Tesla – Page 2727 – I wish I had more to offer

Tesla profits, GM doubles down on EVs, Mustang and 911 hybrids: The Week in Reverse

2017 Tesla Model 3, in photo tweeted by Elon Musk on July 9, 2017
Which company showed a new hybrid system this week?

What new retro-themed electric car does Volkswagen plan to build?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending Feb. 1, 2019.

The news this week centered around Tesla, as it often does. On Wednesday, the company announced its earnings for the fourth-quarter of 2018, showing a loss of more than $1 billion from a difficult year when it struggled to ramp up mass production of its most popular car, the Model 3. The second half of the year was in positive territory. It also announced that the Model Y will roll out at the end of 2020.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk (r.) and Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong in Shanghai July 10, 2018

Tesla has built up its cash reserves and no longer faces an immediate cash crunch, but it still scrambling to balance producing and selling enough cars against selling them for enough money to remain profitable. To that end, Tesla revealed new lineups for its original Model S sedan and Model X SUV that use the largest battery but limit its range. The company also cut its prices by another $1,000.

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV

General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced that the company will double its investment in engineering electric and self-driving cars as it aims to focus on the future and avoid another bankruptcy like the one that caught up with GM in 2009.

New tests reveal that more lavishly equipped versions of the new Nissan Leaf Plus will have significantly shorter estimated range ratings than the basic version.

2019 Nissan Leaf

Now that the federal government has reopened, along with the EPA, a backlog of new models waiting for official fuel-economy and electric range estimates before they can be certified for sale is beginning to move forward. And with the EPA back in action, Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler was able to make new appointments to the agency's Science Advisory Board—including a well-known skeptic of climate action.

Volkswagen Geneva Show Electric Buggy concept

Volkswagen finally officially revealed that it plans to build a concept version of a long-rumored electric dune buggy to join the stable of its throwback ID Buzz electric microbus and a rumored electric recreation of the original Beetle.

Mazda revealed more about its plans to develop cleaner and more fuel efficient models that meet stricter upcoming standards, at an event previewing the 2019 Mazda 3. It's less of a plan than a scattershot collection of plans to keep this small automaker globally viable.

Porsche Taycan prototype

Porsche revealed that its upcoming electric Taycan will come with three years of free charging on Electrify America chargers, also owned by Porsche's corporate parent Volkswagen. A new report also revealed details of two hybrid systems to potentially be used in the next 911 sports car.

Oil giant Shell announced it is getting into the business of fast-charging electric cars in the U.S. with its purchase Greenlots and that company's chargers.

Chargeway Beacon – Forth electric vehicle showcase, Portland

A Portland, Oregon, startup company, Chargeway, has a new system to help newfound electric car drivers find public charging more easily. The company rolled out its first educational kiosks in a Portland trial project.

Electrify America had to shut down its fastest DC fast chargers last weekend—before any civilian electric-car drivers had a chance to use them—due to a safety concern. The chargers were back on within a day.

Ford hybrid V-8 engine patent

New patents registered by Ford show what could by the new hybrid system the company plans to put in the next Mustang and F-150 pickup.

And a report from the U.S. Energy Information Agency shows that wind power is on pace to overtake hydro as the top renewable energy source in the U.S. in 2019.

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My First Tesla Shareholder Call As A Tesla Investor

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Cars Published on February 1st, 2019 | by Carolyn Fortuna
My First Tesla Shareholder Call As A Tesla InvestorTwitterLinkedInFacebookFebruary 1st, 2019 by Carolyn Fortuna
For most people, you buy a stock because someone you know is excited about it. Maybe that person is a day trader or has a track record of choosing a solid portfolio of growth stocks. That person’s energy and enthusiasm is contagious: you want to jump in and take a teeny portion of your net worth, just a snip of your meager life savings, to a whole new level. And, if that stock is Tesla [TSLA], the thought of becoming a Tesla investor is doubly thrilling, as you’ll be joining a group of visionaries who feel a positive shift toward the future.

