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.
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If 4 seconds is way too long to wait to get to 100km/h, Porche has a solution for you. The 918 Spyder uses a 4.6 Liter V8 and two smaller Electric engines to push speed to the edge. Some fun facts:
Unfortunately, most people don’t know about the cost savings of electric vehicles. In the US, it generally costs about a third of the price to go a mile in an electric car as a gasoline car. That’s before things like charging at work (for free), using superchargers (for free) and the associated costs of gas cars (Oil changes, coolant, tune-ups etc.). Rates vary from state to state and when you go internationally, things get even more skewed. On one end of the spectrum, you have places like Saudi Arabia which prices Gas so low it is on par with electricity. On the other end, you have places like Norway where it becomes almost 10 times cheaper to go a mile on electric.
That difference is called ‘the wedge’ and here’s an informative article by Lindsay Wilson on just how different each place is.
In almost all countries it is cheaper to power an electric vehicle than fuel a gasoline car. The cost gap between these two fueling options is what I like to call the EV Wedge . In some countries this wedge is so damn big that EV drivers can’t sit straight for all the cash in their wallet.
Nowhere is ‘the Wedge’ as pronounced as it is when you compare a Tesla Model S with something like a sub 20mpg Mercedes S550
No wonder Teslas are so popular in Norway.
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The look of this thing is growing on me (when it isn’t orange). Bottom line from this review: The base Model is a deal but the add-ons aren’t worth it.
“Direct sales to consumers, especially with the Internet now becoming the go-to vehicle for purchasing, are very important,” Jack Gillis of the Washington-based Consumer Federation of America and author of “The Car Book,” a consumer guide to buying, said in a telephone interview.
Gillis of the Consumer Federation questions who is the fox and who the prey.
“We walk into a dealership, and we have to match wits with a seasoned professional who is trained and spends all of their days trying to get the highest possible price,” he said. The market would keep manufacturers from overpricing and force them to provide service, he said
And:
Restrictions on direct sales took hold in the 1930s as the industry matured, with a combination of company-owned stores and franchise dealers, said David Cole, chairman emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Laws were enacted to protect dealers because carmakers could strip franchises from established dealers and give them to new ones without grounds, Cole said by phone.
You’ve got to love this from AP:
Electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors would be allowed to sell cars in Arizona without establishing a dealer network under a bill approved by a state Senate committee Wednesday.
House Bill 2123 is strongly opposed by traditional auto manufacturers and dealers, who argue that Tesla wants to operate outside the normal rules that require manufacturers to sell cars through dealers. They say allowing sales directly from an automaker could leave consumers in the lurch if the company goes belly-up.
“Tesla is asking for a special exemption for them to have a separate set of rules for their electric cars,” Mike Gardner, a lobbyist for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, told the Senate Commerce, Energy and Military Committee. “What we’re opposed to is allowing one of our competitors to go around the dealer network and sell directly to consumers. We think we should all be treated the same.”
But Rep. Warren Petersen, the bill’s sponsor, said dealers and manufacturers are trying to stifle innovation.
“This is a great opportunity for us to send a message that we welcome business and we welcome Tesla here to Arizona,” said Petersen, R-Gilbert. “We shouldn’t deny our consumers from being able to purchase a product if they want.”
What say you Texas?
Passing the buck, a great presidential quality.
Meanwhile, the Verge grabbed some comments from car dealers from New Jersey:
“This Musk guy, he wants all the profits for himself,” said Tom Dougherty, a BMW Salesman. “They wanted to go direct, which means no sales force. That’s cutting out a lot of people. No way that’s gonna fly.”
Jim Appleton, the president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automobile Retails, or NJ CAR said:
“He needs to stop and take a breath … If you’re an Internet billionaire, maybe you think the world revolves around you, and the world springs from your laptop. Well, I got news for him. This is not a new law, Tesla is operating illegally, and as of April 1st, they will be out of business unless they decide to open a franchise.”
“Mr. Musk is a brilliant man, and Tesla is an innovative company. We can all respect that,” said Appleton. “But he doesn’t get what it takes to do business in New Jersey. With all due respect, his legal opinions are about as sound as my programming abilities.”
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After Tesla lost in New Jersey, Nissan’s social Media Team Tweeted the “dickish” image above from the Leaf account according to ABGreen. They quickly realized the folly of their ways and deleted it and perhaps someone was straighend out (the door?) over the matter.
I mean we’re all in this together and rising waters raise all ships and all that, right?
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The “Tesla of China” name is a huge stretch but the company is doing pretty well today on better than expected earnings today. China-based Kandi posted a 92.2% year-over-year increase in revenue to $50.6 million. They build Smart-car sized electric cars in polluted China where people are getting more and more money and want clean cars.
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Full-year revenue grew 46.5% year over year to $94.5 million.
“For full year 2013, we achieved our expectations for revenue growth, including that almost 50% of total revenue came from EV sales. We expect this growth momentum will carry well into 2014,” said chairman and CEO Xiaoming Hu in a statement.
