GreenCar Magazine » Tesla Motors

Can Tesla and Toyota Solve Each Other’s Problems???

admin — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:43:48 +0000

The big announcement was made yesterday. Tesla Motors and Toyota are going to work jointly on the development of electric vehicles, parts, production system and engineering support. Toyota is going to invest $50 million in Tesla stock immediately after their IPO, and Tesla is purchasing the NUMMI plant that Toyota once produced vehicles in as part of a joint venture with General Motors. This new partnership offers each company something they are both really really lacking: for Toyota, some really good software engineers that can help them solve the problems they are having in millions of vehicles (but won’t admit is a software problem); and for Tesla, the engineering, purchasing, logistics, process, expertise of a real car company (they know nothing about what is involved in actually making cars – they have never done it).

Don’t get us wrong, we at Green Car Magazine really like the Tesla roadster, but up until now have questioned Tesla’s ability to become an actual car company. They have a great engine and drive train design, the body style of the roadster is fabulous, but they had no idea how complicated it is to manufacture quality cars on a consistent basis. Elon Musk, their CEO ,was of the opinion that the rest of the automotive world were, well basically idiots, and he was going to revolutionize the industry. He didn’t seem to grasp that developing a piece of software and bringing it to market and developing a car and mass producing it, are two very different things. The partnership with Toyota indicates that he has finally seen the light on what his and his engineering teams’ shortcomings were. This is very good news for Tesla. Toyota will help them learn how to manufacture. Let’s hope that Toyota goes back to the basics of their production system when working with Tesla, as their famous production system seems to have failed them in the last decade.

This partnership is also a brilliant move for Toyota. They will have access to Tesla’s technology, something that would have cost them far more to develop in-house. They will be able to tap into the incredible software knowledge at Tesla as it is clear that Toyota suffers from several programming “bugs” in its vehicles (acceleration in some, stalling in others- the rust problems in the trucks made in Texas, is alas, not a software problem). They also get to unload the giant NUMMI plant in California, closed when Toyota and GM’s joint venture in that plant (the reason the plant was built) ended.

We have to admit, we got a chuckle out of several things in the press releases from Tesla regarding these developments but found the following statements “it (NUMMI factory) is one of the largest, most advanced and cleanest automotive production plants in the world… it is capable of producing half a million vehicles per year or approximately 1 percent of total worldwide car production. The award-winning plant was the birthplace of the vaunted Toyota Production System, a widely copied system that lead to dramatic quality improvements and unprecedented manufacturing flexibility and worker satisfaction”. Yup, its big but the plant was capable of building that many vehicles with 3 shifts of production and the equipment and tooling belonging to GM and Toyota for the vehicles produced there. The fact that they brag about how advanced the plant is shows their naivety regarding the rest of the industry around the world. We don’t know what they are referring to when they say “clean”, is that someone sweeping the floors or lack of contaminants in their paint process, because this plant was protested often by the local community due to their emissions. Lastly, we are pretty sure that the “Toyota production system” was developed in Japan starting after WWII and improved continuously. As mentioned before, the Toyota production system didn’t keep Toyota out the troubles they are now in, so I think I would tone down the rhetoric about it a little.
It is clear that both of these companies “egos” have gotten them into trouble in the past, let’s hope that they can put them aside and learn from each other. The future will truly be bright for both if they can! On a side note to Tesla for its future press releases, in this country we call the place where you make cars “plants” not ”factories”. Please contact us if youwould like to learn other car manufacturing terminology.

Here is a link to Tesla’s press releases so you can read them yourself.

NUMMI plant: looks like a lot of car plants- nice flowers though!

TAG Heuer and Tesla Motors’ Odyssey of Pioneers World Tour Arrives in Moscow

admin — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:12:43 +0000

As part of its 150th anniversary, TAG Heuer iscelebrating its motor-racing heritage in a round-the-world tour with partner Tesla Motors. Through the Odyssey of Pioneers, the two brands will share their values of innovation, performance, precision and energy-efficient luxury.From March through October 2010, TAG Heuer’s sustainable conscious “Odyssey of Pioneers” exhibition and roadshow, will visit 15 key cities, including Basel, Moscow, Tokyo, Los Angeles and Paris, with inaugural VIP events at each stop. Professional drivers and celebrities will drive the one-of-a-kind TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster on its 37,000 km journey around the world.

