OT Elon Musk

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Elon Musk
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Verified account

@elonmusk
20h20 hours ago
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If you’re into video game development, consider applying to Tesla. We want to make super fun games that integrate the center touch screen, phone & car irl.


I have a great idea for a game, I'll call it 'Distracted Driving'. and it's not my fault because the autonomous driver didn't work.

[murphy]

Elon Musk
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Verified account

@elonmusk
20h20 hours ago
More
If you’re into video game development, consider applying to Tesla. We want to make super fun games that integrate the center touch screen, phone & car irl.


I have a great idea for a game, I'll call it 'Distracted Driving'. and it's not my fault because the autonomous driver didn't work.

I like his push for cars not dependent on oil; I dislike almost everything else about him. Twitter in general I think of as a cesspool, but his Twitter feed can be way worse than average.

[j44ke]

His factory is full of spies and supply chain logjams pop up seconds before the order button is pushed. He’s getting simultaneously Shanghai’d and Tucker’d.

[SteveP]

I thk he and Tesla are in pretty deep trouble.
It's called biting off more than you can chew...

[Saab2000]

I like SpaceX. The vertical landing of a rocket is insane. I thought it was CGI the first time I saw it. Jaw pretty much dropped the first time I saw it.

Tesla will eventually probably be sold. The brand will have value but the technology will be enveloped by companies with larger resources, like Daimler-Benz or VW.

[bigbill]

My concern is with Space X as well. It's a great program and I'd hate for it to be a victim of poor management. I had a job offer from Blue Origin but the cost of living and the salary didn't jive. They do the vertical landing as well. Both companies are moving towards manned space flight.

[j44ke]

The US pre-orders for the $30K model scared the pants off Detroit and showed China how far behind they actually were. The goal is to make sure he doesn't deliver. Unfortunately I think when they are done, he won't have anything left to sell.

[sk_tle]

I like his push for cars not dependent on oil;

I like his push for cars not dependent on oil, but I dislike his push on electric car that are made to waste precious energy. These things are overweight luxury sportscars really, not energy saving cars.

I know it doesn't sound attractive but we need lighter, more aero, probably less comfortable and slower cars. Not the opposite. People needing to haul large or heavy things are a minority and could own (or rent when they need it depending on the frequency) specific vehicules.

[Scott G.]

I know it doesn't sound attractive but we need lighter, more aero, probably less comfortable and slower cars. Not the opposite. People needing to haul large or heavy things are a minority and could own (or rent when they need it depending on the frequency) specific vehicules.

Tesla needs a pickup truck, dualie, crew cab with a King Ranch trim kit.
Then GM would worry. GMs Bolt is technically a good car, stylistically a plasticy mess.

[thollandpe]

I like his push for cars not dependent on oil, but I dislike his push on electric car that are made to waste precious energy. These things are overweight luxury sportscars really, not energy saving cars.

I know it doesn't sound attractive but we need lighter, more aero, probably less comfortable and slower cars. Not the opposite. People needing to haul large or heavy things are a minority and could own (or rent when they need it depending on the frequency) specific vehicules.

What? According to the EPA, a Nissan Leaf uses 30 kWh to go 100 miles, and the Tesla S uses 33 kWh. That "overweight luxury sports car" is still more efficient than my Prius plug-in hybrid. And probably more fun to drive.

While I agree with you that lighter and more aero is definitely the way to go with vehicle design, electric drive has a lot to offer heavy vehicles like pickups and SUVs. The basics are a power plant that doesn't waste most of its energy input as heat, and a drivetrain that harvests most of the braking energy. And then there's the torque vs. horsepower thing.

[sk_tle]

I agree with pretty much everything you said except EPA test ≠ real world driving. I know that most people won't really use the sport and ludicrous mode in a regular basis but still.

The good news is that upcoming solid state batteries will make electric car more efficient and lighter.

[zachateseverything]

The US pre-orders for the $30K model scared the pants off Detroit and showed China how far behind they actually were. The goal is to make sure he doesn't deliver. Unfortunately I think when they are done, he won't have anything left to sell.

At this rate, the $35k "Poverty Spec" Model 3 is never going to see the light of day. They haven't built a single one yet. The majority of Model 3's are north of $50k. $1.5B in electric vehicle subsidies has directed to high earners so they can buy toys (luxury cars).

GM beat them to market with a ~$35k full electric vehicle with 200+ miles of range in the Chevy Bolt. It's not "cool" but it's a solid car.

[bigbill]

What? According to the EPA, a Nissan Leaf uses 30 kWh to go 100 miles, and the Tesla S uses 33 kWh. That "overweight luxury sports car" is still more efficient than my Prius plug-in hybrid. And probably more fun to drive.

While I agree with you that lighter and more aero is definitely the way to go with vehicle design, electric drive has a lot to offer heavy vehicles like pickups and SUVs. The basics are a power plant that doesn't waste most of its energy input as heat, and a drivetrain that harvests most of the braking energy. And then there's the torque vs. horsepower thing.

I have faith in innovation and technology advancing. Solar power is mostly regional, based on exposure, angle, and average cloud cover. At some point that hurdle will be passed and we'll have more widespread consumer solar. With the advancement of home batteries and automated climate controls, it's entirely feasible to expect that the costs will go down. Oil companies will still make their profit margin by reducing production. One thing that will become a reality is a tax on renewables because the revenue stream from gas taxes will shrink and roads will still need to be maintained. Battery powered cars are still heavy.

[dgaddis]

My folks leased two Leafs. For a while GA was offering a $5k tax rebate on electric vehicles, my dad did the math, and with the $5k back from the state + the money he saved in gas they essentially drove the Leaf for free. They had one 10+ year old car, and another old(ish) car and the Leafs saved them from putting miles on those.

My dad loved the Leaf. He loved not having to buy gas (both the money spent plus the time at the pump), liked how the smaller more nimble car handled (he was coming out of a Camry...). And they had plenty of power.

But the tax deal is gone now. So once the Leafs were turned back in and it was time to buy a new vehicle, he got a Lexus SUV.

I bought a pickup ~2 months ago, it'll be my daily driver for a while, but I plan to keep it until the wheels fall off even when I'm not driving it every day. It's super handy having that bed.

That said, the next two cars we purchase will almost certainly be one fully electric (for 'round town driving and commuting and whatnot) and one hybrid (we do enough 200+ mile trips that it isn't practical to only have full electric, not with the current range and limited ability to recharge and whatnot).

[murphy]

I like his push for cars not dependent on oil, but I dislike his push on electric car that are made to waste precious energy. These things are overweight luxury sportscars really, not energy saving cars.

I know it doesn't sound attractive but we need lighter, more aero, probably less comfortable and slower cars. Not the opposite. People needing to haul large or heavy things are a minority and could own (or rent when they need it depending on the frequency) specific vehicules.

The Tesla cars have actually become much more aero. If you look at the front bumper, they lost the exposed grill/air dam of the originals and have made it smooth. I agree about being overweight and needlessly pointed to the luxury, sporty segment. Part of the weight is obviously the battery, but there are options for weight saving (looking at the stupidly large touchscreen). Tesla also likes to make things more complex than they need to be (looking at the falcon doors on the Type X).

[defspace]

I caught this piece on the way to work: Tesla's Musk Apologizes To Investors Over His Recent Behavior : NPR

What I gathered from it was that Elon Musk is a complete jerk. You should know you're in trouble when it's newsworthy the day you behave like a decent human being.

[bdaghisallo]

WArren Meyer over at his coyoteblog.com writes about Musk an d Tesla quite a bit. If you’re interested in the business side of Tesla and its cars and SpaceX it’s a good read.

[SteveP]

the ball rolls on... they are in deep trouble.

Tesla Trading Halted After Elon Musk Tweet About Taking Company Private - The New York Times

[zachateseverything]

The Tesla cars have actually become much more aero. If you look at the front bumper, they lost the exposed grill/air dam of the originals and have made it smooth. I agree about being overweight and needlessly pointed to the luxury, sporty segment. Part of the weight is obviously the battery, but there are options for weight saving (looking at the stupidly large touchscreen). Tesla also likes to make things more complex than they need to be (looking at the falcon doors on the Type X).

The biggest opportunity for weight savings is just making the car smaller. Short of exploring building the things out of exotic materials or a revolution in battery technology there isn't a lot of fat to cut out of these cars. The suspension components are aluminum forgings (at least on the X and the S) like you'd see on any number of sports cars. The bodies on the X and S are largely aluminum. The Model 3 moves to a lower cost steel body but thanks to advances in battery tech is only tipping the scales around 3500 pounds.

The touch screen is actually probably lighter than the alternative. Pretty much anything that would run off of a switch, button, or dial in a regular car is on the touch screen instead. That's a pretty big reduction in wires, cables, and various hardware that needs to be spread around the car.

Elon Musk is kind of a loathsome individual and Tesla hasn't put enough emphasis in my opinion on manufacturability. But they've hired an awful lot of smart guys away from race teams. They know how to design and build a light car.

[murphy]

The biggest opportunity for weight savings is just making the car smaller. Short of exploring building the things out of exotic materials or a revolution in battery technology there isn't a lot of fat to cut out of these cars. The suspension components are aluminum forgings (at least on the X and the S) like you'd see on any number of sports cars. The bodies on the X and S are largely aluminum. The Model 3 moves to a lower cost steel body but thanks to advances in battery tech is only tipping the scales around 3500 pounds.

The touch screen is actually probably lighter than the alternative. Pretty much anything that would run off of a switch, button, or dial in a regular car is on the touch screen instead. That's a pretty big reduction in wires, cables, and various hardware that needs to be spread around the car.

Elon Musk is kind of a loathsome individual and Tesla hasn't put enough emphasis in my opinion on manufacturability. But they've hired an awful lot of smart guys away from race teams. They know how to design and build a light car.

My argument against the touchscreens being heavy would be linked to using glass for the screen; I also just don't like how much complexity they add (which is funny coming from a software engineer).