Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

engadget.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

171–180 of 281 posts

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#171

Post by RutZap »

obilgic wrote: post #162
sixQuarks wrote: post #121

I would say Elon Musk is the greatest entrepreneur of the past century - even more so than Steve Jobs. He simultaneously created three separate companies, all in extremely complex industries, and combined all of them into one overall strategy. The precision manufacturing they learned with Space X is incorporated into the Tesla S. Their aim is to make the Model S the most reliable and problem-free vehicle due to this…

Interestingly I was expecting him to have much better presentation/communication skills though. I guess being an successful entrepreneur has nothing to do with that.

I noticed that... he does lack some communication skills but .. in the end, the important thing is what you say and what you do, not how you say it. There are a lot of entrepreneurs out there with very good presentation skills and use a lot of buzzwords and get everybody excited but in the end, they don't produce anything. Facts before words do it for me and this guy won me with his presentation :D

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#172

Post by aik »

w1ntermute wrote: post #51

Come on, 30 minutes for a charge that'll get you just 180 miles? I just checked the 2012 Honda Civic specs[0], you can fill up with 13.2 gallons in 2 or 3 minutes, and that'll get you 13.2*32 mpg combined = 422 miles. There's no way this is gonna work unless the charging process is much faster or they swap batteries instead. 0: http://www.edmunds.com/honda/civic/2012/road-test-specs.html

New entrants into markets with innovative new technologies often have products that are worse off in many areas than existing companies (ie. existing gas car companies), however are vastly superior in some specific new way(s).

That is true for this product. The expectation I bet is that the technology will continue to evolve, and will over time improve to the point of overtaking the incumbents on more and more key metrics until gas cars just won't be able to compete any more. Tesla is betting on the fact that their value proposition is good enough today (or within 3-5 years) to allow them to gain enough market share in whatever vertical they're starting with (e.g. luxury every-day sport vehicles) to really cause a major disruption -- and expand from there.

Key reference from: The Innovators Dilemma

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#173

Post by jaggederest »

Swizec wrote: post #169
kamaal wrote: post #136

The arguments in this thread are amusing to say at the least. 30 minute charging times, high prices of Tesla cars. Yes all that is true. But this was never about 'Electric cars are awesome now'. I'm pretty sure cars during and before pre Henry Ford times were not very great in terms of their overall affordability, total cost of ownership and availability of fuel all around the country. You could trust your horse to d…

From what I understand 30 minute charging is amazing . To paraphrase Richard Hammond: "Forgetting something at home when I go to work would be a 2 day round-trip because it's so far no electric car has the range. I would have to spend one night recharging the car somewhere in the middle" His problem has just been solved. Sure, it might take him 3.5 hours (random number) instead of just 3. But that's insanely better t…

Honestly, electric cars are never going to be completely practical for people with a daily commute beyond 150 miles or so.

But if you're commuting 3 hours a day total, you have bigger issues with your life, to be honest. Move closer to where you commute!

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#174

Post by kamaal »

richardw wrote: post #146
ph0rque wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another possible revenue stream is free for Tesla owners, and not free for other electric cars that support the "nozzle" (if Tesla allows others to use the same nozzle design).

If Tesla doesn't let others to use their connector, they're doing themselves a huge dis-service. We need to start off with one standard. Imagine if every petrol station had connectors for different cars, or you had to look for a special station that fit your car? Nightmare.

>>If Tesla doesn't let others to use their connector

It must be the other way around. If you want free power, design your car to use their connector standards.

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#175

Post by madisp »

jaggederest wrote: post #173
Swizec wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I understand 30 minute charging is amazing . To paraphrase Richard Hammond: "Forgetting something at home when I go to work would be a 2 day round-trip because it's so far no electric car has the range. I would have to spend one night recharging the car somewhere in the middle" His problem has just been solved. Sure, it might take him 3.5 hours (random number) instead of just 3. But that's insanely better t…

Honestly, electric cars are never going to be completely practical for people with a daily commute beyond 150 miles or so. But if you're commuting 3 hours a day total, you have bigger issues with your life, to be honest. Move closer to where you commute!