The Roadster, a fully electric sports car, has been specially designed by Tesla Motors for TAG Heuer. The zero-emission GT car includes a unique interior which incorporates TAG Heuerdesign elements and a console containing the latest 2010 concept watch, the TAG Heuer Pendulum. This car also features a TAG Heuer Meridiist mobile phone as well as a one-fifth second Heuer Limited Edition Stopwatch.

OK, so that is the media hype surrounding the tour. But the event is helping make the Tesla Roadster a even sexier car in the minds of the public than it was before. It remains to be seen whether Tesla Motors will become an electric version of Ferrari S.p.A. or whether it can transition to a more comprehensive luxury automaker such as BMW. Either way, it will be enjoyable to watch.

The Tour Stops:

Geneve – March 4th to14th	Basel – March 18th
Monaco – March 25th to 28th	Milan – April 6th to 9th
Budapest – April 14th to 19th	Warsaw – April 21st to 26th
Moscow – April 28th to May 3rd	Dehli – May 19th to 24th
Beijing – June 2nd to 7th	Shanghai – June 16th to 21st
Tokyo – July 7th to 12th	Los Angeles – July 28th to August 2nd
Miami – August 18th to 23rd	New York – Sept 1st to 6th
London – Sept 15th to 20th	Paris – Sept 28th to Oct. 4th

Watch to the tour on YouTube:

Daimler Looking at Alliance with Renault/Nissan to Increase Electric Car Capabilities!

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:45:07 +0000

Daimler is actively seeking to become the leader in zero emmision, sustainable mobility. In 2009, Daimler bought a 10% stake in Tesla Motors, the only production automaker selling a highway capable electric vehicle in North America and Europe. The two companies had already been working closely to integrate Tesla’s lithium-ion battery packs and charging electronics into the first 1,000 units of Daimler’s electric smart car. In order to benefit from each other’s know-how, the investment enabled the partners to collaborate even more closely on the development of battery systems, electric drive systems and in individual vehicle projects.

On March 1st of this year, Daimler AG signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BYD Company Limited to enter into a comprehensive technology partnership for the development of electric vehicles for China. Under the agreement, Daimler and BYD intend to develop a new electric vehicle specific to the requirements of the Chinese market. The vehicle will be marketed under a new brand jointly created and owned by Daimler and BYD. In addition, a common technology center will be established in China to develop, design and test this electric vehicle. It should be mentioned that Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet’s firm, owns a stake in BYD.

Yesterday, media reports that the Renault/Nissan and Daimler were in talks to form a strategic alliance resulted in increased stock prices and no denials from the companies themselves. Yoshihiko Tabei, chief analyst at Kazaka Securities said “The alliance with Daimler could lead to Nissan supplying its electric cars to the German automaker. If that happens, it would boost Nissan’s EV car business while it is in an early stage”.

Daimler, who had made large investments in hydrogen fuel cell technology for many years, is clearly positioning itself to produce electric vehicles as fuel cell technology stumbles in its efforts to become viable for mass marketed personal transportation.

Now You Can Lease a Tesla Roadster EV Sportscar.

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:34:41 +0000

Tesla Motors, producer of the world’s only highway-capable EV, is now offering the option of leasing their all electric Roadster and Roaster Coupe. The new program will allow customers to take immediate delivery of a new 2010 Roadster or Roadster Sport with a three year, 30,000 mile contract.

Monthly payments start at $1,658. At the end of the term, customers have the flexibility to purchase their Roadster or pay a fee and walk away.

Electric vehicles cost less to fuel than similar gas powered vehicles and the company estimates that the roadster savings could be as much as $131 per month (based on an estimated 833 miles driven per month based on EPA fuel economy tests).

