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AeroHorn

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Lot of saltiness against a company that pretty much single-handedly, against tough odds, has turned the automotive industry direction from fossil fuel power to electric; so much so that Mustang is going to be electric. Musk is a dork, attention-seeker, and a promise first and worry about delivery later fundraiser, but it was pretty much what was needed to win. He has been laughed at for everything from using "laptop" batteries in cars to getting into rocketry with PayPal background, but he usually has the last word.

This truck is unusual, but I can clearly see the engineering reasoning. Anyone here that has designed anything reasonably complicated (an Apple Watch, a VR headset, etc.) knows that the final product is governed largely by the philosophical approach chosen. For current cars and trucks, the primary philosophy is to fit the design to current manufacturing/supply chain ecosystem. Here, Musk has started with a blank slate and said, "what if I start with the cubic volume of an F-150 and nothing else?" His team reached the conclusion that by building an exoskeleton (think insect with hard shell), they can better use the space than the traditional body-on-frame skeleton approach (think mammals). Obviously, this results in a completely different vehicle. Now, the outside shell can just be a cuboid, or a rounded cylinder, or a pretty good aerodynamic wedge shape. Of course, the wedge shape can be smoothed, but secondary issues are many, such as Musk's love for whimsy vs traditional ID team's concept of what is appealing, the exoskeleton's strength in bending and torsion as a function of modifying the wedge shape, manufacturing ease/cost, etc. This is when UX team also gets involved regarding ease of use, story boarding a day with the product, etc.

I think, at the end, Musk must have said, "let me roll with a radical design, and we still have lot of time to massage everything about it." After all, Tesla still has Model Y to build and deliver before even seriously starting work on the truck.

 

TL,DR: Design is based on the chosen philosophy, and this truck is just Musk playing around with the final product most likely to be different enough while maintaining the same concept, imo.

Edited by AeroHorn
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Just saw the Elon Ford tweet convo. That’s why I love Tesla. Electric cars may prove to be an interim step to solving the fossil fuel crisis but it will be an important one for sure. His welcoming Ford to the table is the right response. We need to solve the electric grid and the transportation fuel problem quickly and Tesla will go down in history as a major influencer of the movement. For those of us that own Tesla’s one of the reasons is because we want to be a part of that statement too. The model 3 is a huge part of that making it cost effective for many more to participate. He’s a whack-ado but that’s the kind of person that takes on these huge problems.

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1 minute ago, Thujone said:

You fucking dipshits. Watch the video. The window slips down after the ball hits it. Jesus some of you are fucking stupid.

Yeah, it was obvious something internal to the door/window mechanism broke and the window shifted down.

Still, is that a great look when you're peddling "indestructibility"?

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The "hate" is just the other side of the coin to the sycophantic unabashed adoration.

For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction, etc etc.

And I don't think he ever peddled the rockets as being "indestructible".  

Carry on

Edited by Cajun
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Trophy I'm one of those people that 100% supports electric cars and drive a hybrid for work.
I'm for it, when functional. It doesn't work in my world and I am not willing to pay a premium to make a social statement. 
Once the battery/charging situation is fully solved, the cars look good and they have become commodities I'll be in for one.
What I won't own is an electric motorcycle or off road electric truck for the foreseeable future.
I've no problem with those that choose to get in on now, it's just not for me yet.
That truck is for nobody but fan Bois.

That’s perfectly acceptable. My car works great for 98% of what I need. I’m a huge fan but I also realize it doesn’t work for a lot of folks. The S is not a realistic wide spread option, the 3 is a closer step to it and the Ford, Chevy and everything else is important too. I wouldn’t want a truck that sacrifices on anything just to be electric and while my lawnmower should be electric I want a bike too and no way I want an electric Harley or triumph or whatever else. With you, believe it or not.
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1 hour ago, Thujone said:

Dude I mean, since when has Elon not blown up a few prototypes? He's audacious with the skins on the wall now to back it up. They blew up rocket after rocket as people laughed at them and now they are putting the aerospace industry to shame. So I don't get all the hate. Yeah, the windows broke. Anyone else doing live demos? Nope bc they are a bunch of pussies with substandard Chinese pig iron vehicles. At least these guys are trying to do something better. 

