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In a Wide-Ranging Interview, Elon Musk Talks About Visiting Mars, Battle To Keep Tesla Afloat, and Neuralink (medium.com)

Elon Musk reckons there's a 70 percent chance he'll go to Mars, even as he knows there's a good chance he won't survive there. "I'm talking about moving there," the SpaceX and Tesla CEO said in a wide-ranging, but brief interview with Axios on HBO. "We've recently made a number of breakthroughs that I'm just really fired up about."

In the interview, he also spoke about Neuralink, the company he launched last year to build brain-enhancing implants. "The long-term aspiration of Neuralink would be to achieve a symbiosis with artificial intelligence," he said. "If we have billions of people with a high-bandwidth link to an AI extension of themselves, it would actually make everyone hyper-smart."

Musk also revealed that Tesla had been "single-digit weeks" away from death with the company "bleeding" cash as it ramped up Model 3 production. He said he was worried about imploding and that the stress of working seven days a week and sleeping at the Tesla factory was very painful."It hurts my brain and my heart," said Musk, who recently publicly urged people to explore electric cars, even if they come from companies Tesla competes with.

180 comments

  1. Mars... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I pity those that go there looking for adventure only to realize they are standing in a tube.

    1. Re: Mars... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      did he not thank PayPal for their support? They donâ(TM)t take chances like he does with investor cash

    2. Re:Mars... by Gavagai80 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Many people have enjoyed exploring Antarctica, even when it's mostly just sitting around in ugly research bases through the winter and occasionally looking at a bleak white landscape. It's not for me, but I'm sure there are people who will enjoy Mars.

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    3. Re:Mars... by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      It would sure beat the life of many people that spend their time in small cubes. At least distances in one dimension would be bigger...

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    4. Re:Mars... by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      I pity those that go there looking for adventure only to realize they are standing in a tube.

      I think a lot of people hope they will be remembered as a Lewis or Clark. Maybe have a town named after them on Mars for being one of the original settlers.
      They see what they're doing as glorious and adventurous, burning a trail... and maybe it is. Not something I'd want to do. I'm all for us trying to colonise another planet if for no other reason than the undoubted tech it will spark... but I don't want to go. Not even the prospect of having Mcweanyville be named the capital city of Mars would encourage me.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    5. Re:Mars... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is NO permanent settlement in Antarctica. If that doesn't tell you all you need to know (about a Mars settlement) then I don't know what will.

    6. Re:Mars... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Oh but there is. Two that I recall, but there may be more. McMurdo station on the coast is manned year round as is the South Pole station. Travel may be difficult (or impossible) for a number of months during the summer, but we have people there year round.

    7. Re:Mars... by Gavagai80 · · Score: 2

      Antarctica has a summer population of around 1,000 and winter population of around 200. On a purely scientific basis, I can imagine getting similar numbers on Mars -- 1000 temporary residents, 200 permanent.

      But humans are not purely scientific. They love to do apparently incredibly stupid things like climb Mt Everest without oxygen or free-climb El Capitan. Like those, Mars captures the imagination of many people who love to suffer and tempt fate. If Musk makes the economics of it possible for the wealthy, then those type of people will build a Mars colony not because it is easy but because it is hard.

      And compared to sea voyages in the age of discovery where 90% of the crew could expect to die before getting home and they were cramped onto a small ship surrounded by the ocean developing scurvy from their poor supplies, it'll be practically a pleasure jaunt.

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    8. Re:Mars... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Many people have enjoyed exploring Antarctica, even when it's mostly just sitting around in ugly research bases through the winter and occasionally looking at a bleak white landscape.

      But nobody actually *lives* there.

    9. Re:Mars... by dryeo · · Score: 1

      Usually, those ships crews were very desperate or suckered/forced into being crew.

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
    10. Re:Mars... by apoc.famine · · Score: 1

      Antarctica has a summer population of around 1,000 and winter population of around 200.....But humans are not purely scientific.

      No. And of those 1,000, a minority are scientists. Our Antarctica population is a small, specialized town with a couple of satellite outposts, and it requires almost all the jobs that a small town needs. Just more specialized, since it's so isolated.

      Cooks, janitors, logistics and project management, pilots, fuel handlers, sanitation workers, heavy machine operators, construction workers and carpenters, scientific equipment maintenance, crane operators, etc., etc., etc. The list goes on and on.

      Likewise if we went to Mars, the minority would be scientists, at the start and forever. And you need to build a colony that can support this diverse group of people. It's not going to be rich bastards who crave danger, at least at first. It's going to be someone who needs to figure out the sewage situation, and someone else who is really good with a backhoe. You can't have a remote colony without those people.

      The scientists will come next, and far down the line we'll get the rich bastards who want a shot of adrenaline. They're not going to be super happy sharing a tiny space with Joe the sanitation worker. And Joe needs to be there first, and needs to be there always.

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
    11. Re:Mars... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      who is really good with a backhoe

      Is there a slight possibility that you would need someone quite skilled with a wooden stake

      Oh, yes, I've seen the documentaries.

    12. Re:Mars... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And compared to sea voyages in the age of discovery where 90% of the crew could expect to die before getting home and they were cramped onto a small ship surrounded by the ocean developing scurvy from their poor supplies, it'll be practically a pleasure jaunt.

      Space travel is far worse than that. When you're on a boat, you have access to unlimited air, water and food. Those are all things that you need to bring with you on a spacecraft. Also if something goes wrong on a boat, it's not necessarily a big deal. If something goes wrong on a spacecraft or colony, you're dead.

    13. Re: Mars... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've actually been there. It's the most beautiful landscape I could imagine. Of course in snowstorms everything is white, but other times it's pure beauty. All animals are super relaxed. Clear water. Super fun to be on a ship in Southern winter with 20m waves. Puts a whole new perspective to life.

  2. Model 3 Yaaay by stooo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    the good thing is, Tesla is on the right track now....

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    1. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They’ll be releasing that $35000 version and full self driving any day now.

    2. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 5, Insightful

      the good thing is, Tesla is on the right track now....

      No, the good thing is that as Tesla succeeds, it forces other companies to make competing offers. Tesla Motors lit a fire under all the car makers and now they are scrambling to catch up. Without Tesla Motors electric cars would still be in the "well it's a nice idea..." category.

      --
      Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    3. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 4, Informative

      At least they are producing the long and mid range Model 3 now, and they are making many of them. Which is good, there aren't that many options on the market with comparable range (around 400km), price and specs. You have the Hyundai Kona and the Kia e-Niro, and not much else. And the waiting lists for those already stretches to over a year, they just don't make enough of them. Huyndai expects to make 30.000 EVs a year... less than Tesla makes in a month.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    4. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Without Tesla Motors electric cars would still be in the "well it's a nice idea..." category.

      Tesla is just the new Delorean.

    5. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by 110010001000 · · Score: 0

      Oh my gosh! An insult on the Internet! I am shocked! Tesla DID invent the electric car. Musk also invented the Hyperloop, self landing rockets, and also tunnels.

    6. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 4, Informative

      Tesla made quite a few advances in battery tech and the production of batteries (together with Panasonic), their batteries are by far the cheapest per kWh. They also put a lot of effort into battery charging and conditioning, something that other automakers still struggle with, especially when it comes to fast charging (BMW and the Hyundai Ioniq had issues with that). Other automakers are building on the lessons learned from the Tesla drivetrains. So while they didn't invent the electric car, it's fair to say that they re-invented it with a great many innovations. Other auto makers are catching up and in a few cases like low-range EVs they are pulling ahead, but Tesla is still beating them on volume. Hell, Tesla is beating Mercedes on overall sales, in the US.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    7. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by andydread · · Score: 4, Insightful

      c'mon... you know he didn't say anything about inventing the electric car. Tesla made electric cars cool. Tesla proved that electric cars can spank the hell out of ICE cars in dramatic fashion from acceleration to handling (due to dramatically lower CG). That made electric cars cool to the public and drove demand. Tesla is doing it the free-market way. You know this so I don't understand the point of your comment.

