Tesla has been faulted for many things in its short life. There have been production delays, legal actions, and even name-calling. However, a recent interview on Fox Business had a Tesla rep defending the company's acceptance of the DOE loans when that money might have been used to cure children's cancer. What the?
The verbal assault began with Cody Willard taking exception to Diarmuid O'Connell, vice president of business development at Tesla, calling the company's business model "perfectly viable." Willard contended that if it was viable they wouldn't need to borrow "welfare money." He also seemed overwrought that Roadster buyers get "a $7,000 cheque from the government" (actually, it's $7,500) saying that "all of that money could, say, cure children's cancer." He continued down the hysterical pathway; "You really think that that, allocating $500 million, risking it on your company, is a better use of money than helping kids with cancer." Wow. Just wow. In young Cody's defense though, the 5 o'clock show is called Happy Hour and is conducted in a bar and, well, you can see where I'm going with this.
To his credit, Diarmuid handled the entire interview in an admirable fashion, refusing the bait and explaining patiently that Tesla hadn't borrowed money up until this point and was doing so now to help "collapse time" in order to speed more affordable electric cars to market. Kind of makes us wonder why they don't send this VP out to talk with the press more often. Hit the jump for the Fox fireworks action.
[Source: YouTube]
The verbal assault began with Cody Willard taking exception to Diarmuid O'Connell, vice president of business development at Tesla, calling the company's business model "perfectly viable." Willard contended that if it was viable they wouldn't need to borrow "welfare money." He also seemed overwrought that Roadster buyers get "a $7,000 cheque from the government" (actually, it's $7,500) saying that "all of that money could, say, cure children's cancer." He continued down the hysterical pathway; "You really think that that, allocating $500 million, risking it on your company, is a better use of money than helping kids with cancer." Wow. Just wow. In young Cody's defense though, the 5 o'clock show is called Happy Hour and is conducted in a bar and, well, you can see where I'm going with this.
To his credit, Diarmuid handled the entire interview in an admirable fashion, refusing the bait and explaining patiently that Tesla hadn't borrowed money up until this point and was doing so now to help "collapse time" in order to speed more affordable electric cars to market. Kind of makes us wonder why they don't send this VP out to talk with the press more often. Hit the jump for the Fox fireworks action.
[Source: YouTube]
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