Month: February 2020

Australian GigaFactory #GigaOz

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Could this be possible.

Could Australia have a Gigafactory to call their own. Let’s not rule it out. In my tweet on the 10th February to Elon of which he responded the talk after this extended itself to a possibility that a Gigafactory in Australia would be possible. 

Now of course Elon has not confirmed or denied any possibility of this happening, but I am one who believes there is merit in the idea. 

Australia has proven in the last couple of years that it is capable of utilizing Tesla technology to produce some amazing results especially in the area of power generation and storage. The Adelaide battery that was supplied by tesla has proven to be a great success. It has supplanted the power generation I Adelaide for the last couple of years with such great effect that they have now installed a second such system to continue the great work. 

Currently in Australia there are no vehicle Manufacturers, and with that car prices are at the mercy of the import taxes and fees. This adds a large amount to the value of the car and the hip pocket of the person. 

The introduction of a Giga Factory could be one such way to grow Tesla’s footprint with vehicle manufacturing but also tesla power products. 

Tesla current Super chargers footprint

Australia has had a prolific uptake of solar energy products and have recently started to gain interest in the power storage market for home batteries. 

If Tesla was able to build a Gigafactory in Australia they could not only focus on Car production but also on solar, batteries, etc. This would allow Tesla to utilize Australia as a home base for production of Right-hand drive vehicles as they are within close proximity to the countries that are Right hand drive. 

Australians want for solar products make it a market ripe for the picking with the Tesla batteries and Solar products among the best and most competitive in the world. 

This in combination to close proximity to vital minerals and ores in Australia that are part of the battery cell production would make Australia well suited to address a number of requirements for tesla to truly consider Australia as a viable option. 

As has been the past experiences with Tesla they have worked with government and business alike and all experiences from the lay persons perspective has been positive and uplifting. 

It is time Australia stopped dragging its feet and started to lead like it had done for the last 100 years in many fields. We have come complacent and lost our get up and go spirit. Tesla and Elon Musk would help to bring new life into a struggling industry, they would be able to employ large numbers of people and we as Australians can finally show the rest of the world that we haven’t given up on the environment, that we haven’t given up on growing our industry and we haven’t given up on the people who desperately need a chance to prove themselves worthy of working for an amazing company with a philosophy greater than itself. 

Elon help Australia feel proud of itself again and bring GigaOz to be a reality. 

Dave 

Written by David McCann 22/02/2020

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Offers of sponsorship and collaboration are welcome.

please contact Dave at electricvehicleHQ@gmail.com, on twitter @evhq2 or on the contact page of EV-HQ.com.

Australian Tesla Prices

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Image courtesy of Tesla

Australian Tesla Prices, 12 days have passed since I received a response to a simple twitter request to Elon Musk. It is incredible that a CEO of a global company is willing to respond to average people like myself. I am a passionate Tesla fan who is driven to see the mission of Tesla realized. 

To accelerate the worlds transition to sustainable energy. 

The only way I am able to currently assist with this is to spread the stories and information about Electric Vehicles to the greater community across Australia and the Globe. 12 Days ago, Elon gave me assistance to achieve this very goal.

I also wish to be able to transition my own house and family to utilizing Sustainable energy and vehicles. As I explained in my tweet to Elon the cost of Tesla’s in Australia is not within the reach of the average Australian. With a starting point of the base model 3 with no Full Self Driving is $71512. (Australian Dollars) This is a hefty sum for anyone to swallow. 

In comparison, in the United States the price of the same car is $39990 (US Dollars). When this is converted using the conversion rate of $1.51 us dollars to the Australian dollar the conversion cost equates to $60385(Australian Dollars). 

Australian Tesla Prices

Comparison between USD and AUD for Model 3 Tesla

So, the question needs to be asked what is the difference of $11127 used for?

According to the Australian Bureau of statistics (https://www.ato.gov.au/rates/key-superannuation-rates-and-thresholds/?page=40 ) the average wage in Australia (based upon Average Weekly ordinary time earnings (AWOTE) in June of 2019 of $1634.90 multiplied by 52 weeks of the year equals $85014.80(AUD), before tax. If the taxation rate is approx. 32.5 cents in the dollar for every dollar above $37000. Once this calculation has been completed the approximate amount that one individual will earn is $70000. This sounds like a large number however there is still the home loan/rent, Utilities, Living expenses, Car expenses, schooling for kids, etc. These numbers outline the fact that purchasing a car is not only a big decision, but one primarily driven by the cost.

Australian living expenses have been on the increase in the last 10 years due to a number of reasons least of all that environmental factors are playing their part with long droughts, 100-year storms, flooding and bushfires that are devastating areas of produce and farming.

This impact is felt in the hip pocket of every Australian across the country and that only increases the cost of living expenses and consumes the savings which historically have been put towards the wants rather than the needs. 

If Tesla, and by extension Elon Musk, truly wish to gain traction in Australia there is a real need to drop the price so that the Average Australian family can afford the Model 3. The Model 3 is well suited to the Australian Market. Especially city dwellers. The Cybertruck would be well placed for those who live in the country.

