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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For the first time, two Tesla electric cars drove from Los Angeles to New York in 76 hours. They were charged by supercharger stations, which deliver a quick charge to the cars that can last hundreds of miles. Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk spoke with CBS This Morning saying, “This is an important, historical milestone.”
Still with the fires?
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There is so much info in this video. Redditors have broken down the big points:
-Model X will be only about 5 cm longer than the S.
-Model X will be in early stages of production by end of Q1 2015, and shipped globally 3-5 months later.
-AWD on Model X will have no efficiency loss, which is the first of its kind.
-Model X Falcon wing doors will have sensors to stop it from hitting nearby cars or low ceilings in a garage.
-Model X 3rd row seats in the back will be removable or fold down, and there is potential to take out the 2nd row to make it a cargo van-like transportation vehicle.
-In order to make the Model E, Tesla needs cost per KW to go down ideally by 40% but Elon said it’s still doable if only 30%.
-They are improving the seats in the Model S, some changes are actually being made on the production line now. He said they might allow existing customers the ability to come in and change out the seats for a small fee.
-Elon is fairly confidant Tesla will have the first autonomous or autopilot vehicles on the road. He was a bit uncomfortable saying when, as to not release big news too early.
-Lots of cool updates over air coming, like proximity lines in the reverse camera, improved radio quality, etc.
-Tesla predicts the value of a Model S after 3 years will be significantly higher than their guarantee.
-Elon stated he believes one can expect the Model S to last up to 20 years, compared to most ICE cars now lasting between 10-15.
-Elon doesn’t rule out the possibility of Tesla Motors expanding to Air and Sea transport, but he says that’s a long ways away as they have to stay focused on their current projects with their finite resources.
EDIT: Forgot to add that a few people from the crowd asked Elon if it’s true that they will void their entire warranties if they mod their cars. Elon seemed to disagree with what they were told by the service centers, in that he thinks the subsystem that is modded would be what gets voided. Example, if you mod your sunroof, then you no longer have a warranty on the sunroof.
Another Q&A from the Netherlands below:
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Saleen, and aftermarket and original manufacturer of US automobiles has announced it will make a special Tesla model. Saleen typically supertunes the ICE engines of American musclecars and adds ground effects and other upgrades to add value, usually doubling the price of the car.
With the Model S, it will be a little tricky because Tesla typically controls the drive train of the vehicle with custom software and upgrades that controls performance.
That being said, there is lots of room for customization in the interior with many people wanting a more luxurious finish. However, Saleen often leans toward sports and less toward luxury in its designs.
The Press release (below) is ambiguous in its intentions but it will be interesting to see what they come up with.
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[tweet https://twitter.com/teslamotors/status/429968077120225281]
We’re not sure yet if they broke the Guinness record but we’ll update when/if they announce.
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A downer from Tech in Asia via a report from China News. The chinese government is giving out as much as $17K in Electric vehicle subsidies this year but it won’t subsidize vehicles made outside of the country including Teslas.
The move is a small blow the the American automaker who just announced sales in the world’s most populated country.
It isn’t certain how big a deterrent the subsidy would be to Tesla purchases since the cars are well over $100K after taxes in China and potential buyers might be able to shrug off the lack of any subsidy.
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I’m still infatuated with the Chevy Spark EV. The Korean/American EV can be had for significantly under $20K or $200/month meaning it can be free after gas cost savings for big commuters. The practical little 4 seat hatchback can go around 80 miles on a charge and can be charged quickly using the same SAE DC charger as the BMW i3.
There’s more!
It has more torque (over 400ft/lbs) than a Ferrari 458 Italia and can hit 60 miles per hour in 7 seconds flat.
Did I mention it is essentially free if you currently spend $10/day on gasoline?
