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.
Earlier this year the Tesla team took Model S to Laguna Seca for the Sport Electric Time Trials. This EV showcase offers drivers a unique opportunity to put their cars to the test on one of the world’s most renowned racetracks. For the first time watch Model S pitted against itself, Roadster and other EVs and see who comes out on top!
Spoiler: Tesla 1-18, a Rav4 truck with a Tesla Powertrain then a few BMWs
[tweet https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/380451200782462976]
[tweet https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/380454034659753984]
[tweet https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/380459687050608640]
After plans for Autonomous driving were revealed this week via Tesla’s job site, Musk went on the offensive saying that yes they were working on a program and the team reports directly to him.
This is a stark (get it?) change from a previous stance where Musk said Tesla was taking a more wait and see approach. Perhaps Google’s plans to build their own car spurred him on?
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GM is apparently testing a Tesla competitor that can go 200 miles on a charge and get the price down to $30,000. Interestingly, that’s what the Tesla Model E is supposed to be able to do when it is released in 2015 or 2016.
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Good luck with monstrosities like this
Note the different rear light next to the charge port as well as front grill changes. Too bad the kid didn’t look underneath the car to see if it was AWD.
From an email to EU Tesla customers:
We're about to open our 26th Supercharger in Waco. Owners can now travel free between Dallas, Austin & San Antonio pic.twitter.com/LZyecE3Igt
— Tesla (@Tesla) September 10, 2013
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/375535096998006784
Figure 1600 miles each way. 4.5 hours of stopping. Three days each way total. We’re going to try a Florida Road trip about the same time.
So each Model S uses 2000 times the amount of lithium-ion batteries that a laptop would use (And then multiple times that for tablets and portables). Considering that every indicator including Tesla’s own forecasts show Tesla doubling production over the next few years, we might see a shortage of batteries if makers like Panasonic and Samsung aren’t able to keep up. Something however tells me that Tesla is aware of the issue and is working on alternatives.
Having begun the first European deliveries of Model S, Tesla Motors opened its Tilburg Assembly Plant. The Tilburg facility will serve as the final assembly and distribution point for Model S vehicles sold in Europe as well as Tesla’s European service and parts headquarters.
…Parts can be distributed to anywhere across the continent within 12 hours. Tilburg, about 80 km (50 miles) from the port of Rotterdam, is connected by an excellent rail and motorway network to all major markets.
Another smart move for Tesla. This will allow quicker deliveries to Europeans with the variety of options packages staying in tact. Instead of ordering a Tesla and having it shipped from the US, Tesla will ship a bunch of mostly finished Teslas on a ship and save a month (eventually in ship times.
That was quick! And just like that, Norway is now way out in front of the US in terms of Tesla Supercharger coverage.
The press release follows
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https://twitter.com/teslamotors/status/373370486618456067
https://twitter.com/teslamotors/status/373370570533896192
He talked about how the government is now aiming toward a 100% renewable electricity supply by 2050. The press release on this from the agency (from almost two years ago now) quotes Flasbarth as saying that “The results of the study demonstrate that electricity supply can be generated completely from renewable energies by 2050 and that secure supply can be guaranteed at all times.”
Feasible? It’s already well in train. In fact, solar PV penetration into the German electric markets is already lowering the price for wholesale electric power at the hours of peak demand by 40% from only very recently. This recent item from Renew Economy lays out how this is being accomplished. I asked President Flasbarth to comment on this and he confirmed that this was indeed the case. Prices during peak demand hours, as you know, have traditionally been way above the average for the rest of the day. Solar PV is standing this paradigm on its head. You have high demand on hot sunny days – largely because of air conditioning. But, you are also going to have the highest boost from PV during that same time under those same conditions. Ergo, with sufficient PV capacity installed, you are going to be able to supply more-than-enough peak power to offset demand and lower prices.
Germany has only a few rivers and mediocre wind, little coastline and shitty sun yet they can go sustainable. Meanwhile with vast swaths of land with intense sunlight, lots of wind and every other resource available, the U.S. has no such aspirations.
An informative video profiling some of the different Electric Vehicle owners around Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay.
Also re: Chinese ‘competitor’ BYD, Tesla CEO Elon Musk says: “LOL”
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9sfKHa_yNg
Great ad:
Check out what happens when the smart electric drive goes offroading. It’s as painful to watch as a truck trying to park in a city. Take a ride in the all-new, all-electric, smart electric drive.
Learn more about the all-new smart electric drive:http://www.smartusa.com/models/electr…
Join the conversation: https://twitter.com/smartcarusa
Plop another dot on the Tesla Supercharger Map, Oregon is getting its first Supercharger station tomorrow according to Sustainable Business Oregon.
The California-based maker of the Model S electric car will open its first supercharger station in Oregon on Thursday. The charging station will be located in Woodburn, 255 N. Arney Road near Elmer’s Restaurant, and will expand Tesla’s I-5 corridor network. Up until now, the nearest supercharger stations were in Centralia and Burlington, Wash. A ribbon cutting is planned for 10 a.m.
The new station is between Portland and Salem on the way South to Corvallis and Eugene. Even with Tesla’s gratuitous radius mapping, it still doesn’t quite close the Western Coast loop. Doing a quick Google Maps directions, it is about 570 miles of highway between the Sacremento/Folsom Supercharger and the new South Portland station. Tesla expects to close the loop this Fall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O5-Ox7rKmQ
Watch Elon Musk’s Interview in a mentor style setting where he helps aspiring entrepreneurs understand his history and the tech industry.
