Is this company a good future investment? Altis Motor Vehicles - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2021, 02:05:34 am
content: Hello everyone,Not looking for financial advice here, I just wanted to get your opinion on this company I found, through an add on Instagram.From what they have posted on their website, they have raised 2.4$ from two crowdfunding campaigns they run.They are trying to raise 25m$ in total for the implementation of their developed electric battery technology in a prototype electric truck.The founding team seems to be very legit though....https://www.invest.atlismotorvehicles.com/Oh and I am not affiliated to them in any way just curious

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2021, 02:22:30 am
content: Quote from: ChrisGreece52 on May 05, 2021, 02:05:34 amIs not that enough to not look any further?What serious company would look for investors though ads on instagram?This is a scam to extract small sums of money from a lot of "investors".All their numbers are laughably small by modern standards. Even if they have some sort of a product,they will be eaten alive. If somebody bothers to buy them, it will be the best case scenario.Also, who puts area of the facility as one of the leading stats about the company? In what world that is relevant? Anyone can rent a warehouse.

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2021, 10:26:17 am
content: Thanks for your input, it seemed a bit weird to find them advertising on social media for investors.On the other hand though when I read though the founding teams linked in profiles revealed that they had experience in the automotive industry or engineering in general.I posted the question because contrary to the startups that Dave roasts from time to time, this one seems to be legit and run by people with experience in the field.

author: wilfred
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2021, 10:57:49 am
content: Companies fail when they run out of money. How well can they raise funds is the key question. Look at the big failures. They're big failures precisely because they were good at raising money.Short answer, probably not.See if you can decide if Tesla is a good investment. Their success is still far from certain. For now the bankers are willing to convert debt to stock but if that changes and the debt servicing cost gets too much they'll fail too. Tesla is paying down the debt though.Look for companies with good management. Trust them to hire good engineers. Not the reverse.

author: f4eru
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2021, 11:04:02 am
content: IMHO, much too much vertical integration for a beginning startup.As a small startup, you want, at the same time, to develop a "different" battery cell, pack, and vehicle ? and this with a much too small budget ?What can possibly go wrong.......QuoteMy approx translation would be:Quote

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2021, 03:45:05 pm
content: Thank you for the interesting comments, you raise some interesting points and to be honest I was not even aware of the details of Tesla, I assumed that they were not even close to having debt.Also, the website's FAQ section mentions that the company plans to go public eventually.As for the members, I honestly think that this is a legit engineering team but the argument about the lack of proper management is a strong one.Even if their product can shake up the market without proper management the company won't be able to raise or manage the investments to get it to market.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2021, 04:11:53 pm
content: I was about to invest in Nikola Trucks about 9 months ago. They had a 2 billion dollar partnership with GM to build the Badger truck. Nikola accepted billions of dollars in deposits to produce the Badger truck without ever making a prototype. The Badger assembly line was supposed to fully up and running last year. Drone footage taken over months show a vacant lot where the factory is located. The founder and president of Nikola is a convicted con-man, Trevor Milton, is the next Elizebeth Holmes of Theranos. Nikola had promo footage of a Nikola vehicle. The truth is the vehicle was towed to the top of a hill and was coasting, there was no engine in it.Investing scamming is running rapid right now because of social media. It’s legal way of stealing people’s money as Trevor Milton and Elizebeth Holmes have proven. Milton scammed walked away from Nikola with around 2 billion.You should ask yourself if this truck is soooo good, why haven’t any of the car companies partnered with the company?https://youtu.be/rnKCVPAKneU

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2021, 01:18:59 pm
content: Wow, I've seen and heard of the Nikola Truck brand from you guessed it, social media.This only adds to the arguments made above against backing anything found on Instagram ads!

