Yep, fun to speculate. The problem with Israel's model is it's compltely the opposite of Tesla's business model. They want charging stations whereas Tesla wanted batteries with enough range to get you back home to charge overnight.
I wouldn't call that opposite. Tesla would benefit from having more charging stations around too. They've really come up with the best charging station: one that provides just about as much "juice", and about as fast a charge, as our existing electrical grid can support and that can be deployed at reasonable cost. It's the best compromise.
I really feel that most BEVs made with today's battery technology, and aimed at being affordable and selling to the mass market, are going to be limited to about 100-130 miles range. That will keep the battery cost and the weight under control. The Roadster may do 245 miles, but that's with $20,000 worth of battery cells and a 900-pound ESS mass on board, and a super-lightweight aluminum frame and carbon fiber body to compensate. To make something affordable you are looking at less batteries, less exotic materials, more mass production.
That translates to less range, and therefore more need for public charging stations. There's no way around it, unless you move to PHEVs or else somebody like EEstor pulls a rabbit out of their hat.
I do agree there has been quite a few friendly jabs between Lutz and Tesla's brass.
Err? Jabs?
As far as I've heard, Martin Eberhard and Bob Lutz have shown nothing but respect and even a bit of praise for one other. It's a sharp contrast to the sniping that various EV startups have made at one another. I think one reason is because Tesla and GM are so very
not in competition; they are going at completely different segments of the market with completely different business plans, production volumes, etc. They can afford to be gracious and magnanimous towards one another.
But with the focus on the Volt, I can't imagine they'd be up to another EV project with all the eggs in that basket. I'd think Chrysler or even Ford would have the most to benefit not having something in the pipeline that is wholly EV. I do hope it's an American company, if it's true. But Ford and Chrysler are selling off their decent brands though... Who does that leave?
The dilemma here is that the companies who need Tesla's technology the most are probably the ones who are most clueless in terms of realizing they need it. That would be the Germans, most likely.
My list of clued-in major car companies: GM, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Nissan/Renault.
Companies that may possibly be getting a clue: Toyota, Honda, the new Chrysler.
Companies fumbling around in the dark: Ford/Mazda, VW, BMW, Hyundai.
GM, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Nissan and Renault have been researching BEVs for years and I'd guess aren't in urgent need of Tesla's help. Ford, VW, BMW and Hyundai have shown little indication that they understand the value of this technology.
The semi-clued companies are the most intriguing to me, because they are interested in electric drive systems, but they don't seem to have figured out quite how to harness them properly. Toyota is hung up on conventional hybrids, but their move toward PHEVs is very timid and halfhearted. Honda sees BEVs only as tiny "punishment cars" for those who can't afford a real hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle (which they themselves admit is over 10 years away from mass production!). And Chrysler. . . Chrysler was totally clueless (partly because they were so cash-strapped, they couldn't
afford much alt-fuel research) until Cerberus bought them and announced their new "ENVI" division -- but what will come of that, and how serious they are about it, I have no idea.
