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BBC In Business Podcast

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tonybelding

tonybelding

Active Member
Aug 17, 2006
1,555
1,164
Hamilton, Texas
#1
BBC Radio 4 has devoted an entire episode of their "In Business" show to Tesla Motors, including the first visit to Tesla's corner of Lotus's facilities in Hethel.

Here's the link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/inbusiness/inbusiness.shtml

That's not a permanent link, so get it while you can! (It may be moved into an archive page after the next episode airs.) It's also available as a podcast from the iTunes Music Store.

Things I learned from this podcast:

  • The Brits still refer to the Roadster by its "Dark Star" codename.
  • Norwich apparently rhymes with porridge
  • Martin Eberhard talks fast
  • I had to look up "milk float" on Wikipedia to find out what it is. We don't have those in Texas.
 
#3
WarpedOne said:
- Tesla Roadster's will be produced (interchangably) on the same production line with Lotus Elise
Click to expand...

Oh yes! I was surprised by that. I knew it was going to be made on the same production line, but his description of simply slotting a Tesla car or two into the Elise (or Exige, or Europa S) production was startling. I'd imagined they were at least going to be done in batches. However, this is a new production line in a new factory for Lotus, so it incorporates all the most modern equipment and ideas.
 
#4
tonybelding said:
However, this is a new production line in a new factory for Lotus, so it incorporates all the most modern equipment and ideas.
Click to expand...

Could be so. It was stated that production is not very automated. Lots of parts are same with Elise's and there is a lot of manual assembly work. Also intresting thing to hear was that ordinary cars are built around chasis and motor, Tesla is built around chasis and battery :)
 
#5
Martin Eberhard sounds like Edward Norton.

When Francis Ford Coppola makes his next "American legend car maker" movie the casting of he lead will be snap.

Go ahead and listen again. Once you here Edward, you can never go back...




e
 
#6
The interviewer couldn't sound any more "british" :p

I felt he was about to dose off when asking the questions....

Very nice interview, the name Teslamotors is getting more and more attention :)

It's "incredible" how much the price of gasoline suddenly dropped, did they make so much money they don't have any place left to put it? And I'm starting to see in the news more and more stuff about biofuel conversions, ethanol....no mention of electric cars, I wonder why.....
 
#7
WarpedOne said:
- white star is in developement alreday (not just an idea)
Click to expand...

This was the first reference I remember seeing about the white star being in development. I'm surprised that we haven't seen anything yet from Tesla in regards to how far the design has progressed! Where did you get this info, or were you saying 'development' but meaning 'design'?
 
#8
White Star wait

Everyone who wants the White Star right now should really chill. As much as we all want this technology to be HERE, and NOW, it needs to be a painful wait. Most people don't know that the Roadster debt was much earlier than Tesla wanted.

They were working quietly when word got out in the green community. People were demanding to be put on waiting lists and started offering money. Tesla had to act if they wanted to be in charge of the news. (The current EEstor media problems come to mind). Besides, asking for full cash up front was probably a good thing for the books and is also a good way to judge interest. I would think a news release and party would have been fine two to six months before delivery.  Not a year and a half.

Let's say your company was working in silence on your product (the cars were disguised when on the road) until it was ready to release. You could miss deadlines and make adjustments to your product without the whole world watching.

Can you imagine the tremendous pressure Tesla is under right now to get this much new technology to market with thousands of impatient passionate people who are not only counting on your product to work perfectly but also save the world?

Not to mention the time and ammo that they are giving to nefarious forces that WANT them to fail.


cheers,

eric
 
#9
White Star wait Part II

Too soon is too much?

If Tesla was able to release the White Star in January, It would likely be the same price as the roadster is now.

Don't forget, the lower price point of the sedan (40 to 50K) is dependant on TIME.
The price of technology (batteries, controlers, carbon fiber, etc.) need the economy of scale and the price reductinons that happen with increased manafacturing.

Not to mention the competition that will bring prices down when all of the "magic" energy storage systems we are reading about now are on the market in a few years. :)


e
 
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