The Spark EV starts its life in Changwon, South Korea where gasoline and electric sparks are built by GM Korea, which was once known as Daewoo. But the heart of the Spark comes from America. GM is building the permanent magnet motors in Maryland, and instead of LG batteries made in Korea (like the Volt) GM is using American-made batteries courtesy of B456 (formerly A123. I’m not making this up). For reasons we don’t understand, GM isn’t “doing a CODA” and shipping cars sans-drivetran to America for assembly. The plant in Maryland ships the batteries and drivetrain to Korea, GM Korea inserts it in the car and ships the completed unit back to the USA.
Anyway, here’s a great review. I have no idea how they keep these in stock. Chevy please send these outside of California and Oregon. Money quote:
Power is supplied by a 560lb, 21.3 kWh lithium battery pack located where the gas tank is in the gasoline Spark. As with the Chevy Volt, GM is taking the cautious path to battery preservation equipping the pack with an active heating and cooling system. That’s a stark contrast to the Nissan Leaf which uses a passive cooling system. Thanks to the lightest curb weight in the group (2,989lbs), the Spark scores 82 miles of EPA range and the highest efficiency rating of any EV to date. Depending on the weight of my right foot, my real world range varied from 70-100 miles.
[tweet https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/428789050925785088]
Data from Edmunds and Polk. Getting that last state, Mississippi, in was quite a battle it seems from the information below. Tesla had conquered 49 in April but the Mississippi driver didn’t happen until the end of the year.
Not quite Top Gear so to speak.
The Race is on! Tesla will try to cross the US in less than 3 days using only Supercharger stations and set a record for an electric vehicle.
At midnight tonight, a Tesla Motors team will depart Los Angeles en route to New York City in two Model S sedans to mark the completion of the first cross country Supercharger route. We’re aiming to complete the journey within about three days and set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS achievement for lowest charge time for an electric vehicle traveling across the United States.
We energized the final Supercharger in the cross country route last week, marking the completion of a network that spans more than 3,400 miles. There are now more than 70 Supercharger sites around the US, at which Model S owners can charge for free. A Supercharger takes as little as 20 minutes to replenish half a charge.
The Cross Country Rally team will gather tonight at the Tesla design studio in Hawthorne, Los Angeles, for a launch event, before starting the drive at 12.01am on Thursday. The trip will take the cars through mid-winter conditions across the middle of the country, with stops only at Superchargers.
We’ll be posting daily updates to our blog so you can follow the team’s progress as we attempt to set the record. Stay tuned!
If you’ve watched Who Killed the Electric Car or Revenge of the Electric Car, you know Bob Lutz as a bit of an anti-hero. That’s why we love his re-emergance as an electric car guru at Via which rebuilds gas guzzling Chevy trucks into Electric fleet vehicles.
He goes on the record with the BBC last week saying the MAGIC WORDS that will change the car industry over the next decade:
Fleets that buy these will see a monthly fuel savings that is equivalent to the monthly lease price of the truck. They are basically getting a free truck.
Think about this. This isn’t an anomaly. A Chevy Spark EV can be bought on a $200/month lease. Electricity costs about 1/4-1/3 of gas per mile. That means someone who spends $300 on gasoline per month is getting a free car if they upgrade their car to a Chevy Spark EV. If you average $10/day or use around 3+ gallons of gasoline per day, getting a new Chevy Spark EV is ….free. EVObession makes some pretty terrific charts that visualize this.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOqWlOrlkIg]
Spoiler: they both take one. Overall, the Tesla is faster out of the blocks but the Corvette has a higher top end. The Tesla seats 7 and gets 100miles per eGallon of gas…but costs a few bucks more.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG2-LNbNnYQ] We’re big fans of the looks of the Porsche Panamera S Hybrid (especially the interior) but were saddened to learn that the onboard battery/motor drivetrain was only good for 20 miles via the sub-100HP engine and 9.4-kWh lithium-ion battery. That’s a lot closer to the Plug-in Prius than anything else Porsche has made.
