Tesla Lays Off Entire Supercharger Team [Update: Musk says supercharger growth will continue] ** WARNING: NO POLITICS***

[AKgrampy]

You keep mentioning that demand charges aren't a big deal, but I've talked to several operators and power company reps, and they seem to disagree. Also: https://electrek.co/2020/09/17/tesla-batteries-60-electrify-america-charging-stations/

Seems counterproductive for EA to be building that many sites with "low utilization", since they already have issues lighting up sites that would be popular (see: Green Bay and Milwaukee locations in Wisconsin).

Your point about back to back usage is for sites that are power limited, like sites using Freewire's Boost product. Battery backup for peak shaving is a totally different use case.

Exactly my point. Do you expect the non-customer to pay the cost that the demand charge covers? The issue is the utility has to built generation, transmission and distribution facilities to meet the maximum demand requirements. The demand charge recovers those payments. If the site had a 70% usage rate it would have a cost equal to residential rates. Greater than 70% it would be less than residential rates (generally in rate cases.) Batteries are a good option in peak shaving and do allow the utility to install and provide less “capacity” to the site. The decision obviously is cost recovery for the battery system and the reduced power delivery when the batteries are depleted. I think battery peak-shaving is a good option. My main point is people always complain about demand charges without really understanding the rate making process and that demand charges only have a cost effect when there is a poor load factor. Those costs should not be passed on to other customers.

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[MacherAWD]

You and I represent a minority. We bought the Mach-E for a reason. Bashing the choice that a majority made is counterproductive.

Just saying that the #1 choice does not mean the best, the majority may be making poor/uniformed choices.

 

[SpongeBad]

uh huh... you change direction by changing leadership. That has nothing to do with what just happened. When you fire an entire division of worker bees it's nothing more thought through than a temper tantrum.

To put things into perspective, if Musk's $56B pay package were applied to the "worker bees" instead of him, at an average salary of $150K a year they'd be able to afford just over 37,000 "worker bees" for a period of ten years (the same period as Musk's pay package covers).

Tesla has laid off ~14,000 people as a function of their head count reduction. If Musk weren't so greedy, they could have literally kept all those people they laid off and still come out ahead financially. It is a level of income inequality that is - frankly - disgusting, and should be called out accordingly.

Allowing this type of disconnect in earning ability is exactly what is driving the growing income inequality in western civilizations. The "little guy" is expected to sacrifice while the person at the top just hoards more and more wealth. It's decimating the middle class and leading to all sorts of societal problems (crumbling infrastructure, housing affordability, people having fewer/no kids meaning there's nobody to take care of an aging populace).

We need laws that tie executive pay (inclusive of stock options and other benefits) to a ratio of the lowest paid person in the company, effectively restricting how much the person at the top is allowed to earn vs. the person at the bottom. Unfortunately, the people who make the laws are also bought and paid for, so I'm not sure how to get there...

 

[Snakebitten]

I thought (heard) that some of the Tesla charging stations with huge battery banks behind them were for purchasing cheap electrons during non-peak hours (night), and then selling those electrons for a $multiple more at the pump, so to speak.

Made sense when I heard it anyway.

 

[KevinS]

Tesla was the only large-production automaker that didn’t abdicate solving the charging station problem. That’s the biggest shame of all.

The self-own that Musk committed this week is going to be felt for a very long time. If he gets his bonus, it’s a very bad sign for Tesla’s future.

 

[P. T. Magoo]

Orders are to hold on all new charger projects. And they can't pay their contractors currently.

Yeah, but doing right by contractors is so 20th-Century.

 

[RickMachE]

To put things into perspective, if Musk's $56B pay package were applied to the "worker bees" instead of him, at an average salary of $150K a year they'd be able to afford just over 37,000 "worker bees" for a period of ten years (the same period as Musk's pay package covers).

Tesla has laid off ~14,000 people as a function of their head count reduction. If Musk weren't so greedy, they could have literally kept all those people they laid off and still come out ahead financially. It is a level of income inequality that is - frankly - disgusting, and should be called out accordingly.

Allowing this type of disconnect in earning ability is exactly what is driving the growing income inequality in western civilizations. The "little guy" is expected to sacrifice while the person at the top just hoards more and more wealth. It's decimating the middle class and leading to all sorts of societal problems (crumbling infrastructure, housing affordability, people having fewer/no kids meaning there's nobody to take care of an aging populace).

We need laws that tie executive pay (inclusive of stock options and other benefits) to a ratio of the lowest paid person in the company, effectively restricting how much the person at the top is allowed to earn vs. the person at the bottom. Unfortunately, the people who make the laws are also bought and paid for, so I'm not sure how to get there...

