Tesla to show final design, working prototype of Whitestar this year
Ready for the Whitestar? CNET is, and recently interviewed Tesla's co-founder, Elon Musk, about the eagerly-anticipated next vehicle from Tesla Motors. Elon says some things we know - the electrically-powered sedan will cost between $50,000 and $60,000 and is estimated to sell 10,000 to 20,000 units a year. He also reveals that the name might change and that the design will be finalized by the second quarter of 2008. A working prototype should follow by the end of the year -- big news, indeed. Musk mentions the "default location" or "most likely" location for the Whitestar production plant is Albuquerque, which, based on earlier reports, is not surprising. Check out the complete conversation between Elon Musk and CNET's Michael Kanellos
first production Tesla's arrival and test drive
The cars are made in England by Lotus, the batteries are made in Taiwan, and Tesla puts the components together in California. Edmunds got a test drive that you can check out here. The Edmunds review says there is "a slight whine as the motor starts spinning" and the "unassisted steering is heavy at low speeds." We liked the steering when we took a Roadster for a spin. Cars like the Tesla are not meant to stand still and the Edmunds' review continues saying "With 248 horsepower and between 205 pound-feet and 211 lb-ft of torque available from zero rpm to 6,000 rpm, this 2,690-pound roadster accelerates steadily and even quickly as we drive up the steep roads that wind through the redwood trees."The delivery of the first Roadster means that celebs like George Clooney, the Governator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), two members of the band Red Hot Chili Peppers, Will.i.am and Google founders, all of whom are on the waiting list, are one step closer to getting their new rides.
Does the airbag waiver mean the Tesla Roadster isn't safe for kids?
Recently, we told you that Tesla got a waiver for advanced air bags for the Roadster. The Roadster "will be manufactured under Tesla's supervision and direction at a factory owned by Lotus" according to a file with regulations.gov. Lotus (which does not sponsor Tesla and Tesla is not a subsidiary of Lotus) got an airbag waiver for its Elise (on which the Roadster is based) and for being a low-volume carmaker. Why shouldn't Tesla get the same waiver? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the DOT (Department of Transportation) agreed and granted Tesla the waiver. We've heard this news already.But what exactly is an advanced air bag? We mentioned it has "sensors in the front seats that adjust the inflation rate of the bags based on passenger weight and position." What's that good for? According to a file with Regulations.gov, "The upgrade was designed to meet the goals of improving protection for occupants of all sizes, belted and unbelted, in moderate-to-high-speed crashes, and of minimizing the risks posed by air bags to infants, children, and other occupants, especially in lowspeed crashes." That's why, as I hope you know, if you drive with small kids you should turn off the non-advanced air bags in their seats or seat them in the back (consult your car's manual for details).So, does this mean the Tesla isn't safe for kids? Not so fast. We are talking about a three-year waiver for a very expensive, limited-run sports car and not exactly a family minivan here. In the file at Regulations.gov it says that "Tesla stated that it is unlikely that young children would be passengers in the Roadster, so an exemption from the advanced air bag requirements that are designed to protect children will not create a significant safety issue. In addition, as with the Lotus Elise, the front passenger seat in the Roadster is fixed in its rearmost position, thereby reducing air bag risks to children and other passengers." Also, in a comment to the waiver, David Nguyen "estimated that, based on Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data, the exemption would not result in any additional fatalities."
Tesla Motors may have an IPO within a year
If Tesla Motors is to move forward with building an assembly plant of their own to build the WhiteStar sedan and other future products they will need a lot more cash on hand. The current venture capital investors don't seem inclined to put up that kind of money so it looks like the company will be going to the stock market to raise additional funds. Speaking to Reuters, Chairman and investor Elon Musk indicated that an initial public offering is likely by the end of 2008 or early 2009. Partnering with other companies is also an option to develop lower cost EV's but when I spoke to Darryl Siry about the subject recently he indicated that that pathway is problematic. Any time multiple companies are involved, it gets harder to make decisions about strategic direction. Musk want the follow-on vehicle to WhiteStar, currently code named BlueStar, to be a more affordable mainstream vehicle with volumes approaching 100,000 annually.
five Tesla Roadsters driving by...
Thanks to a comment by one of our readers, we'd like to present you with a short video of green car nerdvana: five Tesla Roadsters slowly driving through a residential neighborhood. According to the person who uploaded this video clip to YouTube, the first car in this mini-parade of Tesla Roadsters is the actual first production vehicle (the others, then, would be production prototypes, the kind we've taken for a spin) that was delivered to Tesla Chairman Elon Musk. Not a lot else to say here, just enjoy the view. I love the guy who steps off the curb to give the passenger in the fifth car a high five. That's what these cars are all about.
