Posted Wednesday 15th October 2008 20:33 GMT
Poor timing could end it all for Tesla Motors. We have yet to see the claimed vehicle performance and may never see it if they can't stay financially afloat.
Posted Wednesday 15th October 2008 20:33 GMT
Are laid off and we're moving the work to China and India. Hopefully they won't steal our IP before we have a chance to make a sh1tepot full of money back, but if they do it will only help to bring down the price and we can sell more of 'em.
Posted Wednesday 15th October 2008 20:33 GMT
Too many chiefs, not enough Indigenous persons of a lesser rank.....Suits soak up money, you don't go twat heavy at startup.
Posted Wednesday 15th October 2008 20:33 GMT
Sequoia Capital (http://www.sequoiacap.com/) is the other 800 pound guerrilla (besides Kleiner) in Silicon Valley. Sequoia Capital's "RIP Good Times" presentation they made on Oct 10 to a group of CEO’s they are funding should scare the heck out of everyone:
http://venturebeat.com/2008/10/10/the-sequoia-rip-good-times-presentation-get-your-copy-here/
Posted Thursday 16th October 2008 06:37 GMT
... all around teh world are feeling the pinch. Seeing as the Tesla is a 0-100km/h in 4 seconds supercar, it's not surprising it's feeling the pinch. In fact I'd be surprised if they weren't. Shame, though - I hope they don't go under, as they're product is a worthy one.
Now for the controversial bit:
If Governments are happy to spend a couple of trillion or more dollars (when totalled up) to shore up banks and mortgage lenders, and given that analysts say that the costs of climate change will dwarf the global credit crisis if not addressed comprehensively and soon, then wouldn't it be sensible to invest in green-tech companies to make sure they don't go under?
Posted Thursday 16th October 2008 06:37 GMT
to run Tesla between exploding rockets. Or maybe that is why they explode so often, not enough musk to go 'round?
The Roadster anyway is just a snap together, body from Europe, batteries from Japan, tires from somewhere else.... guess they only need 100 people to run the place and assemble the occasional car. Of course production reduction might not bode well for UK or Japanese suppliers...
Posted Thursday 16th October 2008 06:37 GMT
That is what an American company is, mate.
As my ex-boss from the days when I worked for one used to say: "An American company looks like a flock crows flying in a T-formation. Chairman on the front, VPs right behind him forming the bar on the T followed by a trail of cleaners".
Posted Thursday 16th October 2008 11:08 GMT
Excuse me for rambling like grandpa; but, this has all happened before during the last oil crisis in 1970s. Electric cars only look good when oil is scarce and expensive. The minute oil dropped below $140 the Tesla was doomed.
Oh, it might still survive, but it will be more like a Segway than a real transportation tool, i.e., an expensive toy for geeks.
Posted Thursday 16th October 2008 11:50 GMT
It'll not die. The designs exist, the machinery exists, and there's a definite future market for it when the petrol runs out. Plus some of Musk's other interests could cover the costs of mothballing the lot until the oil price rises again and not notice. He's a good enough businessman to know that having this product waiting in the wings for when its called for again is a good investment.
So at worst it'll hibernate. And being an electric car it'll use bugger all energy while doing it.
It's not like it'll have to wait long for the oil price to rise again anyway. So good on Musk for keeping the remainder of his staff and not just dropping the whole company at the hint of increased risk!
Posted Thursday 16th October 2008 13:38 GMT
So what you're basically saying is that the world financial crisis is a mechanism of "big oil" to reduce the price of oil while simultaneously limiting capital for new technology investment with a view to destroying the nascent market for electric cars and slowing their development?
That's pure evil genius worthy of Darth Bill himself!
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