Tesla Electric Car

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Ben73

Yes but if they can build it then sell it for a profit for $29000 in the US does that mean when selling it here they make $30,000 profit from each car? Surely it's not going to cost 30k to ship it to Australia.

Absolutely not.

So you would like a left hand drive non ADR compliant car that cannot be registered or insured and has no parts, service or warranty?

[fou_bleu]

Originally Posted by flappist

Basic wage in USA is $6-7/hr, what is it in Australia?

Erm... Volt isn't made here?

[flappist]

Originally Posted by 4RD4TW

Erm... Volt isn't made here?

No, Hamtramck in Michigan USA

[fou_bleu]

Originally Posted by flappist

No, Hamtramck in Michigan USA

Correct, so then why does the cost of labour in USA make a difference to the price of the Volt here? IMO, LCT and the myriad of taxes and tariffs etc. are the main reason for the hike - perhaps backed up with a considerable mark-up from Holden because they can?

[flappist]

Originally Posted by 4RD4TW

Correct, so then why does the cost of labour in USA make a difference to the price of the Volt here? IMO, LCT and the myriad of taxes and tariffs etc. are the main reason for the hike - perhaps backed up with a considerable mark-up from Holden because they can?

Because the car has to be complied and supported HERE by people employed HERE under laws from HERE.

Do a bit of research into the Australian and US car industries and legal requirements. These are not iPhones or playstations.

[Ben73]

I know a left hand to right hand drive conversion can cost $20,000, but surly the Australian bound Volts would be built right hand drive straight away with no need for a 'conversion'. Surely it doesn't cost them $30,000 to get it to pass the other aspects of ADR.

I don't know maybe it does. But I would love to see the price breakdown for cars like the Volt to see where all the money is going.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Ben73

I know a left hand to right hand drive conversion can cost $20,000, but surly the Australian bound Volts would be built right hand drive straight away with no need for a 'conversion'. Surely it doesn't cost them $30,000 to get it to pass the other aspects of ADR.

I don't know maybe it does. But I would love to see the price breakdown for cars like the Volt to see where all the money is going.

Write to Holden and ask them for it.

[gtfpv]

they are becoming viable . i think the problem is how are the govts going to create revenue ? saving money to the consumer is of no benifit to resourcefull busnisses .
if they can get around economic factors which they will , then electric cars will be the norm in the3 very short future , just as propellar driven planes are becoming a thing of yesteryear so will the combustion engine .
look at the world of radio control for example , 20 years ago we all had nitro 2 cycle and 4 cycle engines and loved them , the price was reducing from around $300 for an ITALIAN made ROSSI 0.46 cu 2 stroke engine . TO $99 for a chinese one .
the equivilant in electric brushless AC motors now . $15 and it will out perform any nitro version in torque and rpm with a perfect tune throughout the rev range ( no sweet spot)
nicad batteries have been replaced with liquid polymere batteries , which dont need cycling and can produce hi current over a long term for less weight than previous batteries .
i scientist has told me , science is already experimenting with 3 generations of batteries after lipo polymer ones we buy now . that means the next batteries are already developed , then the next ones and the ones after that are currently under development , lipo batteries are already lightyears ahead of NI CAD BATTERIES , ATHAT WERE USED AND NONJ VIABLE FOR ELECTRIC RC MOTORS JUST 10 YEARS AGO .
I hope this isnt seen as off topic , as i'm trying to show some relationship to the auto industry , look at the 1940s compared to now , my prediction is in about 30 years internal combustion will be museum stuff .
elctric cars and componants will be pruduced very cheaply , and will all be plug n play .
my guess is tolls will rise exponentially for usage revenue , or purchase premiums will be charged at purchase creating revenue .
it will be better than it is now , but as we look at an old mosquito(plane ) flying in the air today , it will be just a memory with once obtained WOW factor that is ancient from another error .
i have a friend who is driving around in his home made electric car , it has a washing machine motor in it and 50kgs of lipo batteries .

[bigsta]

Originally Posted by flappist

Basic wage in USA is $6-7/hr, what is it in Australia?

Thats a tad bit misleading though as majority of factory workers are on state or union agreements and get more and 90% of other positions that pay the basic wage have the tip component built in, in oz 1 in 10 ppl may leave a tip but over there the tip pays for service and it is a very bad social no no to not leave a tip of at least 15% so yes while its true that service positions do not get much of an hourly wage the tips is actually the main part of their salary.

