Tesla Motors is Still Waiting for a Profit—Even as It Brings Property Record Initial-Quarter 2015 Sales

Tesla’s record 1st quarter comes with sales numbering 10,030 and a celebratory sales ban from West Virginia. Today, the Property of Musk (Elon, that is, not body odor) mentioned sales for the duration of the past 3 months have been its highest ever, adding that it saw a 55-percent year-over-year boost. Tesla also mentioned it would release sales 3 days after each quarter instead of waiting 40 days to publish them in its required 10-Q SEC filings, despite the fact that it still refuses to give out monthly sales numbers like every other publicly-traded automobile business.

So where does Tesla Motors go from here? The company expects to sell 55,000 vehicles this year, including in that quantity sales of the nonetheless-not-on-sale Model X that is nevertheless operating about prototype guise. That 55K figure is way, way up from the 31,000 vehicles Tesla moved final year. Because Model S production began in July 2012, the company has sold 66,798 of the electric sedans worldwide through March 31. Only 1350 cars have been purchased on a lease last year the rest were straight money or finance.

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None of that satisfied talk—nor the $ 216 million in zero-emission credits Tesla sold to rival automakers—has helped Tesla net an actual profit. Final year, Tesla lost $ 294 million, compared to $ 74 million in 2013 and $ 396 million in 2012. Shares closed these days at $ 191, down 13 % given that the start off of the year and a number of elevator flights under September’s record higher of $ 291. We’ll get a fuller monetary picture when Tesla files its very first-quarter report in mid-May, but in the meantime, you can bet the company is busy functioning to bring the Model X to market—and studying techniques to capture these evasive profits.

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Tesla Motors is Still Waiting for a Profit—Even as It Brings Property Record Initial-Quarter 2015 Sales

Made in Detroit: Nearby Motors Printed a Car at the Auto Show

Regional Motors is joining the Detroit maker movement: The firm 3D-printed an electric automobile at the North American International Auto Show, the 3-part printing procedure ushering in the company’s midcycle refresh of its Strati. The automobile was first unveiled at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in September.

Regional Motors expects to ultimately produce 30 Stratis and provide them in late 2015 at rates anticipated to fall in between $ 18,000 and $ 30,000, according to a spokesperson.

We previously reported that the Strati uses a Renault Twizy EV powertrain, however that will modify in the coming months as the Twizy bits are being phased out. “We have to solidify the powertrain,” said Neighborhood Motors COO Lee Herge. “We don’t intend to make [powertrains]. We’re creating a couple of platforms and speaking to everyone.” The Strati is produced of 80 percent ABS plastic and 20 % minced carbon fiber and weighs a claimed 1500 pounds.

The quick turnaround on its surface updates is made to demonstrate how swiftly the firm is capable of shifting its plastic production approach. “It’s to show its adaptability,” Herge stated. He stated the refreshed Strati attributes a reworked front end, headlights, taillights and fenders. When we had the opportunity to visit with Local Motors, the Detroit instance wasn’t very finished verify out the renderings under to see how it ultimately differs from the first-gen vehicle pictured up top. The new Strati was only in phase 2 of the 3-element production process at the time, possessing been delayed simply because the routing triggered disruptive noise for the duration of auto-show organization hours. The organization showed the very first-generation Strati at its booth and presented rides on the test track (more on that soon).

“We like to think of it as a Create-a-Bear mashed up with IKEA mashed up with Formula 1,” said Nearby Motors co-founder and CEO John B. Rogers, Jr. at the company’s Monday afternoon press conference. Rogers also announced the company’s plans to expand its crowdsourced operation. This year, it will open 2 new micro factories in Knoxville, Tennessee, and one particular at National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington D.C., exactly where the initial 3D-printed vehicles will be spit out, assembled, and sold. The organization also plans to open up the style approach via a contest in which 12 builders will have printed goods for show at the 2015 SEMA show.

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Made in Detroit: Nearby Motors Printed a Car at the Auto Show

Kerbey Motors 70th Anniversary Model

I’ve had this delightful model announcement in from Ben Lord at Speedbird Promotions, the UK arm of Tekno if you like! Have a study and get ordering

We’re delighted to announce a new Tekno model that will be released subsequent year. Commemorating our 70th anniversary, we have commissioned Speedbird Promotions and Tekno to generate a replica of our flagship Scania R-Series Streamline truck. Packaged in a luxury display case, these models can be purchased from us for £109.95 which includes postage. All of these will be accompanied with a restricted edition certificate that will be signed by Bim Mountain. The model is due for release in Summer time 2015.