    8. Re: Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      If you are intellectually honest and want to hold Tesla liable for "murdering" with their cars, then you better haul in every single other car manufacturer too.

      Here's a hint: if you use autopilot, you are still responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle, and the vehicle tells you so before it allows you to turn on Autopilot. Also, Autopilot is clearly stated for use on divided highways only, so anyone that crashes into stopped vehicles on surface streets because of Autopilot is already at three strikes: 1. not keeping control of their vehicle; 2. not heeding the legal warnings about use; and 3. using it outside of the intended bounds as clearly stated in the instructions.

      Go anonymously fuck yourself.

    9. Re: Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You need professional mental health help. That disconnect from reality is not helping your perception or decision making

    10. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by 110010001000 · · Score: 0

      Wow, Tesla is beating Mercedes??? Amazing stuff. I love green energy!

    11. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by MachineShedFred · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That's because they are "compliance" cars - they only exist because of California regulations that require them to exist or pay money to competitors with credits to sell (such as Tesla).

      Traditional auto makers and their network of dealerships make way too much money on maintenance for them to give up on internal combustion so quickly.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    12. Re: Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No matter how much you post your uninformed drek, it won't become true.

    13. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tesla DID invent the electric car.

      No. It invented persisting in going against the strong Petrol/ICE lobby industry... persisting enough to be considered successful.

    14. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by MachineShedFred · · Score: 3, Informative

      The point of his comment was to troll. That's what he does.

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      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    15. Re: Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dump the chump. Donâ(TM)t revisit it

    16. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by 110010001000 · · Score: 0

      Yeah, he really stuck it to those Saudi's. You guys are delusional.

    17. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by 110010001000 · · Score: 1, Troll

      Just because I point out that Elon is a huckster and you are a fanboy doesn't make me a "troll". I also believed the same about Jobs. They aren't innovators, they are marketers.

    18. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 3, Informative

      Hyundai had no need to develop an electric Kona to comply with regulations, as they are already producing the Ioniq. But they sell almost all of these in Europe anyway; apparently Hyundai (who have to comply with CARB since 2017) will offer another compliance car in California: a hydrogen fuel cell powered car, for lease only. Besides compliance, they are probably interesting in further exploring the technology; a couple have appeared on the road here in the Netherlands as well.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    19. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1

      Innovating is not inventing, it is bringing those inventions to the market.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    20. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      Please point out how I'm a "fanboy" from anything I've ever said about the man. It's true that there is plenty of kool-aid being splashed around, but I'm not drinking it.
        I personally think he's a huge gaping asshole of a man who, like Jobs (another gaping orifice), managed to find themselves in a favorable environment to bring about needed change in an industry and took full advantage.

      Being successful at something doesn't preclude someone being a giant fucking industrial-sized bag of douche, which there is more than ample evidence of.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    21. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Think of it as Benz vs. Ford. Henry Ford did not invent the car, but he "invented" (?) the infrastructure to make the ICE car the preferred mode of transportation. When Benz and Daimler build their cars, you had to buy gasoline in the pharmacy. Musk has been able to jump-start electrical cars with his cars, the batteries, the factories and the charger network. Even if he didn't do the engineering, he accomplished what traditional car makers failed to do

    22. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Teslas don't handle well. The model S handles about as well as you'd expect a 5000 lbs car to handle. It handles well for 5000 lbs car, but it still handles like a 5000 lbs car. Turns out that Tesla isn't magic and friction coefficients are a real thing. The model 3 handles worse than my GTI. It's taller than the model S and as one would expect, it doesn't handle as well. Electrics are good for acceleration simply because of their enormous instant torque, but they're heavy, which makes them bad at handling.

    23. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by 110010001000 · · Score: 0

      Driving around in a $60,000 metal box is no "cleaner" than anything else. It is just virtue signaling at its worst.

    24. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      the good thing is, Tesla is on the right track now....

      No, the good thing is that as Tesla succeeds, it forces other companies to make competing offers.

      They're both good. Tesla being on the right track means they stay around longer, which means they exert more pressure on the other automakers, which is the thing you like.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    25. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      Only in your world. That is what makes you a fanboy.

    26. Re: Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      He already autonomously fucks himself :-D

    27. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And that is something we all desperately need since, and it pains me to say this, the other car companies are more ethical and pleasant to work with than Tesla.

      Sure, Tesla is wonderful right up until the warranty ends. And that's when the customer experience goes from great to "You're kidding me, the only place I can fix this is Tesla because Tesla is run by a megalomanic?"

    28. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wait.
      What?
      Tesla is the new time machine ... !?!?!
      That explains a lot of the mandela effects, loss of time, and dimensional shifts i've been experiencing...
      yep, ever since tesla was founded..
      Dang.

      I'll just wait until tesla has a version completely in alumilulium, and equipped with a mr.fusion.

      captcha : magneto

    29. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by MachineShedFred · · Score: 2

      False:

      https://www.theguardian.com/fo...

      https://slate.com/technology/2...

      Using this independent emissions calculator with a Model 3 in a zip code where basically 100% of the electricity comes from coal (an East suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio), it is still producing 1/2 of the carbon emissions of the average ICE-powered vehicle. It's even more compelling if you are in a zip code with a more clean energy mix, such as Portland, Oregon. (less than 1/4 the emissions) The up-front carbon cost to manufacture will be higher than an ICE, but the far lower operating carbon output will cross over into net-savings within a year or two.

      Are they completely clean transportation? Clearly, no; and nothing is - not even walking. But they are "cleaner" which is what my earlier statement said. And now I've provided independent sources to back that up, with their reasoning and research attached.

      Go away, troll.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    30. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That's doubtful. VW is out saying how they'll have a "Model 3 Killer", in what, 2023? That's so far out it can easily slip to double that.

      I would rather buy an electric pickup from Ford, given that they know how to build a body that can haul rock, pull stumps, and plow snow for three decades, but it doesn't look like I'm going to get that chance. My 25-yr-old ICE Chevy pickup will probably get replaced with a Tesla five years before Ford has their first FE-250 in the showrooms.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    31. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by 110010001000 · · Score: 0

      Baloney. None of those have factored in the externalized cost of the personal automobile. Driving around in an automobile is not green or "cleaner" or anything else. Anyone who rides around in a vehicle that only the 0.01% can afford and claims it is "green" is a complete douchebag, which fits in with Musk fanboys.

    32. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Tesla deserves a lot of credit, but they were not the only ones driving this revolution.

      Nissan produced an affordable, practical EV that figured out a lot of the basic issues with an electric drivetrain, from the instrumentation to the integration with existing car tech to how to sell it to the public. They also built large rapid charging networks in several countries.

      There are many more too, especially in the commercial vehicle space. People said busses were too large to go electric, so BYD and others build 450kWh batteries and proved they worked just fine. LG have made a huge breakthrough in getting the battery cost down by using flat "pouch" cells (like in phones) rather than cylindrical ones. Hyundai and Kia have developed the most efficient EV drivetrains and figured out how to subtly adjust the bodywork to make their vehicles look "normal" but also get excellent range.

