32no

Hi Elon,

Although you asked for the AMA to be focused on the SpaceX launch, the Tesla fanbase has some questions that are yet to be answered. Although I have a lot of questions, I limited myself to 4 brief questions:

1. How significant is Tesla's technology in the battery cell and pack? (some believe that Tesla just spot welds Panasonic 18650 cells and wraps it into a pack, which means that any other company can partner with Panasonic and make similar batteries)

2. Assuming that external market conditions are not prohibitive, what automobile strategy would you prefer Tesla Motors to follow in order to achieve the stated goal of electrifying the car market:

   • A. Mass market auto manufacturer (Toyota)
   • B. Premium Auto manufacturer (BMW), developer and manufacturer of electric drive trains for other automobile companies
   • C. Premium Auto manufacturer (BMW), developer of electric drive trains, licensing this technology to other auto manufacturers.

The next two questions will be Tesla investor related, since analysts sometimes ask the wrong questions during quarterly calls:

1. While the Gigafactory is supposed to cut battery costs by 30% before the Model 3 is released in 2017, how much further will Tesla cut battery costs by 2020?

2. What operating margin does Tesla aim for in the 2020 time frame, when Tesla will be producing 500,000 vehicles per year?

EDIT: If you cannot answer any Tesla investor specific questions, could you at least answer the first two? Also, I saw another question I liked: When are you going to do a blog post that compares well-to-wheels carbon emissions of electric battery cars, gasoline cars, and fuel cell cars?

I have driven the car for 6 weeks, I have 4,000 miles on it and it costs me about 4-5 cents per mile driven. Taking the 5 cent number, and approximately 667 miles per week, my electric bill per month would be $33.35*4=$133.40. So I pay $133.40 more per month. As opposed to paying $493 for gasoline per month.

The ungodly acceleration makes me feel like I'm a teenager again. Also, having only 2 buttons in the interior and having everything controlled from the touchscreen combined with the streamlined and quiet interior makes it truly a relaxing car (when you aren't flooring it).

They aren't fast, they are quick. The car has a top speed of 133 mph and goes 0-60 in 4.2 seconds which is fast for a 5-7 seat sedan with 32 cubic feet of luggage space between the front trunk and the back one. The car has the lowest rate of injury from NHTSA, and is among 3 cars that are safety rated 5 stars in every category. Consumer Reports rated the car 99/100 and Automobile magazine gave Tesla the Automobile of the year award. Also Motor trend gave them Car of the year award for 2013. This car has a very minimalist interior with a 17 inch screen that controls everything and there are only 2 buttons outside of the screen. The car handles very well for its weight as well and it is very quiet since it is electric. There is a $7,500 tax rebate from the federal government for each car, and you pay about 5 cents to drive a mile, which is about 1/4 of what you would pay for gas. Also you save on maintenance because the car has very little parts that can break or need to be replaced. The car starts at $70k and goes up to $120k and competes very well with cars in its price range.

No, at 306 watts per mile, you can go 248 miles in a full charge, and then the dashboard will show 0 miles left for about 17 more miles before the car turns off. I try to plan in a charging stop using plugshare.com or the plugshare app if I travel more than 220 miles. Otherwise its really convenient to just plug in at home and not have to look for a good gas station, because I almost never travel 220 miles without stopping somewhere I can charge up the car. Also, there is a roadside assistance number in the manual.