Vectrix and Tesla together? It's not beyond the realm of possibility
With Vectrix's electric scooter's sales extremely disappointing there are plenty of questions about where the company goes from here. One interesting possibility could be a tie-up with Tesla Motors. Besides the price ($12,000!), range and performance are among the other complaints about the two wheelers. Tesla on the other hand has their own issues to deal with. If they do get production of the Roadster kicked off in March as they plan, they will still have only one vehicle to sell in their stores for at least a couple of years until the WhiteStar sedan becomes a reality. Tesla has developed a lot of expertise in the area of electric vehicle performance. If Tesla's engineers were to work with Vectrix, they could potentially make the scooter more appealing to customers. While driving the Roadster recently in California, I raised the idea of some kind of cooperation with Aaron Platshon. Aaron said that the idea was interesting and had been raised before, but no discussions had taken place and none where planned. Nothing is currently in motion, but it's an interesting idea to consider.
·
Iron Man Tony Stark gets a Tesla before anyone else does. Must be nice!
So, what's a guy gotta do in order to get on the Tesla preferred customer list? How about becoming a crime-fighting-billionaire-industrialist-and-inventor? It seems as if that would be enough, according to the screen-grab from the Iron Man Super Bowl ad above. The man who is iron has got a Tesla, in addition to some other pricey and less environmentally-friendly exotics. Questions have arisen over at Autoblog as to whether the Tesla deserves a parking spot among the other exotic machinery in Stark's garage. Our response: whatever, dude! Any billionaire worth his money-clip will surely be adding a Tesla to his arsenal of four-wheeled ticket-generators. He likely has a Koenigs-whatever in there too... just pan the shot back out a little bit. But, we digress... we're looking forward to seeing how much screen time the Tesla gets in this box office hit-to-be.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Tesla
Tesla on battery recycling
One of the enduring issues related to battery-powered cars is what becomes of those massive batteries when they reach end of life? As one of the first companies to utllize large-scale lithium ion batteries, Tesla is addressing this problem even before they start series production. In the latest entry on the company blog, Kurt Kelly talks about the battery recycling plan including a description of the pack's construction. The 6,831 individual cells are spread among 11 modules, each of which can be individually replaced if their capacity to hold a charge drops too low. Once modules or packs are declared no longer useful, Tesla has a recycling plan set up with KBI/Toxco. Tesla will ship expended modules to Toxco for dismantling and reuse, recycling. Kelly gives a full rundown of the process.
Busting some myths, Tesla VP debunks electric Elise meme
One of the most common beliefs about the Tesla Roadster is that it's an electric Lotus Elise. The reality is that the Roadster is a descendant of the Elise but, as Darryl Siry so forcefully documents on the Tesla blog, it's a very different car. The Tesla used the Elise as a starting point because it's one of the lightest and best-handling sports cars in the world. The chassis of the Elise is made up of bonded aluminum extrusions and the basic design makes it relatively easy to modify for different applications. For an electric car with a nearly 1,000lb battery pack, minimizing the rest of the mass of the car was critical. By the time the electric powertrain and battey were added, few of the mechanical bits of the Elise were left. When I visited Tesla in January to drive the car they told me that about 15 percent of the Elise components were carried over with the rest being modified or all-new (mostly the latter). According to Darryl the number is actually be seven percent by part count. Regardless of the actual number, the fact is that this is a very different car although it does retain some of the character of the Elise, only a lot quieter. In spite of some "luxury" upgrades, this is still a pretty bare bones and hardcore sports car. Other than the Elise/Exige, you won't find a much more direct driving experience in a full bodied road legal car anywhere. It's not an electric Elise, but the heritage is there and nothing to be ashamed of.
Tesla engineer talks about developing EV traction control
There have been a veritable flurry of posts on the Tesla blog in the last few days, one of which was written by software engineer Drew Baglino. Drew was tasked last year with revamping the traction control system for the Roadster after they made a change from an analog to a digital controller for the motor control. Drew describes the development process he went through over the next several months developing a control algorithm to provide wheel spin up control as well as the equivalent of engine drag torque control (EDTC). The Roadster traction control is all done in the motor control, with no brake intervention.After developing a first cut of the software, he quickly learned that developing a slip control system goes way beyond the basic theoretical controls. Controls for closed environments like a test track with fixed maneuvers are pretty straightforward. The problem is when you start throwing in transient maneuvers and surface transitions. All of a sudden the problem becomes much more complex as Drew found when other people started driving his traction control on the road. I can definitely sympathize with Drew on this project after working as a controls and software engineer on abs/tcs and stability control systems for 17 years before quitting a few months ago. Head over to the Tesla Blog to read all about Drew's big adventure and don't forget to check out the videos after the jump.