I’m one of those new Tesla investors. A longtime educator who apportioned a small amount of my biweekly paycheck into a 403(b) account, I saw my first Tesla in 2013 while traveling through an upscale hippie town in western Connecticut on the way to Lime Rock Raceway. I thought of Tesla at the time as little more than another new car on the market.
Tesla, as the first EV with long enough range to serve as a replacement for a gasoline car, was soon seen as different. It was an EV that was also a practical everyday car. The company created a Supercharger network that had been missing with prior EVs (and other non-Tesla EVs since), making charging options fast and convenient. The company’s CEO, Elon Musk, took good ideas and made them a reality — “the point of all this was, and remains, accelerating the advent of sustainable energy, so that we can imagine far into the future and life is still good.”
Since then, I’ve been writing about environmental issues for CleanTechnica and other EV websites, and I’ve come to understand the special place that Tesla holds in the marketplace. It’s more than an automobile company: it’s a movement, a mission, a disruptor. It’s leading the energy industry toward advanced technologies for a sustainable economy.

No, I don’t own a Tesla automobile. I’d love to own a Model 3, of course! But I’m one of those people to whom Musk referred to in the Q4 2018 earnings call:
“The demand for — the demand for Model 3 is insanely high. The inhibitor is affordability. It’s just like people literally don’t have the money to buy the car. It’s got nothing to do with desire. They just don’t have enough money in their bank account. If the car can be made more affordable, the demand is extraordinary.”
But what I could do was buy Tesla stock. The climate crisis and related growth had already led me to divest from fossil fuel stocks in my existing portfolio. Like many others, I lean toward mission-driven investment strategies, and the trend seems to be pointing in that direction for many others similarly.
In late summer 2018, after Musk announced via Twitter that he had secured enough funding for a massive private buyout of Tesla, the SEC stepped in with sanctions. When Tesla stock dropped in value, I saw an opportunity and made my first purchase. Since then, the stock has risen and, while it is fluctuating, I’m pleased with my decision. I do plan on staying “long,” putting my money into the Tesla movement and feeling like I’m part of something important and rare.
I’ve bet on the future, after all.

Listening to the Investor’s Call with a New PerspectiveAs a writer for CleanTechnica, I generally tune into the quarterly Tesla shareholder communications. I take notes, read the shareholder letter, listen to the earnings call, and study the subsequent transcript. The late January 2019 communications felt different to me, however. I was one of the people to whom Tesla was speaking!
Several points during the earnings call caught my attention and confirmed my confidence in my Tesla stock.
Tesla achieved an 80% market share of US EV sales last year.The company began construction of the Gigafactory in Shanghai, and by the end of this year, they expect to be producing Model 3s using a complete vehicle production line. Musk acknowledged that the company is getting a lot of support from the Shanghai government as well as the national government.With the combination of cells produced at the Gigafactory in Nevada, cells produced in Japan, and cells produced locally in China, Tesla is confident it has a sufficient supply to hit its productions targets there.Tesla predicts strong growth in its battery and stationary storage businesses.With concern about a 2019 recession looming and possible scenarios of lower volumes and tight pricing, Tesla anticipates a good shot of being profitable and generating free cash flow nonetheless. If such a recession does come, Elon plans to manage the business adequately through frugality.Elon continued to refer to Tesla’s relevance in regard to the acceleration of sustainable energy, which is absolutely fundamental due to its importance for humanity.Yes, I realize that Tesla stock was off a bit at the beginning of January, partially due to total sales numbers not being what some shareholders expected and partly due to the 50% cut in the federal tax credit for buying a Tesla. But the Tesla board is more robust than ever, with the addition of 2 veteran business people: Oracle founder Larry Ellison and Walgreens’ executive vice-president and global chief human resources officer Kathleen Wilson-Thompson. And lots of investor advisors are telling their clients that they believe Tesla is on track to post one of the market’s most robust year-over-year earnings increases in 2019.

