Scobleizer - Latest Comments in Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

kerry bradshaw — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:52:29 -0000

Boy, is it easy to con this younger generation or what!!! This boob is shilling for an obsolete EV design because this overpriced $100,000 car with the $30,0000 battery pack that lasts 5 years gets 200 miles on $3 of
electricity. By my calculations, he's claiming that it's worth the extra $30,000 for the first battery pack and $6,000 per year in battery costs
so that you don't have to buy 500 gallons of gas. And people wonder why the younger generation can't compete. With anyone. Anywhere. No wonder
the Chinese (and everyonme else) is cleaning our clocks. This yokel obviously is not even remotely up to speed on electric propulsion. He's time warped into the the 1980's when idiot GM CEO Roger Smith and the California CARB board decided that they could build a practical electric car.
They were only missing one thing - the first thing they should have considered before trying to build anEV - a battery. It's the battery, stupid!
Now this yoyo , who has been conned into thinking the Tesla roadster
is actually a viable alternative to a ga powered car because it goes swishy quick, doesn't even know that it contains thousands of flashlight batteries that are 1st generation, small cell examples of batteries that NONE, repeat NONE, of the other dozen (professional) automakers would ever consider using for their new electrics. And only those automakers without the engineering capabilities are building oxymoronic battery-only vehicles,
like the Tesla, which make no economic sense and have virtually no advantage over a 40 mile range plug-in hybrid in terms of either emisions reductions or gasoline avoidance. Plug-in hybrids are the only intelligent electric propulsion technology around right now. And the Fisker Karma, out next year, looks twice as good as the Tesla, is quite fast, costs $20K less, carries twice as many passengers and their luggage, travels 50 miles on battery power and another 500 on liquid fuel, and has a battery pack that will last indefinitely. Anyone buying a Tesla needs to have their head examined. This yokel never heard of the Fisker. Or of third generation lithium ion batteries that it contains. Tesla claimed they were going to build a practical plug-in hybrid a year ago, but obviously soon realized that they simply didn't have the abilities.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Tony Lawrence — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:27:49 -0000

I live in a gated community where we can drive golf carts around the community roads. I have an electric, my neighbor has gas. From a standing start, I can leave him a hundred feet behind any day, level surface, up hill, whatever. Electric motors have incredible torque..

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Skeptic — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 02:21:24 -0000

Oh please Scoble, guy owns the firm ofc he is going to say something like that. Lets put facts together however: McLaren F1 0-60MPH 2.6sec, Tesla 0-60MPH 5.7sec.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Robert Scoble — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:44:25 -0000

Skeptic: have you ever owned a McLaren F1? The guy in the video has.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Skeptic — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:41:17 -0000

I found this article funny and probaply full of total false information. Firstly McLaren F1, not MacLaren. Secondly: Seriously 30-70MPH faster??? I doubt Tesla breaks any McLaren F1 record (maybe fuel efficency). Please Scobble try write correct information and maybe think 2 mins before posting stuff you hear.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

milo — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:17:18 -0000

Ok... 200 miles for like £3 or $6...I take it that isn't when you are doing 0-60 in sub 5 seconds. Why don't companies concentrate on what people will want. The 4 door saloon car is what people use, sports cars are a luxury most people can't afford. If you are wanting to make it big, make a peoples car, then make the odd exotic one. IF ...you could get the same mileage as a normal car (350 miles) from a fillup, then you would be doing well, and competing with real cars. A £30,000 saloon with the range of a normal car... even £10 to fill it.. Would be worth it for me.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

silentium — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:39:22 -0000

At the Moment I Love this "green" car :

http://www.ac-schnitzer.de/...

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Wreck — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:39:17 -0000

LOL @ 55 Aido

Too funny! Life is meant to be enjoyed while you can.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Aido — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:09:41 -0000

@Wreck totally agree. Part and parcel of life is to have fun no matter what your circumstances are make the best of it.

When it over laps with technology for me even better. I cant stand people ho take pop shots because something is out of their reach.

I've met Jason (in London once) nice guy, never met Scoble but if I did I'd be tempted to put my hand on his ass, as thats probably the closest I'll probably ever get to the inside of the Tesla Roadster :)

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Wreck — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:40:30 -0000

To the whiners:

Anyone who is overly jealous of other really needs to get a life. The information provided here by Robert is just reporting the facts and circumstances.

