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The Model S is "Cool", perhaps, but not even vaguely innovative. It doesn't change any business models, it doesn't bypass anything or make any real changes, it
by cbr 13y ago
The Model S is "Cool", perhaps, but not even vaguely innovative. It doesn't change any business models, it doesn't bypass anything or make any real changes, it's just a new kind of car that doesn't use gas (really, a big golf cart). It won't "change the automotive industry." It's introducing a new line of the same products we had before.
With the Model S you still have roads, parking, large upfront costs, a driver, and traffic. The only difference is fuel. Minor.
(I'm all for the Model S, but I think you're putting much too high a standard on "innovative".)
- dublinben 13y agoThat's not true. Tesla is significantly disrupting the archaic dealership model. They sell their cars directly, over the internet, and from corporate-owned showrooms.
- dalke 13y agoIn that case, the Apple Store significantly disrupted the archaic music and retail software product sales model.
- ericd 13y agoThey don't sell music and they don't sell much software... Do you mean iTunes and the Apple App store? In that case, yes, it really did.
- dalke 13y agoSorry, not much of a purchaser using Apple's services. To me the store to buy hardware, the store to by music, and the store to buy apps have the same password and are from the same company, so I think of them as the same.
- goatforce5 13y agoYes - they went from no music sales to the biggest retailer of music in the US in 5 or so years. That's pretty disruptive if you're a music retailer.
- ams6110 13y agoHow many record stores are still at your local mall?
- jfb 13y agoThey're trying to do this. I doubt they'll succeed.
- jchrisa 13y agoI'd rather have no cars than electric cars.
- pkroll 13y agoAlright someone cover me: I'm going in... Why on earth would you say that?
- ygra 13y agoBecause it's rather inefficient moving two tons of stuff for (often enough) 80 kg of payload. I'd rather take well-functioning public transport than force everyone to own a car just to be able to go grocery shopping. It's wasteful, not only regarding the resources involved, but also for your own bank account. (Also everything the parent of that comment said. Plenty of places are horrible to use without a car even where the distances involved are easily walkable or cycleable. We increasingly tend to plan for cars first, people second which I personally would consider a dead end and rather short-sighted.)
- wskinner 13y agoBut this assumes "well-functioning public transport". In reality, this does not exist. Many, even most buses where I live are empty most of the time. Energy efficiency issues aside, cars provide something even more valuable: isolation and privacy from the disgusting and invasive sensory overload that is public transport.
- jchrisa 13y agoThe car companies paid good money to make that happen http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_cons...
- Symmetry 13y agoReplacing street cars with public buses is hardly eliminating public transportation. Honestly, buses have so many advantages over electric streetcars that I wouldn't be surprised if this move prevented a lot of cities from scrapping their public transportation all together. Even countries that don't share the US's unfortunate emphasis on automobile transportation don't use streetcars anymore.
- zachgersh 13y agoSo what is actually considered innovative in your opinion. I don't know about you but building charging infrastructure in addition to producing top class electric cars seems like a pretty big shift to me. Think about what happens if the car really catches on in China (somewhere that has a ton of vehicles and needs a more environmentally friendly solution). I think you are significantly underestimating the removal of gasoline from the car equation.
- opminion 13y agoThe only difference is fuel. Minor. There is a world out there which is willing to go to great lengths in order to maintain an oil supply, and a main use of oil is for transportation.
- CamperBob2 13y agoIt doesn't change any business models So how's life at RIM these days? You guys hiring?
- akandiah 13y agoIt's a bit worrying that some people can't seem to see through what you've written.