Final ThoughtsLike many others, I will likely add to my shares of the company over time as I have more free capital to invest.
After all, Tesla is on the frontlines of climate action. One of the best things I can do for the environment is support the company. As more people end up buying a share of Tesla, or 2+, we can show how are investing in the company as another way to do our part in climate action. I do intend to stick with the stock through most anything, because I see its survival and growth as critical to getting the climate under control. This is a narrative that we should see playing out more and more, which makes Tesla stock a rather unique case.
I feel that Tesla will continue to see massive sales growth in the coming years, as Teslas become more common on the streets around us. As other people outside the sustainability community begin to gain awareness as to the role Tesla has taken in the push toward renewable energy, and as more people start to recognize Teslas in their own neighborhoods, the stock will certainly rise in value.

About the AuthorCarolyn Fortuna Carolyn Fortuna, Ph.D. is a writer, researcher, and educator with a lifelong dedication to ecojustice. She's won awards from the Anti-Defamation League, The International Literacy Association, and The Leavy Foundation. She’s molds scholarship into digital media literacy and learning to spread the word about sustainability issues. Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook and Google+

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Musk makes all Tesla patents public to ‘fight climate change’

Highlights Musk promised that the company “will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology”, It was a remarkable move in an industry where the smallest idea or seed of invention is carefully guarded to protect its monetary value, Musk said that patents too often only served “to… Continue reading Musk makes all Tesla patents public to ‘fight climate change’

Electric Car Tipping Point Is At Hand

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Batteries Published on February 1st, 2019 | by Guest Contributor
Electric Car Tipping Point Is At HandTwitterLinkedInFacebookFebruary 1st, 2019 by Guest Contributor
Originally published on EVANNEX.
By Charles Morris

Could 2018 go down in history as the beginning of the end for fossil-powered vehicles? Several auto industry analysts quoted in a recent Financial Times article (via The Drive) think it’s a possibility. “We will probably see the peak of combustion engine car sales in 2018,” Felipe Munoz, an automotive analyst for Jato Dynamics, told FT, adding that his company’s ‘optimistic’ forecast for the global auto market had changed in the last six months.”
EVs like the Tesla Model S are changing car buyers’ impressions of driving electric. Photo via Tesla ShuttleAfter several years of record growth, auto sales in China, Europe, and the US are leveling off. “When you look at 2018 since the summer, new car sales in all of the important markets are going down,” Axel Schmidt, global automotive lead for Accenture, told FT. “Selling combustion engine cars to customers — this will not grow in the future.”
Selling electric cars to customers, however, is expected to grow. Moody’s forecasts that the market share of EVs will rise to 1.6 percent, offsetting the decline in ICE vehicle sales. Most of the growth in EV adoption, at least in the near term, will happen in China, where automakers are investing huge sums in electrification as the government is making it almost impossible for them to expand production of gas-burning cars.
Of course, the US and European automakers have been producing EVs for years — and selling very few (except for a certain California company). Fossil fuel-burning cars won’t be going away if consumers continue to demand them. However, there’s good news on this front as well. Last May, a survey by AAA found that 20% of respondents said their next vehicle would be an EV, up from 15% in 2017, when AAA first posed the question.
Photo via EVmatch
More recently, a survey conducted by the popular video series Fully Charged found existing EV owners to be overwhelmingly happy with their choice to go electric. Out of some 7,700 responses to the audience survey, 88 percent of plug-in car drivers said they would never go back to driving an ICE vehicle. (See Motor1 or Renewable Energy Magazine for more details about the Fully Charged survey results.)
As savvy observers of the scene know, most consumers won’t buy EVs to save money, or for their environmental benefits, but because they are better vehicles. “We’ve always maintained that, simply because they are better technologies, electric vehicles and renewables will become mainstream, and this is borne out by our survey,” said Fully Charged host Robert Llewellyn. “It’s the cars in particular that are starting to turn heads, and having driven all of them from the Tesla Model 3 to VW’s hotly-anticipated I.D., I can honestly say that there’s a really cool choice of electric cars for almost every budget.”
As any Tesla owner can attest, it’s the test drive that sells an electric car. “Having experienced how impressive electric cars are, we were not surprised to see so many other drivers saying that they won’t go back to the combustion engine, but it might shock those that have yet to switch,” said Llewellyn. “Perhaps more surprising was that the two-thirds of our audience who are yet to buy an EV intend to do so in the next couple of years.”
Related story: The Economist: Global Tipping Point For Electric Cars In 2018 (Video)

