Is the Future of the Electric Car Industry in Silicon Valley?

fiannaFailMan writes "The San Jose Mercury News is speculating about Silicon Valley's potential for becoming the Detroit of a future electric car industry. Among the valley's strengths is an ability to adapt to rapidly changing business environments and develop new business models, something that the Big Three can hardly be accused of. On the downside, it's a capital-intensive business and isn't like raising $40 million and having an IPO. Apparently there are five companies in the valley already pursuing electric car technology, most notably Tesla motors."

Comments

Think of the children?

[IBBoard]

While electric cars are great for environmental reasons, why has no-one taken up the cause against them to help protect the children? Think about it, one of the great things of electric cars is that they're effectively silent (usually). How can children cross the road safely, knowing there won't be a car hurtling around the corner, when they couldn't hear the car even if it was coming?

The only solution is to put speakers into the outside of cars that play the appropriate noise for a petrol engine. That way we get green cars _and_ safe roads where you can hear the traffic!

Problems.

[F34nor]

What are the main problems with the US car makers?

1. Accounting: Chrysler had target cost accounting. This means they decided how much to spend on the car and worked backwards to the profit margin. They looked at each component as taking away precious money from them, from their target. GM & Ford go the other way they pile shit on until they reach a magical profit mark. The problem with this is it suffers from the "because it's bitching syndrome." As in "Q: Do we really need another lighted mirror on the driver's side? A: Yeah its bithcin'" Ford started to take its head out of its ass and headed to better accounting methods, got scared because it costs a lot to make the switch, and then chickened out. They brought in that fucking asshole Ford to make cars they way his Grandfather did BLA BLA BLA BLA... instead of looking at someone who was making money and coping them. By the way the main rule of going to cost based accounting is once you start DON'T stop in the middle or you're fucked. Oh wait isn't Ford trading at about $.25 a share right now. Chrysler got bought by Daimler because they were making bacon unlike the other two.

2. What the customers want: Ford & GM says the American public in the 1990's wanted big fat SUVs. Toyota didn't say anything, Toyota just sold a shit load of cars to poeple who loved em, and then came back and bought more of em. So if GM and Ford were right and people really wanted what they say they want why aren't they making money? Becasue GM can't find its dick, its hands, or anything else.

3. Where they are located: They are managed out of fucking Detroit! Who would honestly buy a product other than a car from a city that is basically in a state of total fucking chaos and disrepair? I mean for fuck's sake Robocop's depiction of Detroit wasn't far off. Fire the management, move the design centers to LA, or just bring in Ford Europe or Holden lock stock and barrel to run the place.

4. Lean manufacturing, six sigma, Statistical Process Control, and generally Deming's legacy. Toyota fucking owns when it comes to supply chain management. In a fight between Wal-mart and Toyota I don't know who would win, probably Wal-Mart becasue they are way more evil but it would be a good fight. Toyota has vendors that are one man shops in Japan making them parts but somehow they have enough control that the shit gets there on time on budget and right when it's needed.

5. Detiot thinks its better to buy a congressman than to fix thier business model.

Detroit

[sm62704]

Poor silicon valley, destined to be a ghost town with no industry, no jobs, and nobody there but drug dealers and crackheads.

That is Detroit, right?

-mcgrew