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Tesla Adds Titanium Underbody Shield and Aluminum Deflector Plates to Model S

teslamotors.com

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Re: Tesla Adds Titanium Underbody Shield and Aluminum Deflector Plates to Model S

#391

Post by unclebucknasty »

stcredzero wrote: post #380
refurb wrote: post #379

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is not just PR. That is damned amazing engineering. Really? Choosing a high-strength material, turning it into a sheet and bolting it to the bottom of a car is "damned amazing engineering"?

No, but the survivability of the passenger in the story is evidence of such.

You're missing the point. This discussion is about the announcement that is the topic of this thread.

The survivability of the passenger is amazing engineering. That happened pre-announcement.

Re: Tesla Adds Titanium Underbody Shield and Aluminum Deflector Plates to Model S

#392

Post by visakanv »

kome wrote: post #382
visakanv wrote: post #378

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure what you're getting at. =\ If you have anything thoughtful to bring up, I'd love to hear it and we could have a constructive discussion.

Ok now I'm not sure anymore you were ironic. Do you really believe that Singapore is a positive example?

Yeah, I wasn't trying to be ironic. I think the comparison is reasonably apt. I think LKY's stewardship of Singapore mirrors Steve Jobs' of Apple and Elon Musk's of Tesla. I think all of them had a clear idea about what needed to be done, and they did it, in a way that could be described as obsessive or pathalogical. I'm trying to be descriptive rather than prescriptive.

I think "positive example" is too vague a term. What do you mean by positive example?

Re: Tesla Adds Titanium Underbody Shield and Aluminum Deflector Plates to Model S

#393

Post by PhasmaFelis »

baddox wrote: post #250
RyanMcGreal wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cost-benefit analysis, psychopath style.

In all honesty, how would you recommend doing cost benefit analysis for a car manufacturer? There will always be safety risks to the drivers, after all.

Are you serious? A non-psychopath might start by assigning a nonzero value to human life.

Re: Tesla Adds Titanium Underbody Shield and Aluminum Deflector Plates to Model S

#394

Post by baddox »

PhasmaFelis wrote: post #393
baddox wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In all honesty, how would you recommend doing cost benefit analysis for a car manufacturer? There will always be safety risks to the drivers, after all.

Are you serious? A non-psychopath might start by assigning a nonzero value to human life.

I see two issues with your comment. First, the quoted formula doesn't assume a zero value for human life. Second, even if you assign an explicit finite value to human life, a lot of people will call that psychopathic.

Re: Tesla Adds Titanium Underbody Shield and Aluminum Deflector Plates to Model S

#395

Post by dclowd9901 »

tlrobinson wrote: post #385
alex_doom wrote: post #355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seen their safety video they play in lieu of the flight attendants talking? Great job.

I find those videos obnoxious after seeing them the first couple times.

Indeed; the video is a bit grating (it goes on forever, and the guy speaks so slowly). But the terminal experience, the quality of the interior of the planes themselves, the entertainment options are all miles above (pun not intended) the rest.

Re: Tesla Adds Titanium Underbody Shield and Aluminum Deflector Plates to Model S

#396

Post by PhasmaFelis »

baddox wrote: post #394
PhasmaFelis wrote: post #393

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you serious? A non-psychopath might start by assigning a nonzero value to human life.

I see two issues with your comment. First, the quoted formula doesn't assume a zero value for human life. Second, even if you assign an explicit finite value to human life, a lot of people will call that psychopathic.

> First, the quoted formula doesn't assume a zero value for human life.

I suppose technically it could value human life at a million zillion and three, but it's irrelevant because that value appears nowhere in the equation.

> Second, even if you assign an explicit finite value to human life, a lot of people will call that psychopathic.

I said "nonzero," not "finite." I suppose I should have said "positive." Nitpicking aside, the point is that being utterly indifferent to the life or death of innocents, except where it may directly threaten your net worth, is pretty psychopathic.

Re: Tesla Adds Titanium Underbody Shield and Aluminum Deflector Plates to Model S

#397

Post by Tossrock »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #370
Tossrock wrote: post #340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is actually what Elon Musk has explicitly said: http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/secret-tesla-motors-master-p... "1. Build sports car 2. Use that money to build an affordable car 3. Use that money to build an even more affordable car"

Yes, but you're assuming those affordable cars are for purchase. If Elon can make them self-driving, you get the benefit of never having all the expenses that go with vehicle ownership, and he makes the spread between an expensive electric transportation appliance and people paying dirt cheap rates to get from A->B (because electric is so much cheaper per mile than petroleum).

What? I'm not assuming anything. All I did was post a link to Elon Musk's own words.

Re: Tesla Adds Titanium Underbody Shield and Aluminum Deflector Plates to Model S

#399

Post by johnward »

lotsofmangos wrote: post #292
swimfar wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the concerns of the aluminum body panels on the new F-150 is specific to this segment (trucks). Utility vehicles are expected to take more abuse. Getting hit with tools/logs/ladders/etc. isn't uncommon and people are afraid their truck will look like a golf ball after a year. The main drawback of aluminum body panels is that it's difficult (i.e. expensive) to make them. I would imaging fatigue (from vibration…

Land-Rover have been using aluminium body panels since 1948, and they can deal with untold amounts of abuse and still keep going. You just swap out the panels when they get too dented.

I think that aluminum holds up better against dings like a car door hitting your door.

Re: Tesla Adds Titanium Underbody Shield and Aluminum Deflector Plates to Model S

#400

Post by johnward »

hnnewguy wrote: post #372
johnward wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Plane goes missing and it's the top story of every news cast. It's sad but there are so many other issues in the world right now that outweigh a missing plane. The news can sell that plane though.

> It's sad but there are so many other issues in the world right now that outweigh a missing plan A plane ? How about a plane with 200+ innocent, unsuspecting people on board goes missing, and all are now presumed dead ? It's woefully ignorant to think the story is about the plane.

It's sad no doubt but in the grand scheme of things 200 people dying is not much compared to the number of people dying each day. It's just that it scares people more because it could have been us on that plane. Someone I didn't know that works for my company was on that plane, so that hits kind of close to home. How many millions of people day every day because they don't have access to clean water? I'm just saying that the news (especially in the US) will sell whatever can get them the most eyeballs and ignore much bigger issues.
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