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 Posted: Thu Feb 12th, 2009 09:09 pm
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Joe Kelley
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Tesla to be Profitable by Mid Year

Although extraordinarily difficult to close, the $40M financing round completed in December was twice the amount Tesla needed to reach profitability.  Moving forward two months later, we remain on track with our cost reductions and production ramp, so it appears highly likely that Tesla will meet the goal promised to those investors of becoming profitable by mid year. 

The main reason for this confidence is that Tesla is already in the fortunate position of being sold out until early November, something few automakers can claim, and will soon be sold out of all 2009 production.  While we have had some cancellations due to buyers experiencing personal financial difficulties, new orders continue to flow in every week from the United States and Europe. We have now produced over 200 Roadsters for customers and there are more than 1,000 customers still awaiting delivery.

Due to our order backlog, it seems that owning a Roadster can be a good investment.  Last September, as the financial and real estate markets began crashing, a Roadster was sold at the Sonoma Paradiso in California wine country for $160,000, well above the current list price of $109,000.  Many Roadster owners who have taken delivery of their cars have already decided to purchase a second Roadster or Roadster Sport because they like the first one so much. 

The continued strong demand is driven by the fact that the Tesla Roadster has no direct competitors in the marketplace.  It is faster than almost any sports car on the market (our Roadster beat a Porsche GT3 on the Top Gear test track) and yet uses less energy and has a smaller carbon footprint than a Toyota Prius, even if you assume the worst possible case where all electricity comes from coal. 

Regarding funding, I am excited to report that the Department of Energy informed Tesla last week that they may disburse funds from our $350M Model S loan application within four to five months.  The Obama administration has thankfully made it a top priority to move quickly on the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan program, as this will both generate high quality jobs in the near term and lay the groundwork for a better environment in the future. 

 

 

We announced last month at the Detroit auto show that we have been working with Daimler (maker of Mercedes) for over a year to create an electric version of the Smart car. Daimler has contracted with Tesla to build the battery packs and chargers for an initial run of 1,000 cars.  Pending the results of that test fleet, the relationship could expand to tens of thousands of cars per year.

This is a very significant endorsement of both Tesla’s technology and our financial strength by one of the world’s most respected automotive companies.  Daimler would not feel comfortable depending on us for this program if they felt that either our technology was easily replicated or that we were in financial danger.

Daimler was the first company to commercialize the internal combustion engine and has become a benchmark for automotive quality and reliability.  It is an honor that they chose to work with Tesla after a thorough investigation of other options. The deal is likely to be the first in a series of strategic partnerships between Tesla and other auto manufacturers to engineer and produce electric cars. 

 

 

My goal for Tesla from the beginning was to do whatever we can to help end the world’s addiction to oil.  We’ll do that by making cars directly, helping other automakers develop cars, and serving as an example to the rest of the industry.  Although the Roadster is still the only highway capable production electric car for sale in the United States, it was very encouraging to see that the central theme of the Detroit auto show this year was electric transportation.

 

 

One of the top questions customers ask about the Roadster is, “How long will the battery last and what will it cost to replace?” Tesla engineers have determined that a Tesla battery pack should last approximately seven years or over 100,000 miles under normal use.

Customers may pay $12,000, €10,000 or £9,000 up front and in return receive a replacement battery pack after seven years.  Customers will also have the option of replacing the pack earlier at a premium or later for a partial refund.  With the low production volume of the Tesla Roadster, the current replacement price of the pack is almost three times that number.  The main reason for the relatively low cost up front -- and why this is a smart purchase -- is that we are arbitraging the relative cost of capital between Tesla and our typical customer. 

 

 

Many customers have also asked to purchase an extended warranty. We now offer a doubling of the standard warranty, which means an additional 3 years and 36,000 miles or 60,000 kilometers, for $5,000, €4,000 or £3,800.  This covers everything on the car except the battery pack. Should the motor, power electronics, HVAC or any other major system need to be replaced, this will be money well spent, and it provides peace of mind to many customers. 

Thanks for your support!
 
