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Editorial: Guest Editorial: A Native`s Case for Florida Hometown Democracy
October 3rd, 2009

Editorial: Budget of Sugarcreek Goes Modern
October 1st, 2009

Editorial: Is Nothing Sacred?
September 17th, 2009

Editorial: Great Expectations
September 2nd, 2009

Editorial: Helping the Levy County Budget
August 6th, 2009

Editorial: WUFT-FM to Delete Music for Cedar Key
July 28th, 2009

Editorial: Governor Crist Balks on Appointment
July 9th, 2009

Editorial: Affordable Housing in Cedar Key
July 6th, 2009

Editorial: The Greening of Cedar Key
June 25th, 2009

Editorial: Unanimous Consent to Suspend the Rules
June 12th, 2009

Editorial: Cutting the Cost of Garbage Collection
May 27th, 2009

Editorial: America Must Support Chinese Democracy Seekers
March 23rd, 2009

Editorial: Membership Appeal
February 20th, 2009

Editorial: Cutting Health Care Costs
January 10th, 2009

Editorial: 2008 and Some Fearless Predictions
December 30th, 2008

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Automotive Turning Point

Automotive Turning Point

Editorial

In late July, Tesla Motors announced a high-performance sports car powered by batteries alone. Not a hybrid, but a fully electric two-seater designed in collaboration with the legendary Lotus engineers. The Tesla website displays sleek styling and promises 0 to 60 mph in FOUR seconds. That catches the eye of car enthusiasts and natural born skeptics with a technical bent. It also gives a clue that the price will be high.

The Tesla website explains the designers' philosophy and business plan. The philosophy is that electric cars get us away from oil as a fuel for passenger cars. The business plan is extraordinary: Start with and expensive ($89,000) performance car, then market a high-end all-electric sedan and follow up with a mass produced $25,000 family sedan. (This is the reverse of Henry Ford's business plan whereby millions of Model T's paved the way for luxury car products.) Note that very expensive main-frame computers prepared the public for inexpensive personal computers.

Readers of the Tesla website have been voluminously responsive with blog comments. Skeptics warn of economic doom at the hands of Big Oil and Washington bureaucrats. Others suggest that if General Motors and Ford could not do it, "How can Tesla Motors succeed in producing an electric car?" (Think Apple Computer.)

May we suggest Cedar Key as a test market. Tesla plans to begin marketing in California, Chicago and Miami. On the other hand, Cedar Key has an electric vehicle tradition. We love the quick acceleration of our golf carts. Most of us would be quite happy with recharging batteries after 250 miles. And being able to do 120 mph on emergency trips to Gainesville has a certain appeal. CKPD might even try out (or need) a blue and white Tesla.

Even if a Tesla convertible doesn't make you salivate, if you are interested in history, you may be witnessing Tesla Motors making automotive history, a turning point in automotive design.

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