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2021, 04:29:01 pm
content: Quote from: ChrisGreece52 on May 24, 2021, 01:18:59 pmDue diligence are the magic words here. But it takes knowledge and time to seperate fiction from facts. I you don't have both then it is better to invest in a fund from a reputable bank or investment firm and set a risk profile you feel comfortable with.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2021, 04:58:16 pm
content: nctnico if you looked at Nikola 9 months you would have thought they had a very good business plan, funds from investors, and a long list of customers. They really had a good compelling story which is why GM invested 2 billion dollars. As I said, I was about to invest in the company. But once the Hindenburg report came out showing Nikola used a truck with no engine coasting down a hill, and the president of Nikola's younger brother, who just a year earlier was concrete finisher was now the chief hydrogen power scientist things didn't look so good. One would have to think GM before committing to a 2 billion dollar deal would have done their due diligence. But like Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, Trevor Milton was able to dupe everyone walking away with nearly 2 billion dollars. Last month he pocketed another 49 million.Even when one does their due diligence it's hard to know if the company you are investing in will be a Theranos, Apple, Nikola or Tesla. Apple and Tesla were both on the verge of bankruptcy. And just because you are a big company like Kodak and developed the first digital camera doesn't mean you can't go bankrupt.Right now the investment scammers are everywhere. They are able to prey on people like never before thanks to social media. Then you have criminal gangs in foreign countries whose business is creating fake investments and scamming people out of their hard earned money.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2021, 06:52:24 pm
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on May 24, 2021, 04:58:16 pmActually... GM never invested 2 billion dollars (https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/30/nikla-shares-drop-as-gm-pulls-plug-on-investment-deal). GM backed out of that deal and gave Nikola a deal to use GM's hydrogen fuel cell technology instead.In the end every startup has a great sounding plan. For that plan to work there needs to be enough capital, capable leadership, a capable product development team and last but not least, a real (potential) customer base.If you want to know whether a company is viable you have to -for starters- dig into what kind of customers it is targetting and whether the company is offering better value to the customers compared to the competition. Just creating the best product there is, is worth nothing at all.If it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true.

author: sandalcandal
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 24, 2021, 07:27:32 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on May 24, 2021, 06:52:24 pmI agree with what you're saying here, particularly on the required ingredients for a successful startup, maybe more emphasis on the team part. I also agree with DougSpindler's point that purely looking at business plans and the market opportunity you'd think Nikola looks pretty good, which is why I think they got the investment they did initially. The major failure in assessing Nikola seemed to be lack of background checking on the leadership and team together with absence of critical assessment of Nikola's technological achievements.The major smoking gun for Nikola was poorly faked claims of in-house hardware.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/renewable-energy/nikola-semi-trucks-better-than-tesla-hydrogen-vs-ev/msg3230872/#msg3230872I think the faked vehicle demo video is just something more easily understood by a lay audience. However there were signs before then if you look at history leading up to their crashhttps://electrek.co/guides/nikola-motors/I think in the case of Altis Motor Vehicles, the fact they are trying to raise through crowd funding (general public) and social media is a big red flag. Particularly for a product as capital intensive to develop as a pickup truck. If a product and company looks good then you can be sure "real" sophisticated and institutional investors would be queuing up to throw money at them. As a company you would definitely prefer the benefits of angel investors, strategic investors or VCs. Crowd funding only makes sense for particularly "cheap" consumer oriented products or as a means of proving traction to "real" investors when there's at least a remote chance of you delivering directly via the crowd funding. The attempt to fund an EV startup venture, particularly for a Pickup Truck not one of those neighbourhood trike golf cart things through the general public seems incongruent.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 02:12:47 am
content: @sandalcandal I would like to get your thoughts on Theranos/Elizbeth Holmes. And do you know who her dad is? VP of Enron. Remember that scam? And what would a single women do who is facing the rest of her life in prison? She marries a 27 year old millionaire, then as the trial is about to get underway she announces to the court she is pregnant.

author: sandalcandal
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 05:59:40 am
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on May 25, 2021, 02:12:47 amI don't have particular opinions on Elizbeth Holmes. The media portrayal is of Elizbeth Holmes is someone obsessed with "success" and power above actual "good". Based on known history of her actions and "achievements" I can only conclude the general portrayal of her as a "sociopath" is correct. Elizbeth Holmes' actions are incongruent with goals of benefiting society. They are however congruent with someone whose goals are a grandiose desire for fame and power.I don't think I have anything particularly contrarian to say about Elizbeth Holmes and Theranos. If you want an "alternative" take on Elizbeth Holmes this video might interest you (not a video I agree with)This is an attempt to justify the means and the motivation for what is ultimately stilldestructive fraud. Still somewhat useful in terms of understanding how and why someone could be driven to do what she did.Edit: Also as to whom her father is. Personal relations can give some insight into likely shared views and attitudes. I'm somewhat hesitant to pass judgement based on family relations however since one doesn't have much choice over the family they are born into. I would make stronger judgement based on relations one engages in voluntarily (such as her husband?).

