Do we care how "green" the factory that built our EV is?

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David Green

Well-Known Member
I often wonder about this when reading comments on this, and other forums, why have only GM and Audi followed through with "green" initiatives when it comes to the manufacturing and production system? Audi, is far ahead with their carbon neutral factory in Brussels Belgium, where the E-Tron is built, but why are other makers (including Tesla) so far behind making the production of EV's cleaner?

https://www.wardsauto.com/industry/audi-brussels-plant-claims-environmental-honor

https://www.e-tron.audi/en/clean-beyond-the-automobile-co2-neutral-production-in-brussels-10680
 
May Audi is ahead out of guilt? They were the leading culprit in the VW diesel scandal. It does not make this a bad move, it just does not elevate them to sainthood.
 
Frank K said:
May Audi is ahead out of guilt? They were the leading culprit in the VW diesel scandal. It does not make this a bad move, it just does not elevate them to sainthood.
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Guilt, Maybe... But carbon Neutral factory is pretty cool (It goes way past solar panels on the roof)... Audi does not go all over claiming to be saving the world, Like Tesla does, so let's take a realistic look at the companies that are practicing what they preach. Elon Musk still has very little solar on his factories and a year or so ago was fined by the EPA for the paint shop emitting too much NOX, from problems known to Tesla for years. Elon Musk also commutes to work on a Gulfstream G650, and owns and heats 5 different homes (thats a real committed environmentalist) HAHA!
 
Agreed that Tesla still has some work cut out. But I also believe that without Tesla we still only would have just a few 1000 dorky Nissan Leafs (Gen 1) in the country, and Audi could not care less to build and sell the Etron. So Tesla has done some good.
 
Frank K said:
Agreed that Tesla still has some work cut out. But I also believe that without Tesla we still only would have just a few 1000 dorky Nissan Leafs (Gen 1) in the country, and Audi could not care less to build and sell the Etron. So Tesla has done some good.
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What you are saying may be true, but the environment is paying a big price for Tesla, and the way they operate.
 
It just goes with the false narrative that EV owners care about 'green' over an efficient, cheap to operate, EV. Regardless, if foolish people want to think EV owners are about 'green', let their high profit vehicle be our meat.

Bob Wilson
 
VW may be a changed a company (which I do not believe) but they do not have clean history either. They have had several fines (in fact the largest fine in Auto history) and they have had recalls over the years. If you go into their foundings, there is a clear and unmistakable Nazi (Read Hitler) connection.

At one point you blame Tesla for not making profits, on the other hand you blame Tesla for not making investments that may not be the highest priority to get the products out of the door. You cannot have it both ways. When you are growth mode, you need to make hard decisions and some of these decisions may be to put off some "nice to have" and concentrate on the "need to have".

That said, you and I agree that Elon shoots his mouth off and is hypocritical in some aspects. That does not negate all the good things he has done to move the EV needle forward. So it is easy to take a magnifying glass and focus on the warts but that does not mean much.
 
interestedinEV said:
VW may be a changed a company (which I do not believe) but they do not have clean history either. They have had several fines (in fact the largest fine in Auto history) and they have had recalls over the years. If you go into their foundings, there is a clear and unmistakable Nazi (Read Hitler) connection.

At one point you blame Tesla for not making profits, on the other hand you blame Tesla for not making investments that may not be the highest priority to get the products out of the door. You cannot have it both ways. When you are growth mode, you need to make hard decisions and some of these decisions may be to put off some "nice to have" and concentrate on the "need to have".

That said, you and I agree that Elon shoots his mouth off and is hypocritical in some aspects. That does not negate all the good things he has done to move the EV needle forward. So it is easy to take a magnifying glass and focus on the warts but that does not mean much.
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Personally I do not know if VW is a changed company, but they sure are making some steps in the right direction, their rollout of Electrify America is the fastest and largest rollout of EV charging stations the world has seen from any company (including Tesla). and the stations they are rolling out are equipped for a future that does not exist yet (350kW). They have worked to make the Brussels factory Carbon neutral, and the Taycan factory in Zuffenhausen goes one step further and not only carbon neutral, but the walls clean the air...

https://www.autoblog.com/2019/01/22/porsche-taycan-factory-will-clean-air/

Anyway, my point is Tesla is putting growth ahead of the environment, for a company trying to save the world that does not make sense. BTW, Tesla is not in growth mode, when unit sales have grown very slowly since q3 2018, and revenue is SHRINKING... I wonder what happens as Model 3 reaches initial saturation, and the competitors show up in the same segment, hmmm, see S and X for an example... Just the first few competitors have nearly halved the S and X business.
 
David Green said:
Personally I do not know if VW is a changed company, but they sure are making some steps in the right direction, their rollout of Electrify America is the fastest and largest rollout of EV charging stations the world has seen from any company (including Tesla). and the stations they are rolling out are equipped for a future that does not exist yet (350kW). They have worked to make the Brussels factory Carbon neutral, and the Taycan factory in Zuffenhausen goes one step further and not only carbon neutral, but the walls clean the air...

https://www.autoblog.com/2019/01/22/porsche-taycan-factory-will-clean-air/

Anyway, my point is Tesla is putting growth ahead of the environment, for a company trying to save the world that does not make sense. BTW, Tesla is not in growth mode, when unit sales have grown very slowly since q3 2018, and revenue is SHRINKING... I wonder what happens as Model 3 reaches initial saturation, and the competitors show up in the same segment, hmmm, see S and X for an example... Just the first few competitors have nearly halved the S and X business.
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You make me want to run out and by a Tesla.
 
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