If Elon and Tesla could find a way to reduce the cost of either building or transporting and investigate the $11127 disparity between the US and Australian numbers, I believe the uptake of the Model 3 in Australia would advance greatly. Furthermore, I also believe that the mission that Tesla has prided itself upon would also be realized that much quicker. 

Whilst investigating the above points I also reviewed the comments from the Tweet. I came across a number of people comments who also expressed their challenges with the cost within their countries, these included 

All of these people highlighted their challenges with cost of Tesla’s, however in a number of cases they also voiced that they would buy a Tesla as their next car if they could afford the price.

Australian Tesla Prices.

These are customers in waiting.

Waiting for a price that they can afford and manage on their wages. Their passion for the cars is not wavering but the cost is a real factor. 

I also had a number of people talk about their experience when buying a Tesla at the current prices and outlined that a number of Taxes here in Australia were also considerably high and unnecessary like the “Luxury Car Tax”, which was introduced to assist local car manufacturing. Unfortunately, in recent years all car manufacturing by all big companies has ceased in Australia. This was due in part to a greater acceptance of foreign manufacturers and the improved quality and variety of vehicles on offer. Now that we have no manufacturers and all vehicles are imported this tax serves no purpose. 

So, where to from here so more people can gain access to some amazing environmentally friendly cars and the suite of other products that Tesla has on offer. 

Some ideas include:

  • Tesla
    • Find cost saving s to reduce Model 3 Price
    • Investigate the price differences highlighted above
    • Leasing (suggested by @TeslaGong)
    • Supplying Australia with Giga Shanghai Tesla’s 
    • Compartmentalize features of Tesla’s that can be purchased at a later date
    • Build an Australian Giga Factory #GigaOz
  • Government
    • Incentives (Green rebate)
    • Remove the Luxury car tax from all Electric Vehicles
    • Reduce stamp duty, registration, etc. 

 These changes would have a profound effect on the footprint of Electric vehicles in Australia and also assist people to truly transition to a sustainable energy future. 

Dave

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Appendix ( Comparison between USD and AUD)

The butterfly effect ……11:11

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What a week. 

I posted a tweet that Elon musk responded to and I finally realized why Tesla is important to the global community.

Tesla is a global company that has provided some of the most innovative products for many years within the tech and motor vehicle spheres. Tesla’s ability to continue to move forward against adversity, tough times and financial strain has been a phenomenon. This momentum that Tesla has, is something that can only be measured by the global audience that is trying to go with them as they evolve the motor car industry to see a future that is more environmentally responsible.

On Tuesday I sent a tweet into the twitter verse asking why does the cost of the Model 3 seem to be so much more in Australia than in the USA and maybe a solution to bring down the price was to build a Giga factory in Australia. This suggestion was to highlight the cost of the cars in Australia, but also to show that Australia has no major car manufacturer in Australia, and they could be the first major Electric vehicle producer in Australia. This would allow for greater price competition and uptake of electric vehicles. 

I had no delusions that it would be another tweet that got a few comments and likes but nothing more. Boy, was I wrong! Thanks’ to Elon replying the world engaged and showed that they also wish for greater ability to purchase a Tesla. 

So why did the world engage, could it be that I hit upon an idea that resonates with the average joe?
Could it be that the mere suggestion that it does seem high from Elon Musk gives hope to those that have felt helpless to be able to buy their dream car and that dream could be a little closer?

It turns out it is all of these things and so much more. I have written before about the Cybertruck and how it hits the mark for those people who have dreamt of that cool car they have always wanted to own from their childhood movies or shows and the cybertruck delivered. In this sense so do all Tesla’s. 

The passion that is held within the Tesla fandom and the love they have for Elon only makes them want to own the cars more. 

Sure, they are fantastically specked out cars and they scratch the futuristic itch but for most people the prospect of owning this car anywhere outside the USA becomes a pipe dream.  The price becomes untenable.

I scratched at the one place that most people talk about all the time. The chance of the price being lower, so they have a better chance of owning their dream car. 

Elon is well engaged with the tesla community and as such a simple comment like the one he gave to me ignites a flame that can burn near and far and give hope to those many voices. 

Within the voices Elon knows there are good ideas, great sounding boards and the ability to flesh out ideas. This makes the twitter verse extremely proud of what they can achieve when putting their minds together. Since the tweet went wild there have been a number of ideas that have come to the foreground. 

  • Giga Oz – have a Gigafactory in Australia – @EVHQ2
  • Leasing Tesla’s -@Teslagong
  • Giga factory that produces solar panels and batteries and as a side gig, cars. 
  • Get the government to consider removing luxury car tax
  • Send cars from china 

These are just some of the great suggestions that came from the twitter verse in response to reducing cost and making Tesla’s more affordable in Australia. 

I hope that Elon can see that costs of Tesla’s once they leave the shores of the USA increases, and the cost for those, regardless of exchange rates or local taxes. Hopefully Elon can look at it from a business problem perspective and utilize some of the suggestions or dream up another idea that just might alleviate the pressure for average people to achieve one goal in their lives. To drive their dream Tesla Vehicle.

