Author
Founder, Publisher, and Editorial Director of the 925, LLC publications.
Seth Weintraub is an award-winning engineer, journalist, and publisher who won back-to-back Neal Awards from 2007–2010 during his three-plus years covering Apple and Google at IDG’s Computerworld.
From 2010-2011, Weintraub covered all things Google for Fortune Magazine, amassing an impressive rolodex of Google contacts and a love for Silicon Valley tech culture.
It turns out that his hobby – the 9to5Mac news site – was always his favorite, and in 2011, he went full time adding his Fortune Google followers to 9to5Google, in addition to adding the style and commerce component of 9to5Toys gear and deals site. In 2013, Weintraub bought one of Tesla’s first Model S EVs off of the assembly line, which began his love affair with electric vehicles and green energy — this, in turn, became Electrek in 2014. To cover the burgeoning world of drones and UAVs led by China’s DJI, DroneDJ was born in 2018, and then more recently, Connectthewatts and SpaceExplored were launched to cover connected fitness and space.
From 1997-2007, Weintraub was a Global IT director and Web Developer for a number of companies, with stints at multimedia and branding agencies in Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, Madrid, and London before becoming a publisher/writer.
Seth received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California with a minor in Multimedia and Creative Technology in 1997. In 2004, he received a Master’s from NYU’s Tisch School of the Art’s ITP program.
Weintraub is a licensed single-engine private pilot and a certified open-water scuba diver, and he spent over a year backpacking to 60 cities in 23 countries. Whatever free time exists is now guaranteed to his wonderful girlfriend, Alana, and two amazing sons.
More: About.me. BI 2014 profile.
Tips: seth@925.co, or llsethj on Threads/BlueSky or link at top of page.
Tesla moving forward with TWO Gigafactory sites, will make final decision before groundbreaking
Elon Musk appears to enjoy the thrill of the competition between states for the Gigafactory so much that he’s actually pitting the two best competitors against each other. In the final round of this Tourney, Tesla will build two
Bloomberg has some details:
“What we’re going to do is move forward with more than one state, at least two, all the way to breaking ground, just in case there’s last-minute issues,” Musk, Tesla’s chief executive officer, said in an interview this week. “The No. 1 thing is we want to minimize the risk timing for the gigafactory to get up and running.”
The new plant, requiring as much as $5 billion to build and ultimately employing as many as 6,500 people, is part of Musk’s vision of turning Palo Alto, California-based Tesla into the world’s dominant electric-car maker. Along with making batteries that are 30 percent cheaper than are now available, the plant would supply packs to Musk’s SolarCity Corp. (SCTY), letting homes and buildings with solar panels store energy they generate.
It is a good move and keeps the traditionally corrupt state politicians honest as long as possible. It also lets Tesla delay making a final decision until details are fleshed out.
One state, however, will be plenty pissed off when it is all said and done.
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Tesla posts 3rd leg of Cross country Rally [Video]
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtSPKJP5ZCY]
Check part one here and two here and the highlights here. I recently road-tripped from New York to Minneapolis so a lot of the stations here look familiar.
Ebay is giving away a Tesla Model S, enter to win by signing up for Ebay Garage
Enter here by adding your vehicle to Ebay Garage for 1 entry. Add photos for additional entries through May 16th.
2nd prize is a $100 Ebay Gift Certificate. Not quite as exciting but hey.
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Mercedes-Benz B-Class ED given test drive [video]
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmaq1CbB8yo]
Mercedes B series have Tesla drivetrains thanks to that early Daimler investment but clearly the instruments and body are locally grown. You can get your hands on one in July.
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George Takei and Chris Woodyard talk about the future of cars
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DVYTS6f8yA]
Nice easy video for broad consumption.
Reminds me of a tweet I once had:
Cars will change more in the next 10 years than they have in the last 100.
Almost every car on the street right now will be valueless.
— Seth Weintraub (@llsethj) November 18, 2013
FTC comes out in favor of Tesla over car dealer cabals, says direct sales bans are bad policy and outdated
By Diane Bartz
WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) – In an unusual move, three top officials with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Thursday came out in opposition to laws that ban automakers like Tesla Motors Inc from selling their automobiles directly to consumers.
