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What, exactly, is "worth it", though? SpaceX, sure, that could be worth it. They're actually innovating. But Tesla? A goddamn car company? What the hell is so

What, exactly, is "worth it", though? SpaceX, sure, that could be worth it. They're actually innovating. But Tesla? A goddamn car company? What the hell is so important about fancy cars for rich people that they have to screw the workers for? Sure, they call themselves an "energy company", and they have made "amazing advances in energy technology", but both Tesla's fancy solar panel AND battery "advances" are literally just licensed Panasonic tech. I don't get it.

zaroth 9y ago
It's not at all "literally just licensed Panasonic". Panasonic is a key partner but Tesla is making very important contributions across the board.
ricw 9y ago
It has built and proven that electric cars are feasible. It has built THE trailblazing electric car. It is the iPhone of cars. All other manufacturers are now scrambling to catch up and build their own. Consequently we'll see millions of these cars. Unsure how many rockets we'll see...
PhasmaFelis 9y ago
Global warming. We're at or past the tipping point already, but electric cars and solar houses are definitely the direction we need to be going if we want to avoid disastrous and irreversible climate change. If--if--Tesla can help make that happen, it'll be worth a lot of sacrifice.
- briandear 9y ago
  What caused climate change before there were people?
  - Kluny 9y ago
    There's a relevant xkcd about that: https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1732:_Earth_Temperature_Timeline https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1732:_Earth_Tempe...
  - emodendroket 9y ago
    Fires have started without human intervention in the past. Therefore, arson is a myth.
- Kluny 9y ago
  I think it's a mistake to think that a more efficient personal vehicle can make the difference in climate change. The fundamental problem is that personal vehicles are NOT efficient, except on a personal level. A disruption in transportation is needed. Trains that are cheap and easy to install would do it. Something out of left field that hasn't been invented yet could do it. But improving cars can only ever be an incremental change, and we're well past the point where incremental changes can help.
  - DiThi 9y ago
    While I agree that efficiency won't make much difference by itself, you should see the bigger picture. Electrical vehicles allows people to use renewable sources. Autonomous driving allows people to buy less cars. Long term they will also be more ecological to keep and maintain: They are simpler machines that break much less, and batteries are pretty much the only thing that will need replacement, which will eventually be 100% recycled using renewable energy.
- emodendroket 9y ago
  I have real doubts about switching to electric cars being adequate to address that problem.
  - PhasmaFelis 9y ago
    Alone, no, not at all. But no one change was ever going to be enough. Electric cars (and home solar, which, as I mentioned, Tesla is also big into) can both be parts of the larger puzzle.

zaroth 9y ago

It's not at all "literally just licensed Panasonic". Panasonic is a key partner but Tesla is making very important contributions across the board.

ricw 9y ago

It has built and proven that electric cars are feasible. It has built THE trailblazing electric car. It is the iPhone of cars. All other manufacturers are now scrambling to catch up and build their own. Consequently we'll see millions of these cars. Unsure how many rockets we'll see...

PhasmaFelis 9y ago

Global warming. We're at or past the tipping point already, but electric cars and solar houses are definitely the direction we need to be going if we want to avoid disastrous and irreversible climate change. If--if--Tesla can help make that happen, it'll be worth a lot of sacrifice.

briandear 9y ago
What caused climate change before there were people?
- Kluny 9y ago
  There's a relevant xkcd about that: https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1732:_Earth_Temperature_Timeline https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1732:_Earth_Tempe...
- emodendroket 9y ago
  Fires have started without human intervention in the past. Therefore, arson is a myth.
Kluny 9y ago
I think it's a mistake to think that a more efficient personal vehicle can make the difference in climate change. The fundamental problem is that personal vehicles are NOT efficient, except on a personal level. A disruption in transportation is needed. Trains that are cheap and easy to install would do it. Something out of left field that hasn't been invented yet could do it. But improving cars can only ever be an incremental change, and we're well past the point where incremental changes can help.
- DiThi 9y ago
  While I agree that efficiency won't make much difference by itself, you should see the bigger picture. Electrical vehicles allows people to use renewable sources. Autonomous driving allows people to buy less cars. Long term they will also be more ecological to keep and maintain: They are simpler machines that break much less, and batteries are pretty much the only thing that will need replacement, which will eventually be 100% recycled using renewable energy.
emodendroket 9y ago
I have real doubts about switching to electric cars being adequate to address that problem.
- PhasmaFelis 9y ago
  Alone, no, not at all. But no one change was ever going to be enough. Electric cars (and home solar, which, as I mentioned, Tesla is also big into) can both be parts of the larger puzzle.