He's a fantastic CEO for SpaceX. Not so much for Tesla. The window slipping is important because it shows the door was not closed and the window was possibly not fully installed. This allows for force from the ball hitting the window to be dispersed through the extra give. It makes total sense that it was the test before they rolled it out there and then when the door was closed and window fully secured, the ball shattered the glass because the window absorbed 100% of the force. With the collective IQ in the room with that first test, it is an embarrassing mistake in testing. Elon releases the video not realizing the mistake in testing, which just adds more fuel to the hate fire against Elon and Tesla.

I've made this point before in this thread, but I'll make it again. Tesla needs to decide what kind of car manufacturer it is going to be: luxury or affordable. Elon preaches making affordable electric vehicles for all economic demographics, but has yet to deliver anything other than luxury vehicles. This truck is absolutely tone deaf to the truck market. That's absolutely okay because it is a luxury vehicle. Nobody takes a Mercedes Benz G-Class out mudding and neither will they take this thing. It's a statement piece. We aren't saving the world with statement pieces and luxury vehicles, but that's okay, too, because Tesla's true value is innovating and creating a market that, as Ford is recently showing, will be eventually filled with cheaper alternatives. But those things don't pay Tesla's bills and they don't justify the share price. Beating those cheaper alternatives to market will. Elon is showing no signs of that happening.

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Making statements and spurring innovation of others is awesome but to your point it’s not consistent with the mission of maximizing shareholder value. It’s hard to say going public was a mistake but he’s not strictly adhering to his required obligation of tending to the returns of shareholders. I’m not sure I’m upset about that but then I am not a shareholder I’m just a car owner.

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2 hours ago, Eastwood said:

He's a fantastic CEO for SpaceX. Not so much for Tesla. The window slipping is important because it shows the door was not closed and the window was possibly not fully installed. This allows for force from the ball hitting the window to be dispersed through the extra give. It makes total sense that it was the test before they rolled it out there and then when the door was closed and window fully secured, the ball shattered the glass because the window absorbed 100% of the force. With the collective IQ in the room with that first test, it is an embarrassing mistake in testing. Elon releases the video not realizing the mistake in testing, which just adds more fuel to the hate fire against Elon and Tesla.

I've made this point before in this thread, but I'll make it again. Tesla needs to decide what kind of car manufacturer it is going to be: luxury or affordable. Elon preaches making affordable electric vehicles for all economic demographics, but has yet to deliver anything other than luxury vehicles. This truck is absolutely tone deaf to the truck market. That's absolutely okay because it is a luxury vehicle. Nobody takes a Mercedes Benz G-Class out mudding and neither will they take this thing. It's a statement piece. We aren't saving the world with statement pieces and luxury vehicles, but that's okay, too, because Tesla's true value is innovating and creating a market that, as Ford is recently showing, will be eventually filled with cheaper alternatives. But those things don't pay Tesla's bills and they don't justify the share price. Beating those cheaper alternatives to market will. Elon is showing no signs of that happening.

Fair points. Musk has many faults, some quite egregious ones, including the way he has sold the AutoPilot and the reasons behind SolarCity acquisition (imo). He is at heart an R&D person and has no business running operations. And just like an R&D person, he would rather doodle about the next thing (a blade runner truck! a tunnel for me to avoid traffic!) than work on what he has already promised (a $35k car, an integrated and affordable solar solution, etc.). 

Even though Musk may sincerely believe and express his heartfelt desire to democratize clean and affordable future for everyone, he , by nature, will not be able to do it. He may want to be the Toyota+VW+GM, but he'll be their very well funded and unencumbered skunk works division. He'll forever promise the next big thing and will use his many gifts (desirable and undesirable) to somehow make them real in at least a limited sense. Hence, the cult following, always dreaming and always led by something shinier that is oh so within reach.

But to overlook this contribution is foolish, and even ungrateful. Because of him, automotive industry will be electric, power company ripoffs during peak loads will be no more, NASA again has an avenue to think about Mars, etc.

Edited by AeroHorn
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5 hours ago, Thujone said:

Dude I mean, since when has Elon not blown up a few prototypes? He's audacious with the skins on the wall now to back it up. They blew up rocket after rocket as people laughed at them and now they are putting the aerospace industry to shame. So I don't get all the hate. Yeah, the windows broke. Anyone else doing live demos? Nope bc they are a bunch of pussies with substandard Chinese pig iron vehicles. At least these guys are trying to do something better. 

Ask Audi, BMW, and Mercedes how how well the Tesla Model 3 is doing as it came close to selling 4 times A3, 3 series, and C class combined in the last quarter. 

