OT: Ol' Musky fulfills 100 MW, 100 day battery promise

Submitted by Dennis on
Just as the title says, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/01/history-making-worlds-bigges…, Elon Musk beat his own bet to install a 100 MW battery in Australia within 100 days or the $50M installation would be free. I know I'm reaching when I say this, but greatness often draws criticism. Musk has received criticism for many of his businesses, including some truthful, albeit bitter, remarks about how he relies on subsidies. Regardless, he gets results. Jim Harbaugh receives, seemingly, the same amount of unnecessary hate, and I want all Michigan fans to know that it's because they're intimidated by greatness.
MGoBoard
Other

GoBlueMAGNUS

December 7th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^

I work in renewable energy and I can tell you that affordable battery storage for wind and solar to the grid isn't as far away as people think. Probably will be the norm by the next decade

Joined: 08/17/2009

MGoPoints: 2242

Perkis-Size Me

December 7th, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^

The man definitely has a vision, and he's going to go all the way to see it through. As soon as those cars become more cost-effective Tesla is going to go through the roof. 

Would love to have one of those cars for my own. 

Joined: 11/30/2011

MGoPoints: 105776

maize-blue

December 7th, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^

Those electric cars are cute and all that but if he could invent a battery for my cell phone that would last longer, well now he may have something.

Joined: 01/10/2013

MGoPoints: 44662

FauxMo

December 7th, 2017 at 12:29 PM ^

Actually, Musk is one of a handful of "really smart people" (like Hawking) who have issued warnings that AI could reach human-level intelligence, then immediately jump to superintelligence and enslave us all. Alas, it is now a race between states (like us, Russia, China, etc.) to see who gets there first, rather than to think about the consequences of getting there... 

Joined: 06/17/2010

MGoPoints: 137593

LSAClassOf2000

December 7th, 2017 at 11:46 AM ^

Context given in the thread title made me think Elon Musk, of course, and going with "Ol' Musky", if it was a thing anywhere, was probably an Onion thing or a similar publication. All that somehow made sense. 

That being said, maybe just call him "Elon Musk" next time, eh?

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130637

Julian

December 7th, 2017 at 12:24 PM ^

They wouldn’t just build a multi-billion dollar system of underground highways and not consider any risks. I’m sure Elon is smart enough to find innovative solutions to those. They aren’t tunnels, either. If you search for the video on google, the cars are lowered to the highway on a platform.

Joined: 12/04/2017

MGoPoints: -15

Don

December 7th, 2017 at 1:30 PM ^

It would cost Gigatons, and that's completely aside from the massive political barriers involving obtaining right-of-way for construction on both public and private land, and crossing multitudes of separate governmental jurisdictions. Musk apparently thinks his reputation and genius will be enough to melt away any resistance, and the real world doesn't work like that.

The hyperloop is an interesting concept that will only yield tangible results in research and development. Without a massive commitment from the federal government—which will never be forthcoming in the present budgetary climate—the hyperloop will never be built over any meaningful distance in the United States. From a practical standpoint of his own finances, it's a distraction from both his car-making and his space ventures, both of which are far more realizable.

If Musk ever wants to see the Hyperloop actually built, there is one country that has the resources and the governmental structure to make the necessary decisions for construction: China.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 148377

mjv

December 7th, 2017 at 12:10 PM ^

Elon Musk -- The great crony insider pretending to be a Capitalist.

Stop burning cash and make some money instead of stealing from the U.S. tax payers.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 3656

Blue In NC

December 7th, 2017 at 2:59 PM ^

Stealing from US taxpayers, huh?  Well aren't you well informed.

First, any tax breaks go to the buyer, not Tesla.  Second, Tesla paid back in full its gov loan years ago while the taxpayers got stuck bailing out the Big 3 and never got repaid.  Third, oil company and automakers get huge tax breaks and subsidies but they are more hidden and baked into our economy.

I assume you also rail against every other company that gets any governmental assistance, tax breaks or preference.  Here's a clue - Tesla probably gets less than most others.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 8572

Mitch Cumstein

December 7th, 2017 at 10:01 PM ^

The most glaring item though, is the insinuation that bc Tax breaks are going to the buyer that Tesla doesn’t benefit. Do you really think that artificially lowering the price of a good doesn’t cause additional purchase of that good? If I charge $5 for a hot dog and the govt gives my customer $1 every time they give me $5, I would make out a lot bettter than if the govt want paying my customer. I might actually make some money, something Tesla hasn’t seemed to figure out yet. I’d like to see some references backing up your other claims about Tesla getting less help from the Fed than most other companies.

Joined: 10/02/2009

MGoPoints: 14072

Michigan Philosophy

December 7th, 2017 at 1:22 PM ^

Logged in just to mock the op. He doesn't just get results...This would be one of the only instances he has delivered on at all. How those production goals going? Estimating 3k and get 300. He made this happen because he had 50 million reasons. Keep drinking the koolaide. They can't compete with big auto. They don't have the infrastructure and have shown. I ability to get it up and running. Musk is smart and the products are good but you need to make money eventually. The stock price is a joke

Joined: 12/30/2015

MGoPoints: 429

UMProud

December 7th, 2017 at 2:53 PM ^

Agree 1000 pct...thus is a dutch tulip craze all over again using government money to prop up a pipe dream. The electric cars of thr future are NOT these battery things they will use technology that draws power frim a grid runnimg under the road. Electric cars are NOT green at all if you understand how batteries are made and the electrical generation requirements from the coal burning power grid.

Joined: 12/18/2014

MGoPoints: 2705