk," said Rebecca Lindland, an executive analyst at Kelley Blue Book.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

lost in melb.
11-17-2017, 03:21 PM
Love it or hate it, the way of the future, baby.

lost in melb.
11-17-2017, 03:29 PM
There's an amazing model 3 review ..see if I can dig it up. I only watched 5 mins cause the dude was like an Apple lover on ice...but the tech is freaking amazing.

Literally like moving from a motorola brick to smartphone without passing through the blackberry stage.

Muddy
11-17-2017, 03:39 PM
Love it or hate it, the way of the future, baby.

How can I like it when its 200k? It's not a future I can afford.

Goofy
11-17-2017, 04:51 PM
Elon Musk's a clever bastard

PorkChopSandwiches
11-17-2017, 07:11 PM
How can I like it when its 200k? It's not a future I can afford.

You can afford the new ones they put out, once they get caught up. This is sports car competition, you can't afford one if those either

Muddy
11-17-2017, 07:14 PM
38k still too rich for my blood, bruh..

Teh One Who Knocks
11-17-2017, 07:14 PM
You can afford the new ones they put out, once they get caught up. This is sports car competition, you can't afford one if those either

Their 'entry level' car starts at $35K, that's more than I paid for my 4WD truck which is far more useful than an electric car. Unless they can get that price cut in half, they aren't going to be mass selling anything.

Muddy
11-17-2017, 07:16 PM
35k is like $500 a month for 70 months.. @ 0% interest

Thats a lot of fucking money...

Teh One Who Knocks
11-17-2017, 07:18 PM
35k is like $500 a month for 70 months.. @ 0% interest

Thats a lot of fucking money...

And that's the starting price, bare bones. You know they don't have anything like that available, they're going to high pressure up-sell you on all their 'options' so it will be more like $45K when everything is said and done. Plus tax and title and registration.

Muddy
11-17-2017, 07:19 PM
Annnd... No more tax credits.

Hal-9000
11-17-2017, 08:17 PM
Yep, when they start with - You can travel from blah blah blah...Only if the initial price is reasonable.

I hate gas costs and live in a part of the country that's supposedly 'rich in gasoline and oil resources', yet we still pay a terrorist price for it.

They have to mass produce more than one brand of electric car if they want to replace fossil fuel competitors.

Muddy
11-17-2017, 08:20 PM
All your oil are belong to us.

lost in melb.
11-18-2017, 02:41 AM
Their 'entry level' car starts at $35K, that's more than I paid for my 4WD truck which is far more useful than an electric car. Unless they can get that price cut in half, they aren't going to be mass selling anything.

People totally want these cars. When did anyone camp out for days waiting to put a deposit on a Ford Truck??

p.s. they are going to bring out an electric pickup - with immense utility.

lost in melb.
11-18-2017, 02:44 AM
Yep, when they start with - You can travel from blah blah blah...Only if the initial price is reasonable.

I hate gas costs and live in a part of the country that's supposedly 'rich in gasoline and oil resources', yet we still pay a terrorist price for it.

They have to mass produce more than one brand of electric car if they want to replace fossil fuel competitors.

A long way off replacing. It'll happen though...what will be interesting will be to see which car manufacturers adapt, and which go under :)

lost in melb.
11-18-2017, 02:46 AM
Here it is!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te6VqldjTT8

lost in melb.
11-18-2017, 02:50 AM
38k still too rich for my blood, bruh..

wait until your smug neighbour gets one and drives by with a big grin on his face, hands free...

Teh One Who Knocks
11-18-2017, 10:48 AM
People totally want these cars. When did anyone camp out for days waiting to put a deposit on a Ford Truck??

p.s. they are going to bring out an electric pickup - with immense utility.

What people? :-s I don't know anyone that even talks about these cars. People stand in lines for iPhones and overpriced Starbuck's coffee, doesn't mean that it's good.

Teh One Who Knocks
11-18-2017, 10:49 AM
wait until your smug neighbour gets one and drives by with a big grin on his face, hands free...

Who gives a fuck what someone's neighbor does?

Teh One Who Knocks
11-18-2017, 10:54 AM
By Michael Hiltzik - The Los Angeles Times


https://i.imgur.com/0TwroRu.jpg

Tesla is on the verge of ramping up production of its mass-market Model 3 sedan, but the company has been giving hands-on demonstrations to selected journalists and financial analysts in recent months. With the first reviews trickling into print, we can judge the general reaction:

People love this car.

We can also spot one cloud on the horizon: Concerns about quality.

The latest comments on that issue come from Toni Sacconaghi, automotive industry analyst at AllianceBernstein, who examined and drove a new Model 3 at a Tesla demonstration in Brooklyn on Nov. 9. “Overall,” he told clients the next day, “we found the Model 3 to be a compelling offering, and believe it is likely to further galvanize the overall Electric Vehicle category.” But he also noted that “fit and finish on the two demo cars we saw — perhaps not surprisingly — was relatively poor.”

Among the shortcomings, two pieces of the glass roof on one of the cars seemed misaligned, with a gap that might allow water to leak into the cabin; body panels didn’t fit together; rubber trim wasn’t snug; and seams in the ceiling were misaligned. Sacconaghi allowed that such shortcomings might not even be noticed by most prospective buyers, but he was struck by the idea that these were demo cars likely to be examined by experts.

“We can't help noting that Tesla likely chose to share with us its highest quality/best assembled units, so issues on other cars may be even more pronounced,” he wrote. If quality issues with the Model 3 turn out to be widespread, he observed, that could have important ramifications for Tesla’s brand. Tesla declined to comment.

The ramp-up itself poses a major problem for Tesla and raises questions about whether Tesla is focusing enough on the issue. Tesla and its founder/CEO, Elon Musk, often seem to be suffering from a sort of corporate attention-deficit disorder.

While the company is still struggling with what Musk has called “production hell” related to the Model 3 and its Gigafactory battery factory in Nevada, Musk took time out on Thursday night to unveil an electric semi truck and Roadster sports car — the first one aimed at production in 2019 and the second in 2020. “It’s just stupid,” Musk said at the gala, multimedia event.

He was using bro-speak to refer to the performance specs of the $200,000 Roadster, which he said will zip from zero to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, with a top speed of 250 mph. But he might as well have been describing the act of distracting oneself from production at a critical moment. Tesla is also talking about manufacturing an SUV dubbed the Model Y.

All these rollouts generate publicity and flash, which may keep the investment markets enthralled. But what investors and buyers are going to be concerned about in the longer term is whether Tesla can manufacture trouble-free sedans, and at what quantity.

There is good news. The few test drivers who have had access to Model 3 demos almost uniformly give the car high marks. They praise the car’s pickup and handling, and even its minimalist interior and dashboard, which features a touchscreen instead of most of the dials and levers in conventional autos. “There’s nothing like it in the marketplace today,” Sacconaghi told me.

Many journalists got their test drives in July, so it’s unclear how closely the vehicles they drove resembled those that will be rolling off the Tesla assembly lines. More recently, Tesla offered hands-on rides to members of the financial community. Sacconaghi’s report is one of the first from a multi-day session offered to Wall Streeters, and his assessment tracks those from the summer. He had about two hours to examine two Model 3 sedans and drive one around Brooklyn streets.

“We thought the car drove very well,” Sacconaghi, who owns a Tesla Model X, says. “It was very consistent with the ride and performance of other Teslas. In fact, it was arguably so good, and its interior room so much better than I had anticipated, that it risks cannibalizing the Model S going forward.”

That poses a financial risk to the company, at least in the near term, he says. That’s because the Model S sells for $100,000 and gives Tesla a gross margin of $25,000 per car, Sacconaghi estimates, while the Model 3 will sell for about $44,000 reasonably decked out, with a target gross margin of $11,000. If prospective Model S customers decide to wait for a Model 3, Tesla’s profits will take a hit until Model 3 production ramps up toward the target of several hundred thousand vehicles a year.

As my colleague Russ Mitchell reported earlier this month, the company’s production goal of 5,000 Model 3 sedans a week by the end of December has been pushed back to the end of March. Among the reasons are production snafus at its Fremont, Calif., assembly plant and at the Gigafactory, the Nevada plant that supplies the Model 3’s battery packs.