Laws that ban car manufacturers from selling their own products are “bad policy” and outdated, the FTC officials said in a blog post. Such laws are currently in place in Arizona, Maryland, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia.
The authors were Andrew Gavil, director of the FTC’s Office of Policy Planning; Deborah Feinstein, director of the Bureau of Competition; and Martin Gaynor, director of the Bureau of Economics.
The views are their own and not those of the commission, the three said in the posting. It is not clear if the FTC is considering other action on the auto sales issue.
Dealers argue that their business model is good for consumers because dealers compete on price and offer long-term service. They see direct sales of any sort as an existential threat.
The clash pits Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, which makes electric cars, against these 17,000 car dealerships, often family-owned, sprawled across the United States.
The FTC officials pointed out that the Internet has changed how people shop for everything from toothpaste to a taxi ride. They urged lawmakers to be skeptical of auto dealers’ arguments that they need protection.
“Change can sometimes be difficult for established competitors that are used to operating in a particular way, but consumers can benefit from change that also challenges longstanding competitors,” the FTC officials wrote.
The franchise system was set up in the first half of the 20th century by automakers who did not want the expense of building up their own sales force. The FTC officials said that regulations were created to protect dealers from abusive practices by automakers.
“In this case and others, many state and local regulators have eliminated the direct purchasing option for consumers, by taking steps to protect existing middlemen from new competition. We believe this is bad policy,” Gavil, Feinstein and Gaynor wrote in their blog post.
“Regulators should differentiate between regulations that truly protect consumers and those that protect the regulated,” they wrote.
Neither Tesla nor the National Auto Dealers Association had any immediate reaction to the blog post.
The conflict between Tesla and dealers came to a head last year after Tesla introduced its Model S, a $60,000-plus sedan that aimed for a wider audience than the two-seat, $101,000 Roadster sports car it introduced in 2009.
Despite the bans, Tesla has found a way to convince customers to look at its cars. In states where sales are prohibited, Tesla employees show off cars in “galleries” and tell customers to complete the sale over the phone or online.
Tesla, which was founded in 2003, had total sales in 2013 of about 22,500 cars.
Musk has said he is not interested in overturning the existing franchise system, but he doesn’t want to participate.
Neither Tesla nor the National Auto Dealers Association had any immediate reaction to the blog post.
Tesla was little changed in late morning U.S. trading, at $208.08 per share.
Elon Musk goes to China on Earth Day to deliver first Tesla and address concerns
Musk also said Tesla would open a China factory within 4 years (which in Tesla years means 5 years). The TSLA Stock price was up significantly today closing over 218.
Tesla to celebrate its 100th Supercharger [UPDATE] Thursday with ribbon cutting ceremony in Hamilton NJ
UPDATE: I’m told that the ribbon cutting has been pushed back to 10:00am on Thursday. The Supercharger is now live however.
Image Via TeslaMotorClubForums
Funny Earth Day story: I’m on my way back to New York today and could really use this thing (2) to be open today not tomorrow:
Join Us for the Grand Opening of Our 100th Supercharger in Hamilton Township, NJ!
Hamilton Township Supercharger
425 Market Place Blvd, Hamilton Township, NJ 08691
Tuesday, April 22nd at 10am
We are excited to announce our 100th Supercharger worldwide and our first Supercharger in New Jersey! The Hamilton Township Supercharger will be opening on Tuesday. To commemorate this important milestone for Tesla and our New Jersey community, we would like to invite you, your family and your friends to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony and celebrate with Tesla corporate staff.Details
Please submit your RSVP if you would like to attend and let us know how many guests you will bring. Due to the expected volume of Model S owners, there may be a wait for charging. Please plan accordingly.
The Hamilton NJ supercharger would bridge the Newark, Delaware and the New York City area superchargers including JFK and the few on Long Island and Connecticut. It will also help those going to the Jersey Shore this summer (guilty).
