Tesla electric car to Europe

Earlier this month, electric carmaker Tesla Motors opened their first store, in Los Angeles, to sell their landmark Tesla Roadster (retail price: $150,000).

Early adopters include California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney and Kelsey (Fraser) Grammer.

Now Tesla has begun taking Internet orders from Europe, where the weak dollar makes the car’s high price tag a little more palatable. Their next step will be stores in Paris, London, and Munich.

In addition to zero emissions, the Tesla Roadster stands out for its lightning quickness speed (top speed 200 km/h, 0-100 km in under 4 seconds) and improved autonomy (300 kms.) versus earlier electric cars.

Tesla vice president Darryl Siry had this to say to AFP:

"Europeans are much more advanced in their thinking about issues of sustainability and the idea of having a beautiful sports car that produces zero emissions is very attractive to people."

Tags: Tesla, Tesla Motors, Tesla Roadster, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, alternative energy, renewable energy, sustainable energy, electric cars

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Recommended reading: : What Is Your Dangerous Idea?

What Is Your Dangerous Idea?: Today’s Leading Thinkers on the Unthinkable

Edited by John Brockman

Short essays by a hundred leading thinkers from all walks of science including Jared Diamond, Richard Dawkins, J. Craig Venter. Topics range from genetics to the existence of the soul…

"From Copernicus to Darwin, to current-day thinkers, scientists have always promoted theories and unveiled discoveries that challenge everything society holds dear; ideas with both positive and dire consequences. Many thoughts that resonate today are dangerous not because they are assumed to be false, but because they might turn out to be true.

What do the world’s leading scientists and thinkers consider to be their most dangerous idea? Through the leading online forum Edge (www.edge.org), the call went out, and this compelling and easily digestible volume collects the answers. From using medication to permanently alter our personalities to contemplating a universe in which we are utterly alone, to the idea that the universe might be fundamentally inexplicable, What Is Your Dangerous Idea? takes an unflinching look at the daring, breathtaking, sometimes terrifying thoughts that could forever alter our world and the way we live in it."

Tags: What is your dangerous idea, John Brockman, Edge

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Honda Fit goes hybrid

Honda has announced that they will launch a hybrid version of their Fit model, by the early 2010s according to Automotive News.

This will be their fourth hybrid vehicle, joining a new dedicated hybrid vehicle to be launched in 2009, a sports hybrid based on the CR-Z, and a redesigned Civic hybrid.

Honda president Takeo Fukui had previously shown skepticism regarding hybrids during the automakers 2007 year-end press conference, citing that they require significant improvement in capacity, weight, and size of batteries, motors, and engines.

AFP quotes him thus:

"Until now, the hybrid vehicle business has been about creating impressions and images among potential buyers, and not about producing profitable vehicles at affordable prices."

Tags: Honda, Honda Fit, Honda hybrids, alternative energy, sustainable energy, hybrids, hybrid technology, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry

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How to fix spam

ZDnet published an interesting piece on how the spam problem could be resolved quickly… here’s an excerpt:

"The problem is that the major e-mail technology providers won’t work together to come up with some standard approaches to stopping spam. And when I say major, I mean AOL, Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo. If those four companies simply got together and said it’s time to fix the problem and here’s how we’re going to fix it, the rest of the world would have no choice but to follow."

Tags: spam

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Renault-Nissan: big plans for electric cars

Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault-Nissan, has made a firm commitment: Renault-Nissan will be the world leader in the electric vehicle industry, and their efforts will be far-reaching and profitable.

And hopefully world-changing.

Renault-Nissan has teamed up with Silicon Valley-based electric vehicle startup Project Better Place. These are their plans:

• 2010: Nissan will launch a battery-powered car in the U.S.
• 2011: Renault-Nissan will introduce all-electric vehicles and a network of charging points in Israel and Denmark.
• 2012: Renault-Nissan will offer a complete range of electric vehicles in every large car-market.

Ghosn highlights these major points:

Electric cars will be less expensive

Renault-Nissan’s electric cars will be less expensive than equivalent gasoline-fueled models.

Only better batteries are missing

Technically, everything is in place for electric vehicles to become mainstream, except for the batteries. He says that Nissan and NEC are investing massively in this industry, in order to improve range and recharge times.

A new way business model

Renault-Nissan’s business model will be very different: car owners will subscribe to a battery-replacement and charging plan based on anticipated mileage. Recharging will be done at Project Better Place-built stations.

To summarize his commitment, Ghosn has said,

"We must have zero-emission vehicles. Nothing else will prevent the world from exploding."

Read more at the Economist.

Tags: Renault, Nissan, Renault-Nissan, Carlos Ghosn, Project Better Place, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, alternative energy, sustainable energy, electric cars

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Best movies: April 2008

Movies I saw and liked during April:

• Pan’s Labyrinth (El Laberinto de Fauno). Best movie I’ve seen in years.
• 3:10 to Yuma. Super western, they say the 1957 original is even better…
• Half Nelson. Ryan Gosling started here.

CD of the month: My Secret Life (Sonia Dada)

Book of the month: What Is Your Dangerous Idea?: Today’s Leading Thinkers on the Unthinkable (edited by John Brockman)

Other Best Movie posts:

• March 2008
• February 2008
• January 2008
• December 2007
• November 2007
• October 2007
• September 2007
• August 2007
• July 2007
• June 2007
• May 2007
• April 2007
• March 2007
• February 2007
• January 2007
• December 2006
• November 2006
• October 2006

Tags: Pan’s Labyrinth, 3:10 to Yuma, Half Nelson, Ryan Gosling, My Secret Life, Sonia Dada, What Is Your Dangerous Idea?: Today’s Leading Thinkers on the Unthinkable, John Brockman, movies, best movies, movies of the month, CDs, best CDs, CDs of the month, books, best books, books of the month

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Toyota enters Nano Wars

India’s premier carmaker, Tata Motors, rocked the automotive world when they finally released their anticipated Nano, alternatively known as the "People’s Car", "One-Lakh Car" and "$2,500 Car".

Kudos to Tata for building up expectations over the past five years (they announced this project back in 2003) and then coming through on their promise.

The initial reply from other major manufacturers such as GM and Toyota was that the Nano could not be profitable (Tata says it is), and that the car could not meet safety and emissions standards (it currently does in lax India which is Tata’s first intended market).

Now both GM and Toyota are scrambling to reply with product.

Basically what What Tata did was signal their intention of dominating the entry-level segment in India, where a potentially huge emerging middle class looks to buy their first automobile.

Toyota has announced plans to begin building small cars in India, for the local and export markets. They will build a second plant to be ready by 2010, at a cost of $350 million dollars and with an output of 100,000 units per year,  through their joint-venture in Bangalore.

Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe has been quoted by the Times of India as saying, "There is a huge market for low-cost/price vehicles," but at the same time has expressed concern about Toyota’s ability to maintain a high level of quality.

At the same time, GM is manufacturing a $3,500 mini-car in China.

Tags: Toyota, Toyota India, GM, GM India, Katsuaki Watanabe, Nano, People’s Car, One Lakh Car, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, India, India auto industry

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China plans: GM

General Motors is looking at increasing its stake in their current joint venture with local automakers Shanghai Automotive and Wuling Automobile, called SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co. Ltd., as part of its strategy to start focusing on small cars that can compete with Tata’s Nano, a.k.a. the People’s Car. GM owns 34% of this venture.

The SGMW joint venture currently produces minivans and other small commercial vehicles under the Wuling brand, and as such they are China’s largest minivan manufacturer (they sold 550,000 units in 2007). They also make one GM branded model, the low-cost Chevrolet Spark minivan. GM is trying to lower production costs on the Spark.

A noteworthy offering from the SGMW joint venture is the tiny Xingwang (a Wuling brand model), the smallest, cheapest offering from SGMW. The Xingwang may in fact soon carry the GM brand name.

Shanghai General Motors is also pushing a green philosophy in its marketing message. They unveiled two hybrid vehicles at the Beijing International Auto Show, the LaCrosse Eco-Hybrid (to be sold in June 2008) and the Cadillac Escalade 2-Mode Hybrid (2009).

Tags: GM, General Motors, GM Spark, Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corp, SAIC, SAIC Motor, Shanghai Automotive, Shanghai General Motors, Shanghai GM, Wuling Automobile, SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, China, Chinese auto industry, Chinese automotive industry, alternative energy, hybrids

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China plans: Chrysler

Despite the Chrysler Daimler separation, Chrysler will continue with the existing joint venture that both companies set up in China in 2004, the Beijing Benz Daimler Chrysler Automotive Co Ltd.

Chrysler is playing catch-up in China, as they were late to enter that market. Their main focus now is to expand production capacity in order to support expansion in China.

Said Philip Murtaugh, CEO of Chrysler’s Asian operations:

"The BBDC remains exactly as it was before the separation of Chrysler and Daimler. This company is critical for Chrysler’s success and these cars are very large and important segments in China’s market. Chrysler and BBDC are working closely and hard together to make sure we will succeed."

The BBDC joint venture currently produces Mercedes-Benz E-class and C-class luxury sedans as well as Chrysler 300C and Chrysler Borui (Sebring) sedans under technical licensing contracts that will continue until 2013. As reported by the Shanghai Daily.

In 2007, Chrysler also began to produce Dodge Caravans and Chrysler Grand Voyagers in a joint venture with Fujian Automotive Industry Corp.

Chrysler is also said to be forming a joint venture with Chery Automobile to attack the small car segment.

Tags: Chrysler, Chrysler China, Dodge China,  Philip Murtaugh,  Beijing Benz Daimler Chrysler Automotive Co Ltd., BBDC, Fujian Automotive Industry Corp., Chery, Chery Automobile, Chery Automobile Co., automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, China, Chinese auto industry, Chinese automotive industry

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Formula 1 goes hybrid

Formula 1 chief Max Mosely recently announced that all Formula One cars will go hybrid by 2013.

According to Gas 2.0, the hybrid system that will be phased in is known as KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), which doesn’t store as much energy as a traditional hybrid system, but weighs just 55 pounds, has sufficient energy storage capacity, and is twice as efficient as a standard hybrid system.

Tags: Formula One, hybrids, Max Mosely, KERS

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