Musk endeavours

[odysseus2000]

KInd of Heath Robinson in places, but this underwater submarine kept its passenger dry:

https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/sta ... 3139427329

Impressive how fast they got something like this to work.

Regards,

[vrdiver]

KInd of Heath Robinson in places, but this underwater submarine kept its passenger dry:

https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/sta ... 3139427329

Impressive how fast they got something like this to work.

Regards,

Agreed, but AIUI it misses the point that the route to the trapped boys has a couple of pinch-points that this thing wouldn't fit through.

I hope (seriously) that they take the "Apollo 13" approach and get the data to rig up the same constraints that exist in the caves. A mock-up of the problem points in the exit route would really help.

I don't want to take away from Musk's team: they could be the ones that get the last of the lads out (the ones that are the least able swimmers / most likely to freak out in the water and highest risk of becoming a casualty). I'd just like to see more evidence that they were thinking "rescue" and not "technology".

I guess we'll find out soon enough, but in the meantime, it is no bad thing for the company to build it's esprit-de-corps by being involved in this rescue attempt, whether or not they get used for real.

VRD

[PeterGray]

Looking at that I'd say Musk hasn't done his homework - or ever been down a "real" cave. Far too big and inflexible.

But then, I suspect that it was aimed at achieving publicity above anything else, so perhaps that didn't matter too much!

Peter

[odysseus2000]

Fabulous news that all the boys are out of the cave.

Apparently the Musk mini submarine wasn't needed.

Regards,

[odysseus2000]

Tesla plans to make 500,000 cars per year in China.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... e-capacity

Regards,

[BobbyD]

Tesla plans to make 500,000 cars per year in China.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... e-capacity

This is news?

Tesla's eyeing of China has been no secret.

Again they get a positive response when they do what legacy-auto has been doing for years, and with Trump's trade war who wouldn't...?

The only real question is how much will they miss this production target by?

[Meatyfool]

Tesla plans to make 500,000 cars per year in China.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... e-capacity

The only real question is how much will they miss this production target by?

Ha! One too many zeros. Not a typo! Just Elon mouthing off again!

Meatyfool..

[odysseus2000]

BobbyD
This is news?

Tesla's eyeing of China has been no secret.

Again they get a positive response when they do what legacy-auto has been doing for years, and with Trump's trade war who wouldn't...?

Yes, it is new, huge news.

Going from hoping to be in China to being in China with the Chinese government as an investor, de-risks Tesla hugely.

The chance of them running out of money and not being able to get funding has receded to negligible.

Legacy auto doing the same? As far as I know none of the major legacy autos have committed to building a plant just to make electric cars.

Regards,

[BobbyD]

Going from hoping to be in China to.. hoping to be in China... indeed following Legacy Auto to China... and out of the US... something Musk said, from your own article, they were looking to do in November... and where exactly does it say the Chinese government is investing?

Absolutely massive news, share price up 1.44%, still 13.5% below it's level 3 weeks ago. Not news, priced in.

[PeterGray]

Legacy auto doing the same? As far as I know none of the major legacy autos have committed to building a plant just to make electric cars.

If you only make electric cars then you have to build a plant just to make electric cars. If you are a large car manufacturer running multiple plants with multiple lines you just add a new line and get on and make the cars. Nissan have recently started a new production line for electric cars in Sunderland (not their first electric car line), JaguarLR have, and many more no doubt.

Peter

[odysseus2000]

More cash flow for Tesla:

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/10/tesla-m ... posit.html

Regards,

[odysseus2000]

Apple has 5000 people working on autonomous car:

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/10/ex-appl ... crets.html

Regards,

[odysseus2000]

Interesting details re the mini-sub and whether it could have worked:

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/10/elon-mu ... hings.html

Regards,

[vrdiver]

If you only make electric cars then you have to build a plant just to make electric cars. If you are a large car manufacturer running multiple plants with multiple lines you just add a new line and get on and make the cars. Nissan have recently started a new production line for electric cars in Sunderland (not their first electric car line), JaguarLR have, and many more no doubt.

Peter

I remember reading somewhere (sorry, no reference) that the fundamental difference was that Tesla designed its electric cars as electric cars, whereas VW etc took an existing ICE car and modified it to retrofit an electric drive. Whilst that may or may not be a big deal, they article seemed to think that a car designed from scratch with the idea of batteries, centre of gravity etc. would be a superior design to one that had been converted. Whether it's a significant difference commercially has yet to be seen, but Tesla do seem to have generated a fan base on the strength of their design, not just on Musk being involved.

