Tesla Motors Getting $10 Million From California For Model X Production

The California Energy Commission has awarded a $10 million grant to Tesla Motors for the company to buy equipment necessary for the production of its Model X electric SUV. Tesla will have to match the funds with $50 million of its own money. From the article: "It was something of a love fest for Tesla at the energy commission meeting in Sacramento as commissioners and other regulators praised Tesla as an innovator that has brought automotive manufacturing back to California while creating clean cars and more than 1,500 jobs. 'Tesla has the unique distinction of being the only automaker to actually ask us to increase our targets under zero emission rules,' said Ryan McCarthy, the science and technology policy advisor to the chair of the California Air Resources Board. ... 'Tesla’s Gen 3 vehicle could ultimately be a game changer for electric vehicles and air quality and public health in California,' added McCarthy, referring to Tesla’s plans to build an electric car in the $30,000 range. Its latest car, the Model S sedan, sells between $50,000 and $100,000 and the Model X, which is based on the Model S platform, is expected to sell in that price range."

Tesla is responsible for GM developing the Volt

[Animats]

In Bob Lutz's "Car Guys vs. Bean Counters", Lutz writes that it was the Tesla roadster that woke up GM. Tesla made the first electric that could really zoom. That shook up the car guys; they thought electrics would be wimpy forever. GM was wary after the EV-1, where they lost money on every car. Lutz describes the session where the Chevy Volt was sketched out on a napkin.

Tesla is making rapid progress on price - a $100K car, a $50K car, a $30K car... That's very Silicon Valley. At last, batteries are good enough. Now they just cost too much.

So many inaccuracies.

[Anonymous Coward]

Ah, somebody is thinking they can get some stories past us.

Your Jetta DOES run on an energy storage system, that's why you have to keep buying gasoline. Much of which is wasted in terms of heat. But don't pretend it's any different than a battery.

Most people drive short distances most of the time, they don't take long trips, they don't need to tow, they don't need to go a hundred miles at a time. And no, they don't need to haul hundreds of pounds of stuff. Sorry, but the reality is most people need a lot less car than you think.

As for maintenance, an electric motor IS a lot simpler than an internal combustion one. They're not expensive to maintain at all, and yes, the batteries can be recycled.

Unlike the pollutants spewing out the back-end of your Jetta. Those are just going to pollute the air.

And yes, there ARE electric trucks. And Tractors. Goodness me, don't you know anything?

Re:Money from government

[fermion]

You know it is interesting that when the government is taking land from hard working US citizens and giving it to the canadian government so they can move canadian oil into tthe US and increase the indebtedness and serfdom of US citizen to foreign entities, everyone says how wonderful that is. But when government spends money on trying to increase our independence and ability to choose for ourselves without having to consult the United Nations, everyone cry's foul. And if you think there is no link between federal spending and Ca spending, get a clue. Ca, along with New York, is one of the few states that has a net outflow of taxes to the fed. That means that when the US spends money not on anything other than sending it back to the state, Ca is one of the few states where that money is coming from. Not places like Texas where most of the money is given back t the state. Or places like Arizona and Alaska where money is given to the state. Therefore Ca has a great interest in developing technologies that wil make the US less dependent and thus reduce the expenditures.