Competitive warfare The impact of electric cars on the oil & refinery industry and their countermeasures
Case study: Tesla Motors, Inc. About Tesla Motors
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Case study: Tesla Motors, Inc.About Tesla MotorsTo provide vivid examples of the new competitive issues the conventional automotive companies and the oil & gas industry now face, Tesla and Austrian national initiatives are briefly summarized in the following. Tesla Motors, Inc. is a Californian car manufacturer based in San Carlos, CA. What distinguishes them from conventional automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is their focus on building 100% electrically driven sports cars, making their company unique in this field (Tesla Motors, 2010a). Named after the engineer, scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla, Tesla Motors also shares their namesake’s passion for electric engines (Tesla Motors, 2010b). The following paragraphs will try to briefly outline Tesla Motors’ key competence, currently built models and an overview about the electric vehicle in general, the battery system and environmental issues. Key competenceTesla’s core competence is building cars driven by 100% electric powertrains (Tesla Motors, 2010c). Unlike hybrid vehicles which are quite common and very popular nowadays, Tesla cars do not have an optional Otto-engine or even a gas tank. This fact alone would not make them unique. Tesla’s big advantage compared to other low-emission and electric vehicles, and also another of their core competences, is the design of their cars. A layman might easily confuse them with a Ferrari, Lamborghini or many other sports cars. Given this fact Tesla does not have to fight the image of being just a gadget for wealthy, environmentally cautious “green thinkers”. In comparison to other low-emission vehicles on the market Tesla’s performance is quite outstanding. The following chart shows the energy consumption of different fuel saving vehicles, including diesel, LNG and hybrid fuelled vehicles. Table 2 shows that Tesla’s 100% electric powertrain is not only fuel-efficient; it also is less dependent on a specific fuel source. The reason for this is simple. Whereas for example hybrid cars still depend on crude oil, at least to some stake, cars driven by electric power can use electricity from a various number of sources. Be it wind, water, nuclear power or solar power, there is a large range of options. Furthermore these technologies will become more and more important and common and hence reduce a country’s dependence on crude oil.  Table 2: Well-to-wheel efficiency Source Tesla Motors, Inc. www.teslamotors.com/performance/well_to_wheel.php
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