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Tesla Model 3 = Most Loved Car In USA

Hot news off the press (and found on Twitter thanks to Earl of Frunkpuppy) is that the Tesla Model 3 is now the most loved car in the US according to these owner surveys

Anonymous Tesla shorts who snap pics of Tesla parking lots have a new website

Tslaq.org
Aerial photo of a Tesla distribution and manufacturing facility taken by a contributor to tslaq.org.

A group of Tesla short sellers launched a site Friday called Tslaq.org to showcase their crowdsourced research tracking the car maker's activities.

Tslaq.org includes aerial photography from the Shorty Air Force, a group of pseudonymous researchers who fly over the company's parking lots and delivery centers to count Tesla's inventory cars.

Other photos on the site come from a group calling themselves the Shorty Ground Force, which takes photos from publicly accessible points near Tesla factories or facilities using smartphone cameras or hobbyist drones.

Elon Musk: Demand for Model 3 is 'insanely high,' but cost is too high
12:22 PM ET Thu, 31 Jan 2019 | 01:40

Some contributors tally up the cars that they can count in the images. Others provide theories about what's observable in the photos when considered along with Tesla's own claims and disclosures.

Tslaq.org makes all the photos and videos featured on the site available under a creative commons license, meaning other independent bloggers or mainstream media outlets don't have to seek permission before re-publishing them.

Tesla declined comment, but the site is likely to annoy Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has recently sparred with short sellers and the media.

Last year, Musk shut up one of his most vocal critics, a short seller who used the handle “Montana Skeptic” on Twitter and wrote bearish analysis of the company on SeekingAlpha. The Tesla CEO reportedly phoned Montana Skeptic's employer and told the blogger he would potentially take legal action in response to his posts.

The Tesla CEO also sounded off on Twitter at mainstream media organizations throughout 2018, and said he plans to start an organization that rates reporters.

WATCH: Why this analyst rates Tesla a sell

Why this auto analyst rates Tesla a sell
8:18 AM ET Thu, 31 Jan 2019 | 04:49

Chargeway Beacon to help shoppers and dealers navigate past EV charging confusion

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Chargeway Beacon – Forth electric vehicle showcase, Portland
Multiple electric vehicles arriving this year promise a driving range of more than 200 miles.

While that’s great news, and it’s bound to convince more households to make the jump to a fully electric vehicle—and to take road trips with it—it presents a new challenge to automakers: making public charging options at least as easy to figure out as filling up your gas tank ever was.

That’s a role that Chargeway hopes to help with. The Portland, Oregon EV-related software startup has created Chargeway Beacons—tall-standing interactive kiosks with 43-inch touch screens, conceived to fit right into car-dealership showrooms and elsewhere as education tools to make it easier for shoppers and salespeople alike.

DON’T MISS: Chargeway: the best electric-car idea you've never heard of

As part of a new pilot program that was announced last week at the Portland Auto Show, involving the Oregon Auto Dealers Association, PGE, Pacific Power, OpConnect, Forth, and the Oregon Department of Transportation, Chargeway will be installing Beacons at auto dealerships, primarily along the I-5 and I-84 corridors in Oregon—with the goal of increasing EV literacy and sales.