I'd say a 150+ mile daily commute isn't practical :)

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#176

Post by reitzensteinm »

jaggederest wrote: post #173
Swizec wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I understand 30 minute charging is amazing . To paraphrase Richard Hammond: "Forgetting something at home when I go to work would be a 2 day round-trip because it's so far no electric car has the range. I would have to spend one night recharging the car somewhere in the middle" His problem has just been solved. Sure, it might take him 3.5 hours (random number) instead of just 3. But that's insanely better t…

Honestly, electric cars are never going to be completely practical for people with a daily commute beyond 150 miles or so. But if you're commuting 3 hours a day total, you have bigger issues with your life, to be honest. Move closer to where you commute!

Never? You're telling me that in a thousand years, we won't have electric cars able to sustain a 300 mile daily commute?

This isn't a discussion of if. It's a discussion of when.

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#177

Post by patrickk »

marshray wrote: post #127
jlgreco wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If there is anything this continent (or world, for that matter) is lacking, it is space. That said, I think we should be plastering the land we already use with solar panels. Might as well put all those rooftops to use. I also think there is likely a lot to see in the future of non-panel-type solar. That generally involves a much larger or smaller scope than panels though, "medium" sized doesn't work well.

If there is anything this continent (or world, for that matter) is lacking, it is space. Have you ever looked at satellite views of the US? There are massive deserts just begging for the shade of some solar panels or mirrors. No use in heating up all that sand. It's not so hard to move the energy out of the desert either. Just run wires, or better, relocate an aluminum smelter from the grid to out near the solar arra…

> It's not so hard to move the energy out of the desert either.

It's tougher than you realise. Energy is lost when transmitting power over long distances - like from a desert to an urban area. I'm not an expert but as I understand it there are major challenges. A lot of solar installations tend to be located where the power is used (next to data centres, on people's roofs).

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#178

Post by Keyframe »

tinco wrote: post #170
Keyframe wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I agree that his moves (he) are brilliant, we still have to see widespread impact of his companies apart from PR waves. What I like most about his companies is they share a common vision that, at least to us outsiders, gives a notion of futurism combined with altruism and hardcore business. Rare event.

Ehh no. Paypal obviously had and still has a huge impact on global ecommerce. SpaceX launched a rocket into space and landed a contract with Nasa. And Tesla set up a factory line producing fully electric cars for (rich) consumers. Elon Musk is without a doubt one of the greatest entrepreneurs ever.

Ehh no 2. I wasn't talking about Paypal, but current companies. And you can hardly attribute Paypal to Elon Musk alone, if anyone individualized it would be Peter Thiel.

Anyways, SpaceX is a huge endeavour as is Tesla motors and green energy project on the side. Most remarkable thing is a close loop those companies feed on each others achievements. That is without dispute. However, there is absolutely no widespread impact from all of this yet apart from PR waves. What it could be, and hopefully will be, is that either those group of companies have a widespread reach or (even more hopefully) those PR waves will incite similar movements across those industries it touches.

As for one of the greatest entrepreneur ever - competition is strong and large. While successful and visionary, his efforts are yet to come to full fruition where he might be among the greats. So far, it's all great business and great prospect. It could land among greatest entrepreneurs ever when/if those companies approach widespread impact of the likes of Ford, Dow, Siemens, Bell, etc...

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#179

Post by SudarshanP »

madisp wrote: post #175
jaggederest wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, electric cars are never going to be completely practical for people with a daily commute beyond 150 miles or so. But if you're commuting 3 hours a day total, you have bigger issues with your life, to be honest. Move closer to where you commute!

I'd say a 150+ mile daily commute isn't practical :)

Maybe with the hyperloop even 150 miles will be "nearby" someday. See http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musks-hyper-loop-2012-9

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#180

Post by SudarshanP »

Keyframe wrote: post #178
tinco wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ehh no. Paypal obviously had and still has a huge impact on global ecommerce. SpaceX launched a rocket into space and landed a contract with Nasa. And Tesla set up a factory line producing fully electric cars for (rich) consumers. Elon Musk is without a doubt one of the greatest entrepreneurs ever.

Ehh no 2. I wasn't talking about Paypal, but current companies. And you can hardly attribute Paypal to Elon Musk alone, if anyone individualized it would be Peter Thiel. Anyways, SpaceX is a huge endeavour as is Tesla motors and green energy project on the side. Most remarkable thing is a close loop those companies feed on each others achievements. That is without dispute. However, there is absolutely no widespread i…

SpaceX means either lesser tax money spent on space travel for same output or more space travel for same budget. Isn't that enough impact already?
Post reply on HN