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 07:56:01 am
content: Thanks for sharing the video. One has to ask why this investment advisor to the stars is making a video about EH? He left out several key facts such as, EH’s machine falsely told people they had cancer when they didn’t and told people they didn’t have cancer when they did. And isn’t the Stanford professor EH hired the one who committed suicide after learning EH was forging his name on legal documents and ruined his reputation? I’m waiting for his next video about how Adolf Hitler was just misunderstood just like EH.

author: sandalcandal
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 08:02:45 am
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on May 25, 2021, 07:56:01 amNo doubt this investment advisor is himself a questionable character. Being "President at Jordan Belfort" (THE Wolf of Wall Street) isn't exactly a credential which inspires trust. Again I don't particularly like or trust this person or their videos but it does provide a strong "alternative" perspective which I think is useful for broadening one's own perspective even if you don't actually agree, trust or even believe what is being said.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 08:22:18 am
content: It’s good to share videos like to show their are people who are distorting the facts so they will examine the facts more closely. The problem is some people aren’t educated enough tp use or understand critical thinking skills to know when they are being scammed.

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 10:10:21 am
content: Exactly, I honestly agree that its not that I would invest in a company without research but some companies make it look like it does not even need research to invest in them.

author: sandalcandal
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 11:39:24 am
content: Quote from: ChrisGreece52 on May 25, 2021, 10:10:21 amUnfortunately, it seems there aren't legitimate avenues to invest directly in (early stage) startups with legitimate potential as a general member of the public. You have to be wealthy enough to be an "angel investor" or otherwise have control over institutional investment or be lucky enough to be "friends and family" of the startup. And honestly, that's probably a good thing considering the level of capital and risk involved in startups (and the potential for scams).

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 02:12:10 pm
content: I live in California. Out of all individuals who hoped to strike it rich gold mining any idea how many did… a few. The people who really got rich sold gold pans, shovel and alcohol. When silicon rush hit California hit California 100 years later out of the thousands of companies who tried to make any idea how many succeeded? A few. Point is it’s not easy to be a Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, etc. EH like Trevor Milton were telling a good story to get investors, but that story involved breaking the laws of physics. What they were peddling was a type of “perpetual motion” machine.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 02:38:04 pm
content: Quote from: sandalcandal on May 25, 2021, 05:59:40 amI didn't watch the video but pressure due to being on the brink of failure can make people do weird & irrational things. I've seen that happen a couple of times from a very short distance.

author: sandalcandal
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 04:11:10 pm
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on May 25, 2021, 02:12:10 pmI think in both the case of Theranos and Nikola none of what was being promised "involved breaking the laws of physics" They are both achievable and sensible ideas: highly integrated automated blood testing and hydrogen cell powered road freight. Both ideas have or are being implemented to some level of success by other startups. The fact thatthe underlying basis is goodis what gives these "scams" the ability to become so big.The problem is the people in chargelacked the competence to lead the ventures to success and also were more interested in making off with the money (and attention) through fraud rather than doing the work. By fabricating their achievements and capabilities and misleading investors (committing fraud) they caused a diversion of resources from other companies that may have been able to use those resources to achieve actual good in the world.Quote from: nctnico on May 25, 2021, 02:38:04 pmThe video suggests what she was trying to do had a good basis but she was pushed to be extremely ambitious and over promise due to various "supporters" and investors. The video does a good job of highlighting the circumstances Elizabeth Holmes found herself in and the pressure she was placed under. Ultimately there is still initiative on the part of Elizabeth Holmes to place fabricated "success" ahead of actually achieving the company mission and product delivery through outright fraud, misrepresenting key data and company achievements over an extended period (not just spur of the moment). I think there is issue more with what she claimed TheranosHADachieved rather than what she claimed Theranos (or a similar more competently lead company)COULDachieve. This decision to resort to dishonesty seems to be what most people identify as a "sociopathic personality" but I doubt most people making this judgement are qualified psychologists.This demonisation (IMO justified) is furthered by her ultimate failure to deliver despite the immense resources she was provided. If she had ultimately delivered something commercially useful (even if it was a under what was promised) then she might be closer to being in a moral grey area. Had she actually the competency in leadership and executive decision making to make the venture succeed then she might be placed in a different class of people by the general consensus.Not outright disagreeing with nctnico but giving some summary of my interpretation. Having a reason is not having an excuse.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 04:33:21 pm
content: What was left out of the video is EH lied about "her" machine and her killed people and told people they didn't have cancer when they did not. And told people who had cancer they didn't. There is a lot to the story the guy in the video intentionally left out of his version of the facts.

