LocostUSA.com

Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
It is currently March 29, 2024, 6:10 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 41 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
PostPosted: July 27, 2018, 4:39 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: November 11, 2013, 4:47 am
Posts: 1617
Location: No. Nevada
The feculent Tesla/Panasonic "Giga-factory" has totally loused up the real estate market here in No. Nevada.
Until the bubble burst there is an irrational and totally unsupported greed to the effect that anyone and everyone is somehow going to get rich exploiting a company that has NEVER MADE A PROFIT! :ack:

Never get too comfortable in your situation, the wacked-out market has realtors combing the tax rolls looking for properties that have not changed hands in a while.
They are making stupid offer$ to entice the owners to $ell, then flipping the properties to starry eyed fools.
So the shop I've been in for a dozen years is being sold out from under me.
Timing could NOT be worse. :BH:
Not only will I have little time to move, but move WHERE?
Units that should be renting for around ¢.85 a foot are $1.50 and still hard to find a vacancy!
Now looking at moving about fifty miles further into the sticks, and still no commercial space available.
Cashing out my CNC machines as I cannot program for them on my own anyway, and cannot keep competent help.
I will continue to study CAD/CAM once I have the time and place.
I still have my second small shop that has no outside storage but it is way too small for all I have even with the CNC machines removed. :(
Since I am getting out of the CNC machine debacle and there are no jobs here for me it looks like I may be going back into nearly full time kit builds.
Cashing out the CNC's provides some working capitol.
Will finish my Dio/Alfa as a demo car, have a TR4A rolling chassis for the next Dio-Tipo build.
Will see how well a Miata engine-trans can be made to fit, might be easier to go with a Buick or Chevy V6.
I've tried to make a living doing kits before, it makes running a restaurant look foolproof!
So this time I will keep looking for a real job and to do the kits on the side until/if the kit building can stand on it's own. :roll:

End of rant/vent. :BH:

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: July 27, 2018, 7:46 am 
Offline

Joined: May 29, 2018, 8:43 am
Posts: 184
Location: That point where the humidity and the temperature combine forces to destroy all that is good
Speculators ruin everything. People who just want to make a damn living are being squeezed to death by speculating investors.

_________________
Who knew so much time involved in building a car is spent simply staring at the pile of parts you've accumulated?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: July 27, 2018, 7:56 am 
Offline

Joined: February 28, 2009, 11:09 pm
Posts: 1307
Location: Connersville, Indiana
Its called "Capitalism". Got any alternatives?

Bill


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: July 27, 2018, 12:54 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: November 11, 2013, 4:47 am
Posts: 1617
Location: No. Nevada
But it's NOT really "Capitalism" when it's being subsidized to prop it up artificially.
Without $7,500.00 :shock: subsidies Tesla would have folded up years ago.
This smells more like socialism, and that NEVER works for long.
The real issue for me personally is the level of irrational speculation at all levels from local Gov. Org. to the welfare queens and druggies.
It seems everyone expects to be able to loot the situation in some way. :roll:
Going to be nasty when this bubble burst, then the vultures will swoop in to grab the "Deals" as the prices plummet back to reality.
But for now normal working folk and retiree's are getting squeezed out of the area.

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: July 30, 2018, 12:25 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: April 26, 2008, 6:06 pm
Posts: 3268
Location: Under the weather. (Seattle)
RichardSIA wrote:
So this time I will keep looking for a real job...
I hear Tesla is hiring... :leave:

_________________
-Justin

"Orville Wright did not have a pilots license." - Gordon MacKenzie


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: July 31, 2018, 12:07 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: November 11, 2013, 4:47 am
Posts: 1617
Location: No. Nevada
I hope they are EXpiring! :ack:

They cannot go under soon enough to suit me. :twisted:

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: July 31, 2018, 3:09 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: May 27, 2006, 9:46 pm
Posts: 1954
Location: BC, Canada. eh?
I doubt Tesla will last much longer. I've heard that the government subsidies are going to end soon, which will likely make continued production hugely unprofitable.

I've also heard horror stories about Teslas only being able to be worked on by Tesla dealerships, and ONLY Tesla original parts will work (something about having a bar code for each & every part, which has to be passed by the dealer & the car's computer, or else the car will simply shut down). If that's true, when Tesla goes under, there will be a LOT of disgruntled owners with VERY expensive lawn ornaments. Of course, Musk has already made HIS money, so he probably doesn't really care....

_________________
Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit.

http://zetec7.webs.com/


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: July 31, 2018, 7:55 am 
Offline

Joined: February 28, 2009, 11:09 pm
Posts: 1307
Location: Connersville, Indiana
When it comes to federal the subsidy, there is no should, would, could or heard.

The federal subsidy is based on U.S. sales. At the end of the quarter in which they reach 200,000, a phase out begins. Tesla may have exceeded that number in June, nobody seems to have an exact sales count. But they will exceed the 200,000 figure this quarter. At the end of that quarter, the subsidy will go to $3,750/car for six months, then $1875/car for six months, then zero. Their federal subsidies will run out within a year. No crystal ball required.