Chargeway Beacon – Forth electric vehicle showcase, Portland

Since its inception in 2017, Chargeway and its founder, Matt Teske, have been focused on the hard reality that navigating most public-charging options—with the exception of Tesla's, perhaps—is anything but easy.

The primary issue is that every hardware maker and charging network seems to want to use different signage. Understanding EV charging options in kilowatts, volts, and amps, and the difference between CHAdeMO, CCS, and Level 2 shouldn’t be a required course for owning an electric vehicle.

CHECK OUT: Why Chargeway matters: making EV charging comprehensible for buyers, dealers, utilities, networks

Chargeway has a simple solution, which comes in the form of colored circles and numbers. The color corresponds to the charge connector, and the number corresponds to how fast it can potentially charge.

What’s displayed on the kiosks very closely mirrors Chargeway’s app, which makes finding a station that will work with any particular car easy. It is available for iPhones and Android devices,

Chargeway app – February 2019Chargeway app

The interface, as with the app, allows you to plan routes and see chargers specific to your vehicle. However in the Chargeway Beacon format it will be configured to display the vitals only for the EVs sold at that dealership. Chargeway added a zip-code-based purchase-incentive rundown, including federal, state, and utility credits—the latter being something that dealerships often miss.

Further, the Beacon can help drivers crunch the numbers on what an electric car would cost to run in their zip code, charging at home, versus driving on gasoline. (Costs for charging on networks will of course vary).

Chargeway app – February 2019

Chargeway will also offer customers the chance to send information to public utilities, with the opportunity to get more info on home charging and green-energy options, and perhaps find out about incentives for charger installations, for example.

READ MORE: Chargeway pilot program to post labels to help electric-car drivers sort out charging levels

“We’re thrilled to be Chargeway’s first network partner,” said Dexter Turner, the CEO of OpConnect, in a press release, where he then summed up the situation exceptionally well: “We see Chargeway as a way to drive more traffic to our network, simplify the charging experience, and reduce calls to our support number from confused new drivers.”

The company put its first Beacons at Forth’s Electric Showcase in downtown Portland, and at Wentworth's Wilsonville Chevrolet in Wilsonville, Oregon, outside Portland. At present the organization has eight complete Beacons and hints that a greater expansion, even beyond the pilot program, is on the way—so let’s hope the program expands beyond Oregon. For automakers and dealerships looking to clear the fog over all the EVs and charging options, it’s looking like the right solution at the right time.

Tesla squeeze, broadband charging, EV education, EPA science: Today’s Car News

2020 Subaru Legacy teased ahead of 2019 Chicago Auto Show debut
The British parent of Virgin Media plans to use Virgin's broadband wiring to build public electric-car charging stations. Electric-car charging info site Chargeway sets up its first installations in Portland, Oregon. And the EPA appointed a noted skeptic of climate action. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

Portland, Oregon, startup Chargeway aims to help electric car owners and potential EV buyers—and dealer salespeople—navigate the sometimes-confusing world of public charging stations with new kiosks in dealerships.

Liberty Global, the parent of Virgin Media in Britain, plans to make public charging more plentiful by using Virgin's existing broadband wiring to power a new network of public chargers.

An earnings call this week pointed out the squeeze Tesla is facing between selling cars for enough money to remain profitable and selling enough of them to make them more affordable.

The EPA appointed a prominent skeptic of climate-change action to its controversial Science Advisory Panel in a move it said was aimed at increasing diversity. It also reappointed some Obama administration appointees.

It's not quite wireless updates, but Mercedes-Benz plans to roll out a new program to allow European buyers to add additional features to their cars after purchase. Owners will have to use the cars' wi-fi hot spots or their own cell phones to access and install the new features.

Finally, when Subaru rolls out new versions of its popular Legacy and Outback at the Chicago Auto Show next month, they will joint join the fray of new models with giant center infotainment touch screens.