That's the problem and the reason so many people are in debt. Be happy with what you have. It's nice to dream and want cool gadgets, but the wise man always realizes that wanting is the better part of having.

Maturity dictates when reading posts about cars most people will never drive let alone see. It's a car for pete's sake -- it gets you from point A to point B. No more no less. So many people think a mere car or gadget is somehow going to improve their lot in life. No chance. People are nothing but the sum of their experiences. Be happy with your lot in life or strive to change it realistically.

Be happy that Scoble reports on things you might not get a chance to see. While you may never drive a Tesla, the overarching theme here is that this kind of development will, in the long run, trickle down to everyday cars that you will be able to afford and drive.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Robert Scoble — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:12:52 -0000

Not rich: I can't afford to buy these things either, but they are interesting pieces of technology and I cover people in the technology industry. It's not every day you get to ride around Santa Monica in a one-of-a-kind car and interview one of the guys who started PayPal.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Robert Scoble — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:11:37 -0000

mitch: are you really that lame? Top speed doesn't equal off the line performance. Watch the video, we cover all this there.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

bobw — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:17:34 -0000

As the man-in-black said in The Princess Bride: "This isn't as easy as it looks!"

Mechanical Engineering is hard. Transmissions are particularly hard. The M1 Abrams tank used to destroy its transmissions. It's powered by a gas turbine derived from a helicopter engine. It too is very different from a piston engine.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

mitch — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:38:37 -0000

Can somebody please explain to me how a 248hp Tesla with a top speed of 125 mph beats a Corvette with 430hp and a top speed of 200mph? Does Calacanis not know how to drive?

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Ken — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:04:59 -0000

@39. Indeed. With the shadows,lighting and perspective, Calacanis looks like he has boobs.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Sean Percival — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:04:53 -0000

Robert,

Great to finally meet you, sorry we didn't get a chance to see the ride as well! Keep rocky well feed, for such a big guy, what a picky eater. :D

Take care,
Sean

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Not rich or famouse — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:15:03 -0000

Robert - I normally like your stuff - but keep in mind who your readers are.

You can only take the cult of personality thing so far. I find it annoying that you show off fancy gadgets (and now cars) that I can't afford. If people are affording you the privilege to buy said fancy gadgets - use them for something meaningful, not just galvanting off in a new car to enlarge the size of Calcanis' piece.

nice photos -- but guess what, nobody cares.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Preston — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:33:03 -0000

On a different note, your photography is incredible Scoble. I don't know the intricacies of photography, but those shots look great. The angles and perspective, etc.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Wreck — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:31:45 -0000

@37,

Skoda makes great stuff. I love watching their rally cars. But, we all know nothing touches the Ford Cosworth in the rally...

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Aido — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:16:22 -0000

Hey guys ever heard of Skoda? They got off to a bad start but over a few years built up a decent brand rep. Not in the same league by any means, but if you have the passion and drive ;)

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

aiusepsi — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:02:45 -0000

The most gutting thing about these not being available in the UK is that they're built in the UK at the Lotus factory.

Anyways, the reason the torque is phenomenal is because it's an electric motor. The physics of it are just completely different. You get the maximum torque when you turn it on from a standing start, compared to an internal combustion engine, which doesn't work at all unless it's in motion.

Anyways, from what I've read it's not a stock Lotus, there have been a lot of changes to it. The lack of an internal combustion engine and fuel tank, and the addition of the electric motor and battery instead have forced some rethinks in the design as well as a few other modifications.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Wreck — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:58:00 -0000

Electric cars are too cool as evidenced by this YouTube video of an electric car vs. a Ferrari and a Porsche.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Andrew — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:55:22 -0000

Now if you could only put the sound of the Vette into the Tesla. This thing certainly has it's share of haters and lovers. thanks

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Christopher Coulter — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:18:27 -0000

PSS - Elon Musk was in Mahalo's second round, conflict of interest, eh?. :) But both are doomed.

Re: Hanging out with a fast company (emphasis on fast)

Christopher Coulter — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:14:42 -0000

PS - But just having a venture-hustler like Elon "Colonize Space" Musk as chairman, is enough to sink it. So I am assuming you agree with Musk's blog censorship and treatment of Eberhard then? ;)