7 ms·

Steve Wozniak: There's 'way too much hype' around Elon Musk's Tesla

19 points by gbugniot 9y ago

vectorEQ 9y ago
there's way to much hype around apple! >.<
- chad_strategic 9y ago
  Agreed. -Sent from my overpriced, NSA tracking Iphone 8
  - betaclass 9y ago
    Apple has figured out a way to allow us to track the NSA now?
cthulhujr 9y ago
The article suggests the hype around Tesla is about the autonomous driving features; I'd argue that only a small part of the hype. The hype is around a company disrupting an antiquated industry that has big oil and lawmakers in their back pocket.
- chad_strategic 9y ago
  I couldn't have said it better.
waynecochran 9y ago
Electric cars are cleaner than oil-based only if you ignore the creation and disposal of the batteries... and the fact that battery technology still sucks. Oil is an incredibly compact form of energy, can be poured and easily transported without dissipation of energy. As much as I want to get away from oil, it's hard to beat.
- gbugniot 9y ago
  Except that electric engines can be more than 90% efficient while combustion engines are 30 to 45% efficient.
  - otabdeveloper1 9y ago
    > if you ignore the creation and disposal of the batteries
  - dragontamer 9y ago
    The engine may be 90% efficient, but the charger is only 95% efficient, and the electric grid is only 90% efficient. And then the coal power plant that generates all that electricity is only 40% efficient. All of a sudden, combustion engines are better in overall efficiency. Transporting liquid fuel and distributing it has major efficiency benefits.
    - jjtheblunt 9y ago
      You made a big presumption though with the word "coal", which supports your calculation but isn't realistic.
      - dragontamer 9y ago
        https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3 https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3 > Natural gas = 33.8% > Coal = 30.4% > Nuclear = 19.7% > Renewables (total) = 14.9% Granted, Natural Gas is highly efficient, but Coal is still a major contributor to people's electricity generation in the USA.
- namlem 9y ago
  Can you cite a source on battery disposal being a problem. I've heard this claim repeated many time, but never with even a single shred of evidence.
  - 9y ago

19 points by gbugniot 9y ago

vectorEQ 9y ago

there's way to much hype around apple! >.<

chad_strategic 9y ago
Agreed. -Sent from my overpriced, NSA tracking Iphone 8
- betaclass 9y ago
  Apple has figured out a way to allow us to track the NSA now?

cthulhujr 9y ago

The article suggests the hype around Tesla is about the autonomous driving features; I'd argue that only a small part of the hype. The hype is around a company disrupting an antiquated industry that has big oil and lawmakers in their back pocket.

chad_strategic 9y ago
I couldn't have said it better.

waynecochran 9y ago

Electric cars are cleaner than oil-based only if you ignore the creation and disposal of the batteries... and the fact that battery technology still sucks. Oil is an incredibly compact form of energy, can be poured and easily transported without dissipation of energy. As much as I want to get away from oil, it's hard to beat.

gbugniot 9y ago
Except that electric engines can be more than 90% efficient while combustion engines are 30 to 45% efficient.
- otabdeveloper1 9y ago
  > if you ignore the creation and disposal of the batteries
- dragontamer 9y ago
  The engine may be 90% efficient, but the charger is only 95% efficient, and the electric grid is only 90% efficient. And then the coal power plant that generates all that electricity is only 40% efficient. All of a sudden, combustion engines are better in overall efficiency. Transporting liquid fuel and distributing it has major efficiency benefits.
  - jjtheblunt 9y ago
    You made a big presumption though with the word "coal", which supports your calculation but isn't realistic.
    - dragontamer 9y ago
      https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3 https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3 > Natural gas = 33.8% > Coal = 30.4% > Nuclear = 19.7% > Renewables (total) = 14.9% Granted, Natural Gas is highly efficient, but Coal is still a major contributor to people's electricity generation in the USA.
namlem 9y ago
Can you cite a source on battery disposal being a problem. I've heard this claim repeated many time, but never with even a single shred of evidence.
- 9y ago