Amidst all that’s going on with the Volkswagen Group’s on-going involvement in the Dieselgate scandal, Tesla Motors’s chief has come out swinging, with harsh words for cars and technologies driven by fossil fuels.
“What Volkswagen is really showing is that we’ve reached the limit of what’s possible with diesel and gasoline. The time has come to move on to a new generation of technology,” said Musk to reporters in Belgium, where he was quizzed on whether or not the on-going emissions scandal would cause any loss of faith in green vehicles by consumers.
Clearly, Musk is a man with a plan, one that involves nothing other than pure electric power. As his company works on deliveries for his latest model, the Tesla Model X, we already know the brand to be particularly famous for its pure electric machines that push up to 691 hp and complete century sprints in just 3.2 seconds – we’re sure you’ve heard of the electrifying Model S P85D.
Musk’s comments couldn’t have been timed better for effect, as the Volkswagen Group continues to cope with the on-going diesel scandal that has seen up to 11 million of its cars being caught out for having their NOx emissions tweaked. The subterfuge was achieved with a device now known popularly as a “defeat device,” in an attempt to achieve ‘targeted’ results during emissions testing.
For this, the Volkswagen Group faces fines up to US$18 billion (RM79 billion), and a massive recall of up to 482,000 Volkswagen and Audi vehicles. Amidst the mayhem, Volkswagen Group’s CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned, with his position taken over by Porsche boss Mathias Mueller.
Audi has been the most recent brand under the Volkswagen Group to announce its number of vehicles affected by the scandal, with recent reports confirming the involvement of a total of 2.1 million units of diesel vehicles worldwide.
The Tesla Model X, on the other hand, will soon be on its way to customers, as reported earlier. Prices for the full-electric seven-seat crossover model is expected to range from USD$76,200 to USD$132,000. Clearly, Musk’s ideas for a “new generation of technology” lies with electric energy.
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Correct me if I am wrong, the world’s energy are generated via fossil fuels (Gas or Oil). Nuclear is a tiny fraction of the overall energy, renewable is even smaller.
Even wind or solar is not as clean as it seems, the waste produced to create solar and wind turbine is radioactive.
Unless Tesla is powered by magic, which it is not, pollution and emissions will be generated indirectly via the Power Plant.
Power plants are more efficient in generating electricity. In cars, up to 70% of the energy generated are wasted as heat, whereas only up to 30% are successfully converted to power your cars.
even the tesla’s boss other company, spaceX still depends on fossil fuel to power its rockets. what i understand is that by turning to electric vehicles, the world will depend much less on fossil fuel wchih is less harmful to the environment.
Of course, you are right. Still, using electric cars is just the start. A lot of changes need to be made to how we organise our society.
You are right but perhaps he is talking about its use in automotive applications…nevertheless electric cars do not solve the problem.. they may be kinder to the environment but the reliance on fossil fuels is still high
Adding to the fact the often forgotten facts of EV such as the energy used to manufacture those batteries..the potential waste they will surely create and the huge investment in infrastructure..it doesn’t seem like the ideal future does it?
Still believe the best solution are hydrogen powered cars if they can sort out the storage part…
You need to learn about “well to wheel” calculation my friend. Then start open your trap.
You’re very wrong, actually. Depending on where you are in the world anywhere between 25% to 100% of energy is generated using renewables and 2% to 80% generated using nuclear. So, taking a conservative average of 50% zero-emission energy (renewable+nuclear), an electric vehicle is at least 50% more green. Add to that fossil fuel based power generation is upto 2-3 times more efficient than internal combustion engine (ICE) in cars, an electric car generates only a fifth to a quarter of emissions that an ICE generates. So, EV are the future, fossil fuel based transport will die!
While it might be bright n shiny for tesla and where it aims to sell its vehicles, the rest of the world aren’t ready for EVs due to lack of infrastructure n $$$ so that’s why other manufacturers are still pushing for diesel n petrol engines and are slowly going hybrid to meet government standards.
Joke of the century. Ha..ha..ha..
elektrik tu datang dari mana?
nuclear powerplant?
solar field?
hydroelectric ps?
or gas turbine? ;-)
The Tesla Model S have changed my perseption about electric car.
You are burning coal for your electricity, mr. Tesla Boss…
Teslas are great but they don’t solve the problem. $100k sports cars are a tiny fraction of the market. Until Musk starts selling $15k electric, family hatchbacks, he’s just talking out of his backside.
Dear Mr Elon, I will consider using electric cars when I can find at least 6 charging stations when I’m driving back to my howetown in Kota Bharu. One in Karak highway, one in Raub, one in Padang Tengku, one in Gua Musang and one in Kuala Krai. And of course many charging stations in that PAS-lead state. Otherwise I will get stranded in Bukit Tujuh around 7 pm that nobody wants to.
I hope there will be battery exchange station instead of charging station coz to charge the battery will take hours until full. A journey that normal car takes 8 hours will become a 2 days ride in electric car
Took only 75Minutes for 100% Recharge, 40 Minutes for 80%.
Tesla Superchargers provide 170 miles (273.5KM) of range in as little as 30 minutes.
Source
www.teslamotors.com/supercharger
Please learn more about Tesla Engineering and technology. It’s way beyond what guys are thinking compared to Gasoline cars.
Actually Tesla’s electric cars can already go 600km on a charge, further than you can drive on a full tank of petrol. But unless prices come down to petrol driven family car level, electric cars are not going to make a dent in car sales.
Tesla …total package is pretty good for now but making it’s way here will probably have it in a CKD package or else price is too high and not feasible.
@Latuk: You’re very wrong, actually. Depending on where you are in the world, anywhere between 25% to 100% of energy is generated using renewables and 2% to 80% generated using nuclear. So, taking a conservative average of 50% zero-emission energy (renewable+nuclear), an electric vehicle is at least 50% more green. Add to that fossil fuel based power generation is upto 2-3 times more efficient than internal combustion engine (ICE) in cars, an electric car generates only a fifth to a quarter of emissions that an ICE generates. So, EV are the future, fossil fuel based transport will die!
There are many ways to generate electricity. It’s not Elon’s fault if our country is still lacking alternative sources and initiatives to generate electricity.
What Elon meant is that we can’t depend on ICE vehicles anymore. We have to evolve. EV to ICE is like ICE to horse carts.
Now we just need an influx of low-priced EV models if EV is to be mass-adopted.