Tesla, TSLA & the Investment World: the Perpetual Investors' Roundtable

[tinm]

My goodness.

Remember, Broder is now on the NYT editorial board: From Broder To The 2018 Tesla Short Seller Storm To Today — What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been | CleanTechnica

Am sure he doesn't have any resentment about his early coverage of Tesla. And who knows about what other biases?

Again: I see no connection with Broder and the Tesla coverage of 2019 in NYT. This guilt-by-association is a very common--too common--argument among TMC folks. Hell, I used to work for Ford Aerospace, a long time ago. Yes, a division of Ford Motor Company. And my paychecks and my business card had a Ford logo on 'em. Does that mean I've got petroleum running through my veins and am a secret ICE-forever conspirator? No, it just means I worked at Ford Aero a long time ago.

As far as I can tell, Broder has zero, zip, nada, to do with NYT's editorial bias when it comes to Tesla these days. This issue is, shall I say, broader than Broder.

 

[SO16]

Again: I see no connection with Broder and the Tesla coverage of 2019 in NYT. This guilt-by-association is a very common--too common--argument among TMC folks. Hell, I used to work for Ford Aerospace, a long time ago. Yes, a division of Ford Motor Company. And my paychecks and my business card had a Ford logo on 'em. Does that mean I've got petroleum running through my veins and am a secret ICE-forever conspirator? No, it just means I worked at Ford Aero a long time ago.

As far as I can tell, Broder has zero, zip, nada, to do with NYT's editorial bias when it comes to Tesla these days. This issue is, shall I say, broader than Broder.

It’s probably more of what he did in the past vs who he worked for....

 

[tinm]

It’s probably more of what he did in the past vs who he worked for....

The Telsa community will never forgive Broder or the NYT for that 2013 road-trip article, and Broder and the NYT deserve the grief they've gotten for it ever since. I just find no evidence he is the evil mastermind directing reporters/editors to badmouth Tesla every day. I'm still trying to find what is driving the misleading coverage, but I don't believe it's Broder or any other one person at the Times.

 

[sparcs]

What process is used to "recycle" the cells, and where is the facility where the operation is performed?

probably at GF1. i would imagine they have scrap from the existing production so it would make sense to have some facility there to recycle.

Might be a good opportunity at Battery and Drivetrain Investor Day to talk about recycling a little. Hopefully someone asks the question if it isn't covered in the presentation.

 

[ZachF]

Something I've been thinking about:

There is science to show that the maximum number of contacts that a person can manage is about 150 people (Dunbar's number)

Therefor, I suggest that, once Tesla is 1/150th of the cars on the road, the average person will know at least one Tesla owner.

In the US, there are 250m cars, so 250/150 = 1.67m

Given that the best advertisement for Tesla is "butts in the seats", I theorize this level will be Tesla "critical mass" where demand really takes off.

There were about 300k Teslas on American roads at the end of 2018.

 

[SW2Fiddler]

Update on NYT article. I've been in touch with the reporter and he's agreed to chat with me on the phone. It's a constructive opportunity to discuss what I view are the shortcomings in the article and that it does not do a good job of informing the public of the current situation with EVs. We'll see how it goes.

Best thing I’ve heard all week!
Please see if you can determine the context of John DeLancie’s estimate of “five hours” to charge in Hawthorne. HPWC? Surely not a Supercharger...

 

[tinm]

Best thing I’ve heard all week!
Please see if you can determine the context of John DeLancie’s estimate of “five hours” to charge in Hawthorne. HPWC? Surely not a Supercharger...

Yeah I gotta try to track down DeLancie.

 

[dc_h]

Update on NYT article. I've been in touch with the reporter and he's agreed to chat with me on the phone. It's a constructive opportunity to discuss what I view are the shortcomings in the article and that it does not do a good job of informing the public of the current situation with EVs. We'll see how it goes.

Good luck. Not always easy to engage in constructive dialog. I’ve been in technology for 30 years and early days I’d get frustrated when it seemed like people were trying to be ignorant. We can save X, we can streamline Y or improve Z and here’s the process to make that happen. People aren’t really trying to be ignorant usually, they just haven’t built a context or body of knowledge to understand something new. It’s often frustrating helping them build this base of knowledge and confounding when they don’t just get it. I’ve helped my company save millions of dollars using video conferencing, reducing travel and speed to market. It took years for IT people to understand the business opportunity. Tesla will be the same.

 

[wipster]

OMG. The New York Times has a new article out today that is a tour-de-force of New York Times-style reporting. It’s about why EVs are still problematic, as evidenced by the difficulties one faces if one simply wants to drive from LA to Las Vegas.

L.A. to Vegas and Back by Electric Car: 8 Hours Driving; 5 More Plugged In

The New York Times is Dylan’s Mr. Jones, and this article shows exactly why The New York Times is so ill-suited, ill-equipped, out-of-touch, and hopelessly unable to help the public understand the EV transition. It’s like the paper is still trying to make heads or tails of General Magic’s Magic Cap and Apple’s Newton while the rest of the world is living with iPhones and Androids.

Because something is happening here
But you don’t know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?