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9 hours ago, troph said:

Just saw the Elon Ford tweet convo. That’s why I love Tesla. Electric cars may prove to be an interim step to solving the fossil fuel crisis but it will be an important one for sure. His welcoming Ford to the table is the right response. We need to solve the electric grid and the transportation fuel problem quickly and Tesla will go down in history as a major influencer of the movement. For those of us that own Tesla’s one of the reasons is because we want to be a part of that statement too. The model 3 is a huge part of that making it cost effective for many more to participate. He’s a whack-ado but that’s the kind of person that takes on these huge problems.

So you like the smell of your own farts, yes?

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He's a fantastic CEO for SpaceX. Not so much for Tesla. The window slipping is important because it shows the door was not closed and the window was possibly not fully installed. This allows for force from the ball hitting the window to be dispersed through the extra give. It makes total sense that it was the test before they rolled it out there and then when the door was closed and window fully secured, the ball shattered the glass because the window absorbed 100% of the force. With the collective IQ in the room with that first test, it is an embarrassing mistake in testing. Elon releases the video not realizing the mistake in testing, which just adds more fuel to the hate fire against Elon and Tesla.
I've made this point before in this thread, but I'll make it again. Tesla needs to decide what kind of car manufacturer it is going to be: luxury or affordable. Elon preaches making affordable electric vehicles for all economic demographics, but has yet to deliver anything other than luxury vehicles. This truck is absolutely tone deaf to the truck market. That's absolutely okay because it is a luxury vehicle. Nobody takes a Mercedes Benz G-Class out mudding and neither will they take this thing. It's a statement piece. We aren't saving the world with statement pieces and luxury vehicles, but that's okay, too, because Tesla's true value is innovating and creating a market that, as Ford is recently showing, will be eventually filled with cheaper alternatives. But those things don't pay Tesla's bills and they don't justify the share price. Beating those cheaper alternatives to market will. Elon is showing no signs of that happening.


Good post. I agree. I’m an admitted Tesla hater but I love everything SpaceX is doing.

He needs a Roy O. Disney to go with his own Walt Disney self.
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On 11/22/2019 at 6:22 PM, AeroHorn said:

Lot of saltiness against a company that pretty much single-handedly, against tough odds, has turned the automotive industry direction from fossil fuel power to electric; so much so that Mustang is going to be electric. Musk is a dork, attention-seeker, and a promise first and worry about delivery later fundraiser, but it was pretty much what was needed to win. He has been laughed at for everything from using "laptop" batteries in cars to getting into rocketry with PayPal background, but he usually has the last word.

This truck is unusual, but I can clearly see the engineering reasoning. Anyone here that has designed anything reasonably complicated (an Apple Watch, a VR headset, etc.) knows that the final product is governed largely by the philosophical approach chosen. For current cars and trucks, the primary philosophy is to fit the design to current manufacturing/supply chain ecosystem. Here, Musk has started with a blank slate and said, "what if I start with the cubic volume of an F-150 and nothing else?" His team reached the conclusion that by building an exoskeleton (think insect with hard shell), they can better use the space than the traditional body-on-frame skeleton approach (think mammals). Obviously, this results in a completely different vehicle. Now, the outside shell can just be a cuboid, or a rounded cylinder, or a pretty good aerodynamic wedge shape. Of course, the wedge shape can be smoothed, but secondary issues are many, such as Musk's love for whimsy vs traditional ID team's concept of what is appealing, the exoskeleton's strength in bending and torsion as a function of modifying the wedge shape, manufacturing ease/cost, etc. This is when UX team also gets involved regarding ease of use, story boarding a day with the product, etc.

I think, at the end, Musk must have said, "let me roll with a radical design, and we still have lot of time to massage everything about it." After all, Tesla still has Model Y to build and deliver before even seriously starting work on the truck.

 

TL,DR: Design is based on the chosen philosophy, and this truck is just Musk playing around with the final product most likely to be different enough while maintaining the same concept, imo.

Where the fuck do you think electric power comes from you fucking idiot? 

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51 minutes ago, Jkwellborn said:


Besides burning coal or fossil fuels and nuclear shit, what are the best alternatives? Hydropower is the only one that’s really feasible at this point right?

Well, right at this moment the city of Austin is getting 35% of its power from solar.  

https://austinenergy.com/ae/about/environment/renewable-power-generation

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