Elon Musk
CEO & Product Architect

 
Smart car

Attachment: Smart car.jpg (Downloaded 43 times)

Last edited on Fri Feb 13th, 2009 10:41 am by Joe Kelley

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 Posted: Tue Feb 17th, 2009 11:25 pm
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http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/02/15/automobiles/0215-altcars_2.html

 

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 Posted: Sun Mar 8th, 2009 12:33 pm
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http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59991

BLACK-GOLD BLUES
Discovery backs theory oil not 'fossil fuel'
New evidence supports premise that Earth produces endless supply

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 Posted: Mon Mar 9th, 2009 11:25 am
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http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/08/saltwater-power-could-supply-energy-for-most-dutch-homes/

Just as it takes huge amounts of energy to desalinate water, energy is generated when the reverse happens, and saltwater is added to freshwater. Unlike hydroelectricity, where the energy from a surging river is evident to anyone sitting at its banks, the energy released at an estuary can’t be easily seen. Nevertheless, that power is there. If the proposed saltwater power plant is built on the Afsluitdijk, it could produce 300 megawatts of electricity. That could supply a large part of the electrical demand for homes in the northern parts of The Netherlands.

 

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 Posted: Mon Mar 9th, 2009 11:48 am
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http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/576.html

Can two people build a beautiful, functional home with a rubber mallet, a glue gun and a crow bar?

Yes they can.

This is what happens when computer science meets architecture.


 

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 Posted: Mon Mar 9th, 2009 07:36 pm
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http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/electric-cars-cost-emissions-460309


quote:

When you compare battery to gasoline power, electricity wins hands down. A 2007 study by the non-profit Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) calculated that powering a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) would cost the equivalent of roughly 75 cents per gallon of gasoline -- a price not seen at the pump for 30 years.

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 Posted: Sun Mar 15th, 2009 11:40 am
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/13/AR2009031303023_2.html

GM doesn't have a Volt waitlist, so Dennis created his own. To date, about 47,000 people are "registered" on his Web site to buy the Volt, from all 50 states and 85 countries. And Volt fans say they are willing to pay an average of $31,297.89 for the car.

In a way, this is a shot at redemption. A decade ago GM discontinued its first electric car, called the EV-1, and terminated all leases. The outrage that followed was a public relations nightmare and the subject of a scathing documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car?"


 

http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13277371

?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J5f9x_RfHI


Batteries - Stan Oshinsky who has over 200 patents to his name - manufacturered Ovonic batteries for the electric car.  GM bought controlling shares in the company.  Then GM sold to Texaco.  Interesting.  An oil company buys controlling shares in the batteries that fueled electric cars.

I just read that Think, previously owned by Ford, sold to Norwegian investors, has bought interest in Tesla Motors batteries, to the tune of $43M.  So GM buys Oshinksy batteries, sells to Texaco.  Ford sells its Think electric vehicle to Norwegians who buy batteries from Tesla Motors.  Hmmmm.  Almost humorous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw6R2j3OTXQ&feature=related

Do it.

 

 

Last edited on Sun Mar 15th, 2009 11:41 am by Joe Kelley

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 Posted: Wed Mar 18th, 2009 11:41 pm
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250th Delivery

Tesla Motors delivered its 250th car last Saturday. Lucky No. 250 was Dr. Rob Wilder, an academic and entrepreneur who created the first Index on Wall Street for energy efficiency and zero-carbon solutions. Rob lives in Encinitas, Calif., where he charges his Roadster from his home's array of solar panels. He picked "very orange" as the exterior color to symbolize the car's connection with the sun.



"We're not beholden to Middle East oil – and by the way my car is probably faster than your car!" joked Rob, CEO of WilderShares LLC and manager of WilderHill Clean Energy Index, the first Index on Wall Street for energy efficiency and zero-carbon solutions. "This car is an elegant solution to some of the world's most difficult problems. And buying it is helping push along EV adoption generally because Tesla is investing the money in lower-priced cars down the line."

Rob's new car marks a symbolic milestone for Tesla and a personal first for Rob, who previously tended to purchase used cars for no more than $13,000 each. In fact, the Roadster is more expensive than all of his previous cars put together.

