Plugs and batteries: Is Tesla arrogant, or just that much ahead of the EV game?
Musk can even teach the master a less on or two
No one can accuse Tesla’s Musk of a small ego
Last week Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk gave kudos to GM for building the Chevy Volt because it helped legitimize plug-in vehicles in the mainstream auto industry. However, he also stated that the Volt wasn’t “particularly inspiring.” Similarly, regarding the Chevy Spark EV, Musk claimed GM “probably should have aimed higher.”
Now Musk is slamming SAE International’s J1772 standard for plug-in vehicle charging.
While Tesla thinks the J1772 is an ugly designed device, his real problem seems to be about power. Because Tesla is already preparing to roll out plug-in electric cars with up to 300 miles of range, as the rest of the industry sits below 100 miles, the J1772 device just isn’t up to the task. Consequently, Tesla is going to continue to develop its own proprietary chargers. Additionally, Tesla will create an adapter for when a Tesla device cannot be used.
Is Musk stupid? Arrogant? A genius?
Basically, it seems to me that Musk is building today what he imagines will be viable about a decade from now, but is he thinking too far ahead?
Conversely, perhaps because Tesla is only focusing on one niche for plug-ins — at least for now — he can create an entirely new ecosystem for his vehicles and their well-to-do, and probably a little geeky, owners? Moreover, maybe Tesla is just that much ahead in the EV game.
Ultimately, there are few in the press or the auto industry qualified to judge Elon Musk and Tesla Motors, so I won’t even give it a try, but I will say this: Elon Musk is the most interesting and inspiring person in the auto industry right now. He might be a little arrogant, but I think his CEO role requires such an attitude, especially when he’s trying to rewrite the book on one of the most well told and known stories in the modern industrial world.
Unlike Fisker, in my opinion, Tesla isn’t some slick, almost-Wall-Street-like company, its a breeding ground for technological geeks that believe they can change the world, and I hope they can.
I think history will reveal that Elon Musk’s contribution to the EV industry may be as significant as Steve Jobs’ contribution to the computer, music, and cell phone industries.
Steve Jobs, by refusing to settle and demanding perfection, pushed the competition in the computer and cell phone industries to places they might not have gone had Apple not existed.
Elon Musk is doing the same thing. By insisting on building EV’s that don’t fall short of expectations, and have the range and performance that consumers want, Tesla is proving that EV’s can be built without settling for less, forcing the main stream automakers to keep up, or stay home.
Tesla products may not be priced where we want, but the same could be said for Apple products.
The answer is not “No”….
The answer is “Yes. Here is the price”