Is Telsa for real?

Great looking car

I don't know what to make of Tesla. While I've always respected Elon Musk's endeavor into electric vehicles, I've never fully bought into Tesla's business model, at least as far as EVs for the masses.

Yesterday's press conference, however, was weird.

Finish: Is Tesla for real?

Is Tesla done?

Another CEO bites the dust?

Elon Musk will take the helm at Tesla Motors and a number of workers will be laid off, as many as half according to some rumors. Ex-CEO Ze'ev Drori will retain a position on the board according to the Tesla blog.

For such big changes, the blog makes it almost sound as if its not really the big of a deal. Yet, considering that Tesla has had a hard time meeting multiple deadlines, this can't be a good sign.

A few Tesla owners finally take delivery

4 Already delivered

Tesla has delivered 4 Roadsters to buyers after many long delays and another 5 are ready for delivery according to the Tesla website. It's a baby step, but you can't move forward without taking a few steps.

Would a Mustang fan like an electric Mustang?

Ronaele Mustang 300E

For $80,000 you can turn your Mustang into an electric Mustang. Utilizing a 300 kWh electric motor, the Ronaele Mustang provides about 100 miles per charge of under 4 second 0 -60 power. Of course, you'll only achieve 100 mpg range at normal speeds. At 0-60, the battery will quickly run dry.

While I think this is a great way, much like the Tesla Roadster, to build momentum for electric-drive vehicles, would Mustang aficionados appreciate such a vehicle? While I love the feel of an electric-drive vehicle more than a conventional vehicle, electric drive vehicles do feel very different than a conventional vehicle, especially something like the Mustang. And, when I've been with a group of journalists test driving such vehicles, there have been complaints about electric drives.

Can muscle car fans be converted to the electric drive?

Tesla breaks off Think! deal

Tesla will not produce batteries for a new line of Think! electric cars

After Michael Marks became CEO of Tesla Motors, one of the first actions he took was to inform Think that we would not pursue the development of battery packs for them at that time because we had to be focused entirely on our own vehicle programs. We hope to work with Think in the future, but for now it is important that we stay focused on our own vehicle programs. —Darryl Siry

While Tesla is claiming that squashing this deal has nothing to do with the numerous delays that have plagued the launch of the Roadster, it's hard not to think such thoughts. Let's hope Tesla is, as they stated, just focusing on a successful launch of the Roadster.

(Source: GreenCarCongress)

Tesla Roadster delayed

Rumors are finally confirmed

I have nothing but praise and envy for what Tesla Motors is trying to accomplish, and now that Martin Eberhard is out as CEO, I can go back to fully defending the electric car company.

Not that I stopped defending Tesla during Eberhard's reign, I just thought that his arrogance was unacceptable. But, back to Tesla Delay.

PG&E, Tesla partner on V2G

Tesla isn't dead yet

Over the last few months, a few knowledgeable sources have told me that Tesla Motors is having problems, and that delivery of already ordered Roadsters could be significantly delayed. Ultimately, this doesn't surprise me greatly. It's not as if Tesla is producing toasters, they are producing some of the most advanced automobiles ever produced.

Fortunately, even if Tesla is having problems they are still moving forward, and they have now partnered with PG&E on Vehicle 2 Grid (V2G) technology. Sadly, the two are only partnering on one way charging, or Smart Charging, as PG&E calls it - at least for now.

"We are focusing our initial V2G implementation on smart charging," said JB Straubel, Chief Technology Officer, Tesla Motors. "Smart charging is a form of V2G in which the vehicle does not provide power back to the grid. Instead, the vehicle charging rate is controlled remotely in order to support the operation of the grid or to best match load to the availability of intermittent renewable energy resources such as wind and solar."

In the long run, it is hoped that V2G technology will enable electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles to not just smart charge, but to actually pump electricity back into the grid, thereby making the cost of electricity cheaper for such vehicles.

Is China the key to electric cars? Good riddance Marty?

Can Tesla survive in America?

So, if you follow electric cars, then you know that Martin Eberhard is out as the CEO of Tesla Motors, and that has some, such as Edmund's Inside Line, speculating that the launch of the Tesla Roadster is not going to go smooth, maybe ever.

How ironic!?

After the debut of the Chevy Volt, Eberhard was very quick to mock GM's electric efforts, and their technology. Yet, some are claiming that the $100,000 electric Roadster produced by Tesla might never hit the road, let alone a more economical electric sedan that could possibly compete with the Volt. While that would be a shame, and I hope it doesn't happen, it is becoming quite obvious that the road to electric vehicle success isn't as simple as Eberhard seemed to have believed.

Back in January, when I criticized Eberhard's comments, I was ridiculed by some for believing in GM's efforts and questioning Tesla's long term capabilities. Finish: Is China the key to electric cars? Good riddance Marty?