Tesla CEO Says Gov't Loan Is 99% Sure and Deserved 652
N!NJA writes "Two major themes of our time — the desire to achieve energy independence and the furor over public bailouts — have collided in the drama surrounding swanky electric carmaker Tesla. Late last year, a New York Times column whipped Silicon Valley innovators and bailout-weary taxpayers into a frenzy. Valley professor and writer Randall Stross wrote that Tesla was hoping for government money to produce its cars, which only the very wealthy could afford. It wasn't exactly true, since the loan was intended to produce the $50,000 Model S sedan, not the $109,000 Roadster. Still, Stross called it a risky, waste of taxpayer money that would only benefit the wealthy and bailout VCs who'd sunk money into the money-losing company. Never mind, Tesla has developed two cars on less than $200 million — compared to the $1 billion General Motors spent developing the now-deceased EV1."
Not to mention... (Score:2, Funny)
Not to mention, Tesla makes cars that are fugly like most of the current offerings out there today.
The end of a meme (Score:3, Funny)
Looks like whoever figured it out (sorry, I forget your handle) was right! They finally figured out the "???" step:
1. Have environmentally friendly idea
2. Realise it's too expensive and the market too small to keep you afloat
3. Get government hand-out
4. Profit!
Re:Rich peoples' toys (Score:3, Funny)
Geez, for some reason....there seems to be an almost inherit distaste for anyone with any type of wealth in this country these days. You almost seem to feel some level of vitriol anytime someone mentions people who make over $100K/yr and can afford something slightly 'nicer' than the people living in the projects.
Are we at the beginning of a race to the bottom...where no one can have an advantage no matter how hard they try?
Nah, that's just us folks on slashdot. Those really rich folks have their own private facebook like place where they go and have to pay like $50 a month fee just to keep us off it. It all works out. We like to be snobbish on how they waste money when they could get some of those things for free/cheaper, and they look down on us for wasting all that time doing something ourselves rather than just paying someone else to do it for you. Everyone is happy as long as they can have someone else to frown upon.
Re:WE should end free trade. (Score:3, Funny)