Internal Alcoa mailing re: Tesla

[MartinAustin]

My girlfriend's dad works at Alcoa and obviously they're pretty pleased about how their aluminum is turning out in the Model S. Here's an internal mailing that he forwarded to me -

 

[Park2670]

There are many proud investors, and manufacturers that can take some credit for this incredible car.

 

[mountaineer]

Great to see this!

Questions:

1. how many pounds of aluminum does a model S use?
2. When an accident happens, how much more expensive it is to fix than a car with steel body?

 

[Discoducky]

Thanks for posting; very interesting! And, while I hope not pure propaganda, this statement needs some investigation:

 

[JakeP]

I met Shawn Murtha when I loaned my Model S to Alcoa for their annual Board of Directors meeting back in June. He enjoyed driving a Tesla, that is for sure!

 

[NigelM]

Here's an internal mailing that he forwarded to me -

If it's internal, do you have copyright to post it here? Sorry to be pedantic, but we also get irked when journalists copy our stuff without permission so we should respect others.

 

[ModelS1079]

Nigel, well put.
But...glad I saw this - I always note, as at a Car Show in MA this past weekend, that the car is made from All-American Alcoa Aluminum, as I give her hind quarters a knock. The car I mean.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Wasn't Alcoa holding Elon "hostage" for a bit late last year?! (as I recall, there was this interview he was doing when someone pushed some paperwork in front of him showing how much Alcoa was asking for the aluminum; Elon wondered aloud half-jokingly if he should start an aluminum plant next!)

This reminds me of a bit from Steve Jobs's biography where Jobs pays tribute to the young CEO of Corning whose Gorilla Glass made the first iPhone's hardy glass touchscreen happen.