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Tesla Motors CEO 'does not devote his full time and attention to Tesla'
We've already discussed the seemingly suicidal situation Tesla finds itself in with relation to its 2011 Roadster production cessation, but that SEC submission for the company's IPO is a long, long affair (which you may read below), and there were more nuggets of madness to be found. Apparently, CEO Elon Musk is a busy man -- with CEO and CTO functions at SpaceX and a chairmanship at SolarCity to attend to -- and so he couldn't possibly be expected to focus his full attention on ensuring that the half billion dollar state loan his company received gets spent as wisely as possible. Add Musk's corporate bigamy to an expectation of "continuing losses" and dwindling waiting lists and you have to wonder who, other than the US government, will be buying shares when this offering goes public.
Tesla Roadster to bid adieu in 2011, successor coming in 2013
Much like the replicants of Philip K Dick's fertile imagination, it seems like Tesla's Roadster will live a famous, but short life. In its pre-IPO filings to the SEC, the company has cited "tooling changes at a supplier" as the reason it will stop selling its current gen Roadster and Roadster Sport EVs after 2011. Given that all Roadsters are built at the Lotus factory in England, this probably suggests new Elise or Exige models are on the way and the manufacturing facilities are being updated accordingly. It also means Tesla will be left without any product to sell until the planned 2012 launch of the Model S sedan, while its next generation of two-door sporty supercars won't be arriving until 2013. Sigh.
Tesla pulls in $465 million government loan to build Model S electric sedan
The Detroit News is reporting that Tesla has closed on a $465 million low-cost loans from the Energy Department to work on its next electric vehicle, the Model S sedan.The funds will apparently be used by the company to build manufacturing plants in California. The loan, which closed on Monday and was approved back in June, will come from the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program, which has about $25 billion to dole out to automakers manufacturing energy efficient vehicles. The Model S will, when complete, boast an up to 300-mile driving range, and will hit up to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds. It's supposed to hit production in 2012 with an output of 20,000 units (that means cars) per year.
Tesla taps Panasonic to create next-generation EV battery packs
As Tesla continues on its commendable journey to surpass Ford, GM, Toyota and everyone else in total sales, it's evidently hoping a tie-up with Panasonic will help it accomplish said goal. The two outfits have just agreed to work together in order to develop next-generation battery packs to be used within electric vehicles, which are based around "Nickel-based Lithium ion chemistry." It sounds as if the two are hoping the collaborative effort will actually be mutually beneficial, though both have been coy about when or where this research will lead to implementable results. Hopefully we'll end up with a Model S that can roll 724 miles on a single charge, but it's not like we'd complain (much) if we only got 722.
Dark Void dev diary introduces us to 'Teslapunk' technology
Quick question: In a hypothetical war between inventor extraordinaire Nikola Tesla and an advanced race of robots, who would win? The answer is, of course, entirely dependent on the version of Tesla we're talking about. Real-life Tesla stands a pretty good chance -- after all, that debonaire mustache is probably capable of disabling most electronic devices. The safe money's on The Prestige's Tesla, who was played by David Bowie, who can disintegrate any synthetic material using nothing but the power of his rocking. The Tesla in Dark Void looks like he'd stand a fair chance as well. Check out the above dev diary to see the warring factions of technology present in the game, and to get a few more sweet, sweet glimpses of the title's jetpack-based combat.
Core Values: What's next for NVIDIA?
