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Tesla's Musk Takes a Shot at Fisker

 
11 2,177 views November 9, 2009

Elon Musk Speaks

Elon Musk Speaks

Speaking at the University of Delaware Thursday, Elon Musk took a  public swipe at rival Fisker automotive, whose electric vehicles  may become  competitors to Tesla's .

Fisker whose NINA vehicle is slated to go into production soon in a new Delaware facility, faced a 2008 lawsuit from Tesla  in which Musk alleged that Fisker co-founders Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler used a sub-contracting  job for Tesla to gain access to confidential information before announcing their own competing vehicle.  A judge ruled in favor of Fisker and ordered Tesla to reimburse Fisker's attorney fees.

During his Thursday presentation, Musk said that  there are sizable engineering obstacles to building an electric car and "Fisker is very far from overcoming those."

Pretty harsh stuff, particularly when speaking to Delaware residents, a group who are currently betting public money that a new Fisker factory in that state will turn out to be an economic windfall.

Fisker, who recently fired back at Fox news in response to some negative and slanted reporting, is not known for taking public attacks lying down.

How long will it be before the gauntlet is taken up and rhetorical stones start flying toward Tesla?

[SOURCE:DelewareOnline]





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Comments (11)

  1. By Jason M. Hendler Posted: 11/9/2009 5:02am PST

    A couple corrections - the Fisker Karma is built in Denmark by Valmet for Fisker Automotive. The Delaware plant is for Fisker Automotive's next vehicle project codenamed NINA.
    I don't think Musk has the correct personal experience to comment on Fisker's readiness. Tesla Motors had no production EV components nor experience when they began their development. Fisher has years of experience designing, producing and shipping the vehicle interiors and exteriors, while Quantum Technologies has years of experience designing, producing hybrid components, systems and vehicles. How couldn't they both be ready to produce a hybrid vehicle?
     
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  2. By NEWDL Posted: 11/9/2009 6:05am PST

    Quantum Technologies does not have years of experience of doing anything. They have a concept drivetrain that has yet to be proven. Musk is commenting that they are far from overcoming the drivetrain integration issues, let alone considering reaching profitability one year after production begins.
    Fisker made outlandish comments in referance to his belief that his company will reach profitability quickly. This is an area where Musk has more expereince than even he wishes he had.
    Fiskers profitability claims require sales of 5,000 units a year. A far cry from what this market will bear for a non-proven $87,000 plug-in hybrid vehicle.
     
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  3. By Jason M. Hendler Posted: 11/9/2009 7:35am PST

    NEWDL, just read Quantum Technologies website for their component and system product offering for fuel cell vehicles, which is a type of EREV. They also do natural gas conversions. They have supplied components and systems to the US Army and GM. As stated before, Fisker Automotive, Quantum Technologies and EnerDel are all substantial manufacturers equal to this challenge. Initially, Tesla Motors was not, and in Musk's own words, he had to redesign every subsystem for mass production to make the Roadster viable.
    Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive are two entirely different product utilizing two entirely different business models.
     
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  4. By Chris O Posted: 11/9/2009 8:01am PST

    Does Musk know something we don't know or is this just wishful thinking? Mind you, it would be nothing short of a miracle if Fisker managed to pull it off to develop a series hybrid vehicle from scratch and have it on the market within 2,5 years after the start of the company, but it is also clear that if Fisker does succeed it would be bad news for Tesla's Roadster business and to a lesser extend it's future Model S business. If I were looking for an high end eco mobile and the choice were between an $107.000 two seater with minimal practicality and range issues and an $87.000 full size sports sedan, with the same practicality as say, an S class Mercedes...Well it would certainly appear that Fisker success is just not an option for Tesla...
     
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  5. By N Riley Posted: 11/9/2009 8:25am PST

    I would say that Tesla is afraid of being crowed out of their market by Fisker and GM. One is bad enough, but two will cause plenty of trouble. Personally, I think there is room for all of them. Musk is just displaying some bad attitude problems due to past experience that is still choking him. Get over it, Musk, and get back onto the job at hand.
     
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  6. By Esa S Posted: 11/10/2009 12:05am PST

    Fisker Karma is built in Finland by Valmet Automotive, not in Denmark. (www.valmet-automotive.com) They are currently building
    Porsche Boxster, Boxster S, Cayman and Cayman S,
    and is starting the production of Fisker Karma and the electric vehicles Garia golf car and Think City car.
     
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  7. fb_653061795 avatar Mark Kiernan Posted: 11/10/2009 5:13am PST

    Tesla holds the crown for coolest EV at the moment and just don't want to loose it to Fisker.
     
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  8. By omnimoeish Posted: 11/10/2009 9:19am PST

    It will certainly be interesting to see how the Nina compares to the Model S. Supposedly Nina will sell for $40,000. I'm a little skeptical. I am imagining it will be somewhere around $55,000 before tax incentive. But who knows. Fisker has put together a vehicle supposedly better than the Volt in every way and pretty much better than any other car for that matter in half the time it took Toyota to go from the Gen 2 Prius to the Gen 3 Prius. And now they are claiming they will build the Nina at a sales price for less than the all electric Model S and be profitable years sooner than Musk made Tesla. If he can do all that as he says, he will probably be more successful in the long run than Tesla because that man would have to be an automotive miracle worker.
     
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  9. By Jason M. Hendler Posted: 11/10/2009 10:44am PST

    NEWDL, latest press release from Quantum Technologies states that they just shipped 6 hybrid vehicles to the US Army containing their latest diesel hybrid with four wheel motors.
    http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/200911090930PR_NEWS_USPR_____LA07243.htm
     
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  10. By Noel Park Posted: 11/10/2009 3:05pm PST

    As my mother always says, "They deserve each other.", LOL.
    If Fisker gets its car to market in 2.5 years, a lot of the reason will be that they are not doing anything like the testing GM is doing with the Volt. The first owners will be the beta testers, and good luck to them. Better them than me. LJGTVWOTR!!
     
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  11. By NEWDL Posted: 11/25/2009 12:27pm PST

    Jason,
    None of your statements make me think that Quantum can deliver. This is an unproven drivetrane. Shipping 6 vehicles to the US Army proves nothing but that they can build 6 army vehicles. THAT IS NOT EXPEREINCE. THAT IS CONCEPT WORK! Unless they use the EXACT drivetrane that Fisker is looking to use IT MEANS NOTHING, and even if it is the drivetrane is it ONLY SIX!!! Maybe you are right...Quantum Tech has experience in one thing….in UNPROVEN TECHNOLOGY. Fuel cells? Are you kidding? Show me proof of testing and Fisker drivetrans on the road (not just slowly driven on a track ONCE)...then I'll believe that Fisker and Quantum Tech. are on the path.
     
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