60 Minutes "Race for the Electric Vehicle:" Lutz Vs. Musk

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

Silicon Valley vs. Detroit for THE CAR OF THE FUTURE. Nice story. Geeky David vs. Creaky Goliath. Only building a car is one thing. Building a hundred thousand is quite another. And not only did Tesla fail to build the first customer car anywhere near its oft-delayed deadline, but its production is still a lot closer to single digits than triple. But hey, a Prius is a gas-guzzling hog in comparison with Tesla’s car. Apparently. Anyway, Leslie Stahl applies some serious journalistic chops to the story, reporting that the Roadster travels [an unconfirmed] 200 miles between charges and requires four to thirty hours to rejuice. Hey did GM Car Czar Bob Lutz say Silicone Valley? I’m not sure. But Leslie’s happy to say “crock of shit” on TV– which is more than Maximum Bob was willing to do re: his opinion on gflobal warming. But Stahl’s real F-bomb comes when she glibly provides a reason why Silicon Valley might have the edge over Motown: “But Detroit is broke.” Ethanol industry types must also have choked on their Manhattans when Stahl pronounced corn juice a last big thing. And for what it’s worth, Bob Lutz stakes his reputation on the Volt.

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Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • Bytor Bytor on Oct 06, 2008

    "And its not using A123s either. " Has it been decided that Continental is out?. Isn't Continental using A123 cells in their pack as previously reported: "Continental will be using lithium ion cells provided by A123 Systems while Compact Power is using LG Chem cells. "

  • Anonymous Anonymous on Oct 06, 2008

    [...] Tesla Death Watch take on the show: 60 Minutes “Race for the Electric Vehicle:” Lutz vs. Musk | The Truth About Cars [...]

  • Joeaverage Joeaverage on Oct 06, 2008

    I really hope Tesla, Phoenix Motor Cars, Fisker, MilesEV, etc all change the automotive landscape in this country. I don't mind the large vehicles that the big Detroit 2.8 makes but they are stuck in a rut and they'll get what they deserve with the choices they made. Maybe folks will break away from the heard and dare to drive something different.

  • TomAnderson TomAnderson on Oct 06, 2008
    Anyone care to wager whether or not Stahl will correct herself next week for saying that Musk “started” Tesla Motors 5 years ago? What did you expect from the same "news organization" that knowingly and actively tried to run Audi out of the U.S. market in the 1980s? CBS is the poster child for drive-by journalism, and I'm not just saying that because of my conservative upbringing.
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