There is some other workers heaps of mexicans and others willing to work that would not get that much of a wage who are paid cash but even than i think it would be at least $100 per day or something.

Other than NY its pretty cheap to live in the states too $7 there is prob equivalent to at least $15 here in buying power.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by bigsta

Other than NY its pretty cheap to live in the states too $7 there is prob equivalent to at least $15 here in buying power.

Hmm.....and cars are about twice the price here as there....starting to make sense now?

[bigsta]

No it makes very little sense really, there is no good reason for the price hike and its silly and short-sighted of Holden to do it along with its stupid complicated warranty.

If they gave it a good price max $40k for a base model along with long hyundai style warranty to allay ppls fears about it they would fly out the door.

[tranquilized]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

...look at the 1940s compared to now , my prediction is in about 30 years internal combustion will be museum stuff .
elctric cars and componants will be pruduced very cheaply , and will all be plug n play .

30 years is being generous IMO

It is an absolute no brainer, without a shadow of a doubt, that electricity will be the dominant energy source for private transportation in the very near future. Its in everyones best interest to eliminate our reliance on OPEC controlled oil.

The technology is moving fast now, and it will only improve exponentially. And dont just think better batteries, maybe hydrogen fuel cells will eventually get sorted. Who knows.

I remember reading about one company who had developed a special type of bituman that collected the heat energy created by cars and trucks driving along it, stored it, and fed it back to the same cars and trucks driving along it.

Who knows what the future holds, except to say it definitely wont be internal combustion engines, at least not in any great numbers. These electric cars we're seeing now are the automotive equivilant to those first mobile phones that were the size of a suitcase.

[Brazen]

I'm starting to see the big appeal for electric cars, especially once they start becoming mainstream.

Skaife seems positive...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liQgFjmApAU

[GasoLane]

Before you go throwing your hard earned at Elec cars...........

http://www.skynews.com.au/tech/article.aspx?id=803263

[Chopped]

Jay Leno tests the Tesla Model S >

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoFVO31CbE0

[mik]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

they are becoming viable . i think the problem is how are the govts going to create revenue ? saving money to the consumer is of no benifit to resourcefull busnisses .
if they can get around economic factors which they will , then electric cars will be the norm in the3 very short future , just as propellar driven planes are becoming a thing of yesteryear so will the combustion engine .
look at the world of radio control for example , 20 years ago we all had nitro 2 cycle and 4 cycle engines and loved them , the price was reducing from around $300 for an ITALIAN made ROSSI 0.46 cu 2 stroke engine . TO $99 for a chinese one .
the equivilant in electric brushless AC motors now . $15 and it will out perform any nitro version in torque and rpm with a perfect tune throughout the rev range ( no sweet spot)
nicad batteries have been replaced with liquid polymere batteries , which dont need cycling and can produce hi current over a long term for less weight than previous batteries .
i scientist has told me , science is already experimenting with 3 generations of batteries after lipo polymer ones we buy now . that means the next batteries are already developed , then the next ones and the ones after that are currently under development , lipo batteries are already lightyears ahead of NI CAD BATTERIES , ATHAT WERE USED AND NONJ VIABLE FOR ELECTRIC RC MOTORS JUST 10 YEARS AGO .
I hope this isnt seen as off topic , as i'm trying to show some relationship to the auto industry , look at the 1940s compared to now , my prediction is in about 30 years internal combustion will be museum stuff .
elctric cars and componants will be pruduced very cheaply , and will all be plug n play .
my guess is tolls will rise exponentially for usage revenue , or purchase premiums will be charged at purchase creating revenue .
it will be better than it is now , but as we look at an old mosquito(plane ) flying in the air today , it will be just a memory with once obtained WOW factor that is ancient from another error .
i have a friend who is driving around in his home made electric car , it has a washing machine motor in it and 50kgs of lipo batteries .

perhaps, you never know,
personally i think it will take longer and the hybrid will take the lead,
unless as you say the super battery becomes available, and electricity does`nt become too expensive(recently we had our 1st ever 500+ $ electricity bill ) imagine adding car recharge to that on a daily basis and we have`nt hit summer yet with the air con running,
speaking of opec and oil supplies, well perhaps we should also look at raw materials for car batteries in the future, in 2011 it`s estimated we surpassed one billion cars on the planet, what are the resources for the batteries? they maybe scarcer than petroleum .