What If Tesla Took 500,000 Gas-Guzzlers Off the Road?

fool.com ^ | August 18, 2013 | Comments | Matt DiLallo

[Sherman Logan]

As is more or less necessary. Gas taxes are the primary source of money for road construction and maintenance. But the wear and tear on the roads is proportionate to the number of miles driven, not to the fuel used to propel the vehicle.

So at present electric vehicles are essentially driving for free on roads paid for by those driving ICE vehicles.

[Jeff Chandler]

Petroleum products are the most efficient fuel for consumer motor vehicles and will not be replaced any time in the future.

BTW,the only thing that CAFE standards of 54.5 MPG will do is make it impossible for medium-to-large families to travel safely. CAFE standards should be eliminated.

[Cool Guy]

He keeps hanging around and making progress. If I’m counting right he is selling his car at about the same rate that GM is selling the Volt.

That is because he cannot make his cars fast enough. He has back orders for a few months on his car.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

The rest of us will use horse and buggy !!

The Elites will get the electric cars , and will be the only one's who will be able to afford one .

[RBStealth]

Tesla is paying for alot of propaganda/advertising through the motleyfool and Yahoo. The home page of Yahoo has been full of promotional articles disguised as news for Tesla for the past 2 or more months. Dont be Motleyfooled or Yahoo-ed!

However, a good investor can take advantage of such a promotion-fest to his financial gain.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

The rest of us will use horse and buggy !!

The Elites will get the electric cars , and will be the only one's who will be able to afford one .

[entropy12]

Tesla owners will puke when their battery pack wears out and needs a new pack. I bought a new gasoline powered car for under 10k with multiple rebates and discounts. It gives me 30 mpg. During a normal life span of cars of about 10-12 years, I am still way ahead moneywise.

[animal172]

What if wishes were fishes and we all had a fry?

[Dick Bachert]

Yep! These greenies are SLAP NUTS! I guess they never took Physics.

Of course, this spiffy number doesn't require charging:

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Test drive one the next windy day!

[Jeff Chandler]

Pennies vs $70-ish for the same miles...It's a no brainer.

Indeed it is, because only someone without a brain would fail to predict the dramatic rise in the cost of electricity which such an increase in demand would cause. The money you save on gas will be made up by paying more for residential electric rates and the inflationary effects of higher electricity costs across the board.

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

[prisoner6]

Wait until all those batteries need replaced and the old ones disposed.

FWIW I think the trend toward do all touch screens is stupid. Give me old fashioned toggle switches with deadly bat handles.

[entropy12]

[max americana]

I’ve never seen a Tesla even here in libtard L.A., including W Hollywood. Usually if I see one near Sta Monica then maybe they’re making a serious dent, but I don’t really see Tesla selling even in the red states.

[kabar]

From Tesla:

At the base price of $62,400, including the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit, Model S comes equipped with a 60 kWh battery, 19” wheels, black textile and synthetic leather interior, 17” touchscreen, seven speaker sound system with AM/FM/HD radio, mobile connector, and a J1772 charging adapter.

To qualify for the Federal Tax Credit, you must purchase Model S new for your use, not for resale. The credit is applied when you file your annual taxes with qualification contingent upon your adjusted gross income. We recommend speaking with a tax professional for further details.

Model S has insurance premiums consistent with other cars in its class.

So if you can afford a $62,400 car, Tesla is the one for you.

[magellan]

I have nothing against electric cars, however Elon Musk's business activities since PayPal are built on rent-seeking.

Elon Musk paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to Obama in 2008 in return for hundreds of millions of dollars from Obama.

Tesla's profits are pure rent-seeking. Government handouts to build a factor and $7,500 in government provided gross-profit per vehicle built. Tesla would be losing money if not for the subsidies.

SpaceX's success is in large part because Obama shut down its primary competition (the Orion spacecraft) by executive fiat, and gave the business to SpaceX.

I believe the Hyperloop is the same thing. Musk hopes to get federal money to usurp a state of California plan. His extreme cost comparisons are intended to force a defunding of the planned high-speed rail program (just like he got Orion cancelled).

Musk is just a younger, hipper version of GE's Jeffrey Immelt. He sees Uncle Sam as the biggest potential customer.

[Fightin Whitey]

There’s no such thing as a free lunch or free electricity.....

But there is a freebilly by cracky!

[Mastador1]

And don’t forget that new tax on mileage to pay for the revenue lost to the Feds and local governments for the loss of gas sales. Now taking that into account how much will the electric vehicle owner save, take into account also the escalating cost per kilowatt due to increased demand and dwindling generating capacity.

[Redcloak]

Here's what I think every time I see some rich dude driving his Tesla down the road: "There goes $45,000 dollars of our money."

If this boondoggle were worth the effort, they why isn't Musk spending his own money on it? Why does he need government subsidies to the tune of $45,000 per car to turn them out?

[Popman]

How will the government make up for the expected loss of gasoline tax revenue?

Little box box that tracks your mileage use...

Set at whatever arbitrary fee your overlords think you can afford...

Think of it as a cell phone bill for your car...

They will just add whatever fee they want...

Needy children ? $01 per mile
Meal on Wheels social services? $.01 per mile
Democrat election campaign $.01 per mile...
Muslim diversity outreach program $.01 per mile
SEIU needy union thug fund $ .01 per mile

The possibilities are endless

[dangus]

The MPG-e of a Tesla is something crazy in the triple digits. Yes, it still needs energy, but its amazing how little it needs. What more limits the environmental sustainability of Tesla is its need for Lithium.