So far, it does not seem to have affected sales. By the way, the subsidy is to the buyer, not Tesla.

Bill


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: July 31, 2018, 8:12 am 
Offline
We are Slotus!
User avatar

Joined: October 6, 2009, 9:29 am
Posts: 7651
Location: Tallahassee, FL (The Center of the Known Universe)
BBlue wrote:
By the way, the subsidy is to the buyer, not Tesla.
When we bought our plug-in hybrid Ford Fusion in 2016, we got one of those "subsidies" from the Feds. It's a tax credit on that year's income tax. I don't recall the amount, but it was a couple thousand. It's all "on paper" with the IRS, no refund from the car dealer, no cash in my pocket. I would assume the same rules apply to the Tesla cars.

If there is a direct "subsidy" to the manufacturer for cars sold, I'm not aware of it. That doesn't mean much, but...

I do think I remember some Government grant money being given to car manufacturers (Ford, Chevy, maybe Chrysler) to subsidize design/production of electric/hybrid cars, at about the same time that Tesla was starting out. I don't know if Tesla got any of that or not.

My .02, YMMV, etc, etc

:cheers:

_________________
JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: July 31, 2018, 8:32 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: September 22, 2005, 8:12 am
Posts: 1879
Location: 4AGE in S.E. Michigan
Yupper
GM received a 1 Billion $ grant from Obama, for the Volt development. DaveW


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: July 31, 2018, 9:57 am 
Offline

Joined: June 26, 2012, 7:12 pm
Posts: 26
RichardSIA wrote:
But it's NOT really "Capitalism" when it's being subsidized to prop it up artificially.
Without $7,500.00 :shock: subsidies Tesla would have folded up years ago.
This smells more like socialism, and that NEVER works for long.
The real issue for me personally is the level of irrational speculation at all levels from local Gov. Org. to the welfare queens and druggies.
It seems everyone expects to be able to loot the situation in some way. :roll:
Going to be nasty when this bubble burst, then the vultures will swoop in to grab the "Deals" as the prices plummet back to reality.
But for now normal working folk and retiree's are getting squeezed out of the area.


Not to get too political here, I don't post often, but coming from a socialist/communist country and now living in America, I always find these comments amusing.

A specific business or industry succeeding because partially of government help is through and through capitalism. It didn't just happen by an accident, you can thank lobbyists, special interests, connections etc within the company/industry for making it happen.

As a business you spend money to make money. You spend money on advertising to make more money in two ways.
1) to the people (more people = more profit)
2) to the Government (gov't supports you/your industry = more profit)

For f$#k sakes, most "socialist" programs are driven and are supported by business. Gov't giving money to people means people spend more money. Why do you think "Obamaphone" still exist that are catered to a specific company? Do you think McDonalds is against people having an extra dollar or two in their pockets to spend on the dollar menu?



My 2 cents.. as you were. Sorry to hear about your situation, we had something similar happen in upstate NY areas as industry came to town.

_________________
01 Caterham SLR


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: July 31, 2018, 11:03 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: May 27, 2006, 9:46 pm
Posts: 1954
Location: BC, Canada. eh?
I’d heard that Tesla was receiving massive subsidies from the State of California, these subsidies to end very soon. It will be interesting...

I’ve also learned that various states are passing legislation to force Tesla to sell parts & allow access to manuals. Only a few states so far...

_________________
Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit.

http://zetec7.webs.com/


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: August 1, 2018, 6:33 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: July 4, 2006, 5:40 pm
Posts: 1994
Location: Novato, CA
Tesla made a ton of money selling ZEV credits to other car manufacturers. As manufacturers start selling their own electric vehicles, that income will end.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: August 2, 2018, 7:50 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: September 22, 2005, 8:12 am
Posts: 1879
Location: 4AGE in S.E. Michigan
" Tesla made a ton of money selling ZEV credits " This is true, but they are still burning through money big time. Their losses this this quarter where even larger then wall street projected, and that's after pink slipping 9% of the staff. If they do not make a profit by the end of the year and turn around their poor customer repair service, the $hit is going to hit the fan. DaveW


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: August 2, 2018, 10:57 am 
Offline

Joined: May 29, 2018, 8:43 am
Posts: 184
Location: That point where the humidity and the temperature combine forces to destroy all that is good
IMHO one of the Tesla's failing points is that it's a high-end luxury car, at least from where I sit. Unfortunate, because it's also one, if not the ONLY, relatively "normal" looking electric cars out there. ALL of the recent hybrid/electrics seem to try to distance themselves VISUALLY from the rest of the pack; most of them are strikingly ugly IMHO. If Tesla built a -buy in- version without all the requisite gadgetry so vital to modern drivers, perhaps they could double sales and halve their repairs? (I left out the electric Ford Ranger because, for some reason, it failed also, but was visually undetectable from a normal -gasoline- version). Harry and Marge Homeowner don't always WANT to pay a second mortgage in order to drive a new car....

_________________
Who knew so much time involved in building a car is spent simply staring at the pile of parts you've accumulated?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 41 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
cron
POWERED_BY