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Tesla: Model S & Model X Production, AR Production Improvements, And Model Y Rumors

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Cars Published on January 24th, 2019 | by Steve Hanley
Tesla: Model S & Model X Production, AR Production Improvements, And Model Y RumorsTwitterLinkedInFacebookJanuary 24th, 2019 by Steve Hanley
It takes a lot to keep up with everything that’s happening at Tesla these days. After the company announced it was laying off 3,000 production workers last week, the media has been filled with scary headlines about how the company is fighting for survival. Now, to stir the pot even further, comes news that changes are taking place in the production of the Model S and Model X.

CNBC reports it has been told by several recently laid off workers that the company has suspended nighttime production of the Model S and Model X at the factory in Fremont. Is there a connection between that and the decision to stop selling the 75 kWh battery version of those cars? Possibly. Both cars now cost nearly $20,000 more than they did when the 75 kWh battery was available. It’s no surprise such a significant price increase might have an impact on demand.
A former Tesla engineer tells CNBC the company is debating whether to “sunset” either the Model S or the Model X, although what that means exactly was not explained and a key note there is that it was a former Tesla engineer. Also, we’ve never heard before that the Model S or Model X would be pulled at some point — quite the opposite, that they’d always be Tesla’s top-tier offerings. Who is this former engineer? We don’t know, but she or he also said there was no upgrade team for the S or X working on a vehicle refresh.
Tesla has learned a lot about manufacturing automobiles since the first Model S rolled off the line in June of 2012. There is surely some potential improvement to the production process if tackled comprehensively. Also, with the lower-cost Model 3 now at steady, high-volume production, there is less need (and probably less demand) for the lower-range Model S 75D.
In a statement to CNBC, Tesla said, “We recently announced that we are no longer taking orders for the 75 kWh version of Model S and X in order to streamline production and provide even more differentiation with Model 3. As a result of this change and because of improving efficiencies in our production lines, we have reduced Model S and X production hours accordingly. At the same time, these changes, along with continuing improvements, give us the flexibility to increase our production capacity in the future as needed. We’ll be providing more details on our earnings call next week.”
There is a bit of confusion here. Some outlets are claiming that Tesla Model S and X production output is being cut significantly. The statement from Tesla indicates production hours are being cut and improved efficiencies on the production lines actually provide “the flexibility to increase our production capacity.” Hmm, which way are the sales going — up or down?

