This is interesting-Go Elon---------------
Wow talk about showing your backside , how about doing some research outside the US media , first there are hundreds of Tesla vehicles already operating successfully in Canada , second solar city was purchased to gain patents not generate revenue , he wanted their tech licenses for his current home "Powerwall" battery setup which he has now released the solar shingle part of so yes you can re-shingle your roof with shingles that are little solar panels the first 2 styles are already on the market with 2 more designs - a Tuscan terra cotta style and Slate coming in 2018 , the cost when amortized over the life of the roof compared to a conventional 30 year asphalt shingle is almost a wash without the value of the energy cost savings of the solar production -put that in your pipe and smoke it . , 30 years being the weather warranty and the power warranty of their shingles ,the impact or damage warranty is Infinite -life of your home .Does it pay to run out and switch your roof over now no but does it pay to switch when your roof is done and needs replacing -hell yes . Third you can add WalMart and JBHunt to the list of pre orders for the trucks , they were actually first in before Pepsi . Walmart is going to test here in Canada so their goes that cold weather myth all Tesla products have always been built with a battery maintenance system that manages battery temperature even when the car is in storage .
People laughed and talked crap about every Paradigm development in human history , there was a time when the swiss were the only people to buy a watch from then Texas Instruments invented a watch powered by an oscillating crystal and what happened ? A national industry with hundreds of years of dominance in the market was wiped out almost over night .It has to start somewhere with someone , it's not going to save the planet it's just a better way and will overcome the old way .
Tesla in spotlight with 'beast' electric semi-truck
"But the semi also piles on the chaos at Palo Alto-based company. Tesla is way behind on production of the Model 3, a new lower-cost sedan. It’s also ramping up production of solar panels after buying Solar City last year. Musk has said Tesla is also working on a pickup truck and a lower-cost SUV and negotiating a new factory in China.
Meanwhile, the company posted a record quarterly loss of $619 million in its most recent quarter.
Musk, too, is being pulled in many different directions. He leads rocket maker SpaceX and is dabbling in other projects, including high-speed transit, artificial intelligence research and a new company that’s digging tunnels beneath Los Angeles to alleviate traffic congestion."
J.B. Hunt, Wal-Mart climb aboard Tesla's electric truck
"The early orders reflected the uncertainty about how the market for electric commercial vehicles will develop. About 260,000 Class-8 trucks are produced in North America annually, and that market has a value of about $28.6 billion, said Don Ake, vice president of commercial vehicles at FTR, an industry economics research firm.
The 500-mile (800 km) range between charges that Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk promised on Thursday for the Tesla Semi is about half the range between fill-ups of a diesel Class 8 truck. Heavy batteries cut payload and add cost, potential deal killers for fleet buyers focused on operating cost per mile."
I still say Musk is a modern P.T. Barnum and he is spending out money to make his billions. Even when his sales drop on the front end when taxpayer credit for buying zero emission vehicles start fading away, we'll still be paying for his research that he is so generous with.
I'm not against electric vehicles, solar power or eating a salad. I am against the tech being forced out before it's been competently advanced enough for its intended purpose. I've driven electric cars. They are a kick to drive and they are most likely the future. For the present, they are a mere novelty that needs more refinement.