Daily Archives: October 8, 2012


When companies spend more on buying up patents and paying lawyers, the justification…

When companies spend more on buying up patents and paying lawyers, the justification for a patent system goes away.

"Last year, for the first time, spending by Apple and Google on patent lawsuits and unusually big-dollar patent purchases exceeded spending on research and development of new products, according to public filings."

In Technology Wars, Using the Patent as a Sword
Alongside the impressive technology advances of the last two decades, many see a destructive use of software patents corrupting the marketplace for ideas.

Post imported by Google+Blog for WordPress.


Seems like +Tesla Motors is trying to be a high-cost version Spirit Airlines by… 12

Seems like +Tesla Motors is trying to be a high-cost version Spirit Airlines by nickel and diming customers on everything after they buy. $600/year for a service contract is ridiculous when most automakers are now including as much as 4 years of scheduled maintenance (oil changes, tire rotations, fluids, inspections,etc at no extra charge). Even my wife's $27k +Volkswagen USA Jetta TDI wagon got 4 years of free maintenance.  My 7-year-old +Ford Motor Company Mustang costs me less than $150/year. 

Charging for software updates is ridiculous, no other automaker does this to my knowledge. Ford offers regular updates to its SYNC connectivity system through its website and earlier this year they shipped over 300,000 USB drives to customers to update the MyFord Touch system.  All automakers provide updates to powertrain and other control systems at no charge. 

Voiding a warranty for rotating the tires anywhere but a Tesla store is also unconscionable. 

Reshared post from +Green Car Reports

Will Tesla really void the Model S warranty if owners don't pay $600 a year for maintenance?

Tesla Model S Service Contract: $600/Year, Or Warranty Voided
One big advantage of electric cars is reduced maintenance. With no internal combustion engine, there is no oil to change, no exhaust system, no transmission, no myriad of moving parts to break or wear…

Post imported by Google+Blog for WordPress.


Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-10-08

Powered by Twitter Tools


When I first interviewed +Tesla Motors co-founder Martin Eberhard more than five… 17

When I first interviewed +Tesla Motors co-founder Martin Eberhard more than five years ago, he told me that Tesla was planning to use company-owned stores to sell its electric cars http://green.autoblog.com/2007/03/12/autobloggreen-qanda-tesla-motors-ceo-martin-eberhard-pt-2/ and later then-SVP Marketing and communications Darryl Siry elaborated on that plan http://green.autoblog.com/2007/03/17/tesla-to-open-customer-service-centers-in-2007/

Now, more than four years after the first Tesla store opened in Santa Monica, CA, traditional dealers are realizing that the EV startup might be around for a while and they aren't happy about Tesla's retail strategy. Over the past century, dealer groups have influenced state legislatures to strengthen franchise laws that make it nearly impossible for automakers to compete directly with established dealers.

Tesla had an out because it had no existing dealers to compete with, but now dealers are concerned that other automakers might follow Tesla's path and eventually undermine the franchise system.

Frankly, I'm not sure that's such a bad thing. As the business environment changes, automakers like other companies need the flexibility to shift strategies.As we saw during the 2008-9 meltdown, having too many dealers makes it a lot tougher for automakers to make money but franchise laws make it near impossible to shrink the retail footprint to match sales.  

What do you think?

Front Page — Automotive News
First Shift: What’s weighing on MPG. Study: Obesity rise a challenge to boosting fuel economy; GM adding shift for new Impala; Honda CR-V recall; CA pump surge. … >> watch the video 12:01 …

Post imported by Google+Blog for WordPress.


Outstanding! Major media outlets always prepare obituaries for celebrities well in…

Outstanding! Major media outlets always prepare obituaries for celebrities well in advance so that they can push them live as soon as the Twitter hordes announce their death. Apparently, one outlet has broken the embargo with its Rupert Murdoch obit

Reshared post from +Jeff Jarvis

Hold-for-release obit for Rupert Murdoch. 

Post imported by Google+Blog for WordPress.