That’s why it is amusing to learn that the original car that Ferdinand Porsche built in 1898, which was discovered this week, actually boasts better electric car range than the current Panamera S hybrid. The specs of the Egger-Lohner C.2 electric vehicle show it has 120 amp hour battery good for around 49 miles of range with a top speed of over 20 mph. Not too shabby. That’s also further than a Chevy Volt.
No battery ‘gigafactory’ information yet but here’s the PDF. Notable is the $30,000-$35,000 base model price of the Gen 3 vehicle. Tesla’s traditionally only been able to hit the high side but so long as Federal Tax Credits are still around in 3 years, it should be a great deal especially with Tesla type specs.
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If you are like me you’ve been glued to the Tesla Forums all last week where a father-daughter team Jon and Jill crossed the US in their Tesla 85KW using only superchargers.
Sunday they finished after climbing mountains in the rockies and braving subzero temperatures throughout the Great Plains. It was a pretty epic journey.
They managed a respectable 378Wh/mile but saw significant drops throughout the trip during climbs and low temperatures:
NYC to LAX=3,619.1 miles and consumed 1,366.3kWh or 378Wh/mile
Congratulations to John and Jill, first to drive across US using only free @TeslaMotors Superchargers! pic.twitter.com/hA6YlkyjzN
— PlugShare (@plugshare) January 26, 2014
CEO Elon Musk marked the occasion by declaring the Transcontinental Superhighway open via Twitter and noting that the Tesla Teams were looking to set a record Canon Ball Run type of electric car race across the country. I’d like to see this type of meetup in the middle:
Two teams from Tesla aiming to set a cross-country EV speed record this week. Departing Fri from LA, arriving Sun in NY.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 26, 2014
Will be doing the LA-NY family road trip over Spring Break. Made everyone watch National Lampoon's Vacation as prep.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 26, 2014
Tesla Supercharger network now energized from New York to LA, both coast + Texas! Approx 80% of US population covered.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 26, 2014
This won’t seem that nutty in a few years.
China is going to be big for Tesla according to CEO Elon Musk, who comes off a win in a Chinese court against a squatter who was trying to extort the automaker for its name.
Tesla had resolved a trademark issue that had long prevented the company from using “Te Si La” – the Chinese name best known among Chinese consumers, which Tesla wanted to use in China. “We went to court and we won,” she said. “The court has given use right to use the name, which is why you see the Chinese name in our store now.” The name had been registered by a local businessman who had refused to give up the trademark. The U.S. company had started offering its popular Model S sedans in China, but with no Chinese language name.
We discussed the relatively low price earlier this week. Musk talked to Bloomberg on China:
Tesla’s billionaire co-founder and chief executive officer, will travel to China in late March to inaugurate the company’s entry there, he said in a phone interview.
For Tesla, “it could be as big as the U.S. market, maybe bigger. I don’t want to get overexcited about it,” Musk said yesterday. “Even without building there locally, it’s always going to be the second-biggest market after the U.S.”
After a rocky start ramping up Model S assembly in 2012, Palo Alto, California-based Tesla surprised analysts and investors this month when it said fourth-quarter deliveries were 20 percent above its target. Musk, 42, has pinned his goal of selling hundreds of thousands of electric autos annually to a global strategy in which China, Europe, Japan and other markets bolster its U.S. business.
If all goes well, Model S shipments to China can match U.S. sales by 2015, Musk said. “It’s not my firm prediction — it’s more like a low-fidelity guess.”
Expectations are high and Musk is certainly
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The new superchargers went up just a few days ago and there is already a roadtrip team doing some nice video work.
Tesla opens new Supercharger locations connecting the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Energized routes enable Model S customers to enjoy free, convenient, 100 percent electric trips on the German Autobahn and to destinations in the Alps.
Stateside, we’re just a few short of a transcontinental supercharger superhighway.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZxo_H8gRoI]
Entertaining and informative.
Tesla announced pricing for the Model S in China today on its Blog. Surprisingly, it is the exact same price as the US model plus Import duties/taxes, etc.