Core Values is our new monthly column from Anand Shimpi, Editor-in-chief of AnandTech. With over a decade of experience poring over the latest in chip developments, he's here to explain how things work and why our tech is the way it is. I remember the day AMD announced it was going to acquire ATI. NVIDIA told me that its only competitor just threw in the towel. What a difference a few years can make. The last time NVIDIA was this late to a major DirectX transition was seven years ago, and the company just quietly confirmed we won't see its next-generation GPU, Fermi, until Q1 2010. If AMD's manufacturing partner TSMC weren't having such a terrible time making 40nm chips I'd say that AMD would be gobbling up marketshare like a fat kid. By the time NVIDIA gets its entire stack of DX11 hardware out the gate, AMD will be a quarter away from putting out newly refreshed GPUs. Things aren't much better on the chipset side either -- for all intents and purposes, the future of NVIDIA's chipset business in the PC space is dead. Not only has NVIDIA recently announced that it won't be pursuing any chipsets for Intel's Core i3, i5. or i7 processors until its various legal disputes with Intel are resolved, It doesn't really make sense to be a third-party chipset vendor anymore. Both AMD and Intel are more than capable of doing chipsets in-house, and the only form of differentiation comes from the integrated graphics core -- so why not just sell cheap discrete GPUs for OEMs to use alongside Intel chipsets instead? Even Ion is going to be short lived. NVIDIA's planning to mold an updated graphics chip into an updated chipset for the next-gen Atom processor, but Pine Trail brings the memory controller and graphics onto the CPU and leaves NVIDIA out in the cold once again. Let's see, no competitive GPUs, no future chipset business. This isn't looking good so far -- but the one thing I've learned from writing about these companies for the past 12 years is that the future's never as it seems. Chances are, NVIDIA's going to look a lot different in the future because of two things: Tesla and Tegra.
Tesla guitarist reveals 'Modern Day Cowboy' headed for Guitar Hero 6
Rockers of the classic '80s band Tesla claim to be included in the yet-to-be announced (but you totally saw it coming) Guitar Hero 6. In an interview with Brave Words & Blood Knuckles, guitarist Dave Rude revealed "Modern Day Cowboy" -- from the band's 1986 debut album Mechanical Resonance -- will be included in the music title. Rude noted the song was one of three suggestions the band made to Activision when they were pursued to be included. While some (completely talentless) acts have decried the popularity of music games such as Guitar Hero, Rude feels the genre is an important step for up-and-coming rockers. "I think it's a good thing," Rude said. "Even if people don't learn to play guitar, it's exposing them to all sorts of cool guitar-based music that they wouldn't have ever heard otherwise." You hear that Kroeger? Stop crying ... and writing the same song over and over and over again.
NVIDIA Tesla 20-series GPUs promise to dramatically cut supercomputing costs
Sure, you've been hearing NVIDIA toss around names like CUDA, Fermi and Tesla for what seems like ages now, but we're guessing this is the sort of thing that'll get most folks to really take notice: a promise to cut supercomputing costs by a factor of ten. That rather impressive feat comes courtesy of the company's new Tesla 20-series GPUs, which come in the form of both single GPU PCI-Express Gen-2 cards and full-fledged GPU computing systems, and promise a whole host of cost-saving benefits for everything from ray tracing to 3D cloud computing to data analytics. Of course we are still talking about "cheap" in supercomputing terms -- look for these to run between $2,499 and $18,995 when they roll out sometime in the second quarter of 2010.
Tesla Roadster keeps on rollin', goes 313 miles on single charge
What could be a better feeling than beating a world record? Beating your own world record. The Tesla Roadster has put an extra exclamation mark on its world-conquering single-charge antics by raising the bar from 241 miles back in April to an even more impressive 313 this week. As you can see in that homemade "world record" sign above, that's 501 kilometers in metric terms, or pretty much the exact distance between Paris and Amsterdam. The Global Green Challenge in Australia -- where this feat was achieved -- allows only production battery-powered vehicles to compete, meaning that the new record is down to driver skill on the part of one Mr. Simon Hackett, and not some newfound techno mojo. Kinda makes those long recharge times seem like less of a burden, no?
Asustek announces a 1.1 Teraflop, Tesla GPU powered supercomputer
Some of us love nothing more than a portable and convenient netbook -- something that Asustek knows all too well -- but how about those of us who need real computing power? To that end, Taipei's choice for all things ultraportable has just announced its very own 1.1 Teraflop supercomputer. Dubbed the ESC 1000, this (albeit large) desktop-sized machine sports a 3.33GHz Intel LGA1366 Xeon W3580 microprocessor and three CUDA-based Tesla C1060 GPUs, the likes of which we last saw in Dell's Precision "personal supercomputer" line. Shipping with 24GB of DDR3 DRAM (1333MHz) and a 500GB SATA II hard drive, the machine is said to have a cost structure of $14,519 over five years. We're guessing that you'll be able to both surf the net and watch HD quality video on the thing, although you probably won't be taking it along with you to Crazy Mocha any time soon. According to a company spokesperson, this thing is ready to ship now, although a launch date and street price have yet to be determined. One more pic after the break.