I hope that I have a chance to continue to talk with Elon about many and varied things to do with Tesla and beyond. But for now, I am glad I have had a chance to voice my concerns and feel that I have been heard. 

Lets’ hope that Australia’s government will see that people want the change , that it’s time for the change to occur and that our children’s lives depend upon us taking a stand and vocalizing our ideas and passions by being one voice to shine through the smog filled sky’s to the blue light and sunshine beyond. 

Photo by Marcus Wöckel on Pexels.com

Thanks to everyone that liked, shared and commented on my tweet, I appreciate your input and commentary.

Finally thank you Elon Musk, you have shown the world many times over you are genuine and passionate and that is what makes you a truly great human being. 

Dave 

Written by David McCann 13/2/2020

Rating: 1 out of 5.

Software Advantage

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Since the first Tesla to the most current Tesla, technology has been at the heart of their inception. It stands to reason that over the last 10 years software has evolved to be so sophisticated that it now is able to drive the car for you. So why has no one achieved such an amazing, technological feat before now.  

It comes back to vision, passion and innovation.

Tesla has a unique vision for what their cars will be able to do. Elon has previously explained that the introduction of the electric vehicle has to be inexplicably linked to autonomy. What this suggests is the ability to implement software related innovation that helps to drive autonomy to truly make electric cars more appealing to the customer. Tesla has a major head start in the software innovation space already and are not far away from realizing the ability to implement Full Self Driving.

Full Self Driving is at the heart of the Autonomy that Elon has talked about. It will give any tesla the ability to drive from point A to Point B without any human intervention. If this is able to be achieved in the coming years and the regulators pass legislation that allows these vehicles to drive it will then allow for a wonderful step forward into the future, we have all dreamed about. 

Tesla again has an advantage due to the size of the fleet that currently exists and will continue to exist moving into the future. Machine learning needs large amounts of data to develop a consistent visual reference when a car is to drive for itself. When customers continue to purchase the cars then the number of cars providing usable data to that source will only grow and continue to put Tesla ahead of the other car makers. 

Tesla has been leading the way forward with the use of over the air software updates. This I believe is due to the fact that they do not see themselves as a car company but a technology company and that is what makes them stand out from the crowd. 

Tesla in the last 12 months has rolled out over 100 plus features on their already sold cars for no extra cost to the customers. This is exactly the way technology companies like Apple roll out software to their products like the iPhone. 

Without any doubt Tesla will be a driving force into the future for the evolution of cars. They also will be more diversified than any other car company as they continue to apply the tesla name to solar roofs, tesla batteries and more undiscovered products yet to be announced. 

Their vision of moving the world to renewable energies is well and truly underway. But I think their influence of the world of software development within the machine Learning and Artificial intelligence will be the lasting legacy. 

Dave 

Written by David McCann

The Future is Now

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image courtesy of Tesla

This month I have written a number of blogs about the past of Tesla and the cars that have given Tesla the opportunities to grow and develop their cars and technologies to deliver cars that are not cars but pieces of phenomenal technology. 

The future is now and with it comes new and exciting opportunities for people of the world to choose incredible technology, just so happens to be a car. 

I believe what Tesla has done is change the definition of what a car can be. They have made an industry wake up and look around as their customers move to the world of the technologically savvy car. 

The introduction of the Cybertruck and the Model Y will help to continue to grow the footprint of supreme electric cars. The introduction of the these vehicles has sparked the imagination of the next generation of drivers.  

Within the next month the Model Y will be delivered to new owners. This has been achieved 6 months ahead of time and with such precision and intent. Tesla is playing a new game that no one has been able to compete with. Fundamentally this is due to the fact that they are a tech company not car company. 

Model Y

images courtesy of Tesla

These above images are of the Model Y demonstrate that Tesla’s have similar features like cargo space as traditional cars contain however it also brings amazing new features that no other traditional car company could conceive. 

The future of Tesla is well in hand and the innovation that they continue to bring will not be outdone for many years. The comparison to Apple when it first introduced the iPhone and the couple of years after that has strong correlation to where Tesla is right now. 

The recent ascendance of the share price gives credence to the fact that the short sellers have been controlling the narrative for too long and now Tesla is finally getting its time in the sun. 

One of the most compelling things about Tesla is it is not just a car company it is a tech company, and this is demonstrated when you consider the number of products they have and the potential they have to offer into the future.

Roadster

Model S

Model X

Model 3

Model Y

Cybertruck

Tesla Semi

Cyberquad

Full self driving

Robotaxi

Supercharger Network

Solar Roof

Solar panels

Tesla Batteries

Tesla Mega Pack

This list is just the start and I can tell you that Elon Musk will continue to grow ideas and innovative minds to produce future products that will continue to push the boundaries and lead to the achievement of his mission statement for Tesla. 

Transition the world to renewable energies and transportation. 

Dave 

Written by David McCann 31/01/2020