      So credit where credit is due. Tesla gets a lot of press but they are only the performance end of the market, they don't even make an affordable model and are only a bit player in many important markets like Europe, Japan and China.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    33. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Parent is possibly referring to:

      https://cleantechnica.com/2018/09/06/tesla-sales-acura-audi-bmw-car-infiniti-jaguar-lexus-car-mercedes-car-sales-in-usa-august-sales/

      and the pretty clickable graph on:

      https://cleantechnica.com/2018/07/28/tesla-model-3-sales-vs-small-midsize-luxury-car-sales-usa-tesla-now-crushing-the-competition/

      that demonstrates how crushing their ramp up is (though note the suspicious 'static' levels of other manufacturers throughout teslas increase - if they increased that much the other would decrease, but they are *not*. Which begs the question if the figures are a complete ball of crap for this claim that tesla is ahead?).

    34. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 3, Informative

      Anyone who rides around in a vehicle that only the 0.01% can afford and claims it is "green" is a complete douchebag, which fits in with Musk fanboys.

      The Tesla 3 could probably be called overpriced- but it is in fact only 10k (25% more) than the median new car price in the US. You certainly have to be better of than average to afford it; but "0.01% of population can afford" is a huge exaggeration. In reality probably about half the population COULD afford it if they really wanted to and made sacrifices elsewhere- and 25% of total population in US COULD probably afford it comfortably.

      Can you get a better (more luxurious anyway) car for the price? Yeah, certainly, but a significant % of people could afford it if they really wanted to.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    35. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      Most people just want to drive to work and have fun speeding up off-ramps.

      (look at how badly most American "muscle" cars handle, but everybody still swears by them)

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      No sig today...
    36. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      You guys live in a bubble. The 0.01% of the planet are very rich. I should have said 0.00001%. You guys need to get out and see the world. Driving around in $60k metal boxes isn't going to do a damned thing for the environment.

    37. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Immerman · · Score: 1

      It's pointless to do so in this context. To evaluate the impact of someone buying a Tesla, you have to compare it to the impact of the expected alternative behavior. Not to the hypothetical ideal alternative.

      I'm going out on a limb here, and guess that nobody buying a Tesla would seriously consider riding a bike or using mass transit instead. Few would even consider just not buying a new car and continuing to drive what they have. (And with the trickle-down effects of the used car market the society-scale benefits of doing so are debatable anyway)

      So, time comes to buy a new car - are the long-term interests of humanity best served by them buying an electric vehicle, or a traditional gasoline one?

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      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    38. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by 110010001000 · · Score: 0

      "are the long-term interests of humanity best served by them buying an electric vehicle, or a traditional gasoline one"

      Neither. They are equally bad. So stop pretending one is better than the other.

    39. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except that every two weeks, Tesla makes more Model 3s than DeLorean ever made DMC-12s over the entire production span!!!

    40. Re: Model 3 Yaaay by c6gunner · · Score: 1

      You're here making up retarded nonsense, and you have the balls to call others delusional?

      Buddy. Try some introspection.

    41. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey, Tesla is alive and electric cars are increasingly relevant on a global scale. No delusion needed.

    42. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      Their batteries are not the cheapest. South Korean manufacturers like LG are ahead on that front.

      Not only are LG packs cheaper per kWh, the have longer warranties too. Hyundai and Kia are offering an unlimited warranty in the US, unlimited time and miles. In the rest of the world the warranty is longer than Tesla's too. LG packs also have more than adequate thermal management (including heating).

      Tesla packs are competitive, no doubt, but they are not exceptional or magical. Where they are doing very well is on production numbers, ramping up as fast as anyone.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    43. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Ogive17 · · Score: 1

      Electric cars existed prior to Tesla and most auto makers had "alternative fuel" vehicles out for awhile.

      Tesla is actually a late-comer but with the benefit of being able to focus completely on the electric car. They were able to utilize a supplier chain that was already established and only had to worry about the battery technology.

      I see Tesla like Apple when the iPods came out. Not the first to do it but the 1st to market the heck out of it.

      --
      "Action without philosophy is a lethal weapon; philosophy without action is worthless."
    44. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by MachineShedFred · · Score: 2

      Moving the goalposts each time you're shown to be wrong.

      If someone is going to buy a new car, they are going to buy a new car regardless of your wishes of what they do with their resources. If they buy a Tesla (or any other EV) they will emit less carbon over the lifetime of the vehicle than if they buy an ICE-powered car. Thus, the EV is cleaner. QED.

      Feel free to STFU now. The claim was "cleaner" which is true and supported by linked research and statistics, and you cannot argue that so you desperately try to talk about anything else, such as your completely made-up percentages about global income and affordability, with exactly zero evidence to back it up. All of it is a poor attempt at misdirection from the fact that you are wrong.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    45. Re: Model 3 Yaaay by c6gunner · · Score: 0

      Tesla and their shareholders care, as so you, obviously. Still pissed about losing the house on your short bet.

    46. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Gavagai80 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      0.001%? Electric cars are 39% of new car sales in Norway, 8% in California, and around 5% in China. If you live in a backwater that can't even keep up with China, maybe it's not relevant to your area yet.

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    47. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You realize that nobody can afford new cars at the median price point either right?

      That this is the reason used prices are starting to shoot through the roof?

      I make well over average income and have never been able to afford a new car, and the most I've ever spent is $12k. Currently trying to keep my girlfriend and I's now-dodgy mid-2000s cars running since I'm not in a position to replace either, even with a newer used car. Not even sure I'd want a car on the market right now, they're all full of computer tech that can't be good for more than 6 or 7 years.

    48. Re: Model 3 Yaaay by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

      Let me guess. Your retirement fund got stuck with a bunch of GM shares.

    49. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

      Early adopters of anything are the folks who overpay for the chance to be the first users of something that everybody will be buying at sane prices a few years from now. Without such people, there would be no risk-taking and no innovation.

    50. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 0

      And every 4 hours, Toyota US (not worldwide, just the US) sells more cars than Tesla makes in those 2 weeks.

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      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    51. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by kbahey · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, reality proves that big auto companies never learn, even when the future is right in front of them (Tesla proving that electrical works and has many advantages).

      Just today, an example: General Motors announced that it will close 8 plants.

    52. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Immerman · · Score: 1

      >They are equally bad
      Your evidence for that assertion?

      Meanwhile, the fact remains that one *is* going to happen, and the only choice is which one. At least so long as consumers are allowed to make their own choices, and a massive cultural shift doesn't take place. I'm all for the cultural shift, but I'm not holding my breath. Just making electric cars popular is taking decades - but it does seem like the energy of that is also spreading a bit to electric scooters and the like, which are a big step in the right direction. Though perhaps that's just coincidence.

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    53. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Geoffrey.landis · · Score: 2

      Tesla deserves a lot of credit, but they were not the only ones driving this revolution. Nissan produced an affordable, practical EV that figured out a lot of the basic issues with an electric drivetrain, from the instrumentation to the integration with existing car tech to how to sell it to the public.

      The Nissan Leaf is a great car for what it does, and what it does is what most people actually need. In its way it was, and is, quite as groundbreaking as the Tesla.

      What Tesla did, however, was different: what they did was to change the entire mindset about electric cars. Before Tesla, what people thought about with electric cars was "ok, maybe they work, but they're basically glorified golf carts, ok I guess if you are ok with being poky and not driving very far." What Tesla did was make the public think OMG, electric cars are awesome!

      Not just "they are almost as good as gas cars", but "they blow away ordinary gas cars; this is a premium vehicle, you want one of these."

      --
      http://www.geoffreylandis.com
    54. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Besides compliance, they are probably interesting in further exploring the technology; a couple have appeared on the road here in the Netherlands as well.

