TESLA

We have to include a Tesla product at this point. Although when I say ‘a’ Tesla product, what I actually mean is two Tesla products because they came as a package. I am of course referring to the new Tesla Semi truck and Tesla Roadster. If they are real – and they certainly seemed to be when Elon Musk unleashed them on the world back in November – they represent the biggest single advance in motoring development since Karl Benz first fired up his Motorwagen in 1886. The truck apparently has a 805km range on a single charge and is guaranteed ‘not to break down’ for more than a million kilometres. The 2 + 2 Roadster, meanwhile, is claimed to have a range of over 950km, hit 60mph in an eye-popping 1.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 402kph. All of the above sounds like pure fantasy but as some bloke called Einstein once said: ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge.’ What the rest of the car industry must think of Musk I dread to think. One very clever bloke recently prophesised to me: ‘Musk will be the world’s major car supplier within 10 years. The other manufacturers will still exist but they will have to go to him for everything.’