Augmented Reality Comes To ManufacturingTesla has a passion for robotic assembly techniques as it races to create “the machine that builds the machine.” But just a short while ago, Elon Musk admitted that robots have their limitations and that there is no substitute for human workers when it comes to getting the job done. “Yes, excessive automation at Tesla was a mistake. To be precise, my mistake. Humans are underrated,” he tweeted last April. Tesla hired a lot of new workers last year, then trimmed many of those new hires from its payroll last week.
On a related note, Tesla recently filed a patent application for new augmented reality technology it says will speed up production while improving the accuracy of the assembly process. According to Teslarati, the patent application has the following explanation:
“There are many practical applications for the augmented reality (AR) manufacturing techniques discussed herein. In some embodiments, the AR device is used to program a robot to assemble one or more parts including identifying and marking the precise location and order of welds, self-pierced rivets, laser welds, adhesives, sealers, holes, fasteners, or other mechanical joints, etc. As another example, the AR device can be used to inspect the quality of the assembly for a vehicle such as whether the locations of welds are correct, whether the interfaces between parts such as body panels are within tolerances, whether holes are drilled or punched at the correct location, whether the fit and finish of assembly is correct, etc.
“In some embodiments, vision recognition is utilized. Individual sheet metal components and/or assemblies that are or will be part of the body-in-white (also known as the structural frame or body) are recognized. Once the component/system has been identified, computer-aided design (CAD) information (e.g., information and/or symbols associated with the mechanical joints) is aligned/scaled and rendered on corresponding identified physical model components. The application of the disclosed techniques applies to many different contexts of manufacturing.
“For example, the AR device can be used to map the quality of a coating on an automotive part such as determining the thickness of an e-coating on a vehicle body and identifying problem areas that are difficult to coat. In some embodiments, the AR device is used to map out a factory floor and to identify the precise location and orientation robots should be installed at to build out an assembly line. The robots are positioned based on the AR device such that the installed robots will not interfere with each other or other obstructions in the environment.”
Credit: US Patent Office
Tesla has set very aggressive goals for its Shanghai factory, which it hopes to have up and running just over a year from now. Could AR technology play a role in bringing the new facility online quicker and turning out high quality cars sooner than many think possible?
Tesla Model Y TimelineThere is much speculation at the Model 3 Owners Club about the Model Y, based on a story on Seeking Alpha that suggests Tesla may not begin taking reservations for it until it is close to the time of production — a reversal of the hoopla that preceded the Model 3 launch. Keep in mind that everything that follows is little more than unsubstantiated rumors. The official reveal is widely expected in March, although the company has not said anything on that subject. [Editor’s note: I asked Elon Musk about the reservation and rollout plan for the Model Y on Tesla’s 3rd quarter financials call, specifically hoping that Tesla would delay reservations until close to production time. We’ll see. —Zach]
Model 3 Owners Club member LoveSword added this on the forum last month: “Here is a ‘I heard from a guy who heard from a guy…’ addition (grains of salt and all that): One of the Rangers that’s been out to work on my car has been with Tesla since Roadster days. He went through orientation and is friends with a guy who has risen within the company. According to the Ranger, when he talked with this guy about the Y he was told, ‘You wouldn’t believe how far along we are already on the Y.’ That was in September when the Ranger was out for my headlight replacement. So… there’s that.”
One topic of discussion is whether the Model Y will have falcon-wing doors like its Model X big brother. Elon tweeted 3½ years ago that it would, but he deleted that tweet the next day and, since then, he has been quiet about the details of the Model Y. On the Q2 Tesla earnings call in 2017, he said his engineers had brought him back from the “cliffs of insanity,” and then added: “After talking to my executive team, the Model Y will use a significant amount of Model 3 components.”
On the falcon-wing door subject, Model 3 Owners Club member 11thIndian offered this opinion: “If you want them, then I guess you can point to [Musk’s statement from 2017] and be hopeful. From my perspective as someone who does not want them, that tweet was made so long ago in terms of the Model Y’s development, I give it no credence whatsoever now. And honestly, if the Model Y is the budget Model X, then the Falcon Wing Doors are the first thing to go in terms of complexity and cost.”
When will the Model Y get here and what will it look like? Hopefully the car that is supposed to break the back of the internal combustion car industry will be revealed in March and all our questions will be answered.

About the AuthorSteve Hanley Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his home in Rhode Island and anywhere else the Singularity may lead him. His motto is, “Life is not measured by how many breaths we take but by the number of moments that take our breath away!” You can follow him on Google + and on Twitter.

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Tesla News
Cleantech Press Releases New Research Shows That Only Two Large Petroleum Companies Have Meaningful Emission Reduction Targets Koben Announces EVOLVE EVSF —Grid-Friendly Modular EV Store & Forward System The New Danish Climate Plan — Together For A Greener Future38 Anti-Cleantech Myths Wind & Solar Prices Beat Fossils Cost of Solar Panels Collapses
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Own Tesla Stock? Want To Ask Elon A Question On Shareholder Call?

Editor's note: CleanTechnica, EVANNEX, and surely others were given a sneak preview of some Tesla investment news from Galileo Russell. The TSLA YouTuber has been working on a way to give retail investors a bigger voice on Tesla (and other) financials calls. Read on below to learn more and participate