Jason Calacanis Fisks NY Times’ Stross Over Tesla Editorial
December 1, 2008 by admin
Randall Stross wrote an article in the New York Times that rips into Tesla as “not much more than a functioning concept car” and suggests it would be foolish of the government to grant it a loan under a 2007 Federal loan program designed specifically to encourage development of vehicles that conserve fuel. Jason Calacanis writes an excellent rebuttal on his blog.
The main argument Stross uses is that Tesla only makes cars for the rich (their first model is $109,000), and the technology is unproven. However as most readers of this site know Tesla has announced two new vehicles, both at much lower prices (and one targeted at $30,000). Stross’ facts are wrong, and his opinions are misguided. If Tesla succeeds, it will be because it was able to sell cars to the mass market.
If any companies are to get government bailouts, it would be far preferable to see Tesla part of that money, rather then any of the big three dinosaurs automakers. The best thing for them, and for the US, is to just let them die. They are incapable of innovating given their current financial and logistical structure. Tesla, on the other hand, is actually doing something worth investing in.
Detroit is irrelevant and obsolete, and the sooner everyone accepts the fact that the loved American icons are over the sooner we’ll make progress in alternative vehicles.
I want a electric powered hummer