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15 Feb ’12
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I really hope this is true
(Bloomberg) -- Tesla Motors Inc., best known for making the all-electric Model S sedan, is using its lithium-ion battery technology to position itself as a frontrunner in the emerging energy-storage market that supplements and may ultimately threaten the traditional electric grid.
“We are going to unveil the Tesla home battery, the consumer battery that would be for use in people’s houses or businesses fairly soon,” Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said during an earnings conference call with analysts Wednesday.
Combining solar panels with large, efficient batteries could allow some homeowners to avoid buying electricity from utilities. Morgan Stanley said last year that Tesla’s energy-storage product could be “disruptive” in the U.S. and in Europe as customers seek to avoid utility fees by going “off-grid.” Musk said the product unveiling would occur within the next month or two.
“We have the design done, and it should start going into production in about six months or so,” Musk said. “It’s really great.”
18 Feb ’12
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This guy. Revolutionary. The pessimist in me is just waiting for him to go off the reservation with some wierd social agenda like Bill Gates or he is a Rothschild that was switched at birth.
I think the next revolution in technology will be improvements in batteries, and this is the guy to do it. Make them light, small, efficient, and safe and the possibilities are endless.
15 Feb ’12
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yeah, I keep expecting something like this
19 Feb ’12
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the guy is one of the biggest bullshitters in silicon valley and the welfare king
28 Feb ’12
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i've worked in the hybrid field for industrial applications. Some people i've worked with had extensive battery knowledge and they would always say: "Never trust a battery salesman. You think a car salesman is bad, battery salesman is worst"
Now this dude is both at the same time...
18 Feb ’12
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OK, maybe my post about Musk was a little too glowing.
And using prison labor is shady. Especially when taxpayers foot the bill for green project subsidies.
But for discussion's sake, let's dissect the gripes of the first article....
Tesla depends on federal electric car subsidies, to the tune of $7500 per vehicle, as well as government-enabled zero emission vehicle credits.
Tesla has never turned an annual profit, but it had racked up an accumulated $1.4 billion in losses by the end of 2014.
All of the electric car manufacturers depend on subsidies to offset losses. Not a single manufacturer's electric car division is profitable. Tesla ONLY makes electric cars, unlike Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Chevy, so they don't have other products to hide losses.
SpaceX depends on large government procurement contracts. While SpaceX is rumored to be profitable, it’s hard to believe it got there without tens of millions of taxpayer dollars in the form of Pentagon and NASA procurement contracts
This is what every contractor who supplies the military does. We don't have state run manufacturing, so someone has to fill the orders. I'd rather that NASA hitches a ride with an American company, than the Russian government.
And SolarCity depends on renewable energy mandates that force states to go in search of “alternative” energy sources that are expensive and economically unsustainable.
Again, I would rather an American company fill those orders than the Chinese, who seem to be the only ones who can keep up with demand. You know why those solar kits at Harbor Freight are so cheap, right? To be honest, I find the whole solar industry a little unpalatable right now, being dominated by the Chinese, and subsidized by artificial demand (mandates) and carbon credits.
But that’s not enough, apparently. Elon Musk’s SolarCity also felt compelled to use $0.93/hour government jail jobs for its labor needs.
No can defend.
I guess I'm more excited about the possibilities once battery technology takes a leap, and SpaceX, then about following Musk's twitter and being a fanboy. On the other hand, I'm not a visionary and he is and I admire that. Some days I try to think of the next great thing, so I can retire to my hobby farm and sit at the farmer's market in my straw hat but every night I go to bed and set the alarm so I can go back to my J-O-B.
18 Feb ’12
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simthefarmer said
i've worked in the hybrid field for industrial applications. Some people i've worked with had extensive battery knowledge and they would always say: "Never trust a battery salesman. You think a car salesman is bad, battery salesman is worst"Now this dude is both at the same time...
I get the impression he's really trying to push the envelope on battery performance, not just sell a relabeled DuraCell.
I'm just curious, what would your line of work look like if batteries were smaller, lighter, cooler, and cost less for the same amount of power?
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