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The fact that Tesla has been even remotely successful is kind of a side benefit. The biggest thing they've done is transform the electric car market in the popu

The fact that Tesla has been even remotely successful is kind of a side benefit. The biggest thing they've done is transform the electric car market in the popular consciousness from being a joke. Ultimately that means that a lot more consumers are going to start considering electric vehicles when they are looking to buy a new automobile. Also it means that there are likely to be a lot more new entrants into the electric car market (both existing automotive manufacturers and new companies), because it's becoming a place where companies can make money. All of which will put the electric car market into the same sort of profit -> R&D -> better vehicles -> profit feedback loop that the internal combustion car has benefited from for over a century. One way or the other we'll find out whether the potential of electric vehicles matches the promise.

valgaze 13y ago
FWIW, Mercedes & Toyota license Tesla technology "Electric car maker Tesla Motors helped Mercedes develop and is manufacturing parts of the new car's electric drive system, including the lithium ion battery pack, electric motors, on-board charger and other electronics. Besides producing its own car, the Tesla Model S sedan, Tesla already produces electric drive components for the battery-powered Toyota Rav4 EV." http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/27/autos/mercedes-tesla-b-class-electric/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/27/autos/mercedes-tesla-b-class...
- tehwalrus 13y ago
  very very interesting. Top Gear is scathing of Tesla cars, and yet they raved about the new electric version of the Mercedes. (Admittedly, they did still take the piss out of its range...)
  - adwf 13y ago
    Top Gear are only scathing of Tesla due to being sued by them over a joke. Prior to that, they were actually being quite fair and reasonable from what I could see. So in exchange for a failed lawsuit, Tesla lost the backing of the largest motoring TV show in the world. Probably the biggest mis-step they've made so far.
    - jonknee 13y ago
      > Top Gear are only scathing of Tesla due to being sued by them over a joke The "joke" being that the car doesn't have the range that Tesla claims and that you're likely to be stranded as a result. Top Gear is a joke.
      - ecopoesis 13y ago
        Your right: Top Gear is quite literally is a joke. They make absurd claims about cars all the time in the interest of humor, because at the end of the day, they are a comedy show that occasionally talks about cars. Tesla should have realized their car was going to be the butt of some joke: it's what the show does. If Tesla can't handle being made fun of, then they shouldn't have given Top Gear a car to test.
        johnward 13y ago
        It wasn't a "joke" it was a lie.
        alex-g 13y ago
        It depends what the joke is. The joke about the DB9 and the Veyron is that they are ridiculously cool. The joke about Teslas is that the battery runs out.
        toomuchtodo 13y ago
        Don't lie on your "show" about a product that is somebody's baby and not expect the claws to come out because you lied.
        pkulak 13y ago
        I must have missed the laugh track running behind them slowly wheeling a dead car into their garage. What a riot! Did you hear the one about the electric car? It ended up getting half it's promised range. HAHA!
        ImprovedSilence 13y ago
        I agree here. Anyone who has ever seen more than 15min of Top Gear knows that it is not what you would call "journalism", but more "entertainment". What's more, they are not like those American car shows, which get their revenue from ads, and thus never have anything bad to say about any car review ever, and thus the programming is just drab and droll... edit: I also enjoy the fact that top gear is much more opinionated and un-PC than anything else out there. It's keeps it interesting. Yeah, so Clarkson hates EVs, hates Ford, and hates "caravans". Once you can get past this and accept you and him very well may have different viewpoints, he's hilarious.
- robterrell 13y ago
  The RAV4 was appealing to me, but I've watched the forums and there seems to be an ongoing spate of serious problems with Toyota and Tesla pointing fingers at each other. The forum moderator has had his RAV4 in the shop a number of times for non-trivial things.
  - umsm 13y ago
    I think this is true for most new tech. Being an early adopter means that you will encounter SOME problems that will be fixed later on.
briandear 13y ago
Forget about electric. Here's the future: http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/mr_fusion.jpg http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/mr_fusion....

valgaze 13y ago

FWIW, Mercedes & Toyota license Tesla technology "Electric car maker Tesla Motors helped Mercedes develop and is manufacturing parts of the new car's electric drive system, including the lithium ion battery pack, electric motors, on-board charger and other electronics. Besides producing its own car, the Tesla Model S sedan, Tesla already produces electric drive components for the battery-powered Toyota Rav4 EV." http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/27/autos/mercedes-tesla-b-class-electric/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/27/autos/mercedes-tesla-b-class...

tehwalrus 13y ago
very very interesting. Top Gear is scathing of Tesla cars, and yet they raved about the new electric version of the Mercedes. (Admittedly, they did still take the piss out of its range...)
- adwf 13y ago
  Top Gear are only scathing of Tesla due to being sued by them over a joke. Prior to that, they were actually being quite fair and reasonable from what I could see. So in exchange for a failed lawsuit, Tesla lost the backing of the largest motoring TV show in the world. Probably the biggest mis-step they've made so far.
  - jonknee 13y ago
    > Top Gear are only scathing of Tesla due to being sued by them over a joke The "joke" being that the car doesn't have the range that Tesla claims and that you're likely to be stranded as a result. Top Gear is a joke.
    - ecopoesis 13y ago
      Your right: Top Gear is quite literally is a joke. They make absurd claims about cars all the time in the interest of humor, because at the end of the day, they are a comedy show that occasionally talks about cars. Tesla should have realized their car was going to be the butt of some joke: it's what the show does. If Tesla can't handle being made fun of, then they shouldn't have given Top Gear a car to test.
      - johnward 13y ago
        It wasn't a "joke" it was a lie.
      - alex-g 13y ago
        It depends what the joke is. The joke about the DB9 and the Veyron is that they are ridiculously cool. The joke about Teslas is that the battery runs out.
      - toomuchtodo 13y ago
        Don't lie on your "show" about a product that is somebody's baby and not expect the claws to come out because you lied.
      - pkulak 13y ago
        I must have missed the laugh track running behind them slowly wheeling a dead car into their garage. What a riot! Did you hear the one about the electric car? It ended up getting half it's promised range. HAHA!
      - ImprovedSilence 13y ago
        I agree here. Anyone who has ever seen more than 15min of Top Gear knows that it is not what you would call "journalism", but more "entertainment". What's more, they are not like those American car shows, which get their revenue from ads, and thus never have anything bad to say about any car review ever, and thus the programming is just drab and droll... edit: I also enjoy the fact that top gear is much more opinionated and un-PC than anything else out there. It's keeps it interesting. Yeah, so Clarkson hates EVs, hates Ford, and hates "caravans". Once you can get past this and accept you and him very well may have different viewpoints, he's hilarious.
robterrell 13y ago
The RAV4 was appealing to me, but I've watched the forums and there seems to be an ongoing spate of serious problems with Toyota and Tesla pointing fingers at each other. The forum moderator has had his RAV4 in the shop a number of times for non-trivial things.
- umsm 13y ago
  I think this is true for most new tech. Being an early adopter means that you will encounter SOME problems that will be fixed later on.

briandear 13y ago

Forget about electric. Here's the future: http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/mr_fusion.jpg http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/mr_fusion....