Tesla and Honda on TopGear

Reader Simon Temple sent me the links to these 2 videos from last night TopGear show, a popular car show in the UK. Worth you time.

Update on the Tesla. It appear I am now #215 and on schedule to have the car in Feb? We will see.



Spoiler: supercar performance, crappy reliability. They have 2 cars, both break down :( not good.



Second is about the Honda Clarity. A hydrogen plug-in hybrid. It is electric but the electricity comes from a hydrogen engine. They claim the car is the savior of the world.

I don't know what to make of the conclusions. I am not entirely sold on the hydrogen as it is quite expensive to manufacture. It is abundant but difficult to make. I am sure there are 1000 startups working on it. We need better batteries and there are 1000 startups working on it. I think it is peugeot going Li-ion.

At the end of the day, I suspect it is not going to be about technology alone but about distribution, reliability, safety, cost and all these good things. Coolness will also play a factor. In this case both cars win awards :)

I can't wait for my car.

Comments

Roy Russo said…
I'm curious... if that technological terror you're buying has some malfunction, how do you get it fixed? Do you take it to Radio Shack? You can't exactly drive it to the dealer.
December 15, 2008 at 4:02:00 PM PST
adt43wt342 said…
There are 12 of us in ATL. Tesla gives us assurances that they will send someone to fix it. I am not really buying it, me thinks the company has a high probability of default. We will see.

I may die in a car crash, like a modern James Dean. Then you can adulate me properly.
December 15, 2008 at 11:39:00 PM PST
Roy Russo said…
That would be my guess... 6000 laptop batteries explode and Marc gets saturated in a flood of battery acid. Could be worse... you could be buying a Pinto, but then you wouldn't be idolized like J. Dean.
December 16, 2008 at 11:24:00 AM PST
Anonymous said…
I'm just worried that low oil and gas prices will stifle products and companies like this. Let's just hope Obama's energy policies keep the industry moving forward and get these fuel efficient vehicles into the market. I don't want ricocheting gas/oil prices to derail any recovery
December 17, 2008 at 9:03:00 AM PST
Unknown said…
I'd settle for a freaking laptop battery that doesn't blow. I'm on my 3rd and it is already starting to bow out like the others. The apple batteries REALLY suck but I feel so cool when I buy them at the apple store standing next to emaciated kids drinking lattes.
December 24, 2008 at 10:07:00 AM PST
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