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As a work vehicle, pick up trucks are a terrible compromise. In 95% of use cases a panel van is a far more useful and appropriate vehicle for the job. US culture has ensured thier ongoing appeal, the rest of the world figured out the panel van thing a long time ago. ;) The few pick ups we do have over in the UK are generally all beaten up, as they're only used for appropriate work, no one wants one to use as a car, that would just be weird! (Cybertruck aside, as its as cool as anything!)
That used to be the case in North America before the first oil crisis--only businesses and people with certain jobs had pickups. Then the pollution controls made pickups faster and more fuel efficient than cars. People started purchasing pickups and found out how much more convenient they were if you had to do anything more than just carry groceries, they were also lower cost (only for a while though). Vans and minivans were also popular for awhile, but younger soccer moms didn't want to be seen in a soccer mom vehicle (similar to how their moms didn't want to be seen in a station wagon (now called CUVs to avoid the station wagon classification). So pickups continue their popularity. Pickups are also more versatile than vans. They pull trailers (even a fifth-wheel trailer), a camper back can be added, etc..
 
All new homes in CA must be built with solar panels by law. Other southern states will follow soon enough.
Meanwhile, all new housing in Arizona must find 100 yrs of water, so I'm not sure they'll even get to solving power with these utilities here. Maybe with our new Governor, we'll see... I heard that she participated in exposing the water issue recently in Buckeye. The entire development is on hold now. And Scottsdale just shut off water to a pretty big chuck of housing to the North of it. I feel like about 50 other shoes are gonna drop soon. Water rights are gonna look like Wall Street with options and leveraging. The rights are based on first come first served (shares), then conditionally sold to other districts (floats). See where this is going?
 
I can't remember if I posted it or not but I'd like Tesla to purchase someone like Lennar or KB Home. I hate seeing all these new housing tracks getting build with zero solar panels.
Can't believe they're not actually. If so, big omission, hard to believe Elon allowed that to happen, especially in a place where Sunshine abounds. But I don't think it's necessary for Tesla or Boring to buy the company in order to make it happen.

Would be convenient for building structures on Mars though!
 
Forever? This seems like a temporary headwind to me. Care to elaborate?

My experience is that the inefficiencies of government can rarely prevent progress, just slow it down. If states adopt these sorts of policies, the results should be evident over time, and increasingly difficult to ignore; lobbyists and special interests be damned.

Or, what am I missing?
I don't think you're missing anything. Example: When Tesla first was installing Supercharger locations in Texas, they wanted to put one in Temple. The politicians there voted to keep Tesla out. Tesla was finally able to put one there this year. So, yes, they can only cause slow downs--in this case by ten years. Politicians have had far more success in slowing down the solar industry. Best solution would be for politicians to have only one term ever. That would limit the damage they can do.
 
We needed to replace our ICE vehicle ASAP, and it was a one year+ wait for a Y Long Range (which she would have preferred), so MYP it was.
Similar scenario. Used MYP here, was supposed to be temporary due to unavailability of new Model Ys. Our plan totally backfired with the discounting. Now we have 2 white vehicles... it's way too much white, and they don't even match! The first M3s were a near bone white, but this Y is creamy white. My solution... MYP -> CyberTruck.
 
Can't believe they're not actually. If so, big omission, hard to believe Elon allowed that to happen, especially in a place where Sunshine abounds. But I don't think it's necessary for Tesla or Boring to buy the company in order to make it happen.

Would be convenient for building structures on Mars though!
Elon's MO is to wait for someone else to do it and if they take too long he does it himself. This may be what's happening with home building.
 
Soooo, how many of us can honestly say our Cybertruck purchases won't be vanity rigs? Especially those of us with multiple orders.

If my finances are in good enough shape when the time comes, I'll get the Quad with solar and camping package (if available). It will mostly be gratuitous. The Dual will be used for grunt work and probably Turo. The Quad will probably never be used off road because we will park and hike. I see no need to sit there and drive over rocks.
 
Maybe. I don't have an opinion as to weather home building is ripe for disruption or if it would be better to acquire someone else's expertise.

Edit: Actually I do think it would be better to acquire expertise for ease of pushing the mission. Use existing homebuilding technology and enhance with solar, batter storage and possibly HVAC.
Building expertise today is mostly about picking the cheapest labour and materials. Architects can do better and most want to, but the developers keep insisting on the cheapest items--just barely good enough to last the warranty period. Building codes mean that there's a minimum, but developers stick to minimum they can get away with. As always there are some exceptions, but I don't think anything will be gained by purchasing one of the big housing developers. It would be like twitter--most would be let go.
 
That used to be the case in North America before the first oil crisis--only businesses and people with certain jobs had pickups. Then the pollution controls made pickups faster and more fuel efficient than cars. People started purchasing pickups and found out how much more convenient they were if you had to do anything more than just carry groceries, they were also lower cost (only for a while though). Vans and minivans were also popular for awhile, but younger soccer moms didn't want to be seen in a soccer mom vehicle (similar to how their moms didn't want to be seen in a station wagon (now called CUVs to avoid the station wagon classification). So pickups continue their popularity. Pickups are also more versatile than vans. They pull trailers (even a fifth-wheel trailer), a camper back can be added, etc..