Tesla Roadster Sport gets taken for a test drive, photo shoot
Like the Tesla Roadster but think it's just not expensive enough for you? Then fear not, person we'd like to get to know, 'cause the Tesla Roadster Sport is here complete with a $19,500 premium over its less sporty counterpart. Thankfully, according to the lucky folks at Autoblog Green, you will get quite a few bonuses for that extra cash, including an improved 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds, a new suspension that can be set to one of ten different settings and, perhaps most importantly, a new set of black-finish forged wheels (paired with some Yokohama ADVAN A048 tires) that'll ensure no one mistakes it for a "low end" Tesla. Be sure to hit up the read link below for Autoblog Green's full report, not to mention plenty of pics inside and out.
Tesla Model S platform to be used for electric vans and other vehicles, airbrushing optional
Tesla Motors may now be banking on its Model S to help it snag a bigger piece of the electric car market, but it looks like the car's platform may be the real key to the company's near-term success. As just revealed in an official blog post by VP of Business Development Diarmuid O'Connell, Tesla will also be using the platform for a range of other "derivatives," including a minivan, a cross-over utility vehicle and, yes, a full-fledged utility van for both industrial and civic use. Unfortunately, O'Connell didn't have much to say about anything like a launch timeframe or any other details, for that matter, but we wouldn't let that stop you from your starting to plan out some van art. Trust us. It's coming back.[Via Autoblog Green, image courtesy dcdan]
SolarCity charging stations on Highway 101 give Tesla owners a little more time in the sun
The Tesla Roadster is by far the best-known electric car of the moment -- despite the company only having sold about 700 of the things. A high price point hasn't kept the car from capturing the minds of enviro-minded gearheads everywhere, of which there must be quite a few working at SolarCity. The California-based solar installation firm has created four Tesla charging stations along Highway 101 between Los Angeles and San Francisco, with a fifth coming online next month. The (apparently free) chargers provide a 240V charge at 70 amps, blowing away Eberhard's RFMC rapid charger and bringing the cars to full capacity in only 3.5 hours. Why, that's just enough time for a nice lunch and a bit of shopping. Sadly the plugs only work with Teslas, but will be retrofitted once some other suitable EV comes along in suitable numbers.
Tesla Motors confirms it settled lawsuit with former CEO
We had some indication Tesla and its former CEO Martin Eberhard had settled their lawsuit after it just quietly went away last month, but the electric automaker has now finally come out and confirmed as much, although it's not surprisingly still staying mum on any actual details. As you may recall, Eberhard had sued Tesla and its current CEO, Elon Musk, over a whole host of grievances, including that he was pushed out of the company, denied his severance package, and generally disparaged both in the public and within the company. For its part, Tesla then fired back with some harsh words of its own, saying that Eberhard's account was "fictionalized," "twisted," and "wrong." Both parties seem to now be doing their best to put all that behind them, however, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has even go so far as to issue a statement saying that "without Martin's indispensable efforts, Tesla Motors would not be here today."
Tesla founder quietly dismisses lawsuit against the company, Musk
Remember that time, way back in June, when we told you that former Tesla Motors exec Martin Eberhard was suing the company and its chief (a certain Mr. Elon Musk) for sundry offenses, including forcing him out of the company, wrecking his car, and besmirching his good name? According to the San Jose Business Journal, the suit was quietly and unceremoniously dropped on August 7 at the request of Eberhard. Of course, the most likely explanation for this turn of events (besides Eberhard's suddenly finding his Zen and deciding to drop out of the material world for a life of quiet contemplation) is a settlement of some sort. Maybe he's getting that coveted roadster after all? According to The Register, a Tesla spokesperson refused to "speculate on why Eberhard dropped his suit." When pressed for a follow-up, the same site received an automated reply: "I am on vacation".[Via The Register]
Eberhard's RFMC rapid charger for Tesla Roadster now up for order