In its 10-K filing with the SEC, the company also noted that it has been a part of an SEC investigation since November. If lengthy, Kandi said it will have a significant impact on its financial position.
“A protracted investigation could impose substantial costs and distractions, regardless of its outcome. There can be no assurance that any final resolution of this investigation will not have a material and adverse effect on the company’s financial condition and results of operations,” the company said in the filing.
As a former (and current) Prius owner, this Wired piece hits home a bit.
“The pure conquest data show that the Model S is conquesting owners of Toyota vehicles more frequently than owners of any other brand,” said Polk Automotive analyst Tom Libby. “The Prius is at the top of that list, with the Toyota Highlander SUV and Sienna minivan ranking fifth and sixth overall.”
All told, Toyota accounts for 15.51 percent of Model S conquest sales. Mercedes-Benz and BMW follow with a little more than 10 percent apiece. Libby posits that Prius owners want a hybrid or electric vehicle, but want something more luxurious and stylish. The Honda Fit EV, Ford Focus Electric, Fiat 500E, and the Nissan Leaf just don’t cut it. Part of that is the audience: As Libby notes, “Model S buyers are very well-off financially,” and their garages have housed everything from Aston Martins and Bentleys to Ferraris and McLarens.
The Prius is a great gateway drug to pure electric. When the engine turns off and you are driving silently on electric only, it is kind of a fun rush and you game the Prius to try to get as much electric miles as you can. But that also trains the driver to strive for full electric, something that Toyota doesn’t offer and in fact they don’t have plans to offer (besides the Tesla-drivetrain Rav 4E).
Toyota plays off the threat as a high end fringe of customers that they are losing (I imagine Volts and Leafs also take their share). But hopefully they know a perfect storm is brewing. When Model Es come out at a very-Prius like 30K price, look a lot cooler combined with a mature and full Supercharging infrastructure to eliminate range anxiety, there might be a deadly combination.
Musk took to the blog to address the recent actions of the New Jersey legislature in banning Tesla’s sales operations as requested by the powerful Car Dealers Association lobby. If you don’t understand why the Car Dealer Lobby wants Tesla out, read this bit:
The evidence is clear: when has an American startup auto company ever succeeded by selling through auto dealers? The last successful American car company was Chrysler, which was founded almost a century ago, and even they went bankrupt a few years ago, along with General Motors. Since the founding of Chrysler, there have been dozens of failures, Tucker and DeLorean being simply the most well-known. In recent years, electric car startups, such as Fisker, Coda, and many others, attempted to use auto dealers and all failed.
An even bigger conflict of interest with auto dealers is that they make most of their profit from service, but electric cars require much less service than gasoline cars. There are no oil, spark plug or fuel filter changes, no tune-ups and no smog checks needed for an electric car. Also, all Tesla Model S vehicles are capable of over-the-air updates to upgrade the software, just like your phone or computer, so no visit to the service center is required for that either.
Going a step further, I have made it a principle within Tesla that we should never attempt to make servicing a profit center. It does not seem right to me that companies try to make a profit off customers when their product breaks. Overcharging people for unneeded servicing (often not even fixing the original problem) is rampant within the industry and happened to me personally on several occasions when I drove gasoline cars. I resolved that we would endeavor never to do such a thing at Tesla, as described in the Tesla service blog post I wrote last year.
It is absolutely deplorable that legislation like this even has a chance to win. Just yesterday, NJ.com took a poll and 80% of respondants said they would favor letting Tesla sell cars in New Jersey. Will of the people? Democracy?
Regarding Model S sales in New Jersey, Tesla will move to the ‘Gallery’ Model it uses fairly successfully in Texas and other corrupt states where the storefronts still exist, but you cannot discuss purchasing the car with a salesperson.
Until at least April 1, everything is business as usual for Tesla in New Jersey. It should also be noted that this regulation deals only with sales, so our service centers will not be affected. Our stores will transition to being galleries, where you can see the car and ask questions of our staff, but we will not be able to discuss price or complete a sale in the store. However, that can still be done at our Manhattan store just over the river in Chelsea or our King of Prussia store near Philadelphia.
Most importantly, even after April 1, you will still be able to order vehicles from New Jersey for delivery in New Jersey on our TeslaMotors.com website.
This bit from NPR hits the nail on the head. Tesla is trying to change this.
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Governor Christie’s administration last night decided to side with the Car Dealers Association in blocking manufacturers from selling their cars directly to consumers in the State of New Jersey. There is exactly one company doing this: Tesla.
It is important to note, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk does above, that over 90% of the public is in favor of letting companies sell direct to consumers. Tesla is an American company, employing american workers producing revolutionary, clean electric cars yet New Jersey is disallowing it to sell its cars in the state solely based on political contributions of the Car Dealer lobbies.
As Musk notes above, it is a perversion of Democracy, pure and simple.
North Carolina and Texas already have blocked Tesla. New Jersey will next week. On the docket Ohio and New York are coming for another round.
Tesla Blog post on subversive attempt by Auto Dealer Lobby and its puppets in the Christie administration to shut down Tesla operations in the state.