      Military interest in fuel-cell vehicles is driving the technology. In an attempt to make it profitable sooner, they're putting it into cars. Barring massive advances in battery technology sooner than later, the next generation of wheeled military vehicles will probably by HFCVs.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    55. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then I'm JaredOfEurope's world as well. Yes, electric cars (and computers) have been invented a long time ago. That doesn't make what innovators like Tesla (or Apple and the rest of the computer world) do irrelevant. Without them electric cars or computers would not reach mass markets.

      If you get your jollies by calling Elon Musk a huckster, by all means keep doing that, but don't be surprised that people rightly call you a troll.

    56. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...and, GM could have done that twenty years ago with the "Impact". The people who had one apparently loved them. But it decided not to, and as a result dropped out of the running for tech, and decided to bet the company on low-tech, but high margin, pick-up trucks instead. Which made them money for a while. Until it didn't, and they needed a bailout to keep from going bankrupt.

      They might have been twenty years down the learning curve by now, decades ahead of the competition. One of the stupidest corporate automobile decisions in history.

      https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-death-of-the-ev-1-118595941/

    57. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did you take it in the ass from the Jews? Oh, no? You suck their dicks and eat their assholes? WTF! Gross.

      I'll bet you kiss the blow-up doll of Adolph Hitler you keep hidden in your mom's basement.

      Your Mom tried to have Joseph Mengele sew her legs shut when you were being born so you couldn't emerge into the world, but, the damn Allies overtook Berlin first and you were able to escape.

      gerald butler's impersonator

    58. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      0.001%? Electric cars are 39% of new car sales in Norway, 8% in California, and around 5% in China. If you live in a backwater that can't even keep up with China, maybe it's not relevant to your area yet.

      I think he was specifically referring to Teslas - which very much are still a luxury product - not electric cars in general.

      Doubt many 0.001 percenters are rolling around in a Nissan Leaf.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    59. Re: Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are begging the question of the personal automobile as a viable mode of transportation. The personal automobile, whether gas, electric, flying or self driving, will be a fringe technology in the future, exclusive to the very rich.

    60. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You again! Fuck off already,

    61. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by CanHasDIY · · Score: 2

      The plant closings have little to do with electric cars, and much to do with the fact that American sedans have steeply declined in popularity over the past decade.

      To whit, Ford did the same thing last year, for the same reasons - slough off the models that are costing us money so we can focus on moving the brand forward.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    62. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You write comments pretending to support Musk and Tesla, and then you bitch when other people expose your dreary, repetitive attempts at sarcastic humor.

    63. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > well it's a nice idea...

      No, it continues to show how bad electric cars are. I travel a lot. Guess what I don't want to do? Stand at the road side for 30 minutes every 2 hours waiting for my car to charge.

    64. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aside from GM's EV-1, which electric cars existed before Tesla? And you didn't specify the battery type, but I'm not aware of any lithium-ion battery based EVs existing for commercial sale prior to Tesla's first Roadster (EV-1 was lead-acid). There have been some concept cars over the years, all lead-acid. But until Tesla came along, EVs were not available off-the-shelf (that is, a custom system by AC Propulsion doesn't count).

    65. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by kbahey · · Score: 1

      My point is this ...

      Tesla produces sedans and have a long waiting list, so the demand is there (but electric instead of ICE).

      But instead of capitalizing on this demand and making electric vehicles (sedans and otherwise), the big auto companies just shut down the plants, rather than producing viable alternatives.

    66. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Solandri · · Score: 3, Informative

      Tesla, Nissan, GM are not the ones driving the EV revolution. CARB (California Air Resources Board) is. They introduced a ZEV mandate in 2012(?). Every year, each auto manufacturer must sell a certain percentage of Zero Emissions Vehicles (right now mostly EVs, though Toyota has a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle). A manufacturer who fails to meet that percentage must buy credits from a company which exceeded theirs (i.e. Tesla - this is the whole reason Musk set up the company - he realized he could sell EVs at a loss and still compete with ICE vehicles by selling the credits). A manufacturer who fails to buy enough credits is banned from selling cars in California. And since about a dozen states automatically adopt CARB's guidelines, they'd be banned from selling cars in about a third of the U.S. by population.

      No manufacturer wants to be cut off from that much of the U.S. market, so they are all tripping over themselves developing EVs for sale. If they can't sell enough of them, they run sales and incentives to move enough of them off the lots so they can hit the percentage. That's why there are occasionally those crazy deals on EV leases in 2015 and 2016 (best I saw was $49/mo for 3 years for a VW eGolf). And that's why those crazy deals are only available in California (only EVs sold in California count towards the ZEV mandate).

      In other words, the percentage of car sales which are EVs is not organic. It's pre-ordained by CARB. The formula is a bit complex, but for 2018 it's about 2.5% of vehicle sales which need to be ZEVs. For 2025 it's about 8%.

      CARB has tried this before. They were first set to implement the ZEV mandate in 2000. That's why GM invested nearly a billion dollars developing the EV-1. By 1999, theirs was the only vehicle which could meet the ZEV mandate. GM stood to make billions of dollars licensing the technology to other automakers. The other automakers petitioned CARB saying that technology just wasn't developed enough to produce viable ZEVs, and the best they could do at the time was a hybrid drivetrain (which environmentalists initially hated because they derive all their energy from gasoline). CARB relented and rescinded the ZEV mandate, pulling the rug out from under GM and basically flushing their billion dollar investment down the toilet. In retaliation, GM recalled every EV-1 and destroyed them, and locked up their research in a basement file cabinet so that California would never benefit from their double-cross.

    67. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was able to a buy a half decent new car when I got my first job out of college making 40k. I'm not sure why you don't think people can afford a median price point car.

      A 25k car financed over 60 months with 3% interest would only be $450 a month. Put it out 72 months which most new cars will easily last for without major work and that's below the $400 mark. If you have decent credit you can usually get 0% interest which puts you down below the $350. A lot of people spend that much just on cable.

      My Infiniti G37s I got later in life had all sorts of computer gear in it including touch screen navigation and all still worked as well when I got rid of it as it did when I first bought it. I had it for 8 years including 1 new clutch and 3 slave cylinders that required replacing which was really the only maintenance the car needed beyond oil changes. It was still on its original brakes. Electronics never had a single issue. Replacing my first battery was interesting as I had to reset the power windows in the rain.

      Cars today are way more reliable and that includes their electronics. Some cars are subject to defects though. My Fusion sport ended up with a stereo that would turn itself on in the middle of the night to send its reports back to Ford and report its GPS coordinates, fuel level, oil life, lock status. It would drain the battery all the way. Firmware upgrade and new DAC and all has been fine since. That car has Android Auto and CarPlay and the issues that crop up with it are issues with the phones themselves.

      Solid state storage should also last forever since nothing is being written except during upgrades. There is separate storage for logging. The main issue I see is the 4G LTE modem in it eventually won't have a tower to connect to. It is a simple plug-in module though so I wouldn't be surprise to see 5G upgrade kits. The only reason to do that is maintain remote start and lock functions from my phone. All of the electronic components are pretty easy to replace though even though so far at least I haven't had to replace anything.

    68. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by apoc.famine · · Score: 1

      A Nissan Leaf in particular? No. But cheap cars? definitely yes. Note Sergey Brin and Larry Page with Priuses and Balmer with a Ford Fusion Hybrid.

      Rich people don't necessarily drive luxury cars, and I'm not sure that the Model 3 counts as luxury anyway. Lots of crappy SUVs cost the same or more as at least the base model, which is what they're finally starting to roll out. Sure, you can add on options to crank the price way up, but you can do that with most cars.

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
    69. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 2

      You realize that nobody can afford new cars at the median price point either right?

      That this is the reason used prices are starting to shoot through the roof?

