32 replies to this topic

[Danceman2020]

This will be one hell of a seller if they don't go over board with pricing :-)

 

https://www.theverge...stest-car-world

[JG]

4.2 to 100 is completely mental. 

[hairy]

Impressive, yes: https://www.pistonhe...the-world/37108

 

But is it just spin to hide the mounting debts from failure to deliver the model X?

 

I am a fan though

[ChrisS1]

Loony...in a good way.

[Nev]

I bet once the batteries are "worn in" the headline figures will drop.  Apparently some other car he makes needs the batteries to "cool down" for a while before you can accelerate hard.

 

Loads of marketing hype probably disguises a lot of the practicable day to day flaws, like failure to deliver strong power in cold conditions etc, not using the headlights or heater to stop the range being halved, regular replacement of batteries at great expense, longer charge times required on older batteries etc etc.

 

I've just driven back 1050 miles in 24 hours over 3 countries in my 11 year old TDci. Whilst doing so I was wondering if an 11 year old version of this £250,000 electric car (with 11 year old batteries) would manage this feat as flawlessly as my old £1500 TDi...

 

Edited by Nev, 17 November 2017 - 08:53 PM.

[hairy]

I bet once the batteries are "worn in" the headline figures will drop.  Apparently some other car he makes needs the batteries to "cool down" for a while before you can accelerate hard.

 

Loads of marketing hype probably disguises a lot of the practicable day to day flaws, like failure to deliver strong power in cold conditions etc, not using the headlights or heater to stop the range being halved, regular replacement of batteries at great expense, longer charge times required on older batteries etc etc.

 

I've just driven back 1050 miles in 24 hours over 3 countries in my 11 year old TDci. Whilst doing so I was wondering if an 11 year old version of this £250,000 electric car (with 11 year old batteries) would manage this feat as flawlessly as my old £1500 TDi...

 

 

That's true Nev, but how much diesel will be left in 50 years time?

 

We are enjoying the last remains of  200 million years of hydrocarbon decay, full marks to Elon Musk for piloting the next regime of motoring!  

[kipper]

Based on a Lotus chassis? 

[Nev]

 

I bet once the batteries are "worn in" the headline figures will drop.  Apparently some other car he makes needs the batteries to "cool down" for a while before you can accelerate hard.

 

Loads of marketing hype probably disguises a lot of the practicable day to day flaws, like failure to deliver strong power in cold conditions etc, not using the headlights or heater to stop the range being halved, regular replacement of batteries at great expense, longer charge times required on older batteries etc etc.

 

I've just driven back 1050 miles in 24 hours over 3 countries in my 11 year old TDci. Whilst doing so I was wondering if an 11 year old version of this £250,000 electric car (with 11 year old batteries) would manage this feat as flawlessly as my old £1500 TDi...

 

 

That's true Nev, but how much diesel will be left in 50 years time?

 

We are enjoying the last remains of  200 million years of hydrocarbon decay, full marks to Elon Musk for piloting the next regime of motoring!  

 

 

 

 

In the end it will clearly run out, but I suspect there is plenty down there and fracking has opened up a new and plentiful way of getting to it. I remember the first oil crisis in 71/72 and the profits of doom saying it would run out soon back then, yet it still seems abundant.

 

I've nothing against electric vehicles, but as with all immature technologies the hype outweighs the function. With time I'm sure it mature and I expect I will be able to casually jump into my electric vehicle and drive 1050 miles non stop. However that day is not today, with the average electric vehicle only managing a couple of hundred miles per charge that same journey would have taken me days and days.

 

 

Edited by Nev, 17 November 2017 - 11:33 PM.