“We are committed to continuously improving and enhancing the Roadster, offering a leasing option means even more people can drive this exciting and groundbreaking car,” said John Walker, Tesla Vice President of Sales.

The Roadster is the only production car that is faster than many sports cars and more energy efficient than any hybrid. It is quickly becoming the choice amongst discerning drivers who demand performance with a clean conscience.

The Roadster has an EPA range of 236 miles per charge, double that of any other commercially released electric vehicle. It can be charged in any conventional 120 or 240V outlet. The Roadster produces zero tailpipe emissions. It does not need regular oil changes or exhaust system repairs. Roadsters have no spark plugs, pistons, hoses, belts or clutches to replace.

Tesla customers also benefit from the Tesla Rangers, Tesla’s pioneering mobile service squad. Tesla Rangers make house calls for annual inspections, firmware upgrades and other services, so customers can enjoy hassle-free service from their home or office. U.S. customers pay $1 per roundtrip mile from the closest service center, with a minimum charge of $100.

Lease financing is available on Tesla Roadster vehicles. Monthly lease payments of $1,658 (excludes sales or use tax) for 36 months based on MSRP of $111,005 (includes destination and documentation fees). $12,453 due at signing includes $1,658 first month’s payment, $9,900 down payment, and $895 acquisition fee. No security deposit required. Excludes tax, title, license, registration, and any locally applied fees. This lease offer is subject to credit approval and is for well qualified customers only. Not all customers will qualify for this lease program. Lessee must cover insurance. At lease end, lessee will be liable for disposition fee ($350.00), any excess wear and use as set forth in the lease agreement and excess mileage charges of $0.25 per mile for miles driven in excess of 30,000 miles over the life of the lease. Lessee acquires no ownership interest unless purchase option is exercised.

More details on Tesla Motors Leasing can be found at: www.teslamotors.com/leasing

About Tesla

Tesla’s goal is to produce increasingly affordable cars to mainstream buyers – relentlessly driving down the cost of EVs. San Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla sells cars online and has delivered nearly 1000 Roadsters to customers in North America and Europe. Tesla has showrooms in California’s Silicon Valley and Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Boulder, South Florida, Chicago, London, Munich and Monaco. The Tesla Roadster is faster than many sports cars yet more efficient than a hybrid.

Tesla Receives Final Approval for Financing of New Electric Car Plant

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:49:06 +0000

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced the Department of Energy has closed its $465 million loan with Tesla Motors, Inc. for construction of a manufacturing facility in southern California on the Model S electric sedan and a power-train manufacturing facility in Palo Alto, California. The Palo Alto facility will assemble electric vehicle battery packs, electric motors, and related electric vehicle control equipment, both for Tesla’s own electric vehicles and for sale to other automobile manufacturers.

The agreement was negotiated and signed by the Department’s Loan Programs Office, which supports the development of innovative, advanced vehicle technologies to create thousands of clean energy jobs while helping reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

“This is an investment in our clean energy future that will create jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” said Secretary Chu. “It will help build a customer base and begin laying the foundation for American leadership in the growing electric vehicles industry. This is part of a sustained effort to develop and commercialize technologies that will be broadly deployed throughout the American auto industry.”

Tesla’s planned Model S will consume no gasoline and will not produce any tailpipe emissions. It is being designed to offer a variety of range options depending on the battery pack used, from 160 to 300 miles on a single charge. Volume production of the Model S is planned to begin in 2012 with a target production capacity of 20,000 vehicles per year by the end of 2013. According to Tesla, the Model S project and power-train manufacturing facility are expected to create over 1,600 jobs.

Today’s announcement marks the second loan arrangement agreement signed by DOE with an advanced technology vehicle manufacturer. In September 2009, DOE signed its first loan agreement for $5.9 billion to Ford Motor Company. The Department has also signed conditional commitments with Nissan North America, Inc. and Fisker Automotive. Tenneco Inc. became the first advanced technology component manufacturer to obtain a conditional commitment from DOE in October of last year. Nissan plans to build electric cars and battery packs at the company’s Smyrna, Tennessee manufacturing complex, while Fisker recently announced plans to build plug-in hybrid electric vehicles by reopening a shuttered GM plant in Wilmington, Delaware.