The Earth Day celebration will mark Tesla’s 86th US Supercharger which added to the 14 in Europe give it triple digits for the first time.
Coverage
North America
Today – 85 stations
Complete West and East Coast coverage
Coast-to-coast travel
2014 – 80% of the US population and parts of Canada
2015 – 98% of the US population and parts of Canada
Europe
Today – 14 stations
Tesla posts Part 2 clip of its Cross Country Rally [video]
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4T8a-UtLMU]
Little bit snowier than expected. Check the highlights here and part one here.
Tesla has had new Gigafactory partnership inquiries since the announcement
In a quote to Quartz:
“We are gratified by the level of enthusiasm our plans for the Gigafactory have generated from suppliers throughout the battery industry,” a spokeswoman for Tesla said in an email. “Since our announcement in late February, there has been tremendous interest from potential partners in collaborating on all aspects of the project. This has led us to take additional time to evaluate new inquiries along with our ongoing partnership discussions.”
Saleen Tesla
Remember that big mod that was going to get done to the Tesla Model S?
It would appear that Saleen, an third party aftermarket car modifier, has left the drive train alone and focused on modding the body, brakes and wheels. The look and mods definitely aren’t my cup of tea but certainly they will appeal to the Saleen set.
Chevy Volt vs. Caddy ELR [video]
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn_L05WLc94]
Nissan expands “No Charge to Charge” program to 25 markets, giving 2 years of free public charging
Smart move from Nissan which will subsidize public charging for two years for its Nissan Leaf at ChargePoint, Blink Network from Car Charging Group, AeroVironment and NRG eVgo charging stations.
As an EV buyer, knowing you won’t pay a penny for public charging for 2 years is a great incentive.
Details in press release that follows:
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Kia’s Soul laid bare [Video]
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6kuf5yLzW4]
Just get a Chevy Spark EV.
Kick Gas [Documentary Video Trailer]
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSnl7-x8DAY]
Looks good!
Chevy plans more anemic Volt for 2016
Hoping to boost demand for its slow-selling Volt hybrid, Chevrolet is planning to sell two versions of the redesigned 2016 Volt, including a lower-priced model with a smaller battery pack and shorter driving range, supplier sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
The second-generation Volt is slated to go into production in about 16 months at General Motors Co’s Detroit Hamtramck plant, the sources said.
Here are areas where the Volt could be improved:
- More internal space (aim to beat Prius or Ford Energi)
- Better, not worse range
- More mainstream utilitarian styling
- Performance that would beat even the Chevy Spark EV
- Better marketing focusing on performance and cost of ownership
The Reuters report seemed to miss the whole scoop about the actual range giving the Gas+ Electric specs, omitting what the electric only would be.
The standard Volt won’t deviate dramatically from the current model, which is priced from just under $35,000 and has a driving range of up to 380 miles, according to Chevrolet.
GM also wants to offer a lower-cost edition, priced from just over $30,000 that would likely have a range of less than 300 miles, with less equipment, the supplier sources said.
So figure moving from a 45 mile range to 30-something on electric only? Pass and give me a Chevy Spark EV!
Electric automobiling circa 1967 [video]
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vVLOhlXOxU]
The video above is equal parts amusing and frightening for how it echoes much of the talk of EVs today. Specs weren’t quite as impressive as today’s EVs however:
Ford Comuta The “future” of EVs had a range of 60 km (37 miles) and a top speed of 40 km/h (25 mph). The Comuta was powered by four 12-volt, 85-amp lead batteries.
Tesla posts behind the scenes video of cross country rally (+Bonus footage of James bond’s underwater car)
The suspense would be killing me if I didn’t already know the result.
Tesla responds to ‘opportunistic’ lemon law lawyer
The above lawyer is trying to get a settlement out of Tesla using the so called ‘Lemon Laws’. Tesla has a different story however that it laid out in a statement below.
The TL;RD: We are continuing our efforts to work with the customer and are happy to address any legitimate concerns he has about his Model S. Customer service remains of utmost importance to Tesla, and no Model S owner should be unhappy with their car. However, we would also like the public to be aware of the potential for lemon laws to be exploited by opportunistic lawyers.
Tesla Model S CHAdeMO Adapter in the wild, charges ‘as fast as a supercharger’
Tesla Model S owners have long been tantalized by the $1000 CHAdeMO adapter that would give them access to the network of Fast DC chargers that are built for cars like the Nissan Leaf. Alas, it has been in the “coming soon” phase of market testing since the original Model S launched over a year ago and Tesla hasn’t been able to say when and if they are actually coming. It would make a lot of sense for Tesla to launch these for the Japanese market which is saturated with these DC fast chargers. Some quick facts about CHAdeMO:
- CHAdeMO is the trade name of a quick charging method for battery electric vehicles delivering up to 62.5 kW of high-voltage direct current via a special electrical connector. It is proposed as a global industry standard by an association of the same name.
- CHAdeMO is an abbreviation of “CHArge de MOve”, equivalent to “charge for moving”. The name is a pun for O cha demo ikaga desuka in Japanese, translating to English as “How about some tea?”, referring to the time it would take to charge a car.[2] CHAdeMO can charge low-range electric cars in less than half an hour.
- The number of CHAdeMO DC Quick chargers installed up to today is 3643. — (Japan 1,967, Europe 1072, USA 592, Others 12)
So it was surprising to see that the Plugshare folks who are sponsoring the big #EpicEVTrip have been using the CHAdeMO Tesla Adapter in the image above. In a brief Twitter conversation (below), they told me that the adapter was in Beta but it would charge the Tesla as fast as a Supercharger (note since this writing, the image of the CHAdeMO Tesla Adapter has been removed). I’d note that the speed of the charging is probably not quite Supercharger level since it is 62.5kW vs. the 120-135kW that a Tesla Supercharger puts out.
Update: Plugshare updates their Supercharger comparison:
[tweet https://twitter.com/plugshare/status/454341602866368512]
Note the current rollout of Chademo adapters is much more spread out than the Tesla Superchargers in the map below:
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Tesla Model S engine noise on 60 Minutes segment [Parody]
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drKgAhvoHxc]
An amusing look at the 60 Minutes segment where editors added ICE engine sounds to the Tesla Model S and were later forced to omit/apologize for doing so.
Tesla announces business leasing program and new Tesla Finance subsidiary
In a post on the company blog, Tesla outlined its new leasing program for small to medium sized businesses.
…our customers in small and medium sized businesses have been asking for a leasing program for the ease and simplicity of being able to deduct the payments from their business taxes. We’ve been listening to those requests, and today we’re happy to announce the launch of leasing for business owners.
Our leasing program is straightforward and transparent, and we’ve designed it to be user friendly. To begin with, business customers can easily see upfront their monthly cost of leasing while configuring their car on our website.
While customers have become accustomed to lease agreements that run as long as 10 pages, we found that we could say all that needed to be said in less than three pages – and it’s written in plain language.
In keeping with the Tesla way of doing things, our customers can handle and sign their lease agreements completely electronically. Customers are able to view an electronic version of the lease agreement upfront before delivery. Even the signature process at delivery is simple: a one-button tap on the 17-inch touchscreen in their new Model S is all it takes.
The Tesla business lease is available through Tesla Finance, a subsidiary we’ve set up especially to offer this new product to business customers. The lease program completes a suite of products, including the Resale Value Guarantee and loans from our banking partners, that covers a comprehensive range of financing needs for Model S customers. These financing options, when combined with the fuel savings of Model S, provide an attractive value proposition compared to what’s available for a gasoline-powered car.
A new finance subsidiary makes Tesla more like the GMC Credit, Ford Credit, etcs of the world but again with Tesla’s simplification, use of plain English and ability to do almost everything online. There is a lot of innovation space available in the auto financing world with the bottom line being more people will be able to justify driving electric cars.
Top Gear pits Mercedes SLS AMG Petrol vs Electric…guess who wins
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gFGX43vubM]
It is fun to see Top Gear starting to let itself and its Shell corporate sponsor start to go electric. We’re really waiting for the Tesla Model S. vs. Maserati show though.