      I make well over average income and have never been able to afford a new car, and the most I've ever spent is $12k. Currently trying to keep my girlfriend and I's now-dodgy mid-2000s cars running since I'm not in a position to replace either, even with a newer used car. Not even sure I'd want a car on the market right now, they're all full of computer tech that can't be good for more than 6 or 7 years.

      People can't "afford" them but buy them anyone to keep up with the neighbors- all on credit, which hurts them in the end. I've never understood it. I took the sensible route myself and got a nice subcompact for half the median price. I could probably "afford" a $35k+ car/SUV, but then I wouldn't be able to afford something else. I've never felt the need to impress the neighbors by driving a big SUV. A subcompact is all I need, I don't need to impress anyone with a pretty SUV (that I don't actually get to see the outside of when I'm using it).

      Fun fact: It actually doesn't cost automakers that much more to build a big car or SUV than a subcompact- but they can add much more markup and make much more profit per vehicle on a larger vehicles which is why automakers try to steer the market larger. They make very thin profits on the bottom tier vehicles (basically loss leaders) and massive profits on the top tier vehicles.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    70. Re: Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Saudis are heavily invested in Tesla. So there's that....

    71. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      Traditional auto makers and their network of dealerships make way too much money on maintenance for them to give up on internal combustion so quickly.

      Meh. Can't they just build everything else in the car to require constant repairs, like Tesla does? :-D

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    72. Re:Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      One of the plants closing MAKES ELECTRIC CARS, namely the Volt. Your claim saying "get rid of stuff not making money" contradicts the other manufacturers' waiting lists which indicate demand. Either Chevy can't run a business (which is demonstrably not true) or there is something else going on that us outsiders don't know about.

    73. Re: Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah. Let's us all drive diesel SUVs then. Makes no difference afterall!

    74. Re: Model 3 Yaaay by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      I'd rather people drive diesel SUVs than gasoline. Far better fuel economy.

      Unfortunately they don't exist in the US.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    75. Re: Model 3 Yaaay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      bingo. the whole bullshit episode about taking tesla private was musk freaking out that the saudis were on the verge of taking over the company

  3. How exciting! by 110010001000 · · Score: 0

    I am really excited about the recent breakthroughs they have made regarding living on Mars. Does anyone have links to the scientific journals where they describe them? Also, links to the Neuralink patents and scientific journal articles would be great too! Also, if someone can send a link where we can buy a $35k Tesla, send that too!

  4. Brain Implants? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Really, did human testing already started, how many people died or live like zombies??? Maybe all the shootings are caused by the bad chips? Why everyone should be hyper smart? Will they connect those chips to Alexa? Retarded liberal brainwashing box? Somebody stop that cheat

  5. Re:This guy has lost it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He said he was worried about imploding and that the stress of working seven days a week and sleeping at the Tesla factory was very painful.

    Working 7 days a week, sleeping at the Tesla factory . . . . . why? . . . . doing what?

    He has no engineering background. He has zero manufacturing experience. The last thing the people at Tesla need is some dork looking over their shoulder every minute and micro-managing every move they make. His constant presence isn't doing anything to make Tesla better. It's purely for his own gigantic ego.

  6. Zap mosquitoes with lasers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    IMHO, there are people that zap mosquitoes with lasers, then shy away from delivering an actual useful product at the end. And there are people who deliver a mosquito laser zapping box, but along the way, blind a few early adopters while they get the real world kinks out.

    I put Musk in the later category. The world needs more Musks, I just don't want to be an early adopter of his products.

    1. Re:Zap mosquitoes with lasers by AmiMoJo · · Score: 0

      To be fair to Tesla their cars don't seem to be any more dangerous than other brands. What pisses people off is that they, or more specifically Musk, promise features that then don't materialize. The whole "your car will get continual software updates" thing turned out to be just like every other kind of software - release beta quality crap and patch it later.

      Take your pick. Works and properly tested but never updated, or half baked but might be amazing one day, maybe.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:Zap mosquitoes with lasers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Elon has been very upfront about what is and isn't possible through software.
      He never said it would be an all at once here is everything and they have been adding functionality to the cars.
      Even you just said that

  7. Re:This guy has lost it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    In a way he has some engineering background. He has an interest (ie. practical experience) and a degree in physics.

    Take me for example. I have no formal schooling in electronics or engineering yet I work in that field. My degrees are in computer science and math but I spend most of my time writing software, designing and building electronics, designing and building CAD designs, etc.

  8. It's called leadership by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Yes, you like so many, do not understand the value of "Leading from the Front". Your idea of leadership is, "Hey you, go take that hill" whereas real leaders say, "Follow me!"

    1. Re:It's called leadership by DCFusor · · Score: 1

      Agreed, but when I use that explanation, I call the "Go take that hill" management, and the "Follow me" leadership. You can be great at one and lousy at the other as I've learned from experience.
      I've never had a problem with "Ok, people, follow me" - It almost always works.
      I've never managed to get them to go take that hill without me. No one else wants to take that first bullet. It's a different kind of skill to persuade others to go first.
      Seems leaders are admired for being the first to take the big risks.

      --
      Why guess when you can know? Measure!
    2. Re:It's called leadership by Joce640k · · Score: 2

      It's a different kind of skill to persuade others to go first.

      Really? For most of military history they simply shot the people who disobeyed.

      High possibility of being shot by the enemy vs. 100% possibility of being shot by your own people. What do you choose?

      --
      No sig today...
    3. Re:It's called leadership by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I want to be Hindmost

    4. Re:It's called leadership by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry Ivan, "real" leaders as you describe them are the problem. "Hey you, go take that hill" i.e. delegated problem solving is why we win and you lose. Your team always waits for the boss to decide. It's why dictators always lose.

    5. Re:It's called leadership by DCFusor · · Score: 1

      It's kind of hard to shoot the employees in a business, however. You can take an analogy too far.

      --
      Why guess when you can know? Measure!
  9. Can only end in enslavement by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Neurolink will only be used for evil.

    Musk is a great person, but he's a fool to disregard privacy.

    Linking your brain to a network is stupid. It will obviously be used to botnet humanity eventually barring some massive effort to put the genie back in the bottle as far as privacy and individualism is concerned.

    This idea is terrible.

    1. Re:Can only end in enslavement by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So your boss putin will do it better than Musk? Or the chinese?

      hmmmmm

  10. Re:Electric cars date back to at least the 1900s. by MachineShedFred · · Score: 2

    You almost had a point until the needless racism.

    --
    Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
  11. Would mod up if I could .... but yes! by King_TJ · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't think any explorer, ever, just came to a new land for the first time and lived an immediate life of comfort.

    The point is, somebody has to be first to attempt to colonize a new land (or world in the case of Mars), and that's a task certain people find a VERY rewarding challenge

    And yes - a few people enjoy spending time in places with very harsh conditions, where there aren't many other human beings around. My dad was friends with a teacher who took a sabbatical leave to visit Antarctica and live in one of those research facilities for a year or so. He came back with some amazing photos and stories, and didn't regret it a bit. (Not saying he'd be eager to do it again or to move there permanently ... but it's something not many people have experienced, so I can see the attraction.)

  12. Re:This guy has lost it. by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

    Even crazy can be put to good use sometimes. He can rocket himself to Mars and die from radiation-induced cancers, but he's still moved the needle back here on Earth to make transportation cleaner.

    --
    Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
  13. Re:This guy has lost it. by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

    Just because he doesn't have a mechanical engineering degree doesn't mean he can't have some aptitude and ask questions of the assumptions of those that do. And as long as the right questions are being asked of the right people, then things move forward. It definitely takes it's toll though - why do you think there's been such a revolving door in the executive offices? Collisions of ego show that, like traffic accidents, mass wins; and Musk's ego is bigger than all else.

