Were you hoping BMW and Tesla would join forces for the future of electrification? Not so fast.
According to Wirtschafts Woche, a BMW representative stated the company will not be buying shares in the California-based automaker, nor offering much more than its carbon fiber technology, which BMW states is open to all comers. The Bavarians believe the only benefit from a relationship with Tesla would be in favor of the latter, claiming CEO Elon Musk would enjoy the PR from such a collaboration.
The statement comes on the heels of an interview by Der Spiegel with Musk, who proclaimed his company was in talks with BMW to “collaborate on battery technology or charging stations,” something that was news to BMW. The automaker also has no interest in working on a battery factory with Tesla, stating such things can be purchased from its suppliers. Musk said he had plans to build a factory in Germany within five to six years.
For immediate release: I too will not be working on anything with Tesla, nor will I be buying their stock.
(And this is not because Burger King just made a similar announcement.)
When you’re reviving atrophied language skills you need motivation. Elon’s donning the mantle of Global Silly Git and lecturing the German and Japanese auto industries provides it. Thanks, Elon.
I believe Tesla wants other car makers to buy batteries from its gigafactory. They need as much volume as possible to get the costs down. That’s also why Tesla opened up its patents.
If Tesla & Panasonic do get the $/kWh down to where they claim they can, it probably would be wise for other companies to use those batteries. It’s not like BMW would get a better deal from their suppliers. However, if reports like Nissan nearing a battery breakthrough that doubles range while reduces weight & cost Tesla may not be able to sell/use enough to make the gigafactory profitable.
I am against the creation/use of the term gigafactory. It’s a factory. Else the 1800s had childslavefactories and womenabusefactories.
Womenabusefactory is trademarked by the NFL.
lol
We are on fire today with the jokes.
I have many conference calls today. I need something productive to do so I don’t try to eat my desk.
You sir, have won the internet for the day.
Why, exactly, are Rolos seeking revenge? For the record, I am pro Rolo.
Oh, I never noticed the name, I always thought he had a picture of plant pots.
Nice house and cars.
Often painted curbs at houses? Ha, that’s an office. I was thinking the design was pretty terrible and boring.
The only reason they have that “we are in talk with BMW” BS is to prop up the stock price while Toyota and Mercedes were unloading shares.
When Tesla motors started over 10 years ago the car industry didn’t have a very clear sense of direction in regard of EV’s and Elon Musk was, by default, the prodigy new boy in town. He personified the forward thinking of the Silicon Valley, and at the time when most EV’s looked just like golf carts that nobody wanted to buy Musk came up with the Lotus Elise looking Tesla Roadster and rightly took every body’s breath away.
But today the world of the EV’s is a completely different place and now add to that the way the super hybrid cars are leading the way in a manner that Tesla won’t be able to follow. Look at what just $135 000 can buy you today, the BMW i8. And this is just the beginning.
The big players took there time to jump in but now that they have they will use all their formidable muscle to develop alternative fuel cars and Tesla will find it increasingly difficult to fight the heavy weights of the car industry.
The problems that Tesla has so far managed to overcome in the last 10 years are nothing compere with what it will face as the big players vision on EV’s, hybrids and et al gets more and more defined.
In my “humble” opinion (does any body has a humble opinion in this site?!?!) the prognosis for Tesla problems in the next ten years will be: hasta la vista baby.
Don’t mess with the Germans – you will likely get burned.
/rimshot