SEMA 2007 - Vegas Show

[AZEqualizer]

Yes I know that SEMA {Specialty Equipment Market Association} (http://www.sema.org/) Represents the automotive specialty and performance parts industry...With the state of the auto industry and its impact on the environment and the price of fuel going up it just seems ironic to me that all the big hype is mostly about Big Trucks and High Performance gas guzzling everything.
Now don't get me wrong ... I had several muscle cars and like racing and street rockets. But .... should the focus be mainly on 3MPG vehicles? Which by the way IMO it is easy to squeeze more HP out of something that needs a supertanker to fuel it than something that is really efficient in its energy consumption.
Or is it just me?!?:rolleyes:

[Mark Tomlinson]

Yes I know that SEMA {Specialty Equipment Market Association} (http://www.sema.org/) Represents the automotive specialty and performance parts industry...With the state of the auto industry and its impact on the environment and the price of fuel going up it just seems ironic to me that all the big hype is mostly about Big Trucks and High Performance gas guzzling everything.
Now don't get me wrong ... I had several muscle cars and like racing and street rockets. But .... should the focus be mainly on 3MPG vehicles? Which by the way IMO it is easy to squeeze more HP out of something that needs a supertanker to fuel it than something that is really efficient in its energy consumption.
Or is it just me?!?:rolleyes:


Ian Wright, of Wrightspeed, left Tesla Motors because he felt that driving the technology down to the average consumer cars was the wrong plan. In his opinion,the 3mpg vehicles is exactly where we need to focus our efforts. Why? Because when he did the math, he found that the biggest impact could be made in the high performance car and trucking industries.

I can't argue with his numbers - I wonder sometimes why semi trucks don't use series hybrid like trains do. Besides, I didn't check his math so I'm not about to disagree with him. However, I have my doubts about his business model. If you want to really make a difference build something that will have mass appeal first. After you've established yourself, then change the world.

[RAN]

I dunno Mark, it all looks like semantics to me. He's doing essentially the same thing Tesla's doing. He's got a honkin 2 seat electric rocket prototype, that uses the same type batteries, gets it's motors from the same company, and plans it's first car to be a 2-seat super sports car that'll sell for the same price.

I fail to see the difference.. except that the Tesla should be in 1st production right about now, and his car will be ready...... sometime in the indeterminate future. There aren't even any conceptual renderings of what it *might* look like.

[Mark Tomlinson]

Well, it must be more than semantics because it caused enough of a rift that Ian (Wright) left Tesla over it. He's adamant that he does not believe Tesla should drive down to sedans and coupes. Wrightspeed has no intention of getting into the peoples' car market, and that's exactly where Tesla wants to go. They're starting at the same place, but heading in opposite directions.

And no, they don't use the same motors. Tesla licensed the AC Propulsion motor and motor controller so there would be no patent disputes. But then they gutted it and essentially started over. Tesla has their own motor factory in either Taiwan or Singapore (one makes the ESS, the other makes the motor, I can't remember which is which). Tesla does not resell the motor.

[RAN]

So Wrightspeed has no intention of marketing electric cars that even a third of the car buying public can afford? He's going to go the Ferrari/Lamborghini route? Good luck lol! Porsche and Ferrari have managed to remain afloat, and even profitable, but most of the other high-end marques would've sunk decades ago without handouts and buy-outs from various governments and/or car conglomerates. And I don't see one word about trucks on his site (there's a lot more of them than there are Ferraris).

AFAIK, Tesla has no plans to stop making their high-end sports car when they bring the White Star and future, more affordable models to market. They may even decide to make a Ferrari-eater (once their wallets are fat from selling a couple hundred thousand other units/year). Meanwhile, who in hell needs a car that can go faster than 0-60 in 4 sec??? Sounds like pinky-wagging to me lol. And where, outside of a racetrack or the autobahn, can you go 125mph (the Tesla's governed top speed)?

Just for the record, I didn't say they used the same motors. I said they used the same *company*.

I don't blame Tesla for parting ways with him. The guy sounds like a lunatic.

[Miracleman89]

Personally I think they are all a bunch of money hungery #*&^$%*@% who don't give a damn about the environment or the people!!! which will always result in failure!