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Bob Lutz, car-guy-to-the-max, former VP of GM and Chrysler, with time at BMW before that, wrote this recent article --
http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a26859/bob-lutz-tesla/
The opening paragraph is gloomy:
Tesla's showing all the signs of a company in trouble: bleeding cash, securitized assets, and mounting inventory. It's the trifecta of doom for any automaker, and anyone paying attention probably saw this coming a mile away. Like most big puzzles, the company's woes don't have just one source.
and the prognosis goes downhill from there mentioning competition from Audi, the lack of enough dealers to attract more buyers and other problems.
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(Score: 2, Insightful) by jlv2 on Friday October 30 2015, @04:08PM
The Model S is an exceptional vehicle and a pleasure to drive. I've test driven it twice. I wish I was willing to pay that much for a car, as I would own one now. Instead, I settled for a Nissan LEAF for 1/3 the price. Thus, I still need to take an ICE when I drive on trips of 400+ miles since the LEAF can't do it in a reasonable time, whereas the Model S can (there are Superchargers all along the eastern US interstate system now).
(Score: 4, Interesting) by BasilBrush on Friday October 30 2015, @05:22PM
I wonder why no one has come up with battery trailers for rent. Ones that connect to the EV to extend range. You'd just hire one when you needed the range and hitch it up.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 30 2015, @06:07PM
@BasilBrush - 100% Agree!
I was hoping they would put the chargers in there rear, not in the side of the vehicles. Then you could put the small trailer hitch and have the power port available native. We already have a number of nation wide truck rental places that could expand their business too (offering one way trips and such.) You could even have 2 different models, a pure battery pack extender or a high efficiency diesel so you can fill up if doing extra long hauls without needing to swap the trailers.
(Score: 2) by BasilBrush on Saturday October 31 2015, @02:15PM
Yeah, a lot of the EVs have gone for familiarity with ICE cars with the fuel port on the side. Much like the whole shape of EVs currently mimics ICE cars when they don't need to.
The Leaf though went different with the charger at the front under the marque badge. Even worse for this concept!
But trailer hitches come equipped with a socket for car electrics. I guess there would be another high voltage one installed the other side for this purpose.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 31 2015, @08:40AM
Toyota developed one, but it appears to have died with the electric Rav4.
Rav Long Ranger Hybridizing Trailer [evnut.com]
(Score: 2) by BasilBrush on Saturday October 31 2015, @02:09PM
Interesting. Perhaps it's just too soon for this to take off. Not enough EVs on the road to sustain the concept yet.
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