[Danceman2020]

I know Elon Musk is the King of spin and I'm sure there are huge pitfalls in the electric car....Most of all the sound i.e lack of it... I love the sound of a v6 or v8 v12 or even a tuned 4 pot ... But i think we will all be black balled into the underworld and driving such vehicles one day will be looked upon as bad as whisky when it was illegal in the USA... and getting a gallon of the supper will be so costly that we will have to sell a body part for payment.I imagine that i will be long gone by this time but my kids and there kids will be left to miss the thrill...Or will they lol If musk has his way and puts the 2nd gen into play our young xbox ps4 generation will be quite at home with something the goes swoosh instead vroom lol I buy and sell Tesla shares on a day to day basis and find them very volatile but i believe that Tesla has the right idea with so many of its products and if they can get 10 years down the line without going tits up they could be the leaders in this field. :-)

[Jetpilot]

 

I bet once the batteries are "worn in" the headline figures will drop.  Apparently some other car he makes needs the batteries to "cool down" for a while before you can accelerate hard.

 

Loads of marketing hype probably disguises a lot of the practicable day to day flaws, like failure to deliver strong power in cold conditions etc, not using the headlights or heater to stop the range being halved, regular replacement of batteries at great expense, longer charge times required on older batteries etc etc.

 

I've just driven back 1050 miles in 24 hours over 3 countries in my 11 year old TDci. Whilst doing so I was wondering if an 11 year old version of this £250,000 electric car (with 11 year old batteries) would manage this feat as flawlessly as my old £1500 TDi...

 

 

That's true Nev, but how much diesel will be left in 50 years time?

 

We are enjoying the last remains of  200 million years of hydrocarbon decay, full marks to Elon Musk for piloting the next regime of motoring!  

 

 

So raping the planet for cobalt and lithium and other natural resources required for batteries is the next regime of motoring? Sorry, its absolute nonsense to think thats the future, but an alternative yes!

[Nev]

 

 

I bet once the batteries are "worn in" the headline figures will drop.  Apparently some other car he makes needs the batteries to "cool down" for a while before you can accelerate hard.

 

Loads of marketing hype probably disguises a lot of the practicable day to day flaws, like failure to deliver strong power in cold conditions etc, not using the headlights or heater to stop the range being halved, regular replacement of batteries at great expense, longer charge times required on older batteries etc etc.

 

I've just driven back 1050 miles in 24 hours over 3 countries in my 11 year old TDci. Whilst doing so I was wondering if an 11 year old version of this £250,000 electric car (with 11 year old batteries) would manage this feat as flawlessly as my old £1500 TDi...

 

 

That's true Nev, but how much diesel will be left in 50 years time?

 

We are enjoying the last remains of  200 million years of hydrocarbon decay, full marks to Elon Musk for piloting the next regime of motoring!  

 

 

So raping the planet for cobalt and lithium and other natural resources required for batteries is the next regime of motoring? Sorry, its absolute nonsense to think thats the future, but an alternative yes!

 

 

Indeed, in 20 years time everyone will be up in arms that we've thrown all our old batteries into the dump and now the Chinese (who have much of the necessary rare earth metals) are holding us to ransom. And suddenly the public will be steered into thinking in some other latest fashionable way, back to sail powered vessels maybe?!

 

Yes, oil burning isn't good, but governments are so short sighted and reactionary that I too have my doubts about the long term effect of a reliance on batteries.

 

But some sort of solution has to be fashioned... ideally cold fusion and Tesla induction towers!

 

Edited by Nev, 18 November 2017 - 02:15 PM.

[C8RKH]

 

I bet once the batteries are "worn in" the headline figures will drop.  Apparently some other car he makes needs the batteries to "cool down" for a while before you can accelerate hard.

 

Loads of marketing hype probably disguises a lot of the practicable day to day flaws, like failure to deliver strong power in cold conditions etc, not using the headlights or heater to stop the range being halved, regular replacement of batteries at great expense, longer charge times required on older batteries etc etc.

 

I've just driven back 1050 miles in 24 hours over 3 countries in my 11 year old TDci. Whilst doing so I was wondering if an 11 year old version of this £250,000 electric car (with 11 year old batteries) would manage this feat as flawlessly as my old £1500 TDi...