"I took a big, big gulp and sent in my check – and although this car may not seem like a bargain, I can now say it's a great value. This is exactly the type of car I'd design for myself."



Tesla is now producing approximately 20 cars per week, which will increase to 30 per week this summer. About 1,000 people are waiting to take ownership of their Roadster, which means Tesla is sold out through October of this year. The Roadster remains the only highway-capable production electric vehicle of any kind (not just in the sports car category) for sale in the US or Europe. It does 0-60 in 3.9 seconds yet is twice as energy efficient as a Toyota Prius.

Model S Update

Tesla will unveil its Model S prototype sedan March 26 at the Tesla design studio inside the SpaceX rocket factory, in Hawthorne, Calif. This is going to be a historic event for car enthusiasts; the Model S will likely be the world's first mass-produced, highway-capable EV when it rolls off the assembly line in late 2011.



The Model S will have an anticipated base price of $57,400. After a federal tax credit of $7,500, the effective price will be $49,900. Because of tax incentives and relatively inexpensive maintenance and refueling, the lifetime ownership cost will be closer to cars with far lower sticker prices. Tesla executives will provide a lot more product details at the launch party in Southern California, home to Tesla's design studio and the world's largest new-car market. The Model S will become the car of choice for environmentally conscious and discriminating drivers throughout North America and Europe. Tesla expects to roughly split initial sales between the two continents, later expanding to Asia.

New Digs in Chicago

Tesla announced earlier this month it plans to open a Midwest regional sales and service center in Chicago, the first of seven retail facilities the electric vehicle manufacturer plans to launch this year.



The Chicago store -- which will open this spring -- is at 1053 W. Grand Ave. in the River West neighborhood. The location gives prospective customers the opportunity to experience Tesla's best-in-class performance under a range of driving conditions, including highways and urban streets.

After Chicago, Tesla plans to open a store in London's Knightsbridge neighborhood. We are also finalizing site selection in Manhattan, Miami and Seattle and scouting sites in Washington, D.C. and Munich, Germany. These stores will expose more people to the Roadster – and most importantly they will serve as a lean and efficient retail footprint as we get more mainstream customers for the Model S.

One reason Tesla service centers will be smaller than gasoline car service centers is that the Roadster has far fewer moving (and breakable) parts than an internal combustion engine vehicle. It doesn't require nearly as much service and maintenance as gas guzzlers, so Tesla doesn't need cavernous service and repair bays and large spaces to store spare parts. Tesla requests that owners bring in the car – which never needs oil changes or exhaust system tune-ups, among other costly repairs -- every 12,000 miles or once a year for a diagnostic check and software upgrade.

Tesla Heads North

Earlier this month, Tesla began selling cars in Canada. We will begin delivering cars in the fourth quarter, and we believe Canada will become a premier showcase for the Roadster. In Canada, the majority of electricity comes from renewable resources, including run-of-river small hydro, wind, biomass, geothermal and solar energy. An EV recharged from the current Canadian grid, on average, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 85 percent compared to an equivalent gasoline-powered vehicle. In hydro-dominant British Columbia, Quebec and Manitoba, the reduction would be an impressive 98 percent.

Canadian Roadsters will comply with all national and provincial safety regulations for mass-produced, highway-capable vehicles – and they'll perform in the snow, just as they already do in Northern Europe. The base price for Roadsters in Canada will be set closer to the start of deliveries, and pricing will reflect exchange rates at that time. In the United States, the base price is $109,000.

Thanks, and please be on the lookout next week for official Model S photos and video -- and more exciting news from Tesla in the weeks and months to come!

Elon Musk



Tesla Motors
1050 Bing Street
San Carlos, CA 94070
United States

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 Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 11:44 am
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Model S is here!

Just moments ago, we took the wraps off the Model S, an all electric family sedan that carries  seven people and travels 300 miles per charge. We also launched a web site and began taking orders for this historic vehicle, which will likely be world's first mass-produced, highway-capable EV.

The Model S, which carries its charger onboard, can be recharged from any 120V, 240V or 480V outlet, with the latter taking only 45 minutes. By recharging their car while they stop for a meal, drivers can go from LA to New York in approximately the same time as a gasoline car.  Moreover, the floor-mounted battery pack is designed to be changed out in less time than it takes to fill a gas tank, allowing for the possibility of battery-pack swap stations.

The floor-mounted powertrain also results in unparalleled cargo room and versatility, as the volume under the front hood becomes a second trunk. Combining that with a four-bar linkage hatchback rear trunk and flat folding rear seats, the Model S can accommodate a 50-inch television, mountain bike *and* surfboard simultaneously.  This packaging efficiency gives the Model S more trunk space than any other sedan on the market and more than most SUVs.

"Model S doesn't compromise on performance, efficiency or utility -- it's truly the only car you need," said Tesla CEO, Chairman and Product Architect Elon Musk. "Tesla is relentlessly driving down the cost of electric vehicle technology, and this is just the first of many mainstream cars we're developing."

Tesla expects to start Model S production in late 2011. The company believes it is close to receiving $350 million in federal loans to build the Model S assembly plant in California from the Dept of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program.

Building on Proven Technology

Tesla is the only production automaker already selling highway-capable EVs in North America or Europe. With 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, the Roadster outperforms almost all sports cars in its class yet is six times as energy efficient as gas guzzlers and delivers 244 miles per charge. Tesla has delivered nearly 300 Roadsters, and nearly 1,000 more customers are on the waitlist.

Teslas do not require routine oil changes, and they have far fewer moving (and breakable) parts than internal combustion engine vehicles. They qualify for federal and state tax credits, rebates, sales tax exemptions, free parking, commuter-lane passes and other perks. Model S costs roughly $5 to drive 230 miles – a bargain even if gasoline were $1 per gallon.
 
The anticipated base price of the Model S is $49,900 after a federal tax credit of $7,500. The company has not released options pricing. Three battery pack choices will offer a range of 160, 230 or 300 miles per charge.

But the anticipated sticker price doesn't tell the full story. Model S costs half as much as a Roadster, and it's a better value than much cheaper cars. The ownership cost of Model S, if you were to lease and then account for the much lower cost of electricity vs. gasoline at a likely future cost of $4 per gallon, is similar to a gasoline car with a sticker price of about $35,000. That's why we're positive this car will be the preferred choice of savvy consumers.

The standard Model S does 0-60 mph in under six seconds and will have an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph, with sport versions expected to achieve 0-60 mph acceleration well below five seconds. A single-speed gearbox delivers effortless acceleration and responsive handling. A 17-inch touchscreen with in-car 3G connectivity allows passengers to listen to Pandora Radio or consult Google Maps, or check their state of charge remotely from their iPhone or laptop.

Tesla is taking reservations online and at showrooms in California. Tesla will open a store in Chicago this spring and plans to open stores in London, New York, Miami, Seattle, Washington DC and Munich later this year.

We're certain you'll be hearing a lot more about Tesla in the weeks and months ahead, and we look forward to seeing you at the stores we're opening soon!

Elon


Tesla Motors
1050 Bing Street
San Carlos, CA 94070
United States

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 Posted: Wed Apr 1st, 2009 07:26 pm
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 Posted: Wed Apr 1st, 2009 07:28 pm
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http://gas2.org/2009/03/31/chinese-electric-cars-coming-to-costco-wal-mart/



 

 

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 Posted: Fri Apr 3rd, 2009 12:52 pm
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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/business/global/02electric.html?_r=1&hp

quote:

To some extent, China is making a virtue of a liability. It is behind the United States, Japan and other countries when it comes to making gas-powered vehicles, but by skipping the current technology, China hopes to get a jump on the next.

Japan is the market leader in hybrids today, which run on both electricity and gasoline, with cars like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. The United States has been a laggard in alternative vehicles. G.M.’s plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt is scheduled to go on sale next year, and will be assembled in Michigan using rechargeable batteries imported from LG in South Korea.

China’s intention, in addition to creating a world-leading industry that will produce jobs and exports, is to reduce urban pollution and decrease its dependence on oil, which comes from the Mideast and travels over sea routes controlled by the United States Navy.