If you would like to reserve a single of these, please e-mail models@kerbeymotors.com​

About these advertisements

Kerbey Motors 70th Anniversary Model

Kerbey Motors 70th Anniversary Model

I’ve had this delightful model announcement in from Ben Lord at Speedbird Promotions, the UK arm of Tekno if you like! Have a read and get ordering

We’re delighted to announce a new Tekno model that will be released subsequent year. Commemorating our 70th anniversary, we have commissioned Speedbird Promotions and Tekno to create a replica of our flagship Scania R-Series Streamline truck. Packaged in a luxury display case, these models can be purchased from us for £109.95 which includes postage. All of these will be accompanied with a limited edition certificate that will be signed by Bim Mountain. The model is due for release in Summer 2015.

If you would like to reserve one of these, please e-mail models@kerbeymotors.com​

About these ads

Kerbey Motors 70th Anniversary Model

10 factors why Tesla Motors’ Elon Musk is generally Batman

This is Elon Musk.

 Elon Musk, Tesla Factory, Fremont (CA, USA) by Maurizio Pesce is licensed beneath CC BY 2. 

He’s the billionaire owner of Tesla Motors, has styles on industrial space exploration and desires to colonise Mars.

Oh, and he’s basically Batman.

Now I’m not accusing Elon of donning a cape and cowl to strike worry into the hearts of criminals on a nightly basis, but what I am saying is that if Batman had been real, and we had been trying to guess his secret identity, Elon Musk would have a lot to answer for.

Here’s why…

1. He’s richer than Scrooge McDuck, with an estimated net worth of $ 9.6billion. You know who else is that rich? Bruce Wayne – yeah, BATMAN.

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2. He’s generally a genius. At 16 years old, he scored the highest achievable grade in the IBM test for engineers. You know who else is a genius engineer? BATMAN.

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3. He has 5 sons. Okay, so Bruce Wayne doesn’t really have 5 biological little ones, but if you count the Robins (Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne and Stephanie Brown) – he has 5 young children. MUSK = BATMAN.

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4. He’s a globe trotter, having reside in South Africa, Canada and the US. You know who else is a globe trotter? BATMAN.

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5. He owns a gadget-laden auto, namely, the Lotus Esprit submarine car from Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me.

He also designs and builds next-generation electric automobiles. You know who else has a tricked-out ride? BATMAN.

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6. He’s a polymath, with degrees in economics and physics. You know who else is a polymath? BATMAN.

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7. He’s a philanthropist, and as chairman of the Musk Foundation functions to promote science, education, pediatric overall health and clean energy.

You know who else has a charitable foundation? Bruce Wayne. Yeah – BATMAN.

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8. Musk describes himself as a workaholic and admits to operating up to 25 hours a week. You know what else does not sleep? Crime. And who’s there to cease it? BATMAN.

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9. He has styles on space exploration and colonisation.You know else has had all sorts of adventures in space with the Justice League? BATMAN.

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10. Ultimately, and here’s the  NOT-AT-ALL-TENUOUS smoking gun, Bruce Wayne’s parents were shot dead by mugger Joe Chill on June 26, providing birth to the vigilante identified as Batman.

When is Elon Musk’s birthday? 2 DAYS LATER.

Tiny caveat: Elon’s unusual name, immense wealth and considerable influence make him just as likely to be a supervillain as a superhero. He’s currently talking about colonising Mars, so let’s just maintain an eye on him, yeah?

10 factors why Tesla Motors’ Elon Musk is generally Batman

Renovo Motors Coupe: Not Yer Ordinary, Gas-Swilling, Half-Million-Dollar Shelby Daytona Redux

The annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance weekend has been described as an old-automobile party for the nicely-heeled, with an occasional new-vehicle debut sprinkled in. As such, there’s probably no greater spot for a vehicle such as the all-electric Renovo Motors Coupe—a automobile that blends vintage packaging with state-of-the-art electric propulsion—to make its very first appearance. It’s expected to sell for far more than half a million dollars.

Renovo has been building this car with boutique carmaker Shelby American. Shelby currently sells its CSX9000 coupe (a continuation of the vaunted 1964 Shelby Daytona), the same vehicle employed as the basis for the Renovo Coupe.

The Renovo Coupe is essentially a CSX9000 powered by twin sequential axial-flux electric motors mounted in the front of the auto with a common shaft that sends energy to a traditional final-drive differential at the rear axle. Renovo claims that the 2 motors churn out a lot more than 500 horsepower and 1000 lb-ft of torque, enabling the auto to vault from zero to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds on its way to a 120-mph terminal velocity. The range for the auto will be 100 miles, says Renovo, even though the charging time for the lithium-ion battery pack will be 30 minutes making use of a fast charger or 5 hours from a level-2 charger.

With input from Peter Brock, the designer of the original Daytona Coupe, Renovo made a handful of changes to the physique and structural members of the vehicle to accommodate the drivetrain and its 3 separate battery packs (2 in front, 1 in back). Weight has risen beyond the CSX9000′s figure to about 3250 pounds, says Renovo, but even so, a seasoned member of our staff—technical director Don Sherman—who truly has knowledge behind the wheel of the original Shelby Daytona, took a ride in the Renovo Coupe in Monterey and stated he has “no doubt” that the auto can meet Renovo’s functionality claims. “The automobile makes an aggressive electrical growl when it’s legged from rest,” he stated. Sherman went on to describe the Renovo as being a lot more comfy and, in some areas, more spacious than the vintage Daytona. Which is damning with faint praise, thinking about the tight confines of the original.