    Any engineer knows that talking with someone outside the field and explaining it will get your own brain working the problem again, and sometimes you come across different solutions. I know software engineers that keep a rubber duck on their desk to explain problems to just to be able to hear themselves going over it again for this purpose. It just so happens that this guy has the clout and authority to make the engineers explain rather than doing it voluntarily as a problem-solving technique.

    Yeah, he's a micromanager. But he seems to get results. I personally would absolutely hate to work directly with the guy for the reasons you state, but that doesn't mean that it can't be effective.

    --
    Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
  14. Sure thing, Elon by Bohnanza · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This guy makes shit up faster than Trump, but people actually believe him

    --

    -----

    Sorry, I'm only a 1336 h4x0r.

    1. Re:Sure thing, Elon by 110010001000 · · Score: 0, Troll

      I believe him. He delivers on his promises. Bruce, Rei, and I are going to be on the first flight to Mars. So long suckers! Enjoy your miserable existence. We will be enjoying Elysium on Mars, away from the hoi polloi. It is truly a technocrats dream!

    2. Re:Sure thing, Elon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because optimists tend to make the word better, while assholes only tend to make it shit.

    3. Re:Sure thing, Elon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Creating new companies with science-fiction levels of feel-good speech has always been how he has funded his ventures.

      When one is in dire need, he creates another with sky-high investment potential, and wild not-quite-promises that futurist venture capitalists and the public nuts for.

      Is it a new form of pseudo-ponzi scheme? No. Not if his businesses actually deliver something and never die...for certain definitions of both in the case of solar city.

    4. Re:Sure thing, Elon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you have some serious penis envy of musk. maybe get out once in a while mr. wacky digits.

    5. Re:Sure thing, Elon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      This guy makes shit up faster than Trump, but people actually believe him

      Wierd huh? Tell lies, people don't believe you. Tell the truth and eventually they do believe. What is the world coming to??

    6. Re:Sure thing, Elon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The difference is Elon's shit is possible... while Trump's bullshit is worthless.

  15. Super smart... by Voice+of+satan · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "If we have billions of people with a high-bandwidth link to an AI extension of themselves, it would actually make everyone hyper-smart."

    I am afraid most of us would become immensely powerfully idiotic. Most humans are probably born as smart as your good scientist or good writer. Like most people are born with a body with the potential to be an athlete.

    It is just most people have not desire for excellence. They are not educated that way. Our problem is not that much a lack of brain processing power. We already have intelligence magnifying tools. Take writing for example. Wonderful things have indeed been written and that is not over. But most people won't bother with books and plenty of magazines with stories about celebrities are sold. Internet is used to watch porn and hurl insults to each other, etc...

    Tools and system are fine and all. But you need the right people to do nice things with them. We are not there yet.

    1. Re:Super smart... by 110010001000 · · Score: 2

      Yeah no. We are not born equal. Otherwise there would be many Usain Bolt's.

    2. Re:Super smart... by Joce640k · · Score: 0

      I tried to watch an episode of the Kardashians yesterday.

      I lasted about a minute, if that's the human race then we're doomed.

      (not even making this up)

      --
      No sig today...
    3. Re:Super smart... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yeah no. We are not born equal. Otherwise there would be many Usain Bolt's.

      And this the liberal mind forgets when they try to measure results and complain that they are unequal so opportunity is obviously unfair.

    4. Re:Super smart... by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      "If we have billions of people with a high-bandwidth link to an AI extension of themselves, it would actually make everyone hyper-smart."

      I am afraid most of us would become immensely powerfully idiotic.

      It's a pretty pie-in-the-sky way of looking at the situation, especially considering that "providing more access to accurate information" has decidedly not been the trend in technology over the past few decades; back in the 90's, we saw the fledgling internet (then consisting of mostly government and university websites) as a great means of disseminating information; but since the dot-com boom of the early 2000's, that mission scope has changed; now the internet's mantra is "how can we get more money/clicks/likes/etc from consumers?"

      Having lived in reality the past 30 years (instead of being wealthy and privileged enough to live outside of it, like one Elon Musk), I easily see the folly in his thinking.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    5. Re:Super smart... by dwpro · · Score: 1

      If the AI extension was roughly equivalent and a significant augmentation of human baseline potential (as I would expect it would be), I have a hard time believing that we'd see a huge disparity in the use of the technology among people. No doubt you'd see individuals seeking excellence and pushing the limits of the tech, but I can imagine the bulk of the use-case for this type of technology being rather mundane ways to optimize everyday life to a baseline built off of a collective intelligence that few can improve upon.

      --
      Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. -- Susan Ertz
  16. Range and taking EVs seriously by sjbe · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Which is good, there aren't that many options on the market with comparable range (around 400km), price and specs. You have the Hyundai Kona and the Kia e-Niro, and not much else.

    The Chevy Bolt EV has range that is comparable to the standard and mid-range Model 3. Honestly except for long distance trips on the highway, anything north of 350km range is more than adequate. I have a Bolt EV and I've never had to use a third party charging station yet in nearly 10,000 miles of driving in the last 6 months. The only real range issue I see with it for local driving is that at highway speeds the range goes to shit because it only has the one gear. I think a highway gear would help a lot though definitely not a deal breaker since the battery pack is more than big enough to deal with any reasonable trip in our metro area. I have exceeded the range of a Nissan Leaf but

    After living with an EV for most of the last year, I'm convinced the majority of range and fast charging issues are important but also overblown. I have a gas powered truck for the occasional longer trip or could easily rent one if I didn't have it. Unless your daily drive is something stupidly long with a LOT of highway miles, the range on any of the vehicles mentioned above is more than adequate provided you have some means of doing Level 2 charging at your primary residence and/or place of work. I don't think I've gotten to less than 50 miles of range yet and I've been doing the opposite of hyper-miling much of the time. (EVs are fun to drive)

    Huyndai expects to make 30.000 EVs a year... less than Tesla makes in a month.

    That's because they still aren't taking EVs seriously. Just like almost every other car company. I own a Chevy Bolt EV and it's a good car and good value but it is obvious how much of it is borrowed from other Chevy vehicles. Hell it goes down the same assembly line as the Chevy Sonic which should give you some idea how similar those cars are. Like them or hate them, Tesla is really the only significant company selling no compromise EVs as of this writing. Even dedicated EVs like the Nissan Leaf are just chock full of compromises and ugly/bad design. It's not clear to me why they think every EV owner wants an ugly hatchback compliance car. (seriously, SO many EVs are just hideous to look at) I think my Bolt EV is decent looking but I certainly don't think it's a pretty vehicle and I'm not convinced GM has gone all-in on EVs. I think they made the Bolt and are resting on their laurels rather than pushing hard to scale up EV production and sales.

    1. Re: Range and taking EVs seriously by c6gunner · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The only real range issue I see with it for local driving is that at highway speeds the range goes to shit because it only has the one gear. I think a highway gear would help a lot

      It shouldn't. Induction motor efficiency doesn't vary with RPM the way an ICE engine does. Electric motors tend to be pretty inefficient at low loads and more efficient at higher ones. Efficiency does taper down slightly at the high end but certainly not enough to cause range to "go to shit".

    2. Re:Range and taking EVs seriously by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1

      Not sure about that. Manufacturers are starting to build vehicles that have been designed as EVs from the ground up. And they are getting wise to the fact that consumers want normal looking EVs, not hideous design mistakes. My understanding is that a couple of these companies are simply having a real hard time sourcing the batteries. This is not just a shakeup in car design, but in their production lines and logistics as well, and such things take some time and effort (as Tesla found out).

