Relations between Eberhard and Musk - today

[Nichen]

I am very curious....is there any sort of relation between the two men today? Are they bitter enemies? Are they completely ignoring each other? And what is Martin Eberhard up with doing - today?

 

[TD1]

Afaik worst enemies!
Eberhard is working with Volkswagen on their EV lineup.

 

[herbvdh]

He owns a Tesla or he did anyway and he is on this forum.

 

[dsm363]

I thought Martin left the VW gig over a year ago.

 

[ggr]

I thought Martin left the VW gig over a year ago.

Longer even than that, I believe. I found this quote in an article dated November 2010 about the electric Golf:

What we're sure of is that it won't consist of a Tesla-like collection of little 18650 cells -- a point, I'd speculate, that might have nudged Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhardt's departure from VW's EV activities to pursue greener pastures.

 

[wycolo]

> He owns a Tesla or he did anyway and he is on this forum. [herbvdh]

e.g. [Eberhardt] with the yellow hi-mileage Roadster? I thought it was just his nom de plume.
--

 

[Reykjavik]

From what I can tell, they are both professional and intelligent enough to know that further antagonism wouldn't benefit either, but both are antagonistic enough that they aren't likely to be business partners in the near future.

It isn't a pretty part of Tesla history and it should be left as history, and any similar issues should be avoided where possible.

 

[TEG]

Naval Postgraduate School's Video Portal: Design & Development of the Original TESLA Sports Car - NPS Defense Energy Seminar I Lecturer Mr. Martin Eberhard

 

[Nichen]

Interesting....another interesting topic is Ze'ev Drori...the temporary CEO for Tesla a couple of years ago. I don't know much about that guy lol.

 

[rage_777]

Don't know if Mr. Eberhard is still there, but this article dated October 2013 says he is at BRD Motorcycles.

http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital...berhard-joins-brd-motorcycles-advisory-board/

 

[TEG]

And Coulomb...
Boardroom Insight Vital For EV Charging Companies [Car Charging Group Inc] - Seeking Alpha

 

[Martini]

Boy, do I remember how the Eberhard partisans howled when he was pushed out. Safe by now to say that Musk has been vindicated in his decision.

 

[Vern Padgett]

Naval Postgraduate School's Video Portal: Design & Development of the Original TESLA Sports Car - NPS Defense Energy Seminar I Lecturer Mr. Martin Eberhard

This is a really good talk. Great introduction to electric cars. I made some notes while watching it:

Martin Eberhard addresses the Naval Academy Postgraduate School 3 April 2013.

He compares energy use across types of fuel for auto transportation.

Best available gasoline auto (41 mpg) uses 1077 Wh/mile; electricity from coal plants built in the 1950s and 1960s gives 1041 Wh/mile in his Roadster; best case natural gas electric generation gives 530 Wh/mile.

Hydrogen fuel cells give one-third the range as that same energy used in his Roadster: An electric car will go 3 times as far as a fuel cell car on the same amount of electricity, best case.

Ethanol—we would need all of our arable land to grow corn to make enough fuel to offset half of our passenger car miles.

An electric car will go 35 times as far as an ethanol car.

He has a 5.2 kW array on his house, which supplies all his electrical needs, including his car Roadster # 2). I count 27 panels! I have 13 panels that put out 4.7 kW—

The bigger the gasoline engine, the less efficient it is, but the bigger the electric motor, the more efficient it is.

“When we started Tesla, there were no companies making electric cars.”

Design of safe battery systems.

Large format “safe” aviation cells. Failures. Like in the 2008 plug-in Prius.

Inside of battery box on Model S. 18650 cells. Welded not bolted. Each has a fuse.

About 2500 Roadsters sold and on the road since 2008: Zero battery fires. Boeing Dreamliner: 3 fires out of 100 produced.

Predictions:

• Mechanical complexity will be replaced by software
  
  
• Battery prices drop dramatically
  
  
• Resource availability for rare earth metals (Idium?) threatens some motors: Eberhard says they designed the Tesla motor in 2002 with no magnets, avoiding reliance on certain rare earth metals.
  

Conclusion: Electric cars are the best choice for vehicles.

He is the founder and first CEO of Tesla Motors.

He earned a masters in electrical engineering from Illinois.