The Department of Energy was appropriated $7.5 billion by Congress to support up to $25 billion in loans to companies making cars and components in US factories that increase fuel economy at least 25 percent above 2005 fuel economy levels. The Department plans to make additional loans over the next several months to large and small auto manufacturers and parts suppliers up and down the production chain. The intense technical and financial review process is focused not on choosing a single technology over others, but is aimed at promoting multiple approaches for achieving a fuel efficient economy.

Electric Car Maker Tesla is the Hottest American Brand

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:51:01 +0000

NEW YORK — Advertising Age selected electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors as one of “America’s hottest brands” in a special report highlighting the year’s 50 brightest brands and the visionaries behind them.

Rather than depending on conventional advertising, Tesla has relied on the quality of its product and word-of-mouth recommendations from early customers to promote the company.

“Our owners become our ambassadors,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk told the influential trade publication.

The Tesla Roadster is faster than a Porsche 911 and twice as energy efficient as a Prius. It has received excellent reviews from the nation’s toughest car critics.

The Tesla Roadster is faster than an Audi R8 yet is six times more efficient than conventional sports cars. With an EPA-estimated range of 244 miles per charge, it costs less than $5 to refuel.The Roadster does not need regular oil changes or exhaust system work. Roadsters have no spark plugs, pistons, hoses, belts or clutches to replace. Zero tailpipe emission means no smog checks. Tesla recommends a standard service and diagnostic inspection once a year or every 12,000 miles – and Tesla can perform service with convenient “house calls” at customers’ homes or offices

The Advertising Age case study was published this week and is available online: http://adage.com/article?article_id=140487.

About Tesla MotorsSan Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla is the world’s only automaker producing and selling highway-capable electric vehicles. Tesla has delivered about 900 cars to customers in North America and Europe. Tesla sells cars online and operates showrooms and galleries in California’s Silicon Valley and Los Angeles, Colorado, New York, Seattle, London and Munich.

Tesla Roadster Travels 313 Miles on a Single Charge

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:22:30 +0000

Coober Pedy, South Australia

Tesla Roadster owner Simon Hackett and co-driver Emilis Prelgauskas completed 313 miles (501 km) in a Tesla Roadster on a single charge – a distance that appears to set a new record for a production electric vehicle.

Hackett and Prelgauskas are driving Hackett’s red 2008 Roadster as part of the 10th annual Global Green Challenge, one of the most high-profile rallies worldwide for production, prototype and experimental cars. Hackett is providing updates in real time on his blog.

The pair drove from Alice Springs, in the Australian Northern Territory, to the finish marker at a point 183 km north of Coober Pedy, in South Australia.

The previous distance record for an electric vehicle was set in April, when another Roadster was the only vehicle to complete the entire, 241-mile Rallye Monte Carlo d’Energies Alternatives. It had an estimated 38 miles left on the charge.

The Tesla Roadster is the first production automobile to use lithium-ion battery cells and the first production EV with a range greater than 200 miles (320 km) per charge. Tesla has delivered about 900 Roadsters to customers so far.

Hackett sent Tesla the following note before going to bed last night:

“Emilis and I have decades of experience flying gliders competitively and we applied the same energy conservation techniques to our driving, with significant results! The car had about 3 miles of range left when the drive was completed. We travelled 501km on a single charge. Let that sink in for a minute.

“The security seal was applied to the charge port door when we started the journey. As this is being done as part of the Global Green Challenge, we have a full set of official verifiers here who will attest to the results and to achieving the outcome. We were followed along the journey by our support crew and a documentary film crew – so we have it on film.

“It’s late here and we have another 541k to drive (with an intermediate charge stop) tomorrow – and another two days of the event left after that. When we’re done, we will have driven over 3000 km’s in the Roadster over the course of only six days, from Darwin to Adelaide

Tesla Motors Announces Senior Engineering and Manufacturing Executives

admin — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:50:17 +0000

Two auto industry veterans with deep engineering and manufacturing expertise have joined the leadership team of Tesla Motors.

