Tuesday, September 2, 2008
It looks as if Tesla is starting to really ramp up production. Here is a rainbow of Tesla Roadsters lined up outside their facility. Tesla has stated from the beginning that their intention was to make their first model a flagship car with high performance and a similarly high price, while still being a better deal than similarly performing sports cars. The Roadster is meant to set the tone for the brand, and with a reasonable profit margin, generate the capital to fund future development of more modest automobiles.
It’s a reasonable strategy. Most of the technology we use in our everyday lives started as something few could afford. The wealthy pay the premiums that generate the revenue to pay for manufacturing capabilities that bring prices down, and eventually the technology trickles down to more affordable designs.
Hopefully other manufacturers will jump in and start producing economy PHEVs that build on the high tech systems used in the Tesla.
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In a speech today at Fresno State University in California, the Republican presidential candidate outlined his proposal for a $300 million prize for new technology that would be 30% cheaper than current batteries and have “the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars.” He did not offer any technical specifics! I guess if he could have, we would not need a “prize”. I like the concept, but we need to pump more then $300 million into the search for alternate energy. I would like to see $100 Billion a year for the next 10 years.
McCain called the taxpayer-funded prize — $1 for every man, woman and child — “a small price to pay for helping to break the back of our oil dependency.” If $1 is cheap, why not $333 a year? Maybe then we can make a real difference.
Filed in Energy-Independence, Green
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Also tagged 10 years, alternate energy, batteries, California, electric cars, Energy, Fresno, fresno state university, McCain, new technology, oil, oil dependency, plug in hybrids, prize, proposal, Republican, republican presidential candidate, speech, University
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