VRD

[BobbyD]

More cash flow for Tesla:

...or decreased cash balance as people decide making a $2500 non-returnable deposit to a company whose ability to deliver this millennium is questionable decide to take their $1000 dollars back instead. But then maybe that's the only way Tesla can cut down the queue of people waiting for a car.

I remember reading somewhere (sorry, no reference) that the fundamental difference was that Tesla designed its electric cars as electric cars, whereas VW etc took an existing ICE car and modified it to retrofit an electric drive. Whilst that may or may not be a big deal, they article seemed to think that a car designed from scratch with the idea of batteries, centre of gravity etc. would be a superior design to one that had been converted.

At the moment that might make sense, although they've been producing electric concept cars for eons. There's no reason to assume that that will remain the case as electric becomes a bigger part of the market though, and hell they are adapting a car they know they can produce in large quantities, which some might see as an advantage...

[TUK020]

I remember reading somewhere (sorry, no reference) that the fundamental difference was that Tesla designed its electric cars as electric cars, whereas VW etc took an existing ICE car and modified it to retrofit an electric drive. Whilst that may or may not be a big deal, they article seemed to think that a car designed from scratch with the idea of batteries, centre of gravity etc. would be a superior design to one that had been converted. Whether it's a significant difference commercially has yet to be seen, but Tesla do seem to have generated a fan base on the strength of their design, not just on Musk being involved.

VRD

Probably a bigger issue is that the existing volume manufacturers know a bit about Design for Manufacturability.
A lot of effort goes into the car design not just for its performance on the road, but to make it easy to make, service, and indeed to tear down for recycling at the end of life. These aspects of design are hidden from the casual observer, but would show up in things like the ease of volume ramp up....

[odysseus2000]

I remember reading somewhere (sorry, no reference) that the fundamental difference was that Tesla designed its electric cars as electric cars, whereas VW etc took an existing ICE car and modified it to retrofit an electric drive. Whilst that may or may not be a big deal, they article seemed to think that a car designed from scratch with the idea of batteries, centre of gravity etc. would be a superior design to one that had been converted. Whether it's a significant difference commercially has yet to be seen, but Tesla do seem to have generated a fan base on the strength of their design, not just on Musk being involved.

VRD

Not only did Tesla create a car designed for battery electric from the beginning, they also made it much stronger than all other cars in its class as evidenced by crash test data, and also the Model 3 was designed for ease of manufacture & simultaneously they developed their own battery making technology. The result is a car that is lusted after by many who have been prepared to wait a long time to get one.

It is still not clear if Tesla can continue the rate of manufacturing growth they did in the last quarter & many believe that they can't, but if they do...

Regards,

[PeterGray]

I used to do a lot of caving, and I've been involved, peripherally, in a few rescues (none diving thankfully). I've seen the pictures of the inside of the cave and of Musk's mini sub or whatever. There is no way something that size, and that inflexible would have been any use in Thailand. Just think for a second - the divers had to carry their oxygen cylinders in front of them in places as the passages are too narrow, and the divers are flexible and able to bend to follow the very narrow and bending passages. The suggestion that an amateur's back of an envelope idea would be useful shows either massive lack of basic research or massive arrogance, or both. The real effect of the "offer", and I suspect the real motivation was PR, and to enthuse the Musk fanbase.

Peter

[BobbyD]

Not only did Tesla create a car designed for battery electric from the beginning, they also made it much stronger than all other cars in its class as evidenced by crash test data, and also the Model 3 was designed for ease of manufacture

If the model 3 is designed for ease of manufacture either the design completely failed to fulfil its brief or Tesla must be really really bad at manufacturing.

[odysseus2000]

BobbyD
f the model 3 is designed for ease of manufacture either the design completely failed to fulfil its brief or Tesla must be really really bad at manufacturing.

Or it might just be teething troubles before full production begins.

If you look at the best historical precedent, imho Henry Ford, one expects a lumpy slow start followed by acceleration & if Musk is anything like right on the opportunities in making manufacturing more efficient substantially more than legacy.

I find this kind of slow lumpy start always with my small scale production. I always find problems as I start to make stuff & then as I find solutions things go a lot faster. When you have lots of skilled folk looking at things & optimising one can get huge gains in production. E.g. if you look at how UK armament production were scaled in both world wars the increase in yield in a very short time scale were extraordinary.

As in all Investing, one has to look at where things might get, not where they are now.

Regards,