RE: Breaking News: Tesla in Financial Difficulties?
Wednesday 15th October 2008
Tesla Motors, the electric sports car company, has been forced to lay off around 100 people, according to reports in the US. The carmaker is in the process of rolling its Lotus-esque two-seater out across the world, and some believed it was the future for high performance motoring.
Breaking News: Tesla in Financial Difficulties?
Report: Half of workforce laid off at Tesla
But website jalopnik.com is quoting a source, who says that around half the staff are leaving, including CEO Ze’ev Drori. The car was the new darling of the eco-aware celebrity car fan and we were expecting big things.
The Tesla, at $109,000, was undoubtedly expensive, but had received good reviews. The company had recently unveiled plans for a £143million factory in San Jose and there was even talk of an electric saloon.
The roadster has a 0-60mph time of 3.9 second and a 13,000rpm redline, all with an economy equivalent to 135mpg. There is no official confirmation about the lay-offs yet so we are hoping it could just be a rumour. We will keep you up to date…
Discussion
From my limited point of view, I think their eco credentials, which they were relying on hugely, are blown away by the need for 900Kg of batteries !!! which will be dead cells over time.. which will need replacing at huge cost financially and in energy terms.. and burying in the earth..
Expect to see a whole outpouring of glee here at the prospect of Tesla not succeeding–If it's not petrol, it must be bad.
I hope Tesla will eventually prevail. This technology promises to deliver a whole new kind of performance car experience that's ultimately just different. It's not a threat to the petrol engine, it's a compliment.
For those performance car purists, petrol-engined cars are likely to have a longer life the sooner the majority of road users have access to clean, economical alternative energy sources. And the more manufacturers join in and the more people buy them, the quicker the technology will advance.
It may very well be true that a Prius has poor total manufacturing eco-credentials (so we should buy Jeep Wranglers?); that the Tesla is bad for the planet for its batteries. So what? That's not how most people see it. Performance cars are in real danger of becoming ecological pariahs, an easy scape goat for simplistic judgments about excess and waste that might not find much truck here but will carry a huge weight in the tide of mass consumer (and thus political) opinion. Cars like Tesla help to prove that performance and the planet aren't mutually exclusive.
We need people like Tesla.
I hope Tesla will eventually prevail. This technology promises to deliver a whole new kind of performance car experience that's ultimately just different. It's not a threat to the petrol engine, it's a compliment.
For those performance car purists, petrol-engined cars are likely to have a longer life the sooner the majority of road users have access to clean, economical alternative energy sources. And the more manufacturers join in and the more people buy them, the quicker the technology will advance.
It may very well be true that a Prius has poor total manufacturing eco-credentials (so we should buy Jeep Wranglers?); that the Tesla is bad for the planet for its batteries. So what? That's not how most people see it. Performance cars are in real danger of becoming ecological pariahs, an easy scape goat for simplistic judgments about excess and waste that might not find much truck here but will carry a huge weight in the tide of mass consumer (and thus political) opinion. Cars like Tesla help to prove that performance and the planet aren't mutually exclusive.
We need people like Tesla.
Personally think this a shame. They may not have had a perfect product but it was good looking with some ability. If we dont try to source and use other forms of energy then the idea of going for a blast down a well known B road will be lost forever. And no noise is better than diesel clatter.
tim milne said:
Expect to see a whole outpouring of glee here at the prospect of Tesla not succeeding–If it's not petrol, it must be bad.
This kind of comment is a favourite mantra of the anti-car brigade. And I for one don't GAS about what's under the bonnet. Just as long as it does the job.den said:
From my limited point of view, I think their eco credentials, which they were relying on hugely, are blown away by the need for 900Kg of batteries !!! which will be dead cells over time.. which will need replacing at huge cost financially and in energy terms.. and burying in the earth..
What are you talking about the batteries weigh 450Kg and are 95% recyclable into new packs. Check your facts! Zumbruk said:
tim milne said:
Expect to see a whole outpouring of glee here at the prospect of Tesla not succeeding–If it's not petrol, it must be bad.
This kind of comment is a favourite mantra of the anti-car brigade. And I for one don't GAS about what's under the bonnet. Just as long as it does the job.I am sorry to read this but...
1. It was possible the first acceptable looking Electric car.
Most other Electric cars tend to look geeky and for no good reason.
Tesla proved that you could be electric and look good
2. It was way too dear. As with any new technology, videos, TV etc the first ones are expensive until the volume allows the price to come down. IMHO Teslas mistake was to make a car that would never achieve the volumes necessary to allow the price to come down. A small saloon or hatch would have had much more potential.
3. Sports car addicts have a tendency to like the open road and to do silly things like road trip, run to Le Mans Evo triangle in their cars.
You simply cold not do that in any purely electric car.
IMHO Electric cars only make sense if you have a commute which is a return journey of less significantly less than the cars range.
1. It was possible the first acceptable looking Electric car.
Most other Electric cars tend to look geeky and for no good reason.
Tesla proved that you could be electric and look good
2. It was way too dear. As with any new technology, videos, TV etc the first ones are expensive until the volume allows the price to come down. IMHO Teslas mistake was to make a car that would never achieve the volumes necessary to allow the price to come down. A small saloon or hatch would have had much more potential.
3. Sports car addicts have a tendency to like the open road and to do silly things like road trip, run to Le Mans Evo triangle in their cars.
You simply cold not do that in any purely electric car.
IMHO Electric cars only make sense if you have a commute which is a return journey of less significantly less than the cars range.
0-60 in 3.9 secs ... surely thats the important number.
For a new car manufacturer using a fairly new technology its a damn hard environment to be in at the moment.
I do hope they succeed though as a person who still wants to drive a quick car when everything around is so focused on screwing petrolheads.
For a new car manufacturer using a fairly new technology its a damn hard environment to be in at the moment.
I do hope they succeed though as a person who still wants to drive a quick car when everything around is so focused on screwing petrolheads.
I dont think this is a function of sales prices or technology. There is a market at £60k and as everyone says, it works!
These guys must have needed so serious investors to gt this far and I suspect these serious investors have a lots less cash these week! This has to be all about cash flow.
I would be shocked if the Tesla disappeared completely. Someone will pick it up and run with it
These guys must have needed so serious investors to gt this far and I suspect these serious investors have a lots less cash these week! This has to be all about cash flow.
I would be shocked if the Tesla disappeared completely. Someone will pick it up and run with it
Gutted if this is true. I hope it is only a temporary layoff.
I'm looking forward to the day when I can jump into my reasonably affordable all-electric sports-commuter and do my 60 mile round-trip with a clear(er) conscience - esp. with a 3.9 0-60 capability!
Stay in there Telsa! If you can get the price down to £25k I'll have one!
I'm looking forward to the day when I can jump into my reasonably affordable all-electric sports-commuter and do my 60 mile round-trip with a clear(er) conscience - esp. with a 3.9 0-60 capability!
Stay in there Telsa! If you can get the price down to £25k I'll have one!
pridmorej said:
Gutted if this is true. I hope it is only a temporary layoff.
I'm looking forward to the day when I can jump into my reasonably affordable all-electric sports-commuter and do my 60 mile round-trip with a clear(er) conscience - esp. with a 3.9 0-60 capability!
Stay in there Telsa! If you can get the price down to £25k I'll have one!
+1I'm looking forward to the day when I can jump into my reasonably affordable all-electric sports-commuter and do my 60 mile round-trip with a clear(er) conscience - esp. with a 3.9 0-60 capability!
Stay in there Telsa! If you can get the price down to £25k I'll have one!
Electric is the way to go, I don't care if it's silent, I'll just turn up the stereo to 11 while it's playing Together in Electric Dreams!
Fotofrog said:
morgrp said:
I thought they made in hethel by Lotus?
I think *please correct if wrong* but the Lotus guys helped with the design etc but are not actually building the car itself..Either way, this doesn't sound like good news for Lotus either.
tim milne said:
Expect to see a whole outpouring of glee here at the prospect of Tesla not succeeding–If it's not petrol, it must be bad.
I hope Tesla will eventually prevail. This technology promises to deliver a whole new kind of performance car experience that's ultimately just different. It's not a threat to the petrol engine, it's a compliment.
For those performance car purists, petrol-engined cars are likely to have a longer life the sooner the majority of road users have access to clean, economical alternative energy sources. And the more manufacturers join in and the more people buy them, the quicker the technology will advance.
It may very well be true that a Prius has poor total manufacturing eco-credentials (so we should buy Jeep Wranglers?); that the Tesla is bad for the planet for its batteries. So what? That's not how most people see it. Performance cars are in real danger of becoming ecological pariahs, an easy scape goat for simplistic judgments about excess and waste that might not find much truck here but will carry a huge weight in the tide of mass consumer (and thus political) opinion. Cars like Tesla help to prove that performance and the planet aren't mutually exclusive.
We need people like Tesla.
+1I hope Tesla will eventually prevail. This technology promises to deliver a whole new kind of performance car experience that's ultimately just different. It's not a threat to the petrol engine, it's a compliment.
For those performance car purists, petrol-engined cars are likely to have a longer life the sooner the majority of road users have access to clean, economical alternative energy sources. And the more manufacturers join in and the more people buy them, the quicker the technology will advance.
It may very well be true that a Prius has poor total manufacturing eco-credentials (so we should buy Jeep Wranglers?); that the Tesla is bad for the planet for its batteries. So what? That's not how most people see it. Performance cars are in real danger of becoming ecological pariahs, an easy scape goat for simplistic judgments about excess and waste that might not find much truck here but will carry a huge weight in the tide of mass consumer (and thus political) opinion. Cars like Tesla help to prove that performance and the planet aren't mutually exclusive.
We need people like Tesla.
They are probably victims of the banking thingy, overgeared finance etc.
Prius etc dont really add up, but are stepping stones to the fast low c of g EVs
Edited by bencollins on Wednesday 15th October 14:19
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