SAN CARLOS, Calif.-Peter Rawlinson, Vice President and Chief Vehicle Engineer, is responsible for the technical execution and delivery of the Model S, and for leading a world-class vehicle engineering team. He led vehicle engineering at Corus Automotive, an advanced engineering consulting firm. Rawlinson guided projects, including for the Jaguar X and F types; Land Rover Freelander and Discovery; Ford Fiesta; Honda Accord; BMW 5-Series; and Bentley Continental.

Rawlinson’s work on the Think electric vehicle set a new world record for best crash safety performance in the subcompact vehicle class. In his spare time, he designed and constructed his own sports car, with an innovative and efficient structure that influenced a generation of production cars.

Rawlinson also spent nearly a decade at Jaguar, ascending to the position of principal engineer, working on advanced body structure design, layout and packaging, including crashworthiness. He was one of the first to apply computer-aided design to automotive engineering and was an integral part of the small team that advanced the integration of computer-aided-design with computer-aided analytical tools within a simultaneous engineering environment, a methodology he will apply and refine at Tesla. He has a mechanical engineering degree from Imperial College.

Henry Brice is Program Director for the Model S, the all-electric family sedan Tesla unveiled in March. Previously, Brice was assistant chief engineer of the North American Fiesta program at Ford, where he oversaw the production of 1.1 million cars annually. He served as assistant chief engineer for Ford’s full-size sedan platform, including the Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis and Town Car Vehicle lines. He managed as many as seven product launches per year.

Brice’s experience at Ford includes serving as program manager for Ford’s highly profitable F-Series platform, including the all new SuperCrew, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. He delivered the SuperCrew faster than any prior program of comparable scope – an effort Ford highlighted as a “flawless launch”. Brice also wrote the initial product concept documents and managed body construction on the Ford Escort and Mercury Tracer programs. These high-volume compacts launched at higher quality and lower warranty levels than the prior model — an unprecedented achievement at Ford. Brice has bachelor’s degrees in physics and engineering from Harvard and master’s degrees in engineering and business from the University of Michigan

“It is truly an honor to work alongside Peter and Henry, who represent the best and the brightest of the automotive industry. Tesla is fundamentally about hardcore technology and beautiful design, which means building up Tesla’s vehicle engineering and manufacturing capabilities to match our industry leading position in the electric powertrain subsystem,” said Tesla CEO Elon Musk. “Peter and Henry have engineered and manufactured of some of the world’s most recognizable and acclaimed vehicles – from concept to assembly line. This is precisely the type of depth and breadth of expertise we are aggressively recruiting to ensure that the Model S will be a superlative product.”

Tesla announced three other senior executive hires in the past month – key strategists from Silicon Valley and the traditional automotive sector. Tesla has more than 150 job openings and is interviewing candidates at all levels.

In June, Tesla won approval from the Department of Energy for $465 million in low-interest loans to build a powertrain assembly plant in Northern California and manufacture the Model S in Southern California. Tesla anticipates the Model S start of production roughly two years from the initial loan disbursement, which is anticipated this fall.

Fjord Capital Partners Helps Tesla to Raise $82.5 Million ” Series F” Funding

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:40:32 +0000

Fjord Capital Partners announced that it has participated in the “Series F” funding round, raising $82.5 million, for Tesla Motors Inc.

Tesla Motors Inc. is a designer and manufacturer of all electric vehicles (EVs) together with their power train and battery packs. It is the world’s first all electric sports car manufacturer, with a range of over 200 miles per charge.Tesla is the only production automaker selling a highway capable electric vehicle in North America and Europe, with a Sedan version under development with deliveries to begin in late 2011. Tesla is partnering with Daimler Benz to integrate Tesla’s lithium-ion battery packs and charging electronics into the first 1,000 units of Daimler’s electric smart car.

