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Mercedes Pooh-Poohs Tesla, Says It Has "Limited Potential"
cartechboy (2660665) writes "They say you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you. Maybe it should go you shouldn't trash talk the company you partner with. U.S. head of Mercedes-Benz Steve Cannon was just quoted as saying future service of Tesla's vehicles could be 'limited,' and that while it's great, the market could be more attracted to other luxury automakers once their products hit the market. Cannon also suggests that the current infrastructure isn't up to maintaining and fueling electric vehicles, in particularly Tesla's stores and go-to servicing can't handle high demands. Naturally he said Mercedes has the 'whole network' to put customers minds' at ease. Sounds like fighting words to me. Hey Mercedes, where's your Model S competitor?"
There is a reason that Jim Rogers drove around the world in a Mercedes.
As long as you look at the world as it is now and don't account for a fast moving tech world, I suppose his viewpoint is correct.
In the same vein, around 2004 or so, smart phones would have appeared "limited" because the cell and wifi infrastructure didn't exist. Yet, in 10 years, the supply has met the demand (well, arguably), and now smart phones are ubiquitous.
Or it could just be sour grapes.
"First They ignore you, Then they laugh at you, Then they fight you, Then you win."
I think this looks a bit like Mercedes laughing at Tesla...
"Is the Chief Priest an Offlian? Do dragons explode in the wood?"
Tesla has made an electric vehicle that doesn't make anyone with a sense of style want to puke, and that's a very good thing, but there's just a handful of things they need to do, IMO, to really knock the ball out of the park for electric cars:
1) One needs to be able to charge it quickly, perhaps with an upper limit of about 10 minutes or so, sufficiently to go approximately as far as one could expect go on a tank of gas in a typical car of today. I would not expect to be able to charge it this quickly on conventional house current... it probably would require a dedicated type of charging circuit. But this would make recharging a car at such places not significantly more time consuming than filling up a car with gas, and would make owning an electric vehicle vastly more convenient than it currently is.
2) Charging infrastructure needs to be ubquitous, so that if you can drive there in a regular vehicle, you should be able to get there and back in your electric car as well.
3) The pricing structure for an electric car should be comparable to that of an otherwise similarly equipped gas-powered vehicle... and should not carry a premium cost that is almost equivalent to buying an additional automobile. Making them affordable, in addition to the other two points, will mean that there's no reason for people not to drive one.
If or when Tesla, or any electric vehicle manufacturer, can hit all three of the above points, I'd dare say that the writing will finally be on the wall for the age of gasoline, and I think electric cars could outnumber gasoline vehicles on the road within a decade.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
In what universe do you live in that Mercedes is not relevant? Mercedes sold nearly 10 times as many cars in the US alone than Tesla sold their Model S worldwide. Tesla's a bit player.
"...Tesla's stores and go-to servicing can't handle high demands. Naturally he said Mercedes has the "whole network" to put customers minds' at ease."
Yes, I feel so much more at ease knowing there is an entire network of highly trained and certified rip-off artists across the country ready to turn my $35,000 Mercedes into a $60,000 pain-in-the-ass when it breaks down and needs to visit a "certified" repair shop.
"There is a reason that Jim Rogers drove around the world in a Mercedes."
Uh, yeah, a one-of-a-kind purpose-built Mercedes counts about as much as an army tank in this discussion. If you want to make claims about traversing the globe, impress me with an actual product demonstration, not a bullshit one. I would hope one would be able to traverse the globe in a custom-built vehicle that likely exceeded $500K in total costs, regardless of who built it.
What he really should have said is all automakers are frightened to death by Tesla and embarrassed beyond all bounds that they did not create Tesla's products. Obviously there is a conspiracy afoot to stop Tesla in its tracks as every state that Tesla sells in has suits claiming that they should not be allowed to exist. The industry is reacting as if Tesla had invented a car that could run for free on a drop of water. The powers that be see the handwriting on the wall and they are have a fit.
The simple fact is, for the moment Tesla is an expensive car but not a luxury car. It gets the smooth ride part right, thanks to the non-reciprocating motor and no gearshifts to manage, and that's great, but compared to a similarly piced Merc or Lexus it's lacking (and at the unsubsidized price, where the S-Class lives, it's embarrassing).
But that being said, Tesla company-wise is like nothing the industry has ever seen. They keep improving cars they've already sold. No one does that. Many of the "luxury features" on a luxury car aren't actually very expensive, they're just a matter of seeking every possible improvement, from better window laminates to keep the car cool in the sun, to a slightly better feel to the sun visor when you swing it thanks to not using the cheapest possible part. I'd bet that Tesla will catch up fast - I've never seen such rapid incremental improvement in a model line in my life.
While some features do add a bunch to the cost of the car, I think Tesla, thanks to it's top-notch ride, could be fine alongside the E-Class / GS / Dozen or so other cars in it's price range in just a few years, of Tesla's rate of improvement continues. Unsurprisingly I guess to us geeks, they take a software-company view of "1000 incremental improvements? no problem, here's how we'll roll em out" that may leave the execs at Mercedes et al wondering what hit them.
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
Some of them are sort of valid, but not relevant in practice. For example, it's true that Tesla's current service infrastructure can't handle high demands... but that's because the infrastructure is sized for the current customer base. Building a service infrastructure that can handle many more customers than you actually have is a waste of money, and it's completely unnecessary so long as you continue to scale that infrastructure as you grow.
I think Tesla, thanks to it's top-notch ride, could be fine alongside the E-Class / GS / Dozen or so other cars in it's price range in just a few years
An E class starts for about 60% of what a Tesla starts at. Maybe you should know this before you post this kind of asinine thing.
Unsurprisingly I guess to us geeks, they take a software-company view of "1000 incremental improvements? no problem, here's how we'll roll em out" that may leave the execs at Mercedes et al wondering what hit them.
There have been numerous articles about software updates from manufacturers in the last couple of years and the noise from the peanut gallery has been nearly universal that it's a bad idea. I guess it's only a bad idea when it's not Tesla? The fact of the matter is that things are going in this direction from the big times and upgrading the software in cars was happing well before Tesla. Mercedes has been working with EVs for some time and they aren't going to be caught unaware. You're living in a fantasy land.
But I know, Slashdotters need to tilt at windmills endlessly... if Tesla were to ever catch on and be as common as Kia we'd see the discussion switch to how they're shit and some other startup has vision and Tesla is going to wilt and die any day now...
It gets old because it's nothing but a fanboy circle jerk with no real insights. Bring some meat to the table instead of just your fantasy of how things would go in your perfect world where David always defeats Goliath. The only figure you mentioned turned out to be grossly incorrect. You haven't got a thing worth considering.
Does the Mercedes have:
* A 17" touch screen for controlling most functions
* Configurable screen in front of the drive
* Configurable steering wheel controls
* Google maps / satellite imagery with Garmin navigation
* Lifetime mobile data connection
* Remove monitoring/control from your phone
* Flush door handles that extend when you approch
* Flat floor and three real seats in the back
* Near zero engine noise
* Free fuel at Mercedes gas stations
* Frunk (front boot/trunk)
* Zero emissions, granting it zero tax, free parking, high occupancy lane use and a variety of other benefits depending on local offers
Actually the Model S does have some of the things on your list. It has a motorized boot door at the back, which can also remember the maximum height to open to in case you are not quite tall enough to reach it in the highest position. It has adjustable suspension and ride height.
This is like one of those stupid Galaxy vs. iPhone charts where you pick your top trumps features to produce whatever result you like. You pays your money, you takes your choice.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC