The Hidden History of Tesla, part 1/3 Bashny.Net

«When I first got behind the wheel tzero from AC Propulsion, I was immediately struck by how the energy is not extinguished by the acceleration of the electric vehicle movement - was the feeling that you go in first gear, but it does not end, and goes up to 100 miles per hour [161 km / hr].
The second discovery was addictive to decrease power wherever I want to, without any thoughts about changing gear. Speed ​​control has become as instinctive as the basic steering system.
Third, the end of the test drive, I was amazed how smooth and easy speed control for parking speeds. I'm on the same program, as well as at 100 miles per hour, and it works perfectly! How this is possible? But it is real. » Blockquote> At some stage Eberhard invested in AC Propulsion, hoping to get your electric car, and even thought about working in the company. Perhaps his skills could help in making the car enthusiast in the industrial design of the electric vehicle. But he soon realized that both the existing culture of the company contrary to his ambitions.

The era before Tesla
If the electric car is so good and has so many wonderful advantages in addition to its environmental friendliness and lack of emissions, why they did not use the existing auto giants?

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Recycled EV-1. Plug In America, Wikimedia Commons em>

The answer is simple: big companies have tried a new direction, but made mistakes. In the two years before the release of the first production cars Tesla in 2006 released a documentary film «Кто Killed the Electric Car? »( Who Killed the Electric Car? ), which tells of the attempts of big players . The film is almost entirely devoted to electric cars EV-1 from General Motors and contains a lot of speculation about who was favorable failure of this product. < br />
GM claimed that the EV-1 was their best attempt. According to Washington Post , the company had spent $ 1 billion to develop. EV-1 was impossible to advance beyond the circle of violent environmentalists and enthusiasts of electric cars, at least as discussed in General Motors. Almost all of the EV-1 had been withdrawn, most of them It was destroyed .

For Tarpenninga was obvious that the potential of electric motors, which did not use the car industry:

«One of the recurring leitmotifs with which we faced in those articles, read, reason, which never allow electric vehicles to be successful - is the lack of development of battery technology over the last hundred years. The media talked just like that, and this is true for lead-acid batteries. » Blockquote> But for lithium-ion. Due to innovations in the chemistry of electrolytes, according Tarpenning, they become better at 7% per year and is constantly getting cheaper. If there are no unexpected obstacles, it should be expected that within a decade will be available to all, it is easier to design, cheaper, more profitable and more efficient. The electrical nature of their future offspring, as shown by research and spectacular demonstrations with the request to reach the instrument panel, allows not only to receive a lot more torque immediately after pressing the gas pedal, but also to regenerative braking, you have to use the energy normally lost to recharge the car battery .

By the summer of 2003, Eberhard and Tarpenning already knew that they wanted to establish a company for the production of electric vehicles and they will start with two-seater sports car with a lithium-ion battery and an induction motor, and then moving towards greater affordability. This could prevent even the complete absence of any knowledge of the automotive industry. Co-founder of the company were well aware how much they have to learn. They had nothing to fear for the future of the electronic machines - it was strong and Silicon Valley. They were afraid they were only for the fact that they have done in Detroit for its iron component.

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DeLorean liked everything, but the company is bent. rjshade / flickr em>

Gradually it became clear that the last 20-30 years have become much more condusive to car startup. Yes, previously I had to live the smallest details of your future offspring, for example, form wipers and door handles, and produce their own, as does DeLorean.

But the industry has changed a lot: automotive company has long been engaged in the development of the windshield, buy it from another individual manufacturer windscreens. The side and rear windows are already taking other companies. Outsourcing is not only small parts, but even electronics and exterior design. Basically auto giants are working on the engine, assembly, sales, marketing, and consumer credit. And the money they хватает.

Partner companies are willing to cooperate, they just need to find. Let the price will not be as beneficial as it could be in the size of deliveries as at Ford, but is largely due to this specialization in automotive Tesla has a real chance to become part of the automotive world. Following these revelations Tarpenning decided it was time for the electric company.

Ground
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The registration documents Tesla em>

The company name must have meant something else, other than the names of manufacturers of electric cars, the pre-startup Eberhard: no "V", "eco", "pulse" or other greenness. In addition, like any name, it should have been a resounding and memorable, and, of course, point out that this car company, not a manufacturer of some other high-tech electronics.

Eberhard for months racked his future wife, offering a variety of names. He also wanted to honor the memory of the man who invented the induction motor, which became the core of their main product. The name was found in August 2003, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning moved into their first office. The plate bore the last name of the tenant, something like Bushtracks African Expeditions. Plate turned and brought her back to the name of the new company: Tesla Motors. Prior to that, on April 23, Martin has registered the domain name

  teslamotors.com  code>  pre>. The first of July is the procedure of legal registration. 



[Continued in Part 2/3] 



Source:  geektimes.ru/post/250810/