Martin Eberhard goes solar, getting ready to plug in his new car
Deposed Tesla Motors founder Martin Eberhard only has a few more weeks to wait for delivery of his new Roadster. Series production is scheduled to start on March 17 and first car off the line that day is destined for the Eberhard family garage. In preparation for his new ride, Martin has been making some changes around the house including the installation of a solar array on the roof so that the Roadster doesn't add any load to the grid. The 5.2kW setup has been operating since November and Eberhard estimates that about two-thirds of its output will go toward energizing the Roadster. In the latest post on the Founders Blog, Martin runs through some of the ways you could calculate payback on the system. Based on just the savings from replacing grid power with solar the system pays back in twenty years. Looking at the gas that won't be used by the Roadster, the payback drops to nine and a half years. The biggest cost of the system actually turned out to be all the work involved in integrating it into the house's electrical system. Based on his personal experience, Martin proposes that new homes that are built should made solar ready so that retrofits could be a lot cheaper and easier.
Tesla's financier in chief talks about driving Roadster #1 daily
Tesla Motors' Chairman and chief fundraiser Elon Musk took delivery of the first production Roadster on February 1 and he's been driving it on a daily basis every since. He just put up a post on the Tesla company blog about his experiences so far. In general he loves his new toy, with its awesome acceleration and handling. However, it's not quite perfect. The single piece seats are devoid of adjustments other than fore-aft. If they fit your body, they're great, but if not, you're out of luck, for now. Musk has already set the engineering staff to work on re-working the seats. Once a new design is ready and validated, Tesla will offer them to owners as a free upgrade. Meanwhile, a further extra cost option will be seats custom tailored to the owner.
Tesla wants the "Big Three" to make its 3rd car
The Tesla Roadster has arrived and the company's Whitestar follow-up project is under development, but Tesla's looking for a little help with its third car, and it's reportedly turned its eye toward Motown. On Wednesday, Tesla president Darryl Siry told Greentech Media at Piper Jaffray's Clean Technology and Renewables Conference in New York City that the third vehicle from carmaker -- expected to be a compact sports car costing $30,000 to $35,000 -- will be "high volume" and that the company wants partnerships with Detroit's "Big Three" American automakers for its production.Another bit of Tesla news is that the amount the company is looking for a $75m to $100m investment from a "large Series E" equity fund this summer, and it was also confirmed that Tesla recently got a $40m investment through a bridge loan.Hmmm. Does this Big 3 talk mean Tesla is trying to sell itself? Siry says "[being purchased] is not our desired outcome."
Scoble & Musk take on Calacanis in Tesla vs. Vette showdown
It can be interesting to see what happens when geeks with money meet up for dinner in Santa Monica. You're having a pleasant meal and the next thing you know you're racing down the road in a Tesla Roadster and a Corvette, live-streaming the video from two perspectives with cell phones. Tesla chairman and financier Elon Musk, serial entrepreneur Jason Calacanis (co-founder of Weblogs Inc. of which ABG is a part) and super blogger Robert Scoble decided to go for a joy ride for dessert the other night and stream the festivities using a new service called sic. Scoble rode shotgun with Musk in production Roadster #1. Calacanis (who has a Roadster on order) was in his Corvette. Musk laid waste to the Corvette. Some guy named Ray who evidently claims to know a thing or two about cars claims this was due to Jason's inability to drive. In fact, Musk, as is his prerogative as fundraiser-in-chief at Tesla had his production model built with one of the short-lived two-speed transmissions which contributed to its extraordinary accelerative abilities. This Ray guy apparently didn't actually watch either of the two videos since Musk explained this to Scoble. Needless to say Scoble was duly impressed by the ability of the Roadster to increase its velocity with remarkably low levels of noise (at low speeds at least).