      I test drove the electric Kona, and I was pretty impressed with it overall. It looks decent, drives nicely, and doesn't feel like a compromise in any aspect either. So I decided to order that one rather than a Tesla 3, mostly because I prefer the Kona's interior. And the new Kia doesn't look that bad either.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    3. Re: Range and taking EVs seriously by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Probably has something to do with the energy required for 60mph being 4 times that of 30mph. On top of that you have aerodynamic resistance.

      And a google later if found this which seems to further strengthen the hypothesis.
      https://electrek.co/2016/08/08/chevy-bolt-disaster-aero-lead-designer-drag-coefficient-of-0-32/

    4. Re: Range and taking EVs seriously by c6gunner · · Score: 1

      Maybe learn how to read before trying to object.

    5. Re: Range and taking EVs seriously by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Umm, I think the problem is you. I don't know what you're talking about either. What do you think we should re-read? Clarify your statement.

    6. Re: Range and taking EVs seriously by c6gunner · · Score: 1

      Both "sjbe" and I were talking about efficiency. Then a dimwit showed up and started banging on about torque and power.

      His claims about torque and power were both more-or-less correct ... and yet they have nothing to do with efficiency. His response was completely off topic yet he clearly believes that it was somehow a refutation to what I said.

      You seem similarly confused.

    7. Re:Range and taking EVs seriously by swillden · · Score: 1

      The only real range issue I see with it for local driving is that at highway speeds the range goes to shit because it only has the one gear.

      No, that's not the reason. Having more gears wouldn't change the efficiency of the electric motor, unlike an ICEV. The Bolt's problem at highway speeds is that it has high drag coefficient, 0.32. My Nissan Leaf has the same problem, though not quite as bad as the Bolt. My Tesla Model S, on the other hand, loses very little range at highway speeds. It also has only one "gear".

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    8. Re: Range and taking EVs seriously by fgouget · · Score: 1

      Probably has something to do with the energy required for 60mph being 4 times that of 30mph. On top of that you have aerodynamic resistance.

      Not really. Yes there one needs to expend energy to get the vehicule's kinetic energy up to speed and that is proportional to the square of the speed: 0.5*m*v^2. But outside of city driving and 1/4 mile races that's peanuts and you can even recover most of it when you break. That leaves aerodynamic drag which, if you are going any distance, is the reason why 60mph consumes 4 times the energy of 30mph.

  17. It's worse than that. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Most people CHOOSE to be more stupid over time because it makes them *HAPPIER*. Thinking about the world, the universe, or your place in it is NOT a healthy and happy place to go for most people.The mental fortitude to gaze into the abyss of the self and society is too much for many. As a result over time they find ways to forget, or willfully become stupid in the hopes of being happier. Some of them succeed, some of them fail.

    Said as someone who has lost a lot of high potential friends to mediocrity from this very sad progressive disease (temporal progressive, not political.)

    1. Re:It's worse than that. by 110010001000 · · Score: 2

      I choose to make myself dumber every day. That is what makes me so happy.

    2. Re:It's worse than that. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, you seem to be a prime example of your own claim. I doubt many neuroscientists share your delusion er.. belief. But hey, please provide your source, I'm always willing to admit to being wrong. ( See its our FEELINGS that make us THINK ineffectively ... as if we can separate feelings and thinking like we can separate a car's engine from its gas tank.)

  18. Hold on: In a Wide-Ranging Interview, Elon Musk... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Talks About Visiting Mars, Battle To Keep Tesla Afloat, and Neuralink"

    Did he not already do that in the Rogan interview?

    Guess that whole interview got shitcanned because "oh look, he smoked a joint! He smoked a doobie, sweet Mary Jane."

  19. I think brain enhancement is very possible soon. by hey! · · Score: 1

    I just don't think that a "symbiosis with artificial intelligence" is likely to be the path. AI is basically just a bunch of ways of getting computers to do things that humans already do, albeit sometimes with more data than a human could possibly be trained on. I don't see that these methods mesh with the brain as they are based either on (a) pure philosophical speculation on how the mind works, (b) statistical algorithms that don't have a clear use-case for interfacing directly to our brains or (c) models of extremely simple neural circuits that wouldn't enhance any but the most damaged brains.

    I think the low hanging fruit are (a) executive function, (b) memory and (c) mood regulation. Would you like to be a little more disciplined? Be able to concentrate on things even if they're boring. Follow through on things that you intended to do? Get an executive function upgrade. Who wouldn't like to have a better memory? Maybe you could flick a switch to enhance your memory of the document you're reading? Trigger the brain circuits that fix traumatic events clearly in your memory. We also know that the brain grows and adapts, and if it is possible to enhance your working memory (a key element of intelligence) by practice, as some believe, then it should be possible to trigger that brain adaption without all the effort. Depressed, or suffering from PTSD? Eliminate the symptoms.

    The thing is, the ability to do any of these obviously good things also carries horrific possibilities.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  20. Also, how detached from reality is Musk? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Link my *person* up to a literally actually Borg-like collective hive mind?
    Of humans that are by far mostly still deep deep in the mental dark ages, apart from being heavily institutionalized schizophrenics and mentally retarded psychopathic assholes?

    Yeah. Riiiight!

    Nah, I'll be the one writing the first virus for it. Getting my first literal humanoid botnet! :D

    On a more serious note: Why do we need that anyway?
    Most people are already refusing to be individuals, passive-thinking whatever they are told to want. Aggressively defending that state, even! You have to more force them out, than force them in! Because not having to take part of your own life, is soo convenient and easy and KISSimple, and hence the highest ideal. /s
    I think, humanity is already mostly a few swarm entities, whose drones are humans. I don't even look down on that itself, as a concept. Maybe it is the more successful life strategy! Bees and ants certainly think so!

    What I despise, is when it starts harming me!
    Like when you're suddenly an outcast, simply because you don't conform and obey.
    Nevermind that your highest principle is, to not harm anyone (including yourself) in any case.
    E.g. when the businesses around you expect you to have a Facebook (aka WhatsApp aka Instagram) account, to contact you, or to shop for groceries. Or even your government!

  21. Yeah right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Look, the "Telsa's going private" episode proved beyond reasonable doubt that either he is a pathological liar or that he isn't able to separate wishful thinking from reality. It also demonstrated profoundly poor judgment. We should listen to this guy why? But sign me up for brain surgery, I'm definitely ok with having some active electronic device inserted into my brain. As long as it's postmortem.

  22. Re: Electric cars date back to at least the 1900s. by c6gunner · · Score: 1

    He never even approached a point. Yeah, sure, extending the range of electric cars by an order of magnitude is just "making them sexy".

  23. Move to Antarctica... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and we'll see how long it takes for you to move back.

  24. Windbag by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Uh-huh, whatever you say, Elon. The dude is not well. :/

  25. MARS, more hospitable than Edmonton. by wolfheart111 · · Score: 1

    Anything below -50 C you'll need a spacesuit to go outside :) Brrrr

    --
    [($)]
  26. Re:No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1. Don't use "never" as it instantly makes you a liar.
    2. Depending on the order of preference in qualities of a car, there are probably electric cars available today that you wouldn't regard as a "piece of shit" if you actually opened your mind. Unless you are driving 600 miles a day (you aren't), an EV probably meets or exceeds your needs, including metrics of performance (acceleration, speed).

    Don't be an ignorant jackass.

  27. What A Stable Genius by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So visionary. Very real claims.

  28. re: no clue by King_TJ · · Score: 1

    I think I have a bit of a clue.... Nobody is saying visiting Antarctica is "much like a trip to Mars". We're saying that right now, it's probably one of the most inhospitable places a person can travel to -- and yet many people have chosen to do it anyway.