Instead, the price of a Model S in China is much lower than its competitors simply because we want to treat our Chinese customers just as well as we’d treat customers in any other country. That means the price of a Model S in China is the same as the price of a Model S in the US, adding only unavoidable taxes, customs duties and transportation costs. We’re not even factoring in the cost of the free-to-use Supercharger network that Tesla will build across China.
That’s $121,260, vs. $73,570 in the US. A 65% markup for taxes, duties, and shipping vs. a $7500 – $10,000 tax subsidy in the US.
Below is the exact math for 734k CNY:
| $81,070 | US price |
| $3,600 | Shipping & handling |
| $19,000 | Customs duties & taxes |
| $17,700 | VAT |
| 734k CNY @ 6.05 exchange rate | |
That’s a bold move. Yet, another one.
Aside from tolls, you can now travel freely across a nice swath of Western Europe in your Model S.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014
AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands – This week, Tesla officially opens new Supercharger locations connecting the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. These newly-energized routes will enable Model S customers to enjoy free, convenient, 100 percent electric trips on the German Autobahn and to destinations in the Alps and elsewhere.
Tesla’s first six Superchargers were energized in California in September 2012, with the first network of European Supercharger stations opening in Norway less than a year later. As of today, 81 Supercharger locations are energized worldwide, with 14 locations in Europe. More than 11 million kilometers have been charged by Tesla Superchargers and nearly 1.13 million liters of gas have been offset.
The accelerated energizing of Superchargers in Germany (Wilnsdorf, Bad Rappenau, Aichstetten and Jettingen), Switzerland (Lully), Austria (St. Anton) and the Netherlands (Zevenaar and Oosterhout) represents a new milestone in the expansion of the European network. In Germany, Superchargers connect Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich. They also connect the German network to Amsterdam, Zurich, and Innsbruck. In the Netherlands, energized routes connect Amsterdam to Cologne and Brussels, and in Switzerland the stations connect Zurich and Geneva.
By the end of March 2014, 50 percent of the German population will live within 320km of a Supercharger, and 100 percent of the population will be covered by the end of the year.
The Tesla Supercharger is substantially more powerful than any charging technology to date, providing up to 120 kilowatts of DC (Direct Current) power directly to the Model S battery using special cables that bypass the onboard charging equipment. Superchargers replenish half a charge in about 20 minutes. Supercharger stations are strategically placed along well-travelled highways to allow Model S owners to drive from station to station with minimal stops. They are located near amenities like roadside restaurants, cafes, and shopping centers so drivers can stop for a quick meal and have their Model S charged by the time they’re done.
While this isn’t unexpected or even an outlier even after the most recent updates which have supposedly helped stave off the battery drain while idle, otherwise known as “Vampire”, Tesla still has some work to do in this area.
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlhGE7N0poM]
Tesla updated the Supercharger map again this morning and it now appears that all of the major gaps on the east coast (Savannah,Georgia) and the biggest cross country (Macedonia, OH, Wyoming) have been filled and it is now theoretically possible to drive a Tesla from Vancouver BC to San Diego California to Boston Massachusetts down to Miami Florida. Theoretically…if you are very easy on the accelerator.
Tesla hasn’t officially announced the milestone yet because that 302 mile Wyoming-Colorado jump is probably too big to drive without some range extending mode happening. The imminent Cheyenne, WY station should cut this to 164 miles. Also the altitude climb here is significant.
The Newark, Delaware to Somerset PA is 224 miles and Somerset PA to Macedonia Ohio length is 171 miles so driving to Wyoming from Boston is now pretty doable with a 85kWh Model S.
Tesla’s Q4 financial results, where they are also expected to announce the battery giga-factory would be a good time to mention the transcontinental super(charger)highway. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is going to ride across the country with his 5 kids in March so there’s still lots of time to fill those gaps.
Maps of the 3 biggest cross country and two biggest East Coast gaps, below (or if you want to map out future stations which close these gaps, check out the TeslaWiki):
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