Tesla Death Watch 39: Li-Ion Rules! Or, Well, You Know…
Tesla’s hubris knows no bounds. Not only has the Silicon Valley manufacturer of $109k lithium-ion-powered carbon fiber sports cars applied for a $400m federal grant to sustain its oft-delayed and hugely unprofitable quest to “reinvent the automobile,” but they’ve also publicly declared that Detroit’s bailout-seeking beancounters should keep their NSFWing hands off Uncle Sam’s $25b retooling loans. (I’d cut and paste the exact quote from their website, but ten seconds of their white-on-black text is enough to short-circuit my optic nerves). The New York Times fired back, pointing out that taxpayer funds should not subsidize expensive toys. Tesla owner Jason Calacanis retaliated in a fit of “just you wait” pique. “The fact is that Tesla could–right now–produce a car that is 1/3rd to half the price if they set it to go only 100 miles. In nine years, they will easily be able to produce a $40k car that does this. Is nine years too long to wait for this technology to reach the price point that 80% of the new-car-buying country could afford? I don’t think so.” Meanwhile, Toyota has seen the EV’s Li-ion Promised Land, and declared “I may not get there with you.”
Speaking to AutoCar, ToMoCo UK MD Miguel Fonseca “quashed rumours that the next Prius would adopt lithium-ion battery technology at some stage of its lifespan. While he acknowledged that powerful, efficient lithium-ion batteries were a future direction, Toyota’s engineers do not believe they are efficient or durable enough to enter mass-production yet.”
What’s more (or less), Toyota has officially scotched plans to create a Prius sub-brand, casting doubts on Tesla’s mainstream aspirations. No surprise there. Our guys on the front line report that U.S. Prius sales have stalled. Waiting lists? Gone. Parking lots? Full. Discounts? Yup. On the positive side, the guy who made a mint making the movie “Who Killed the Electric Car” drove a Tesla and loves it. Guility. Go figure.
More by Robert Farago
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National Peoples' Radio spreading false agitprop?? Inconceivable! Jason Calcanis is prone to say stupid things. In 9-10 years a car that dies after 100 miles will be just as useful as it is today -- which is to say, not much. A niche as the green yuppie family's 4th car, perhaps.