The problem is "He's very well-read, it's well-known..."

To which I say "Give me some milk or else go home..."

Damn Dylan was prescient...

 

[Prunesquallor]

Dealers are losing:

Judge affirms DMV decision to allow Tesla to operate automotive store in Henrico

It was the caveat in the law that said “in a manner consistent with the public interest” that gave Tesla the opening. Not sure how many other states have that verbiage.

Unless Virginia laws specify that the definition of “dealership” specifically includes servicing, this seems moot, since Tesla has gone to all on-line ordering.

For example, in Texas there are Tesla “galleries” where you can see the cars, ask questions and take test drives, but in the end, it’s an out-of-state purchase via the Tesla website.

It was when the Texas Automobile Dealers Association tried to amend the law to include “servicing” in the legal definition of dealership that all hell broke loose. We got the language removed (this time), but it’s something to be diligent for.

 

[KarenRei]

Update on NYT article. I've been in touch with the reporter and he's agreed to chat with me on the phone. It's a constructive opportunity to discuss what I view are the shortcomings in the article and that it does not do a good job of informing the public of the current situation with EVs. We'll see how it goes.

This is why reaching out in a polite fashion is always a good idea. Sure, most of the time it'll go nowhere, but sometimes you actually have a chance to correct unintentional FUD.

 

[traxila]

OMG. The New York Times has a new article out today that is a tour-de-force of New York Times-style reporting. It’s about why EVs are still problematic, as evidenced by the difficulties one faces if one simply wants to drive from LA to Las Vegas.

L.A. to Vegas and Back by Electric Car: 8 Hours Driving; 5 More Plugged In

The New York Times is Dylan’s Mr. Jones, and this article shows exactly why The New York Times is so ill-suited, ill-equipped, out-of-touch, and hopelessly unable to help the public understand the EV transition. It’s like the paper is still trying to make heads or tails of General Magic’s Magic Cap and Apple’s Newton while the rest of the world is living with iPhones and Androids.

Because something is happening here
But you don’t know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?

The yellow rag known as the NYT is not ill-suited, ill-equipped, out of touch or hopelessly unable to understand the EV transition.

The dirty FUD spreading hypocrites know exactly what they are doing.

 

[ABCTG]

Something I've been thinking about:

There is science to show that the maximum number of contacts that a person can manage is about 150 people (Dunbar's number)

Therefor, I suggest that, once Tesla is 1/150th of the cars on the road, the average person will know at least one Tesla owner.

In the US, there are 250m cars, so 250/150 = 1.67m

Given that the best advertisement for Tesla is "butts in the seats", I theorize this level will be Tesla "critical mass" where demand really takes off.

There were about 300k Teslas on American roads at the end of 2018.

It can also be quicker when financial incentives are involved.
For example, any freeway gas stop/restaurant/service area is either going to have to install Tesla charging or lose their business to the stop down the road that does provide charging.

 

[JRP3]

As far as I can tell, Broder has zero, zip, nada, to do with NYT's editorial bias when it comes to Tesla these days.

So the editorial board has no editorial input?

 

[Icer]

Tinm a good approach might be, if the writer had made the trip in a Tesla, how would it have differed?
Could result in a follow-up article. Or a tweet or two.

 

[Steve m]

The problem is "He's very well-read, it's well-known..."

To which I say "Give me some milk or else go home..."

Damn Dylan was prescient...

"Changing consumer habits is difficult in the best of circumstances, but it is much harder when a new technology makes it less convenient to use something as essential as your car."

Or your printed news paper

 

[Dutchie]

I used to read in newspapers, magazines and blogs about the great stock buying opportunities many of us missed in the past. What if you had bought Dell when it was very low in the nineties? Or Amazon when Bezos was still struggling? Or Netflix when hardly anyone had heard about it just ten years ago.

Tell me about it. Buying a 286 computer in 1987 with optional 20MB HDD and 16kB memory for $2,500.

What if I didn't buy the computer but bought shares of the company who made the OS (Microsoft) for that money in stead? (And sell it in 1995 and buy GOOGLE from proceeds)

And yes, I am now buying TSLA, though I also bought a Model X. (OMG I should have bought TSLA for the money I spend on the car...flashback)

 

[jerry33]

Something I've been thinking about:

There is science to show that the maximum number of contacts that a person can manage is about 150 people (Dunbar's number)

Therefor, I suggest that, once Tesla is 1/150th of the cars on the road, the average person will know at least one Tesla owner.

In the US, there are 250m cars, so 250/150 = 1.67m.

That would be true if there is an even distribution across the country. In California the average person probably knows six or more Tesla owners. Elsewhere, not so good.

 

[EVNow]

Therefor, I suggest that, once Tesla is 1/150th of the cars on the road, the average person will know at least one Tesla owner.

Average is a poor statistic.

In the small daycare my kid goes to, there are 12 kids. 2 of them have Model X, 4 Model 3, 1 Leaf, 1 i3 - so 8/12 have EVs

 

[Prunesquallor]

Tinm a good approach might be, if the writer had made the trip in a Tesla, how would it have differed?
Could result in a follow-up article. Or a tweet or two.

Or a demonstration