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Putting the Tesla HEPA Filter and Bioweapon Defense Mode to the Test

teslamotors.com

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Re: Putting the Tesla HEPA Filter and Bioweapon Defense Mode to the Test

#61

Post by varjag »

kitsunesoba wrote: post #45
xchaotic wrote: post #43

What TFA doesn't mention is where the actual pollution happens - at the factories producing batteries with dangerous chemical such as lithium, and where the electricity is produced - coal power stations, or if renewables are used, where the renewables are manufactured - for example rare earth minerals such as gallium needed for solar panels being mined in conflict zones with no environment regulation. Yes sometimes t…

The difference is that electricity can be produced any number of ways, not just by burning coal, and if some amazing eco-friendly battery alternative appears at some point in the future, existing EVs can easily be retrofitted with them. On the other hand, a fossil fuel vehicle bought today will still be a fossil fuel vehicle 100 years from now, regardless of technological advancements. No, EVs aren't perfect and may…

Yes, I always shrug reading convoluted arguments like that. In Norway all of the grid power comes from hydro, so the (sizeable by now) fleet of EVs does have zero carbon footprint without any fine print.

Re: Putting the Tesla HEPA Filter and Bioweapon Defense Mode to the Test

#62

Post by ryan_j_naughton »

ck2 wrote: post #42

This is impressive but worries me that one day this will be used as excuse to allow excessive pollution. The average person in China right now need this. Let's hope that the USA doesn't get to the point where this level of pollution is in the air because people who are well-off and control industry all have these cars to drive and be driven around in that filter the air so heavily for them, so it doesn't matter to th…

we see this happen in countries with poor security records. Rich people get high quality private security and then they care less about supporting the police. Similarly with water quality in many countries where rich/middle class people get water delivered. It is in the public interest to not allow the wealthy to internalize these externalities only for themselves so that they focus the government resources towards solving them for everyone.

Re: Putting the Tesla HEPA Filter and Bioweapon Defense Mode to the Test

#64

Post by tudorw »

PhasmaFelis wrote: post #60
joshontheweb wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speaking of that scene. I've always been skeptical that a jet could drag big balloons away like that. Seems like a lot of weight/drag to load on on the front tip of the plane.

Also, I suspect that a stylized batwing shape may not, in fact, be optimally aerodynamic.

Bats fly pretty good !

Re: Putting the Tesla HEPA Filter and Bioweapon Defense Mode to the Test

#65

Post by forgetsusername »

viraptor wrote: post #51
sndean wrote: post #23

Why couldn't they have just left it as "it's a really good air filter"? If you're in the vicinity of bioweapon aerosol, the particles will possibly still be present in air once you get out or will have coated your car. Also, for some of these organisms, you only need to inhale So, unless Tesla plans on packing powered air purifying respirators [2] in their cars, this is a gimmick. [1] http://www.asm.org/ccLibraryFile…

I think people read it too literally right now. If you say some road bollard is so strong it could survive a bomb explosion you usually don't expect bomb explosions. It's just that it survives large forces. This system stops particles as small as ones that could be used in bio weapons. It's a theoretic comparison, not a warfare ad.

>I think people read it too literally right now.

Did you even read the article? It literally says this:

"Bioweapon Defense Mode is not a marketing statement, it is real. You can literally survive a military grade bio attack by sitting in your car."

Re: Putting the Tesla HEPA Filter and Bioweapon Defense Mode to the Test

#66

Post by forgetsusername »

gambiting wrote: post #56
crdb wrote: post #12

Brilliant marketing: 1. get people worried about something they previously didn't care about; 2. as a solution, add a new part to the car that will need frequent replacement and maintenance, thereby increasing the CLV.

I don't think that's completely true. I come from the Polish Silesia region which is full of heavy industry, and in my absolutely normal car I had to replace the cabin air filter every 6 months - it was just black with soot. Now I live in the UK and in my car here I've had the same filter for 2 years now and it's almost brand new - the difference in air pollution is massive and is definitely something I care about. A…

>the difference in air pollution is massive and is definitely something I care about.

The one hour you spend in your car daily probably isn't going to mitigate what you're breathing in every day outside the car, if that's something you care about.

Re: Putting the Tesla HEPA Filter and Bioweapon Defense Mode to the Test

#67

Post by StanislavPetrov »

PhasmaFelis wrote: post #57
StanislavPetrov wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would depend on your definition of a "bioweapon". How many people have to be killed by a toxic substance injected into the air to consider it a weapon? 1.2 million people died in China alone in 2010 from air pollution. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/world/asia/air-pollution-l...

Weapons are defined by intent, not body count.

Criminal negligence doesn't require intent. If you fire your gun into the air because you are a jackass, and the bullet comes down somewhere and kills someone, the gun is still a weapon, even though you had no intent to kill.

Re: Putting the Tesla HEPA Filter and Bioweapon Defense Mode to the Test

#68

Post by forgetsusername »

ryan_j_naughton wrote: post #62
ck2 wrote: post #42

This is impressive but worries me that one day this will be used as excuse to allow excessive pollution. The average person in China right now need this. Let's hope that the USA doesn't get to the point where this level of pollution is in the air because people who are well-off and control industry all have these cars to drive and be driven around in that filter the air so heavily for them, so it doesn't matter to th…

we see this happen in countries with poor security records. Rich people get high quality private security and then they care less about supporting the police. Similarly with water quality in many countries where rich/middle class people get water delivered. It is in the public interest to not allow the wealthy to internalize these externalities only for themselves so that they focus the government resources towards s…

>Rich people get high quality private security and then they care less about supporting the police.

Do you really think that "rich people" will disregard air pollution because their car provides filtered, clean air?

Re: Putting the Tesla HEPA Filter and Bioweapon Defense Mode to the Test

#69

Post by icebraining »

jessaustin wrote: post #21
tn13 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Elon Musk's rich people's gadgets are heavily subsidized by American government (read average Americans). American government is paying around $8k per car to Musk. A lot of this money seems to be wasted to adding swag to this car that gets Musk some positive PR if nothing else. It is stupid to point out that this might help China or some other polluted country, why should Americans pay for it ? Very likely China will…

I thought it was just a tax credit? That's very different than "American government is paying". It's more like, "American government admits that taxpayer has put money to a better purpose than American government would have."

Regardless of tn13's overall point, there's no economic difference between a tax credit and a subsidy AFAIK. It's just politically easier to grant the former.

Re: Putting the Tesla HEPA Filter and Bioweapon Defense Mode to the Test

#70

Post by forgetsusername »

tristanj wrote: post #36
tn13 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is Tesla making cars for Indonesia, Singapore or China currently? Surely there are problem all over the planet but I don't see why American government must subsidize solving those problems.

GM, Ford, and Chrysler receive billions in subsidies. During the 2008 Auto crisis the US gave those three $70 billion to keep them afloat. The US subsidizes its car companies. It also spends tens of billions subsidizing Boeing, Intel, Lockheed-Martin, IBM, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and various airlines. Telsa, like many other companies, also receives subsidies. So what? There's nothing special going on here.

>During the 2008 Auto crisis the US gave those three $70 billion to keep them afloat.

Sold equity for it.

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