More on Tesla financing and production plansMore information has come out about Tesla Motors' plans for financing their future expansion. We already knew from statements by Chairman Elon Musk that the company was planning to go after an initial public offering within the next year or so. The Financial Times is now reporting that the company plans to raise a total of $250 million over the next two years to fund the final development of the WhiteStar and establish a manufacturing plant to turn out 10-20,000 of the electric sedans. Why so much money? Tesla had been considering entering into a partnership with another company for the production of WhiteStar. According to Tesla's Darryl Siry, "we looked very hard at a partnership with an OEM but it didn't make sense at the end of the day." The complexities of such a partnership would slow down the project and Tesla wants to keep control of more of their intellectual property. Once WhiteStar is underway, Tesla will be revisiting the idea of a partnership of some kind to produce a third, higher-volume model. That lower-cost car is targeted to sell at the rate of up to 100,000 annually. Of the $250 million, about one third to one half is expected to be borrowed with the rest coming from the IPO. Tesla has applied for a loan guarantee from the Department of Energy to help raise the cash. The current plan is still to build the WhiteStar assembly plant in Albuquerque NM, but that may also change. A shift to the East Bay area, closer to the company's San Carlos CA headquarters is still a possibility. As for the here and now, series production of the Roadster is still set to begin at Lotus' Hethel UK factory on March 17. The first car off the line that day (production unit #2) will be delivered to now departed company founder Martin Eberhard soon afterward.
One of the enduring issues related to battery-powered cars is what becomes of those massive batteries when they reach end of life? As one of the first companies to utllize large-scale lithium ion batteries, Tesla is addressing this problem even before they start series production. In the latest entry on the company blog, Kurt Kelly talks about the battery recycling plan including a description of the pack's construction. The 6,831 individual cells are spread among 11 modules, each of which can be individually replaced if their capacity to hold a charge drops too low. Once modules or packs are declared no longer useful, Tesla has a recycling plan set up with KBI/Toxco. Tesla will ship expended modules to Toxco for dismantling and reuse, recycling. Kelly gives a full rundown of the process.
Busting some myths, Tesla VP debunks electric Elise meme
One of the most common beliefs about the Tesla Roadster is that it's an electric Lotus Elise. The reality is that the Roadster is a descendant of the Elise but, as Darryl Siry so forcefully documents on the Tesla blog, it's a very different car. The Tesla used the Elise as a starting point because it's one of the lightest and best-handling sports cars in the world. The chassis of the Elise is made up of bonded aluminum extrusions and the basic design makes it relatively easy to modify for different applications. For an electric car with a nearly 1,000lb battery pack, minimizing the rest of the mass of the car was critical. By the time the electric powertrain and battey were added, few of the mechanical bits of the Elise were left. When I visited Tesla in January to drive the car they told me that about 15 percent of the Elise components were carried over with the rest being modified or all-new (mostly the latter). According to Darryl the number is actually be seven percent by part count. Regardless of the actual number, the fact is that this is a very different car although it does retain some of the character of the Elise, only a lot quieter. In spite of some "luxury" upgrades, this is still a pretty bare bones and hardcore sports car. Other than the Elise/Exige, you won't find a much more direct driving experience in a full bodied road legal car anywhere. It's not an electric Elise, but the heritage is there and nothing to be ashamed of.
Tesla engineer talks about developing EV traction control
There have been a veritable flurry of posts on the Tesla blog in the last few days, one of which was written by software engineer Drew Baglino. Drew was tasked last year with revamping the traction control system for the Roadster after they made a change from an analog to a digital controller for the motor control. Drew describes the development process he went through over the next several months developing a control algorithm to provide wheel spin up control as well as the equivalent of engine drag torque control (EDTC). The Roadster traction control is all done in the motor control, with no brake intervention.After developing a first cut of the software, he quickly learned that developing a slip control system goes way beyond the basic theoretical controls. Controls for closed environments like a test track with fixed maneuvers are pretty straightforward. The problem is when you start throwing in transient maneuvers and surface transitions. All of a sudden the problem becomes much more complex as Drew found when other people started driving his traction control on the road. I can definitely sympathize with Drew on this project after working as a controls and software engineer on abs/tcs and stability control systems for 17 years before quitting a few months ago. Head over to the Tesla Blog to read all about Drew's big adventure and don't forget to check out the videos after the jump.
Martin Eberhard goes solar, getting ready to plug in his new car
Deposed Tesla Motors founder Martin Eberhard only has a few more weeks to wait for delivery of his new Roadster. Series production is scheduled to start on March 17 and first car off the line that day is destined for the Eberhard family garage. In preparation for his new ride, Martin has been making some changes around the house including the installation of a solar array on the roof so that the Roadster doesn't add any load to the grid. The 5.2kW setup has been operating since November and Eberhard estimates that about two-thirds of its output will go toward energizing the Roadster. In the latest post on the Founders Blog, Martin runs through some of the ways you could calculate payback on the system. Based on just the savings from replacing grid power with solar the system pays back in twenty years. Looking at the gas that won't be used by the Roadster, the payback drops to nine and a half years. The biggest cost of the system actually turned out to be all the work involved in integrating it into the house's electrical system. Based on his personal experience, Martin proposes that new homes that are built should made solar ready so that retrofits could be a lot cheaper and easier.