If you're one of the lucky few who own a Tesla Roadster, this will certainly be of interest to you. And, for the rest of us -- well, let's indulge ourselves in a bit of vicarious living for a moment, shall we? Eberhard's just made its rapid charger -- the Roadster Foundry Mobile Connector (or RFMC) -- available to order. The RFMC comes with adapters that will allow charging at 12, 16, 24, 32 or 40 amps, and a fully depleted battery will charge overnight when charging at 40 amps. All you need to do (owning a Roadster is the hardest part, no doubt) to get the newer, faster charger is send the standard MC120 charger the car came with, plus $960 to EV components, wait for the new RFMC to show up, then go back to your normal life -- you know, sitting on a desolate beach in your insane car watching the sun go down. [Via Autoblog Green]
Video: MIT working on rapid recharging for electric vehicles
MIT's electric vehicle prototype may be a long way off from being completed, but if we let that stop us from discussing EVs, we might never talk about them. The headline ambition of the elEVen project is a full recharge within 10 minutes, which would eliminate somewhere between four and ten hours of waiting. Speedwise, the Electric Vehicle Team is aiming for a 100 mph top speed from a 250-horsepower / 187 kilowatt AC induction motor, and a not unheard of 200-mile cruising range. To achieve their rapid juicing aim, the students will strap 7,905 lithium iron-phosphate cell batteries from A123Systems to a gutted 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid body. The batteries' low internal resistance is what makes things possible, but further hurdles, such as finding a sufficiently powerful energy source, would have to be overcome before any sort of widespread use may occur. Video after the break.[Via PC World]
Tesla goes Big Apple with Chelsea showroom
It's a time of dire news for auto manufacturers, with losses widening, dealerships closing, and whole brands disappearing. Not so for Tesla, which despite all that bickering up top has managed to scrounge together the funds to open up a shop in Chelsea in western Manhattan, a swanky area full of art galleries and the beret-clad people who frequent them. No surprise, then, that Tesla has outfitted the walls of this new dealership with large prints of its very own manufacturing process -- probably not earning it much cred in the 'hood. Annual operating cost is estimated to be a cool $1.5 million, pocket change by GM and Toyota standards, but surely a little more significant for a small company like this. Tesla used the space to show off the 2010 Roadster, which we still don't have full details on, but have heard features slightly improved circuitry, a locking glove box, and WiFi to enable remote, wireless diagnostics. Surely a Tesla-branded application store of some sort can't be far behind.
Tesla, Ford, Nissan all receive electric car development loans from US government
High five, Tesla fans -- everyone's favorite incredibly controversial electric car company has just been granted $465m in loans from the Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program. The bulk of the money will go towards that postponed Model S factory, while the remaining $100m will be used to fund an electric powertrain manufacturing facility that will sell parts like motors and battery packs to other carmakers. Tesla wasn't the DOE's only big winner: Nissan received $1.6b (billion!) to build batteries and EVs in Tennessee and Ford received an undisclosed amount to build two upcoming electric cars, but since those companies have largely drama-free upper management that isn't constantly involved in lawsuits, it feels a little more routine. Still, it's an exciting time -- let's hope all these tax dollars turn into affordable, convenient electric transportation sooner rather than later.Update: A "congressional source" has told the AP that Ford's getting $5.9 billion, so yeah, the Oval's still the big dog. Read - Tesla Read - Ford Read - Nissan
Tesla founder sues Tesla, Elon Musk
Tesla's done a good job keeping itself out of the courtroom recently, but the good times don't last forever -- founder Martin Eberhard has just sued the company and CEO Elon Musk for libel, slander, and breach of contract. Eberhard claims that after he and Mark Tapenning founded Tesla, he was summarily pushed out of the company by Musk, wrongfully denied his severance package, and then disparaged both publicly and within the company -- and on top of it all, Musk sent the second Roadster produced out for "endurance testing" where it was wrecked instead being sold to Eberhard as promised. Ouch. Interestingly, the core of the lawsuit directly mirrors the suit filed former PR director David Vespremi over the same series of events, so it seems like there's a pattern here, but we'll see how much of this is true when Tesla and Eberhard face off in the courtroom -- our friends at Autoblog Green just received this statement from legendarily-prickly Tesla PR spokesperson Rachel Konrad: This lawsuit is a fictionalized, inaccurate account of Tesla's early years -- it's twisted and wrong, and we welcome the opportunity to set the record straight. Incidentally, Tesla will also be filing counterclaims and in the process present an accurate account of the company's history. Yeah, we'd say there are some fireworks brewing. Stay tuned.Read - Autoblog GreenRead - WiredRead - Eberhard's complaint [Warning: PDF]
