http://technizzel.com/articles/mechanical-engineering/benjabbawy/automotive-x-prize-innovating-the-auto-industry-one-battery-at-a-time/ Technizzel is designed to inspire high school science students to pursue interests in engineering Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:29:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 http://technizzel.com/articles/mechanical-engineering/benjabbawy/automotive-x-prize-innovating-the-auto-industry-one-battery-at-a-time/#comment-911 Pierre Laporte Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:19:28 +0000 http://technizzel.com/articles/mechanical-engineering/benjabbawy/automotive-x-prize-innovating-the-auto-industry-one-battery-at-a-time/#comment-911 The Tesla IS a viable commercial vehicle. Supercars have always been produced in small numbers. This one is so popular there's a waiting list. It's an expensive toy, but the fact that it is selling means its a viable business. I dont know where you get that the Tesla's batteries are obsolete. Li-Ion is used in pretty much every electric application today. As for lasting less than 5 years... Their performance is rated to start dropping after 100 000 miles and then gradually decline. Unless you really care about that 3.9 sec 0 to 60, I believe the battery pack is likely to outlast the car. Hitting the niche high end market is a good strategy to prove the system and drive component prices down. This will likely encourage a vehicle directed at a much broader market in the near future. Any company attempting all electric vehicles for production gets my support! well done Tesla The Tesla IS a viable commercial vehicle. Supercars have always been produced in small numbers. This one is so popular there’s a waiting list. It’s an expensive toy, but the fact that it is selling means its a viable business. I dont know where you get that the Tesla’s batteries are obsolete. Li-Ion is used in pretty much every electric application today. As for lasting less than 5 years… Their performance is rated to start dropping after 100 000 miles and then gradually decline. Unless you really care about that 3.9 sec 0 to 60, I believe the battery pack is likely to outlast the car. Hitting the niche high end market is a good strategy to prove the system and drive component prices down. This will likely encourage a vehicle directed at a much broader market in the near future. Any company attempting all electric vehicles for production gets my support! well done Tesla

]]> http://technizzel.com/articles/mechanical-engineering/benjabbawy/automotive-x-prize-innovating-the-auto-industry-one-battery-at-a-time/#comment-890 kent beuchert Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:38:34 +0000 http://technizzel.com/articles/mechanical-engineering/benjabbawy/automotive-x-prize-innovating-the-auto-industry-one-battery-at-a-time/#comment-890 Calling the Tesla roadster a viable commercial vehicle is probably the funniest nonsense I've heard this week. Apparently those who have booted out their founder and CEO and changed tactics and are promising a plug-in hybrid (exactly like the serial hybrid Chevy VOLT) for their "real model" the Whitestar sedan. There has never been, nor will their ever be, a commercially viable $90,000 plus roadstaer that can't get to the state line and back. The Fisker Karma hybrid plug-in looks better, is faster, is cheaper, can go 50 miles on a single charge, thus eliminating any gas needed for commuting, is as practical as a car of this price range can be. The Tesla is using obsolete batteries (6871 of them!!!) cost well obver $20,000 and lasting less than 5 years. It is an oxymoron that only Hollywood brainless souls like George Gooney and Tom Hanks and Ed Begley, all shills for obsolete energy generators like photovoltaic, wind, and others. They have sold less than 1000 Tesla is a year and a half. When the Fisker Karma appears, they won't be able to give away these can't-do vehicles. Calling the Tesla roadster a viable commercial vehicle is probably the funniest nonsense I’ve heard this week. Apparently those who have booted out their founder and CEO and
changed tactics and are promising a plug-in hybrid (exactly like the serial hybrid Chevy VOLT) for their “real model”
the Whitestar sedan. There has never been, nor will their ever be, a commercially viable $90,000 plus roadstaer that can’t get to the state line and back. The Fisker Karma hybrid plug-in
looks better, is faster, is cheaper, can go 50 miles on a single charge, thus eliminating any gas needed for commuting, is as practical as a car of this price range can be. The Tesla is using obsolete batteries (6871 of them!!!) cost well obver $20,000 and lasting less than 5 years. It is an oxymoron that only Hollywood brainless souls like George Gooney and Tom Hanks and Ed Begley, all shills for obsolete energy generators like photovoltaic, wind, and others. They have sold less than 1000 Tesla is a year and a half. When the Fisker Karma appears, they won’t be able to give away these can’t-do vehicles.

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