Month: January 2020

Roots and Roads of Roadster

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Tesla released the original roadster in 2008 and with it the beginning of the evolution of the auto industry. The original Roadster is quite different from today’s Tesla’s but without it the Tesla of today would not exist. 

The original roadster was a one of a kind marvel that was ahead of its time. It allowed people who had the means to own a car that allowed them to experience the future of a sports car. This was a pivotal step to providing funds to allow tesla to grow and develop what we know as the Model S today. 

Since then they have become cars of legend. Sort after by the Tesla fold and a wonder when driven by those not aware of what electric cars can do. They performed ahead of their class and gave insights to the future Tesla company. 

Of course, their road to completion was not without its issues. Delays that were long due to changes with design and development. Tesla also had to contend with money challenges and perception that electric cars where not even close to the combustion engine. 

But here we are many years later with Tesla being a global phenomenon and the roadster being the car that started it all. 

So, what’s next for the original roadster and what does this car mean to the future of Tesla. The original roadster in recent times has started to get some love from Tesla after many years of being ignored. They now have the ability to get serviced and parts directly from tesla where earlier on in the last decade that service was superseded after the Model S and Model X became the champions of the Tesla Cause. However, they have now been welcomed back and are improving the life and functions of the original tesla as they become to be considered classic cars of the electric car world. 

So, is this all there is for the Roadster name? The answer is no as the New Roadster was announced in late 2017 at the SEMI reveal when it rolled of the back of the truck trailer to the surprise of everyone. Just as the introduction of the Original roadster had been small the opposite could be said of the new roadster.

The car looked as if it was from the future and the specifications made it one of the fastest, sports cars ever conceived. As Elon musk has said “this is a smack down” to all super cars around the world. 

The design of the car is beautiful and has become iconic amongst electric car owners as the benchmark for any future electric sports car. As the original was to help grow the company the new roadster is to prove that electrification is here to stay and will outperform, out innovate and inspire the next generation of car buyers globally. 

The future of the roadster name is bright and 2020 will be the year that this car excites those that have purchased their ticket to ride. 

Dave 

Written by David McCann

Rating: 1 out of 5.

EV-HQ Polls

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Image courtesy of Tesla.com

I recently put a poll up on twitter asking the Question;

“In your opinion what is the best tesla on Price, Versatility and usability”

The options provided where the :

  • Roadster,
  • Model S,
  • Model 3
  • Model X

All current released vehicles by Tesla.

The following results were obtained. 

At first glance I would have said that the Model X and Model S would have led the charge on this as they have been around the longest and have delivered many great reviews. However, the strong leader by a large margin was the Model 3. 

I was intrigued however by the strong response of the Roadster. As the original roadster was beloved by those that owned this amazing car it surprises me that the respondents said it was on par with Model X. The Model X is a crown jewel for Tesla and comparing the original Roadster with the Model X is high praise.

What this does show is that from the 22 responders the Model 3 is living up to expectations. It has great cargo capacity. It has good range and also has the same comfortable seating to carry a family easily. It is the last item that i believe makes this car the reason for the great response. It is a good family car. This is the main reason that i believe most people are buying it. An electric car that finally makes family sense.

I hope this provides some simple insights into the perceptions of the Tesla Vehicles from the general public. 

I will be doing these polls once a month. So please let me know what you’re thinking about and if you have any ideas for new polls let me know and I will put it in the field. 

Thanks 

Dave 

2020 Tesla Semi

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Image courtesy of Tesla.com
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=2ahUKEwjf5LmMmIPnAhWLaCsKHZFqArIQtwIwAHoECAoQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5RRmepp7i5g&usg=AOvVaw1WQFtjWiDbk3IJQV6rmU5A

The Tesla SEMI was announced with great fanfare by Tesla in late 2017. Since then there have been a number of sightings across USA of the test vehicles being put through their paces. They have also been used as demonstration vehicles for companies looking to purchase the all-electric Semi truck for their fleets. 