Granted, pickups have a "sexier" aesthetic than a van, but, in my experience the van is a more practical design for nearly every day to day application. The Tundra I owned didn't get used enough to justify keeping it.

I replaced the pickup with a van, and after a little creative work on it have found it significantly more versatile. It has a fridge, 400W of solar, 600AH of Lithium batteries, inverter, running water, storage, and can still carry nearly all of the same loads (12 ft lumber, 4'x8' panels, etc.) which I so rarely needed the pickup for.

There are too many times where I have found having an enclosed cargo space far outweighs the open bed of a pickup. I can leave things in the van anywhere I go without worry of exposure to elements, casual theft, etc. and the "150" version of the van has a 4400 lb. carrying capacity (enough to carry the weight of my car with 400 lbs left over), plus, it has towed everything I've needed it to. The van also has more power at about the same mpg as the pickup.

The CyberTruck, with built-in covered cargo space that can be left open if needed is a great compromise. So, I hold a reservation for one that may come to me in another year and a half or two. That vehicle will replace both the car and the van for my needs, but I might miss the fridge after an MTB ride. 🍻

I really want to see a CyberVan in the offering, but that may be a while.
 
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Another anecdotal data point: a good friend of ours is the last holdout in a small group of friends to buy a Tesla. He owned a Leaf, and was dead set against buying a Tesla, partially because of price, partially because of negative feelings towards Elon, partly wanting to be different.

Anyway, yesterday he bought a Model Y. The price drop was all he needed to overcome his objections.

It turns out, price matters.
 
Another anecdotal data point: a good friend of ours is the last holdout in a small group of friends to buy a Tesla. He owned a Leaf, and was dead set against buying a Tesla, partially because of price, partially because of negative feelings towards Elon, partly wanting to be different.

Anyway, yesterday he bought a Model Y. The price drop was all he needed to overcome his objections.

It turns out, price matters.

value = price and product quality :)
 
Not some- the vast majority.

Unless you mean "ever, even once" the "virtually all" claim simply is not true... 75% tow with it 0-1 times a year, ~70% go off-road 0-1 times a year, and a full 35% don't even use the bed at all (and often the 65% are "hauling" stuff that'd haul just fine in a smaller more efficent vehicle). The 0-1 a year folks would of course be better off with same, and just renting something the one time ever they need a truck.

Not to argue waste in larger trucks, but that data isolates each use case to exaggerate a point I think. In reality, I might go off-road OR load band equipment OR tow a boat OR tow a trailer OR camp in it. Math changes to 0-5 times a year and about 2-3 on average. (Not a statistician.)
 
Elon's MO is to wait for someone else to do it and if they take too long he does it himself. This may be what's happening with home building.
This is the type of company Elon would purchase, they are currently teamed with Lennar for a development just north of Austin.


And he might be interested for other reasons...


We did a pilot house with Icon to test their technology, turned out pretty great...

 
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Tesla can’t figure out solar roof install and you think they should develop and build the entire house?
The problem I see with their solar part of the business (today) is that it's still Solar City with construction mentality and red tape. For example, they used the App to communicate only one time and was very delayed, notes ignored, manditory 1 month before hooking up after a roof install, not hooking up correctly (50% power), takes 3 months or more to resolve. I do think it's a lack of volume mixed in with the fact that each use case is truly different with each home.

However, if Tesla were to standardize the home itself, I believe it would look more like Onebox with solar integrated as standard equipment. (GigaPress would agree I think - his recommendation actually.) This model would make solar so cheap, you'd wonder why we all paid a full 3X the should-cost.
 
Lithium? Lithium? Weeee got your stinking lithium!


"The Union Government on Thursday said that 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves have been found for the first time in the country in Jammu and Kashmir. Lithium is a non-ferrous metal and is one of the key components in EV batteries. "Geological Survey of India for the first time established Lithium inferred resources (G3) of 5.9 million tonnes in the Salal-Haimana area of the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir," the Ministry of Mines said on Thursday."
I thought that Lithium was plentiful? It's refining that's expensive and time consuming.
 
This is terrible. We can't approve of ALL scenarios that use Tesla as their AD prop.

First of all, that person looks like he's going to die in next 5 minutes. They ad some food apparently which looks like something to give to the cattle. I am not familiar with this particular establishment.

This kind of disease should not be linked to Tesla. I hope Tesla will sue them for digitally altering Model Y without Tesla's consent.
 
I thought that Lithium was plentiful? It's refining that's expensive and time consuming.
Well it's even more plentiful now!

But you're right, refining is currently the big issue, that's why Tesla may be building or acquiring a refinery. With their newly discovered Lithium, it sounds like a great opportunity for India!
 
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