    Any serious attempt at a Mars mission would presumably include transporting up some basic building blocks to take a decent stab at living there for a period of time. On the plus side, you don't have to worry about wild animals attacking you on Mars or getting stung or bitten by insects carrying nasty diseases.

    At least in the early stages, I think you'd probably try to establish a domed, climate-controlled "research station" of sorts, which would shelter you from some of the worst parts of trying to live on Mars.

  29. Re: Electric cars date back to at least the 1900s. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Of course a nigga like you is easily offended.

  30. ...explore EV by ElitistWhiner · · Score: 1

    Surely, Elon you can muster a AWD design brief for a utility V that has 9" ground clearance, tow 8.000#, haul 10 overhead storage bags; 5 souls and get 300 mi. before empty that's not just another pickup truck. The Tesla X does not an SUV make. Arguably its the coolest, best crossover. Its not utility. Tesla owns the E in EV, lead it. Elon you have the cajones to juggle not two but three tech companies; four if SolarCity counts.

    Begin with '97 2 door, barn door Tahoe 4x4 aesthete as Tesla's brief. Design a U category killer SUV off that... a solar Airstream option and tiny home Globetrotter floor plan. There's a complete game, set - market.

  31. I bought a Tesla S by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's an ok car -- I wouldn't call it a luxury car, but it's ok. I overpaid to be part of a movement. What really sold it though, was my Tesla Advisor told me that Elon Musk himself sat in the driver seat and farted :) Everytime I fart in that car, I feel a connection with Elon Musk, as if our assholes are intertwined across space and time.

  32. Re: No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not everyone lives in a 365 day temperate climate. Batteries still have plenty of issues with cold weather.

  33. dumbasshole by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-grasty/technological-inventions-and-innovation_b_1397085.html

    "In its purest sense, invention can be defined as the creation of a product or introduction of a process for the first time. Innovation, on the other hand, occurs if someone improves on or makes a significant contribution to an existing product, process or service. ... Someone invented the microprocessor."

  34. Re: no clue by CODiNE · · Score: 1

    No domes. Meteorites are still a problem. Tesla is going to put a car sized boring machine over there and build underground facilities. It's easier to keep warm, blocks radiation, free support materials. Every company he's working on is part of the goal.

    --
    Cwm, fjord-bank glyphs vext quiz
  35. Gee by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why the fuck do we have to follow on the arts/movies/sci-fi? Brain implants? GTFOOH.

  36. Not serious by sjbe · · Score: 3, Informative

    Not sure about that. Manufacturers are starting to build vehicles that have been designed as EVs from the ground up.

    Not really. Not seriously anyway. If they were serious about it they would be investing heavily in battery companies and securing supplies. The only company I've seen working on making an EV that doesn't look idiotic recently is Porsche. The new Leaf looks better than the old one but that's not saying much - the old one was terrible looking. The Kona is just another boring and fairly ugly hatchback. I own a Bolt and while I like the styling for a hatchback, it isn't exactly sexy either.

    The big automakers are just dipping their toes in the water and waiting. They don't want to take the risk and possibly be wrong.

    This is not just a shakeup in car design, but in their production lines and logistics as well, and such things take some time and effort (as Tesla found out).

    Of course but I work in the industry and they aren't really putting in the effort or money. They're all claiming they are going to introduce electrified cars but none of the big autos are really pushing their chips onto the table and those promises haven't materialized into real products for the most part.

    My understanding is that a couple of these companies are simply having a real hard time sourcing the batteries.

    They're having a hard time of it because it's a critical technology they wouldn't be outsourcing if they were serious about it. Tesla seems to be the only ones that grok the fact that they need to vertically integrate to get the economies of scale and a competitive advantage. Unless Tesla's competitors have a lead on some mysterious battery tech that will supplant Li-Ion in the near future and are willing to dump tons of money on it then they are playing a dangerous game.

  37. Re: no clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You people are fucking retards seriously.

    Where is this car sized boring machine that's gonna survive on mars and dig holes? We won't see that in our lifetime.

  38. Re: No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The only ignorant one is you.

  39. Re:Hold on: In a Wide-Ranging Interview, Elon Musk by Luckyo · · Score: 1

    Yes, in much greater detail. The interview in question is generally not being talked about any more on mainstream outlets because it would advertise the fact that mainstream media has competitors that technically pull greater numbers in terms of viewership than said mainstream media. You don't want to advertise that your competition does what you do better than you do for obvious reasons.

    Interview in question if you want to watch it:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

  40. Just watch Rogan's interview for actual details by Luckyo · · Score: 2

    If you want to know more, and not the sanitized tidbits that a mainstream outlet thinks you should know and nothing else, Rogan's interview with Musk provides a good insight into the man and his views.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

  41. Rise of the hyper-jerks by GPS+Pilot · · Score: 1

    "Hyper-smart" people will be hyper-able to take advantage of those who don't have AI augmentation.

    To prevent or offset this, you will see a "progressive" movement to regulate the implants. They will only be permitted if they also change the personality of the implantee -- making the implantee "hyper-compassionate" (as defined by a regulatory body).

    Also look for promotion of the idea that if the "hyper-smart" are not hyper-taxed, they simply aren't paying their fair share.

    --
    That that is is that that that that is not is not.
  42. There is no interview by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just an advertisement for an upcoming television show... with the interview

  43. Gears in EVs by sjbe · · Score: 1

    Having more gears wouldn't change the efficiency of the electric motor, unlike an ICEV.

    That's not true at all. EVs have motors that are relatively efficient across a broad RPM range (up to 20,000) so engineers can pick a gear that works well for most day to day driving. But make no mistake that this gear choice is a compromise. They do not have perfect efficiency across the whole band and there are limits to how fast you can spin them. My Bolt EV has a max speed of 91mph largely thanks to choice of gears and this does play a role in it's (relatively) crappy fuel economy at speeds above 70mph. At higher speeds they do use more energy spinning faster, especially towards the top end. It's why most EVs are electronically limited at the top end. There are EVs that have gear boxes and while they don't need 8 gears, 2 or 3 can have actual utility. Right now they don't use them because the added cost result in enough performance improvement to be worth the bother.

    The original Tesla Roadster was designed to have a two speed gearbox. The Bolt EV I have probably would see a 10-20% gain in fuel economy at highway speeds with a 2 speed gearbox. Multiple gears will eventually be a thing for EVs, albeit far less important than for ICEs. A lot of EVs will probably stick with the single gear option because it works fine and is cheaper and more reliable.

    My Tesla Model S, on the other hand, loses very little range at highway speeds.

    Unless you have highways with low speed limits, that isn't true. Highway speeds where I live are between 70-80mph and that has a notable effect on fuel economy even for Tesla. You are correct that the Tesla is more streamlined so the effect is smaller but the effect is still there and still notable.

    It also has only one "gear".

    You don't need the quotes. It does have a single gear so that statement is quite correct.

    1. Re: Gears in EVs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How dare u disagree with the great swillden! Don't u know he works at Google? Just give him a minute and he will tell you

    2. Re:Gears in EVs by swillden · · Score: 1

      My Tesla Model S, on the other hand, loses very little range at highway speeds.

      Unless you have highways with low speed limits, that isn't true. Highway speeds where I live are between 70-80mph and that has a notable effect on fuel economy even for Tesla. You are correct that the Tesla is more streamlined so the effect is smaller but the effect is still there and still notable.

      It's there, but it's quite small. Highways near me have 75-80 mph limits so I drive 80-85.

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