These are the companies who have placed orders for the Tesla Semi so far:

  1. Walmart: One of the first major companies to reserve the trucks, the retailer has made aggressive investments in technology in recent years as part of its effort to compete with Amazon.
  2. Pepsi: Pepsi previously had the largest Semi order, reserving 100 trucks in December.
  3. Anheuser-Busch: The brewer announced it ordered 40 Semis in December.
  4. FedEx: The transportation service announced that it reserved 20 Semis in March.
  5. Sysco: The food distributor has reserved 50 Semis.
  6. UPS: The delivery company placed the largest Semi order to date, reserving 125 trucks in December.
  7. DHL: The transportation and logistics company has reserved 10 Semis to add to its fleet.
  8. Meijer: Based in Michigan, the grocery chain has ordered four of the electric trucks.
  9. Ryder: The transportation company reserved an unspecified number of Semis in November.
  10. J.B. Hunt: The trucking company is set to purchase “multiple” Semis, but hasn’t revealed the exact number.
  11. Asko: The Norwegian food distribution company has ordered 10 Semis.
  12. Posten Norge: The Norwegian postal service ordered an unspecified number of Semis.
  13. Flexport: Ryan Peterson, the freight company’s CEO, announced the company has ordered one Semi.
  14. JK Moving: The independent moving company has reserved four Semis.
  15. Loblaw: After ordering 25 Semis, the Canadian supermarket chain announced plans to make its trucking fleet 100% electric by 2030.
  16. Fercam: Based in Italy, the trucking company has reserved a single Semi.
  17. Girteka Logistics: Not to be outdone by Fercam, the European transportation company also announced its plans to invest in one of Tesla’s electric trucks.
  18. Fortigo Freight Services: The Canadian logistics company reserved one Semi.
  19. Best Transportation: The shipping company also ordered one Semi.
  20. Mecca & Son Trucking: According to Jalopnik, this trucking company has reserved one Semi.
  21. TCI Transportation: The truck rental and leasing company has reserved 50 Semis.
  22. City Furniture: The furniture retailer has reserved five Semis.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/companies-that-ordered-tesla-semi-2017-12?r=US&IR=T

As can be seen there are a number of large corporations that have taken the time and initiative to see that the future is electric.

Just today I was looking at tweets from @Brett_Swanson7 who explained that he is looking forward to the SEMI due to the fact that “this one product will have the greatest environmental impact over any other product in world history”.

Brett has a significant point here and one that cannot be denied. Currently to move goods across large distances there are three ways. By air, by sea and by land. I want to focus on the land element. The vehicles that are used to travel across land are trucks. 

This one product will have the greatest environmental impact over any other product in world history

@Brett_Swanson7

Due to large populations and limited amounts of space on most trucks there has to be large fleets on the road at any given time. We are talking thousands of trucks across any one continent and many more when considering global population. What this means is large amounts of Carbon dioxide (CO2) being pumped into the air from exhaust fumes. 

Photo by Tom Fisk on Pexels.com

The point that Brett is highlighting is that to remove CO2 producing vehicles from the road and replace them with electric vehicles, like the Tesla SEMI, we then start to have a significant impact to the global warming and environmental impacts that are becoming more apparent every day. 

Just recently with the bush fires in Australia we have seen the ongoing impacts of an increase in global temperatures and a reduction of rain across land masses which has allowed the land to become extremely dry and easily catch fire. What most forget is that trees are the main devices to help remove carbon dioxide from the air. By having over 5 million hectres burn they not only release smoke but also the contained carbon dioxide within the trees into the atmosphere.

Any assistance, we as a global society can do to help this reduce is helping mother earth heal and better combat the issue we currently face. 

In no way will it be the only thing that will help but Tesla is uniquely qualified to assist with the uptake of the Semi and other electric cars. 

Image courtesy of Tesla.com

I believe the Semi can allow for many global companies to provide improved transportation between destinations whilst contributing to the evolution of clean vehicles and ultimately drive the future environment back to health. 