Unfortunately, Monday we received news that Governor Christie’s administration has gone back on its word to delay a proposed anti-Tesla regulation so that the matter could be handled through a fair process in the Legislature. The Administration has decided to go outside the legislative process by expediting a rule proposal that would completely change the law in New Jersey. This new rule, if adopted, would curtail Tesla’s sales operations and jeopardize our existing retail licenses in the state. Having previously issued two dealer licenses to Tesla, this regulation would be a complete reversal to the long standing position of NJMVC on Tesla’s stores. Indeed, the Administration and the NJMVC are thwarting the Legislature and going beyond their authority to implement the state’s laws at the behest of a special interest group looking to protect its monopoly at the expense of New Jersey consumers. This is an affront to the very concept of a free market.
That’s weird because Governor Christie and his administration has been so forthright up until now, especially on automotive related issues. If you want to send him a message, here’s your form.
Vernon H:(In a previous iteration of my career, I was a Navy Flight Surgeon
assigned to a Marine Corps F/A-18 squadron where my training and duties
included aircraft mishap investigation. When I examine the aftermath of
my incident, I am convinced that fortuitous timing and the solid
construction of my Tesla Model S saved our lives, the lives of another
couple and prevented four young children from being orphaned. )from Liveleak:
Story follows:
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Take a look at the lighter side of cold weather driving. We invited some of the most experienced winter driving journalists in the world to test Model S on an ice track in Sweden. The result is a delicate dance between vehicle and driver.
Tesla vs. TSLA – the only time Tesla owners feel buyer’s remorse. Nice chart – return daily to wallow in misery.
1st of many is my guess
GENEVA, Switzerland – In order to serve a growing customer base in Europe, Tesla will open more than 30 new service centers and stores across the continent, the company announced today at the Geneva Motor Show. Tesla will also continue rapidly expanding its Supercharger network, allowing Model S drivers to travel long distances across Europe for free.
The retail, service, and Supercharger expansions come as Tesla dials up its commitment to Europe, which continues to be a priority market for the company.
In a recent trip to northern Europe to engage with customers, Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk highlighted the rapid increase in the rollout of the company’s Supercharger network for Europe. “By the end of this year, we expect you will be able to travel almost anywhere in Europe using only Superchargers,” Musk said.
In 2013, Tesla delivered 22,477 vehicles to customers worldwide. By the end of 2014, Tesla expects combined sales in Europe and Asia to be almost twice as high as sales in North America. Part of that projected growth will come from the UK, where right hand drive versions of the Model S will soon be introduced. Highly competitive leasing and financing options, similar to a program the company recently launched in Germany with rental company Sixt, are also expected to drive growth on the continent.
The European launch of Model S has been successful not only in terms of sales, but also for the accolades awarded to the car. In 2013, Model S was named Car of the Year in Sweden and Norway, Most Stylish Car in Switzerland, and it won the Car of the Year Prize of Honor in Denmark.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release, including statements regarding future store, service center and Supercharger locations and capabilities as well as statements regarding sales expectations in Europe and Asia, are “forward-looking statements” that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations, and as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those projected. Various important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including potential difficulties in finding suitable store, service center and Supercharger sites, negotiating leases or obtaining required permits for such locations and customer acceptance of our brand and vehicles in Europe and Asia, as well as the risks and uncertainties identified under the sections captioned “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results Of Operations” in Tesla’s Form 10-K filed on February 26, 2014. Tesla disclaims any obligation to update information contained in these forward-looking statements.
From the Teslamotorsclub.com and Reddit is the above gallery of a Tesla Model S with some weird stuff on it. The consensus seems to be that this is a testing vehicle for the Model X crossover with the roof mount simulating a high center of gravity and additional weight and the tire sensors showing the handling. The Model x is built on the same platform as the Model S so that seems feasible. The picture set was taken near UC Santa Cruz.
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Tesla upgraded its Supercharger Map this week to reflect some new “Coming soon” Superchargers. Most notable is the SE Canada route from Windsor to Quebec City which will soon be traversable via Tesla Model S.
Here’s Tesla’s latest internal dashboard for the stations to go live next (Yay Albany!)
Also Tesla looks to have a second cross country option in the West as a bunch of new stations open up in Utah.
The East Coast is also expecting some more stations especially in Georgia on the way to Atlanta. Check the Supercharg.info for more details.
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From the creators of the Glass Tesla App, just what you’ve always wanted: A better way to control the charging, temperature and other interfaces in your Tesla remotely. Smartcar.io automatically learns your habits to have your Tesla at your desired temperature when you hop in every morning. It also allows learns your local utility rates to charge your Tesla when the rates are lowest, perhaps saving as much as 75% on utility charges. It might just pay for itself!
Pre-order now to get $50% off the yearly $100 subscription.
Update: Apparently those front wheels are naturally kicking up snow without any power because I’ve been told by Tesla that the video is only a teaser for another video, not AWD.
It isn’t hard to imagine what they are getting at – you’ll notice the front wheels accelerating through a turn in the (until now) rear-wheel drive Model S.
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