Renovo hopes to commence constructing the Coupe in Silicon Valley, California, in the course of the second half of subsequent year. That seems a bit ambitious to us, although the business will undoubtedly benefit from Shelby American’s experience not just in low-volume automobile assembly, but also in navigating by way of legislative red tape. Renovo wouldn’t inform us how many cars it is planning to create, but rest assured: at the expected going cost of $ 529,000, it is bound to be a quite tiny number.

Update 8/17: This story has been edited to reflect the fact that this Renovo is not connected with the Renovo bicycle-maker that teamed with each other with Audi a handful of years ago.

Renovo Motors Coupe: Not Yer Ordinary, Gas-Swilling, Half-Million-Dollar Shelby Daytona Redux

These Morphing eBay Motors GIFs are Rad, Let You Watch Iconic Vehicles Develop Up

Ever wish you could see some of the most iconic cars extant morph by means of their generations into what they’ve turn out to be today? eBay Motors has designed a series of GIFs that do just that, and they’re wonderful. Dubbed Visual Vehicle Evolution, the animations show the evolution of the BMW 3-series, Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, and Honda Accord. We’ve included the Corvette and Mustang GIFs here, and you can head more than to eBay Motors’ weblog to see the Honda and the BMW. Be confident to come back and check out our personal (non-animated) history of the Vette, as well!

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These Morphing eBay Motors GIFs are Rad, Let You Watch Iconic Vehicles Develop Up

British motors – as unreliable as the British weather?

If there’s 1 issue you can rely on in Britain, it’s the unreliable climate.

Prepare for rain and the sun will be cracking the flags. Leave the home without a brolly and the downpours will be Biblical.

And if the findings of the newest Warranty Direct Reliability Index are something to go by, British motors are just as temperamental.

Information breakdown

The Index looks at information from more than 50,000 live Warranty Direct policies and prices them across 4 categories:

• Frequency of failure


• Expense of repair


• Duration of repairs


• Average age and mileage

The typical score is 100 – and UK tends to make of car notched-up a effectively-above-typical of 209. Which is bad news, truly, since the more dependable the motor, the reduced its score. So the UK’s high score puts it clear bottom of the 8-nation table of most reliable manufacturers.

At the other end of the scale, Japanese brands proved to be the most dependable – they were the only tends to make to obtain a below-typical score.

Here’s how these benefits break down (you see what I did there?):

Axle to grind

The findings show that axle/suspension difficulty is the most common fault for UK brands, accounting for more than a quarter (26%) of all recorded malfunctions. Axle and suspension troubles also featured most frequently across Japanese (25%), American (23%) and Italian (29%) brands.

Electrical faults were also a big dilemma, accounting for about a quarter of faults in French (29%) and Swedish (26%), German (24%) and South Korean (22%) brands.

Extended warranty

The figures are based upon Warranty Direct’s own warranty claim charges for vehicles that are no longer covered by manufacturer warranties. This implies the information can be slightly skewed since some firms offer you warranties that run longer than the common 3 years.

This indicates information from South Korean brands like Hyundai and Kia, as well as Toyota of Japan and the USA’s Chevrolet, will not function till they are 5 or even 6 years old, which means there’s a higher likelihood of standard put on and tear.

Brands on the run

On the face of it, these benefits suggest the UK automobile business is in a bit of a state – not only is the UK score more than twice the supposed RI average, but the reason it’s so higher is down to underperformance from 2 of its most prestigious brands, Jaguar and Land Rover.

However, due to the fact these brands are deemed among the top marques in motoring they’ll always be highly sought right after, regardless of whether the suspension is likely to go after a handful of years.

And this does not just apply to certain brands as the very same notions are often applied to nations –Germany is a watchword for engineering excellence, but it came sixth in the table.

State of the nation

David Gerrans, Warranty Direct managing director, stated: “Though the automotive sector has many blurred lines now in terms of countries of origin, the average consumer maintains particular preconceptions about automobile brands and the nations that generate them. ‘German reliability’ is an oft-utilized phrase, but as demonstrated here, the country’s output as a entire doesn’t  match up to its close neighbours, the French, whose vehicles as a complete are a lot more dependable.”

It should be remembered that car makers throw their nets far and wide, which means that Japanese car you’re knocking about in is more likely to have been manufactured in the north east than the Far East.

And so the higher-scores accomplished by Japan’s Nissan and Honda bode effectively for the Sunderland-made Qashqai and the Swindon-created Civic – and the UK motor manufacturing market as a whole.

British motors – as unreliable as the British weather?