Dave 

Written by David McCann 14/01/2020

Rating: 1 out of 5.

2020 Predictions

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Photo by Roberto Nickson on Pexels.com

Looking back on the past decade it is easy to say that Tesla has led the way with the invigoration of the Electric Car industry. With their lineup of vehicles currently in production and the possibilities this decade will bring puts Tesla in the driver’s seat for 2020. 

Tesla is not just a Car Company it is a Tech Company

David McCann
Ev-hq.com

The plan that Elon originally conceived 

  • Build a sports car 
  • Use the money to build an affordable car
  • Use that money to build an even more affordable car
  • While doing the above, also provide zero emission electric power generations options. 

This plan was in itself simple to say but for Tesla over the last 10 years has proven that to perform as a car company is difficult and challenging. But as has been said many times Tesla is not just a car company it is a tech company and is and has been behaving like that since the start. What this has allowed them to do is shake up an industry that has needed an injection of life and innovation. 

The introduction of the all-electric car by Tesla all those years ago was ahead of its time for sure but I wonder if Elon and the tesla team knew then that it would be so profound 10 years later. 

Current cars

When the Roadster was released it was unique, inspirational and hinted at what tesla could achieve when given the right tools. This car again led to greater things when the Tesla released the Model S and then the Model X. These cars according to the original master plan where parts of steps 2. They achieved with the introduction of the Model 3, step 3. Whilst they were creating these award-winning vehicles Tesla was also building large Gigafactory’s, innovating and deploying energy generation and storage capability to many areas around the globe. 

Those that believe the last 10 years that has seen Tesla go from a small car company to a global phenomenon was just a fluke and is not possible to continue their run of great success may find that the next decade gives them many reasons to pause. 

Predictions

Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com

Now as we head into the 2020’s it is important to make some predictions about what they may look like for tesla and electric vehicles. Tesla has a number of projects that 2020 and beyond will show that they are well advanced in the next couple of years. The introduction of the Model Y, Cybertruck, New Roadster and the Semi are just the start of the potential for Tesla over the next couple of years. 

Having watched Tesla for a number of years I have a few ideas of what I think they may do over the coming years 

Proliferation

Remembering that the mission statement of tesla is to increase the proliferation of electric vehicles I believe their biggest objective for this decade is to continue to build new Gigafactory’s like the one in china in other areas of the globe that will increase sales and electric vehicle uptake. Tesla has already proven they can do this in a timeframe unheard of before so this should occur in the next couple of years. 

Remember the mission statement….

david Mccann
ev-hq.com

Deliveries

When the new vehicles are released, they will continue to drive sales and proliferation however deliveries are essential to improve the process. Knowing that Tesla is an innovation company I believe they will find a way to have cars delivered to the home instead of picking up at the Delivery Centre as a first choice rather than an exception. This will allow for less over heads and more deliveries in decentralized areas. 

New Vehicles

Tesla has shown it can respond to different vehicle categories and I believe this will continue to occur. First, they disrupted the sedan luxury market. They then upset the Average driver market. Soon they will disrupt the SUV market followed quickly by the supercar market. They have the potential with the SEMI to disrupt the trucking industry and they might have the same effect with the Cyber truck. 

Autopilot and Full Self driving

Elon has been quoted many times that we should be afraid of artificial intelligence (AI) and yet he runs one of the companies that is using machine learning and A.I. to build an essential element to the Tesla fleet with Full self-driving. I believe that Full self-driving will be one of the defining factors that will put Tesla ahead of the rest of the field. It will also have implications in how AI is used within all devices moving forward. They will set the tone for what is required. 

Image courtesy of Evannex

These predictions and ideas are not necessarily new and have been discussed in some way in the past. I believe that this is the decade where Tesla really doubles down on their ideas and will exit the decade with amazing new vehicles and software that is without equal. 

Dave

Written by David McCann
14/01/2020

Rating: 1 out of 5.