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Will the Tesla Gigafactory be too big?

With pro football season about to begin, we thought it appropriate to use a gridiron metaphor: one research firm is estimating that Tesla Motors will outkick its coverage when it comes to the Gigafactory it's planning for the western US, likely Reno, NV. The electric-vehicle maker has said needs the giant battery plant because its annual sales will reach a half-million by the end of the decade. Lux Research is saying the company's EV sales will be closer to about half that. In fact, Lux says, Tesla will have to sell much of its battery-pack production to either other automakers or to entities such as solar-panel makers for their stationary-battery needs because of overcapacity. And with Panasonic footing the bill for a good chunk of the estimated $4-5 billion pricetag for the plant, the battery maker will also be taking a bit of a bath, at least for the first few years. Tesla has said its Gigafactory will help it cut battery costs by about 30 percent by 2020, and could have it up and running as soon as 2017. Tesla spokeswoman Alexis Georgeson said in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen that the company wouldn't comment on the Lux Research report (they're probably busy preparing for this afternoon's Nevada announcement) but you can still take a look at Lux Research's short summary of the report called The Tesla-Panasonic Battery Gigafactory: Analysis of Li-ion Cost Trends, EV Price Reduction, and Capacity Utilization below. The Tesla-Panasonic Battery Gigafactory: Analysis of Li-ion Cost Trends, EV Price Reduction, and Capacity Utilization August 13, 2014 | State of the Market Report Tesla Motors has found initial success in the luxury electric vehicle market, and will look to capitalize on that momentum through aggressive expansion, planning a new 35 GWh lithium-ion (Li-ion) cell production facility. Dubbed the "Gigafactory," it poses a tremendous risk for Tesla and its partner Panasonic, and herein we analyze whether the $5 billion investment is justified by electric vehicle (EV) sales volumes and the interrelated question of breaking through the price floor for Li-ion batteries. We find the Gigafactory will only reduce the Tesla Model 3's cost by $2,800, not enough to truly influence whether this lower-cost EV will be a success or not.

Epic Electric American Road Trip goes 12,000 miles on EV power

Twenty-seven states. 12,000 miles. Zero gasoline. Those are the headline numbers for the "Epic Electric American Road Trip" that ended in Venica, CA today, just in time for Earth Day. Norman Hajjar, the managing director of Recargo's driver research division, PlugInsights, made the journey in a stock Tesla Model S both as a way to draw attention to electric vehicles (he's trying to get Guinness World Record to verify that this was the longest vehicle journey ever taken using 100 percent electric power) and to show that long-distance road trips are possible even with today's charging infrastructure. This was certainly a trip for an EV diehard, since it was made up of 109 hours of charging and 213 hours of driving. That leads to the second part of Hajjar's reason for driving criss-cross across the US: to "draw attention to needs for further improvement." You can relive the journey over at Plugshare or on Twitter. World Record-Breaking Electric Vehicle Journey Crosses Finish Line "Epic Electric American Road Trip" marks the longest ever journey made with zero fuel costs VENICE, Calif., April 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the completion of the record-setting Epic Electric American Road Trip, a 24-day, 12,183-mile battery-powered journey sponsored by electric vehicle (EV) software and information services company Recargo Inc. The trip is seeking Guinness World Record verification for longest vehicle journey ever taken using 100% electric power, and served to emphasize the possibilities of the nation's current electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Norman Hajjar, Managing Director of Recargo's driver research division, PlugInsights, crossed the finish line in a stock Tesla Model S sedan. At the trip's end, Norman has ventured across a 27-state route spanning the four corners of the lower 48 states: Washington, Maine, Florida, and California, ending at Recargo's offices in Venice, California. Hajjar took advantage of Tesla's newly built, proprietary string of cross-country "Supercharger" stations, in order to make the coast-to-coast electric venture. "We wanted to illustrate what's possible with the nation's charging infrastructure, and draw attention to needs for further improvement," said Norman Hajjar. "The plausibility of a mass switch to EV usage in America simply can't be separated from the need for a robust fast-charging network. I've traveled over 12,000 miles in under 3.5 weeks.

Watch Tesla Model X P100D drag race Lamborghini Aventador SV

It's always fun to see the performance capabilities of electric vehicles, and we haven't yet tired of watching Teslas go up against supercars, street racers, even airplane s, win or lose. DragTimes fed the world another Tesla drag race video this week, pitting a Tesla Model X P100D with Ludicrous+ against a Lamborghini Aventador SV powered by a 6.5-liter V12 (and worth $530,000) in a quarter-mile challenge at Palm Beach International Raceway. The Model X gets a better start off the line, and ends up finishing just 0.05 seconds ahead of the Lamborghini (which was quickly catching up at the end). While the Lamborghini was technically faster (with an elapsed time of 11.281 seconds and a speed of 129.38 miles per hour), the Model X finished the quarter mile in 11.418 seconds at 117.95 miles per hour, which DragTimes notes is a world record for an SUV. The difference in the sound between the two vehicles is striking, as we find from the separate camera views. The Lamborghini absolutely screams, while the Tesla just whistles in the wind a bit. After the Model X, the Lamborghini takes on a Model S P100D. It almost looks like the Aventador jumps the gun a bit (but it doesn't get a red light, and shows a reaction time of just .008 seconds with some well-timed wheel spin), and ends up finishing 0.15 seconds ahead of the Model S. The Tesla's elapsed time was 10.947 seconds at 119.71 mph, while the Lamborghini's ET was 11.164 seconds at 129.08 mph. These races showcase the mighty acceleration of the P100D Teslas. While the traditionally powered supercar is faster at the high end, the low-end shove of the EVs prove them to be great drag cars, even weighing over 5,000 pounds. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: YouTube: DragTimes via Teslarati Green Motorsports Lamborghini Tesla Green Automakers SUV Electric Supercars Videos world record drag race lamborghini aventador sv p100d