 

 

That's true Nev, but how much diesel will be left in 50 years time?

 

We are enjoying the last remains of  200 million years of hydrocarbon decay, full marks to Elon Musk for piloting the next regime of motoring!

 

 

Tons of petrol and diesel left. Gazillions of gallons of the stuff. Certainly more than enough to see out my lifetime.  looks great. go great. But no sound - soul-less. I can imagine it would be like comparing making love to real woman to a squeaky plastic doll.  I'll stick with the combustion engine and the noise thank you.

 

And at a base price of $200,000, which will become £220,000, double no thanks.  

 

 

[C8RKH]

 

I bet once the batteries are "worn in" the headline figures will drop.  Apparently some other car he makes needs the batteries to "cool down" for a while before you can accelerate hard.

 

Loads of marketing hype probably disguises a lot of the practicable day to day flaws, like failure to deliver strong power in cold conditions etc, not using the headlights or heater to stop the range being halved, regular replacement of batteries at great expense, longer charge times required on older batteries etc etc.

 

I've just driven back 1050 miles in 24 hours over 3 countries in my 11 year old TDci. Whilst doing so I was wondering if an 11 year old version of this £250,000 electric car (with 11 year old batteries) would manage this feat as flawlessly as my old £1500 TDi...

 

 

That's true Nev, but how much diesel will be left in 50 years time?

 

We are enjoying the last remains of  200 million years of hydrocarbon decay, full marks to Elon Musk for piloting the next regime of motoring!

 

 

Tons of petrol and diesel left. Gazillions of gallons of the stuff. Certainly more than enough to see out my lifetime.  looks great. go great. But no sound - soul-less. I can imagine it would be like comparing making love to real woman to a squeaky plastic doll.  I'll stick with the combustion engine and the noise thank you.

 

And at a base price of $200,000, which will become £220,000, double no thanks.  

 

 

[smiley]

 

Indeed, in 20 years time everyone will be up in arms that we've thrown all our old batteries into the dump and now the Chinese (who have much of the necessary rare earth metals) are holding us to ransom.

 

 

I believe China themselves do about 2200 Metric tons of Lithium from their own mines, but import most (from the 13.400 Metric Tons from Australia). Not sure if china owns those Australian mines, or just buys it. As if the latter the ausies can sell it to whoever they want.

 

Chile is the second biggest producer with about 12.900 Metric Tons.

So if that country ever becomes part of the axes of evil and needs to be invaded to bring democracy , we know what is actually happening.

 

When i was reading up on this, i was amazed to find that it's about 100$ worth of Lithium going into a 10.000$ battery, so current electric cars are expensive due to R&D, and not such much that actual battery. Let's see what happens when the big boys ramp up to spit out electric cars.  

Edited by smiley, 18 November 2017 - 04:25 PM.

[Zoobeef]

I do wonder how much of the theatre of driving is missed with an electric sports car.

[smiley]

I had some fun with the first roadster, but ran out of juice very fast.

I think the autonomous driving trend will kill fun (and skills) faster.

 

Won't be long before we commute in an oversizied vibrator, checking our mails or watching a movie.

 

 

[Nev]

 

Won't be long before we commute in an oversizied vibrator

 

 

 

And we can all be sure it's designed first by a Dutchman !  

[hairy]

 

When i was reading up on this, i was amazed to find that it's about 100$ worth of Lithium going into a 10.000$ battery, so current electric cars are expensive due to R&D, and not such much that actual battery.

Let's see what happens when the big boys ramp up to spit out electric cars.  

Wow - that's a lot of R&D!

[C8RKH]

R&D is euphonism for Musk's persoanl wealth, the growth of the wealth of his main backers, oh, and some pay back of the R&D costs.

 

Ever notice how people like Musk seem to get very rich spending other peoples money on companies that make a loss?

 

 

[Chris P Duck]

I wanna see the first proper car fire were the batteries go up.