In a call with analysts after the company released its third-quarter earnings on Nov. 2, Tesla founder and Chief Executive Elon Musk cited “production hell” at the Gigafactory, though he added, “I can see a clear path to sunshine.” Because of the production bottleneck, the company reported, only 260 Model 3 sedans had been produced, compared to the thousands that were supposed to have been turned out by now.

Many of those produced reportedly have been partially assembled by hand at Fremont. Sacconaghi believes that includes at least one of the two vehicles he inspected, which had a VIN indicating it was the 30th Model 3 produced.

Quality problems have dogged Tesla in the past, especially with the Model X, an SUV-style vehicle whose gull-wing doors, which hinge at the top, were a persistent issue early in their production run. Last May, Sacconaghi shared with clients his own customer service complaints, observing that the company’s “sales and service network is already strained, with processes not fully in place.” Tesla will be hard-pressed to ramp up its service operations once the Model 3 reaches customers in volume, in part because a larger share of buyers will see their Model 3’s as primary transportation and won’t take as kindly as X and S buyers to repair delays.

“There are going to be a lot of cars coming on the road at the same time,” Sacconaghi told me. “When Tesla produced the Model X there were a number of quality issues and the service centers got very busy. This is going to be a much, much higher-volume car, and if there are any quality issues that could overwhelm the service centers and undermine the Tesla brand. Those are questions no one really knows at this point.”

Quality issues could become especially costly if they trigger lemon laws. California, for example, requires that a carmaker refund or replace a vehicle if it spends more than 30 days out of service for warranty work in the first 18 months or 18,000 miles after delivery, whichever comes first.

Godfather
11-18-2017, 04:43 PM
What people? :-s I don't know anyone that even talks about these cars. People stand in lines for iPhones and overpriced Starbuck's coffee, doesn't mean that it's good.

Really? I see a couple every day here. I think the Model 3 had half a million orders (less quite a few thousand cancellations). $35k is a fair bit, but it's going after the same demographic shopping for BMW Model 3's/4's, Lexus IS, Audi A4, Mercedes C-class, and the like which sell just fine.

They definitely have issues right now with profits and production, but a lot of investors are still very bullish on them.

Muddy
11-18-2017, 05:08 PM
A friend of mine has that 80k one..

PorkChopSandwiches
11-18-2017, 08:29 PM
It's the future, don't hate

Godfather
11-19-2017, 11:53 PM
This is pretty nutty

https://i.redd.it/a3ar6o7rlzyz.jpg

deebakes
11-20-2017, 12:50 AM
:suicide:

lost in melb.
11-20-2017, 12:58 AM
I think Lance is regretting starting this thread :mrgreen:

Muddy
11-20-2017, 02:09 AM
This is pretty nutty

https://i.redd.it/a3ar6o7rlzyz.jpg

Boy that really is eye opening..

Hugh_Janus
11-20-2017, 11:11 PM
This is pretty nutty

https://i.redd.it/a3ar6o7rlzyz.jpg
the thing is, while those performance figures are... incredible, they are only possible for a limited number of times before the battery says "fuck this, I'm outta here" And while the tesla's range is more than double the chiron's, when it comes to covering the most miles in a day, the tesla doesn't stand a chance.

The only thing holding back electric cars is battery technology... once they crack that, the internal combustion engine in cars won't be long for this world

Boy that really is eye opening..
even "normal" electric cars feel fast off the mark. If you drive a tesla, even the cheap one, you will be impressed with how it accelerates.

Godfather
11-21-2017, 02:39 AM
the thing is, while those performance figures are... incredible, they are only possible for a limited number of times before the battery says "fuck this, I'm outta here" And while the tesla's range is more than double the chiron's, when it comes to covering the most miles in a day, the tesla doesn't stand a chance.


Well, if we both have $3M, you buy the Chiron, and I buy 15 Teslas and have them delivered every 600 miles. Catch me now mother fucker :P

Hugh_Janus
11-26-2017, 10:34 PM
but 15 teslas are bad for the encironment mmkay

lost in melb.
11-27-2017, 12:12 AM
but 15 teslas are bad for the encironment mmkay

Not if you share them with your friends :slap: