i for one apologize for my part in derailing the thread. At post #17, somehow I wrongly thought the OP was published in "Hybrid/Alt vehicles" due to the flop onto hydrogen / Toyota. Old age ... easier to get distracted. Sorry! Anyway ... the plan; Yea ! ! I'd hit that ... The plan - before the end if 2017 the order taking will be on the way. Oh the irony though ... burn a ton of cash to keep moving forward with these developments - and the naysayers crawl out of the woodwork 'worrying about profits. Stick to just one project - and the naysayers crawl out of the woodwork complaining "they're just a niche / one trick pony" . .
Because many would like to drive their car out of state And it is crowded because? Overcrowded charge stations is actually a good problem. The Supercharger network exists to allow people to drive their Teslas to other states, and it is extensive enough to do that for the majority of the US population. Then few people living in those currently underserved areas can still get a Tesla and use it with home charging. Hill covered the Rav4, but I'll mention Tesla had to use the older generation, and not the new one that just came out. The FT is a tiny, low speed EV that would be be classified as a NEV in many states. It would compete against the Xebra and GEM EVs if it was available here. I don't know if Toyota actually offers them for sale. The eQ is a BEV designed and marketed by people who hate BEVs. It has an EPA range of 38 miles, and would have cost more than a Leaf if it was ever sold to the public. Toyota quickly decided to make it lease only to a few fleet customers only. At least until someone realized that it was a horrible BEV, and simply cancelled it. Scion iQ EV - Actual Sales Versus Toyota's Initial Expectations Mercedes partnered with Tesla first, how was their experience with them? Well, GM is right, but I think refueling advances are a bigger concern that makes pushing commercial production a poor plan at this point. When Arnold called for a hydrogen highway, the refueling standards were at 5000psi. Now they are at 10,000psi. The Mirai actually has 12,000psi tanks because that is what Japan is upgrading too. A Dutch group developed a method to fill the tanks quicker by prefilling with pressurized water. That will require a more expensive retrofit to existing stations and cars. Then research into hydride storage is still ongoing. Those small fuel cells for flashlights and small electronics use hydride storage. Nissan's FCEV offering will simply ditch hydrogen, and use ethanol with onboard reforming for fuel. A Volvo group already has a working fuel cell doing so with diesel. Sorry. Is there a link detailing Tesla's master plan? Preferably a non-video one.
Ya, that would be an instant buy for me as well. Is that just an artist rendering or is that directly from Tesla?
You clearly don't get your hands dirty very often if you don't see the utility in either one of those vehicles.
I am big fan of Subaru, have owned four of them over the years, but the brat and the Tesla concept are not trucks, and real truck buyers are not going to be buying a Tesla truck, at least not this one, heck Toyota Tundra which is a full size truck is still trying to get Ford F series and Chevy buyers in their showrooms. Truck owners are some of the most loyal owners out there and Tesla is not going to capture that market anytime soon.
Don't be too hard on him. He doesn't understand the difference between a Subaru toy vs a truck w/ 600 or 700lbs of torque. .
He also doesn't understand that there are a lot of people out there that love the utility of a truck but want better fuel economy.
It doesn't matter what we say though. He will come on and tell the world how he is 100% right and there is no room for any other thought on this planet.
There is no Tesla pick up concept; the above is a rendering from some truck site. The Model X is a more capable truck than the Ridgeline and RX hybrids. I expect those buyers would look at a Tesla truck along with the rest looking at a truck as a lifestyle purchase. The smaller pick up will likely make a comeback. I don't see Tesla replacing the Fords and GMs, but it comes down to price and ability. Pick up buyers haven't even had a hybrid version that met those requirements yet. Diesel is the most likely contender for trucks that actually work. The Tesla should work for the majority of truck buyers that like the abilities they offer, but won't use a large majority of the time. The Tundra is the new peak FSP. With the Hummer gone, the Tundra should replace it on the poster. Those truck buyers that do use them for a business, cost is important. The Tundra carries a Toyota premium, and is the thirstiest available.
Another important factor for heavy-duty recreation & business truck purchases will necessary be if & when high gas prices return. In the meantime, nobody seems to give a rip about operating costs. .
Got me curious about whether or not mid 80's Lutz - the living fossil was on hospice yet. Nope. The media still loves interviewing him, because he's undeniably the king of ½truths - which can't be completely disproven. That consequently gives rise to debate - which makes Lutz feel relevant. Just 2 months ago he was delighted to have the opportunity to take more ½truth pot shots at Musk/Tesla; Former GM Chairman Bob Lutz is spreading false and misleading information about Tesla | Electrek I like to eat popcorn while reading what he says. .
I think the new master plans shows that Tesla is over confident about their success and underestimating their competition. A large part of Tesla's success is that they are the only game in town. As existing luxury automakers push into Tesla's niche they will have to concentrate on making their cars stand out and be better than the competition. The plan to push into the heavy truck and bus market is simply stupid. These markets already have established companies and the market is very competitive. Tesla will spend time and resources that would be better spent on their cars trying to break into the commercial vehicle market. A market where cost per mile trumps brand names. Nexus 5X ?
You are forgetting the whole mission of this company. Elon's goal has always been to be the catalyst for change. Even if they never reach critical mass with any of their vehicles, the proof of concept is what will drive change. Just think what the EV world would be like today if Tesla never existed. Would look MUCH, MUCH different. See this article: Tesla just updated its mission statement - ScienceAlert
There doesn't need to be a proof of concept for electric busses. There are already thousands of them driving routes all around the world made by dozens of established companies. How is entering an established market segment you know nothing about being a catalyst for change? Nexus 5X ?