Tesla's financier in chief talks about driving Roadster #1 daily
Tesla Motors' Chairman and chief fundraiser Elon Musk took delivery of the first production Roadster on February 1 and he's been driving it on a daily basis every since. He just put up a post on the Tesla company blog about his experiences so far. In general he loves his new toy, with its awesome acceleration and handling. However, it's not quite perfect. The single piece seats are devoid of adjustments other than fore-aft. If they fit your body, they're great, but if not, you're out of luck, for now. Musk has already set the engineering staff to work on re-working the seats. Once a new design is ready and validated, Tesla will offer them to owners as a free upgrade. Meanwhile, a further extra cost option will be seats custom tailored to the owner.
Tesla wants the "Big Three" to make its 3rd car
The Tesla Roadster has arrived and the company's Whitestar follow-up project is under development, but Tesla's looking for a little help with its third car, and it's reportedly turned its eye toward Motown. On Wednesday, Tesla president Darryl Siry told Greentech Media at Piper Jaffray's Clean Technology and Renewables Conference in New York City that the third vehicle from carmaker -- expected to be a compact sports car costing $30,000 to $35,000 -- will be "high volume" and that the company wants partnerships with Detroit's "Big Three" American automakers for its production.Another bit of Tesla news is that the amount the company is looking for a $75m to $100m investment from a "large Series E" equity fund this summer, and it was also confirmed that Tesla recently got a $40m investment through a bridge loan.Hmmm. Does this Big 3 talk mean Tesla is trying to sell itself? Siry says "[being purchased] is not our desired outcome."
Scoble & Musk take on Calacanis in Tesla vs. Vette showdown
It can be interesting to see what happens when geeks with money meet up for dinner in Santa Monica. You're having a pleasant meal and the next thing you know you're racing down the road in a Tesla Roadster and a Corvette, live-streaming the video from two perspectives with cell phones. Tesla chairman and financier Elon Musk, serial entrepreneur Jason Calacanis (co-founder of Weblogs Inc. of which ABG is a part) and super blogger Robert Scoble decided to go for a joy ride for dessert the other night and stream the festivities using a new service called sic. Scoble rode shotgun with Musk in production Roadster #1. Calacanis (who has a Roadster on order) was in his Corvette. Musk laid waste to the Corvette. Some guy named Ray who evidently claims to know a thing or two about cars claims this was due to Jason's inability to drive. In fact, Musk, as is his prerogative as fundraiser-in-chief at Tesla had his production model built with one of the short-lived two-speed transmissions which contributed to its extraordinary accelerative abilities. This Ray guy apparently didn't actually watch either of the two videos since Musk explained this to Scoble. Needless to say Scoble was duly impressed by the ability of the Roadster to increase its velocity with remarkably low levels of noise (at low speeds at least).
More on Tesla financing and production plansMore information has come out about Tesla Motors' plans for financing their future expansion. We already knew from statements by Chairman Elon Musk that the company was planning to go after an initial public offering within the next year or so. The Financial Times is now reporting that the company plans to raise a total of $250 million over the next two years to fund the final development of the WhiteStar and establish a manufacturing plant to turn out 10-20,000 of the electric sedans. Why so much money? Tesla had been considering entering into a partnership with another company for the production of WhiteStar. According to Tesla's Darryl Siry, "we looked very hard at a partnership with an OEM but it didn't make sense at the end of the day." The complexities of such a partnership would slow down the project and Tesla wants to keep control of more of their intellectual property. Once WhiteStar is underway, Tesla will be revisiting the idea of a partnership of some kind to produce a third, higher-volume model. That lower-cost car is targeted to sell at the rate of up to 100,000 annually. Of the $250 million, about one third to one half is expected to be borrowed with the rest coming from the IPO. Tesla has applied for a loan guarantee from the Department of Energy to help raise the cash. The current plan is still to build the WhiteStar assembly plant in Albuquerque NM, but that may also change. A shift to the East Bay area, closer to the company's San Carlos CA headquarters is still a possibility. As for the here and now, series production of the Roadster is still set to begin at Lotus' Hethel UK factory on March 17. The first car off the line that day (production unit #2) will be delivered to now departed company founder Martin Eberhard soon afterward.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)