Gigafactory

Quote: AZDuffman

Could be to keep the hype going.

They're spending $5 billion to construct the second largest factory in North America. Is that "hype" intended to further inflate the stock price? Or is it just a terribly foolish gamble?

Quote: AZDuffman

Musk either thinks he has something coming or is just a modern-day Preston Tucker who sold more hype than cars.

Tucker only built 52 cars. Period. Tesla delivered 10,030 vehicles in the first quarter of 2015. (That's a whopping 55% increase over Q1 of 2014.)

Quote: kenarman

US Rates

OUCH, hard to believe how much pricier power was in the 1960s, and with less efficient appliances to boot. No wonder my dad goes so ape over a light on, he is living in 1959!

Quote: AZDuffman

OUCH, hard to believe how much pricier power was in the 1960s, and with less efficient appliances to boot. No wonder my dad goes so ape over a light on, he is living in 1959!

It was far worse in the 20's-40's. Utilities
and food ate up most of your paycheck.
Today it's rent and the mortgage, food
and gas and electric take far less of bite.

We always had the stair light on and my
dad would go bonkers over it. He never
had electric till he was in his 20's, and
never got over having to pay for it every
month. Our mortgage was $60 a month,
and the electric was at least $20.

Quote: kenarman

Average price in the US 2014 is 12-13 cents per KWH only Serbia is below that. The next 3 lowest countries are more or less the same as the US average.

The LA Times journalist who reviewed the Nissan Leaf routinely drove 85 miles on $5 worth of electricity from his local utility, Southern California Edison (17 cents per kilowatt hour).

Germany's electricity rates are about 75% more expensive than rates in California. So US$5 of California electricity would cost about US$8.80 in Germany. For gasoline, Germans are paying 1.42euros for 1 liter of gasoline. That translates into US$6.12/gallon.

If gasoline retails for $6.12/gallon how the hell could anyone drive 85 miles for just $8.80??? No matter how you cut it, the operational costs of electric cars are extremely low.

Quote: reno

If gasoline retails for $6.12/gallon how the hell could anyone drive 85 miles for just $8.80??? No matter how you cut it, the operational costs of electric cars are extremely low.

The operating costs are low, but the purchase cost is much higher, in some cases almost 100% higher when you remove the subsidies. Then there is the range thing. For those who can use it just as a second car it is not as big a deal. For the rest of us, it is. And if I can afford a second car is sure as heck will not be a subcompact electric.

Quote: Evenbob

We always had the stair light on and my
dad would go bonkers over it. He never
had electric till he was in his 20's, and
never got over having to pay for it every
month. Our mortgage was $60 a month,
and the electric was at least $20.

My dad goes nuts if he sees my lights on. He always mentions the garage light on the motion sensor. Garage is right on the street and I want the security. He lives in the dark in the fall instead of keeping lights on.

I have electric in the barn and rarely
use it. Still costs $24 a month just
for the thrill and privilege of having
it there when I need it. Came in handy
for years when I ran a 220V heater
in the family room by running heavy
buried Romex from the barn 100'
away. Completely illegal, but I was
paying for it, so why should they care.

My wiring here is old, I believe it's only
60 amps. The barn is 200 amps.

Quote: reno

They're spending $5 billion to construct the second largest factory in North America. Is that "hype" intended to further inflate the stock price? Or is it just a terribly foolish gamble?

Quote: Cosmin Laslau, a technology analyst for Lux Research.

The plan is a tremendous risk,Tesla will meet less than half of its 2020 sales target, which will saddle it with cash-draining overcapacity. Tesla’s grand designs are dangerously ambitious.

I don't know what BMW USA sales are projected for 2020, but in 2013 they were about 300K automobiles.

Quote: Evenbob

My wiring here is old, I believe it's only 60 amps. The barn is 200 amps.

Between 1950 and 1965, the 60-amp service panel became widely accepted and preferred. This panel was mounted inside a gray metal cabinet and featured a 240-volt feed.

I believe that Circuit breaker panels only permit a minimum of 100-amp . Even the oldest type with only 12 spaces. So the first question is do you have circuit breaker panel or simply fuses?

Panel in my parent's house from 1928. It is a 100 Amp panel, so you don't want to fall into it.

Mine looks exactly like this. I have other
separate boxes for the pump, furnace,
water heater and stove. Because we have
a gas stove and water heater, this lets
me use those boxes for more circuits
in the house. My office is run off one
box because I have so much plugged
in there. I used new Romex for that from
the box to the office.