However, his pay package is STOCK, not cash, so while it impacts ownership, it doesn't impact cashflow like pay does.

 

[son of a swen]

The amazing charging network is what makes people overlook the fact their door panels don’t fit. This is a car company that doesn’t make good cars. They have awesome tech (other than FSD) and great charging infrastructure. So bold move here..::

What you say is true...up to a point. Very early Model S cars were a disaster. Model 3, which came out in 2017 had a plethora of problems. Every year since then they have improved..gaps between panel, etc. The latest Model 3 is a gigantic improvement...you should take a look.

 

[son of a swen]

To put things into perspective, if Musk's $56B pay package were applied to the "worker bees" instead of him, at an average salary of $150K a year they'd be able to afford just over 37,000 "worker bees" for a period of ten years (the same period as Musk's pay package covers).

Tesla has laid off ~14,000 people as a function of their head count reduction. If Musk weren't so greedy, they could have literally kept all those people they laid off and still come out ahead financially. It is a level of income inequality that is - frankly - disgusting, and should be called out accordingly.

Allowing this type of disconnect in earning ability is exactly what is driving the growing income inequality in western civilizations. The "little guy" is expected to sacrifice while the person at the top just hoards more and more wealth. It's decimating the middle class and leading to all sorts of societal problems (crumbling infrastructure, housing affordability, people having fewer/no kids meaning there's nobody to take care of an aging populace).

We need laws that tie executive pay (inclusive of stock options and other benefits) to a ratio of the lowest paid person in the company, effectively restricting how much the person at the top is allowed to earn vs. the person at the bottom. Unfortunately, the people who make the laws are also bought and paid for, so I'm not sure how to get there...

I totally agree with your last paragraph..but we live in a Capitalist country, where individualism is tantamount.

 

[AKgrampy]

I thought (heard) that some of the Tesla charging stations with huge battery banks behind them were for purchasing cheap electrons during non-peak hours (night), and then selling those electrons for a $multiple more at the pump, so to speak.

Made sense when I heard it anyway.

That would work but it would have to be quite a large battery and I am not sure it would be cost effective. I have never looked into that so I could be wrong.

 

[LincolnLuvr]

To put things into perspective, if Musk's $56B pay package were applied to the "worker bees" instead of him, at an average salary of $150K a year they'd be able to afford just over 37,000 "worker bees" for a period of ten years (the same period as Musk's pay package covers).

Tesla has laid off ~14,000 people as a function of their head count reduction. If Musk weren't so greedy, they could have literally kept all those people they laid off and still come out ahead financially. It is a level of income inequality that is - frankly - disgusting, and should be called out accordingly.

Allowing this type of disconnect in earning ability is exactly what is driving the growing income inequality in western civilizations. The "little guy" is expected to sacrifice while the person at the top just hoards more and more wealth. It's decimating the middle class and leading to all sorts of societal problems (crumbling infrastructure, housing affordability, people having fewer/no kids meaning there's nobody to take care of an aging populace).

We need laws that tie executive pay (inclusive of stock options and other benefits) to a ratio of the lowest paid person in the company, effectively restricting how much the person at the top is allowed to earn vs. the person at the bottom. Unfortunately, the people who make the laws are also bought and paid for, so I'm not sure how to get there...

But Mars!

 

[Blue highway]

I thought (heard) that some of the Tesla charging stations with huge battery banks behind them were for purchasing cheap electrons during non-peak hours (night), and then selling those electrons for a $multiple more at the pump, so to speak.

Made sense when I heard it anyway.

It's possible, but the engineering is more like flattening the demand. It allows you to deliver more power to a bunch of cars charging for a "shortish" period than the grid at that location could otherwise provide.

 

[Rory]

Here’s an analysis by Colorado of battery-backed DCFC. Cost data is a bit old and most of the modeled scenarios use 62.5 kW chargers, but it’s useful to peruse. https://energyoffice.colorado.gov/s...nal Report_Clean Final Version. 24.2.2022.pdf

 

[Tha_Ape]

The McDonalds burger is the best selling burger in the world.

The McDs burger was the Corolla which got dethroned by a burger that costs nearly twice as much. People were willing to pay that for a reason

 

[Snakebitten]

Small town down the road from my small town.

Each cabinet is 4 megawatt Tesla battery bank. Deployed by the local utility that is in "hurricane alley"

My youngest lives close by and he didn't even know it was there, but has had power when I don't several times

These are what I had read/heard were deployed at some of the newest charging stations and were buying low/selling high.

Example: 3¢/45¢?

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