Mobility – Page 6944 – I wish I had more to offer

Hertz Europe Expands Subscription Service

The service includes unlimited mileage and a free additional driver, with fixed rates starting from €195 ($214) per month in Italy and Germany Photo via Depositphotos. Hertz Europe has expanded its monthly car subscription service, My Hertz Weekend, which is now available in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. This flexible alternative to vehicle ownership provides customers with access to… Continue reading Hertz Europe Expands Subscription Service

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Uber launches new safety features in UK as it fights for new license

FILE PHOTO: Uber’s logo is displayed on a mobile phone in London, Britain, September 14, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah Mckay LONDON (Reuters) – Uber launched a set of new safety features in Britain on Thursday as it battles to retain its taxi operating license in the face of concerns about passenger safety. The measures include a discrimination… Continue reading Uber launches new safety features in UK as it fights for new license

UK’s first full-size ‘driverless’ bus tested in Glasgow – BBC News

UK’s first full-size ‘driverless’ bus tested in Glasgow BBC News Go to Source Go to Source

Tesla Critics Don’t Understand (Or Just Ignore) Tesla’s Mission

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Published on November 13th, 2019 |

by Zachary Shahan

Tesla Critics Don’t Understand (Or Just Ignore) Tesla’s Mission

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November 13th, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

I used to find the debate between Tesla critics (most notably short sellers) and Tesla fans as somewhat interesting but mostly straightforward. Tesla critics somehow thought that Tesla inherently couldn’t make profits on its products. Tesla fans thought and explained how Tesla could. Tesla critics thought Tesla couldn’t learn the art and skill of efficient, smooth mass production. Tesla fans noted many times that this isn’t rocket science (ahem). Tesla critics thought major automakers would come out with electric vehicles superior to what Tesla offered and would thus kill the company. Tesla fans highlighted Tesla’s leadership in batteries, software, self-driving tech, design, customer communications, and overall reputation.

However, there’s another straightforward matter (or not-so-straightforward matter if you aren’t used to thinking about it) that I think creates as much of a disconnect as anything else. Many Tesla actions make much more sense when you take this into account, while ignoring it can bring you to many false conclusions. That matter is Tesla’s mission.

Whereas most companies have a clear one-two objective — 1) sell a lot of XYZ, 2) make a lot of money — Tesla has a core, fundamental mission that precedes those and sometimes overrides them: accelerate the transition to sustainable energy.

Some people can write that off as a tagline, but it most definitely is not. Some can say that Tesla now has a simplistic fiduciary duty to its shareholders, but its shareholders have definitely had ample time and opportunity to learn about and digest Tesla’s core mission, so they cannot ignore or deny its primacy. No one should be invested in Tesla without understanding that the company’s #1 goal is to transition society to clean technologies as quickly as possible. Of course, that also means staying in business — speeding up the transition this month to only die next month makes no sense. But it’s important to recognize that there are times when the mission overrides other matters.

I think the place this is most directly evident is with risk. CEO Elon Musk seems to be a risk taker at heart. If he’s not taking risks, he probably feels like something is lacking. Tesla would not accelerate the transition without a hefty helping of risk. Indeed, it is the risk (and cost) of a quick transition that holds traditional automakers back. It is why they sometimes have half-hearted electric offerings, why they didn’t jump into building battery gigafactories when Tesla did, why some of them still stay completely out of the battery production realm, why it takes so long for them to roll out moderately priced long-range EVs — they need mass-market economies of scale for that, and they aren’t willing to bet on that level of consumer demand.

Here’s a list of developments that Tesla might have made for pure business/financial reasons, but which may also have come from a mission to accelerate the transition to clean technology as quickly as possible:

Rolling out the Tesla Model S without a longer development/testing timeframe.
Setting up a Supercharger network.
In-housing battery pack production.
Setting up a gigafactory in Nevada years ago.
Buying SolarCity.
Developing a semi truck.
Developing a pickup truck.
Setting up a gigafactory in China in 2019.
Setting down its flag in Berlin for a 3rd automotive gigafactory in 2019.

Again, yes, some (or all) of these developments have been strategic business decisions expected to bring a positive ROI in the net. However, the striking factor in many situations has been how quickly or how early Tesla has jumped into these developments, and at such a large scale. To critics or skeptics, it seems like wild, high-risk behavior that is not sensible and has too high a cost or too high a risk of failure. To supporters, the point is clear: Tesla is pursuing its mission. Many supporters also have a strong belief that taking those risks at this time will lead to ongoing financial rewards. You may have to suffer some costs and drawbacks when being a leader, but true leaders get the glory, and sometimes the money, for a reason — they are well ahead of others.

Yes, setting up a gigafactory came with a high risk, but there was no clear option for getting to mass-market EV production without doing so. The same for the vast Supercharger network. Yes, buying SolarCity created some costs and challenges at a relatively young stage of corporate life, but it also enables integration of sustainable transport and sustainable energy generation and storage as a long-term play that is constantly undergoing testing, evaluation, development, and improvement. In 10 years, who will have the advantage when it comes to an integrated sustainable lifestyle offering?

Yes, Tesla financials skated close to the edge for years, but that was never because the company couldn’t easily make a profit if it just decided to do so and slowed down. It skated close to the edge for a reason — the pace is the point. Speeding up the transition is the point. Growing as quickly as possible is the point. Taking difficult risks — because the times call for it — is the point.

When you consider Tesla’s mission, everything Tesla does makes sense. It is not about making a profitable product or two and hitting cruise control. It is about high-speed, palm-sweating Navigate on Autopilot driving you toward revolutionary Full Self Driving and a disruptive tech transition that helps society avoid much more dramatic climate disruption.

Elon Musk has decided it is time to go beyond “bet the company” efforts, but don’t expect for a moment that he’s going to stop taking risks and Tesla won’t continue to grow and develop as fast as tens of thousands of employees can push it to do so. This is not about a company’s MBA-inspired business plan and is not headed toward a planned exit point for the core founder/executive. This is about revolution, revolution for the greater good. Hold on tight.

If you’d like to buy a Tesla and get some free Supercharging miles, feel free to use our referral code: https://ts.la/zachary63404. Or not. You can also get a $100 discount on Tesla solar with that code.
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About the Author

Zachary Shahan is tryin' to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. He's also the CEO of Important Media. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao.

Zach has long-term investments in Tesla [TSLA] — after years of covering solar and EVs, he simply has a lot of faith in this company and feels like it is a good cleantech company to invest in. But he offers no investment advice and does not recommend investing in Tesla or any other company.

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Tesla = 3rd Most Valuable Automaker In The World

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Published on November 13th, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

Tesla = 3rd Most Valuable Automaker In The World

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November 13th, 2019 by Johnna Crider

With the companies recent stock price rise, Tesla [TSLA] has surpassed Daimler for the #3 spot on the list of most valuable automakers in the world. This is on the heels of news of Gigafactory 4’s location — Berlin. Many may see Tesla coming to Germany as a slap in the face of some of the legacy automakers, but I see it simply as Tesla establishing another foothold as it climbs its own personal mountain. That mountain is its goal of accelerating society’s transition to 100% sustainable energy.

Tesla took the spot from Daimler in the wee hours of the trading day in Germany — which makes the milestone especially interesting as Elon Musk stands in Berlin. At the time of this writing, Tesla is worth almost $64 billion, while Daimler is worth almost $63 billion. Of course, as the market dances around, the two companies could easily trade places and fight for the #3 spot, or Tesla could slowly (or quickly) climb to the #2 spot and take it from VW.

Eventually, as Tesla continues to progress, many shareholders expect it will take over the #1 spot from Toyota.

Photo by Chanan Bos, CleanTechnica

What Does This Mean For America?
When compared to other vehicles made at other companies, American autos are generally seen as not so great. Toyota is known as one of the safest and most reliable brands among my friends, and Mercedes is the equivalent of luxury. However, this is changing as Tesla continues to dominate the premium-class markets. We see this in somewhat symbolic fashion with Tesla taking Daimler’s spot at number 3.

This is a great thing for the US, as it shows that we are taking a spot at the table among leaders in the industry again. Tesla is seen as a threat to other automakers because of how high tech its cars are. Porsche’s response to Tesla is the Taycan, and although many do love it, not as many love its price tag.

The Porsche Taycan starts at $150,900 while the most powerful Turbo S is $185,000. Fully loaded, it’s $241,500. The Tesla Model S starts at under $100,000, and the Model S Plaid will be lower than Tesla’s competitors — the prices haven’t been announced yet — while offering greater performance. Also, the new 2020 Tesla Roadster will cost around $200,000 and the first few will be $250,000 (those will be the Founder’s Edition), while it will outcompete million-dollar supercar “rivals.”

For the everyday American who goes to work, comes home, and maybe goes out for entertainment a few times a month — they just want a car to get them from point A to point B. This is where the value of Tesla has already come into play as more and more people choose the Model 3 over any other car. Safety is a concern and we already know it’s received top scores in that department. Want fast? Tesla. Want the best autonomous driving tech? Tesla.

What this means for America is that Tesla is already being recognized as a leader in the auto industry and is revitalizing a portion of the manufacturing base. This is something we should be proud of. Tesla is our quarterback. It’s our Drew Brees. (Yes, I’m a Saints fan, WhoDat!) As the European car market and Germany’s auto industry transitions to e-mobility, Tesla will also have a positive force within its borders, boosting the economy and creating jobs. That’s something for all parties to be thankful for.
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About the Author

Johnna Crider Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem and mineral collector, and Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to “Believe in Good.”

Tesla is one of many good things to believe in. You can find Johnna on Twitter

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