But electric vehicles may do little to clear the country’s smog-darkened sky or curb its rapidly rising emissions of global warming gases. China gets three-fourths of its electricity from coal, which produces more soot and more greenhouse gases than other fuels.


http://seekingalpha.com/article/128372-china-pledges-huge-solar-subsidies

quote:

The Chinese government on Thursday announced what some industry analysts called the most aggressive and generous solar power subsidy in the world, giving Chinese solar companies a big market boost amid a generally gloomy outlook for short-term growth.

China's solar subsidy plan would offer 20 yuan (about $2.94) per watt for solar photovoltaic installations greater than 50 kilowatts. That would essentially cover half the cost of entire installations at today's low solar panel prices, according to an RBC Capital Markets analyst note.

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 Posted: Sat Apr 4th, 2009 01:14 pm
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 Posted: Tue Apr 7th, 2009 10:59 am
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Less than a week after unveiling its new Model S electric sedan, Tesla Motors yesterday revealed that it has already received 520 orders for the all-electric car despite the fact the company is still waiting on the $350m (£238m) federal loan required to build the Model S assembly plant.

Tesla chairman and chief executive Elon Musk said that the reservations received since the car was officially debuted in Los Angeles last week had exceeded "our optimistic internal projections", adding that the rush of orders provided "proof that there's pent-up demand for more affordable, fuel-efficient vehicles".

 

What is the interest rate on that loan to Tesla; does it cover the loss of all that Bail-Out money sent to the mysterious "bankers"?

 

 

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 Posted: Tue Apr 7th, 2009 11:02 am
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What is your feelings about the range-extender concept of the Chevy Volt and why have you not considered it it any of your products?We looked closely at a range extender architecture for Model S. It ends up costing about the same in vehicle unit cost, a lot more in R&D and a lot more in servicing. Also, although performance is ok when both battery and engine are active at the same time, it turns really bad when the battery runs out and an undersized engine is carrying all the dead weight of the pack. Essentially, a REV is neither fish nor fowl and ends up being worse (in our opinion) than either a gasoline or pure electric vehicle.

 

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 Posted: Wed Apr 8th, 2009 09:08 pm
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“Electric vehicles have the possibility to transform our economy, revive our car industry, and improve our environment. To make sure electric vehicles succeed this time around we need to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in battery technology and [charging] infrastructure.”

 

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http://www.physorg.com/news158321497.html

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that a tiny aquatic plant can be used to clean up animal waste at industrial hog farms and potentially be part of the answer for the global energy crisis. Their research shows that growing duckweed on hog wastewater can produce five to six times more starch per acre than corn, according to researcher Dr. Jay Cheng. This means that ethanol production using duckweed could be "faster and cheaper than from corn," says fellow researcher Dr. Anne-Marie Stomp.

 

 

And then there is Algae

 

http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=vertigro&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=i0_dSZu-G5GYMpfblNcN&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=10&ct=title#

 

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Chicago Gets First Solar Powered EV Charging Station


 

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Spain Leads the World in New Solar Energy Development

 

Although Germany is still the leading nation in total grid-connected solar photovoltaic capacity, this news now means Spain has surged into second place there. The report comes as an embarrassment for a floundering Japan, who used to lead the world, but now has fallen to third place in total capacity and forth place in added capacity.

 

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 Posted: Thu Apr 9th, 2009 12:59 pm
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http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/osu-adl040809.php

By using biology instead of conventional semiconductor manufacturing approaches, researchers at OSU and Portland State University have created a new way to make "dye-sensitized" solar cells, in which photons bounce around like they were in a pinball machine, striking these dyes and producing electricity. This technology may be slightly more expensive than some existing approaches to make dye-sensitized solar cells, but can potentially triple the electrical output.

"Most existing solar cell technology is based on silicon and is nearing the limits of what we may be able to accomplish with that," said Greg Rorrer, an OSU professor of chemical engineering. "There's an enormous opportunity to develop different types of solar energy technology, and it's likely that several forms will ultimately all find uses, depending on the situation."

Dye-sensitized technology, for instance, uses environmentally benign materials and works well in lower light conditions. And the new findings offer advances in manufacturing simplicity and efficiency.

 

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