Fjord Capital Partners, under the leadership of founders Michael Obermayer (a former senior partner and director of McKinsey & Company, Inc), Arild Nerdrum and Xavier de La Rochefoucauld, is a specialized European private equity manager investing into the clean energy sector globally. Building on world-class Nordic experience in environment and energy, Fjord invests growth capital in renewable and low-carbon companies and projects, targeting developers and developments, including restructuring opportunities.

Tesla Motors Delivered its 700th Vehicle Tuesday at the Frankfurt Motor Show

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:32:56 +0000

Tesla CEO Elon Musk handed the keys to an electric blue Roadster Sport to Lennart Hennig, a German law student in Bonn. Tesla has also delivered cars to customers in England, Switzerland, France, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Spain, Monaco and Sweden.

“I am a socially responsible consumer who considers the environmental impact of my purchases,” said Hennig, 24. “As soon as I saw the Tesla web site in 2006, I knew I wanted to support a company dedicated to making more and more affordable vehicles so that mainstream people could have cars with a lower carbon footprint. I plan to drive this car every day so that people can see for themselves that the future of mobility is electric.”

The 700th delivery came less than a week after Tesla opened a store in Munich (Blumenstr.17) — its first regional sales and service center in continental Europe. Tesla opened its flagship London store in June and will open a store in Monaco later this year.

“Many of our customers are die-hard European sports car aficionados who switch to Roadsters over concern about climate change and the dangers of foreign oil addiction,” Musk said. “And some customers buy the Roadster simply because it will beat the Porsche 911 or Audi R8 off the line every time.”

Tesla’s Full 2010 Model-Year Lineup On Display in Frankfurt

Musk and Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen unveiled the production version of the second-generation Roadster and the even higher-performance Roadster Sport supercar. The Frankfurt Motor Show also marked the European debut of the Model S, an all-electric, seven-passenger sedan that Tesla plans to begin producing in late 2011. Photos are available online.

The Roadster 2, which Tesla is building and shipping to customers now, features an array of enhancements over the first-generation car, which Tesla began producing last year. Those include a more powerful heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, more comfortable seats and a far more luxurious dashboard and cabin. The interior is quieter than its predecessor, and the ride is forgiving over harsh surfaces — without sacrificing handling performance.

The Roadster Sport, which Tesla is also building and shipping to customers now, is an even higher performance car that does 0 to 100 kmh in 3.7 seconds, compared to 3.9 seconds for the standard Roadster. The Sport includes a more powerful motor, custom-tuned adjustable suspension and forged wheels. A customer’s Roadster Sport sprinted the quarter-mile in 12.643 seconds in late July, setting a new record in the U.S. National Electric Drag Racing Association.

The acclaimed Roadster – which has better acceleration than a Porsche 911 or Audi R8 and is twice as energy efficient as a Toyota Prius – is the only highway-capable electric vehicle for sale in Europe or North America. It’s the first EV to travel more than 300 km per charge and the first EU- and US-certified Lithium-Ion battery electric vehicle.

The Roadster has an estimated average range of about 400 km per charge and produces zero tailpipe emissions. In April, the Roadster set another significant EV record when it traveled the entire 390-km course of the Rallye Monte Carlo d’Energies Alternatives on a single charge – from Valance, France to Monaco, through the Alps. The Roadster was the only car to finish the course – and at the end it still had 61 km left on the charge.

The Roadster qualifies for numerous tax benefits in Europe, including sales, luxury and use tax waivers in Scandinavia and exceptional incentives in Holland, making the car an unquestionable bargain compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. The relatively high cost of petrol in Europe dramatically lowers Teslas’ total cost of ownership relative to gas-guzzlers. Eventually, Tesla expects sales to be roughly split between North America and Europe.

About Tesla

Tesla Motors remains the only automaker worldwide manufacturing and selling highway-capable EVs. The company achieved overall corporate profitability in July and has delivered 700 Roadsters to real-world owners so far. Tesla’s goal is to produce increasingly affordable cars to mainstream buyers – relentlessly driving down the cost of EV technology. Tesla also sells patented power train components to other automakers, including the battery pack and charger for the electric Smart, built by German carmaker Daimler.