author: sandalcandal
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 04:43:32 pm
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on May 25, 2021, 04:33:21 pmWhat she did was definitely fraud with direct negative impact on people placing trust in her and Theranos; no doubt. My point is that it's not the kind of "breaking the laws of physics" "perpetual motion machine" kind of fraud which can thoroughly be debunked through scientific/technical scrutiny. It is fraud through lies about achievements; achievements which are reachable within the realm of reality, just not by them.Edit: The ability to detect this kind of fraud requires slipping past attempts to obscure the truth and then in-depth technical awareness to realise there is an incongruence.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 05:04:02 pm
content: Anyone know anything about the car company ElectraMeccanica? The car looks like it was cut in half. They want $250 for a test drive."I hope you are doing well! As we start preparing for test drives, we wanted to see if there was a good phone number for us to reach out so that we may get you scheduled to test drive SOLO once we are in your area? We look forward to hearing back from you. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions as we are more than happy to assist!Thank you again for your interest and support of ElectraMeccanica. Should you be interested in pre-ordering your SOLO there is a link here to place your fully refundable $250 reservation.We look forward to hosting your first SOLO drive experience!"https://electrameccanica.com/product/solo-reservation/

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 05:20:40 pm
content: Quote from: sandalcandal on May 25, 2021, 04:43:32 pmHave you looked at the technology she was using? With technology we have what she was "selling" was the equivalent of a medical "perpetual motion" machine. Remember she said her machine was currently in use in military helicopters on battle fields diagnosing wounded soldiers. If you take a look at the technology she claimed to have working it would be like saying she had a working perpetual motion machine.

author: sandalcandal
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 05:37:10 pm
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on May 25, 2021, 05:20:40 pmCan you give a link to/source of the actual claim?AFAIK the technology for pin-prick blood tests exists and has existed since before Theranos. The concept of a highly integrated blood test machine is not impossible or "original" for that matter. Again, the lies are about what Theranos achieved (having it working in military helicopters) not lies claiming to have achieved something that is physically impossible.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 07:28:55 pm
content: @sandalcandal The pin prick has been around, but the 250 tests EH said could be done with a drop of blood including screening for 200 types of cancer just with any degree for accuracy is not possible. You need a vial of blood to determine the concentrations of specific proteins. One drop of blood doesn't give a fair representation. This is why I say it's similar to a perpetual motion machine. With the scientific knowledge we have perpetual motion machines and what EH claims her blood testing machine could do are impossible.

author: ChrisGreece52
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 08:27:54 pm
content: I had never heard of this company until now. IMHO after just browsing their website for a couple of minutes, they seem more reliable than any of the companies discussed here so far.As for the test drive, from what I read and understood the 250$ fee does not refer to the test drive itself but the reservation of a vehicle for purchase.If that is the case and they actually have a production line making these things 250$ seems like a low enough deposit if you really want a thing that looks like a nose on wheels (looking at it from the back is the only thing I see now...)

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 08:45:04 pm
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on May 25, 2021, 07:28:55 pmBut it isn't black & white like that. The achieved accuracy, versus sensitivity versus required accuracy is what drives the amount of blood needed. We know none of those so you can't say a machine which can do 200 tests with a single drop of blood is impossible to make. In the R&D world failure is not a sign something is impossible. I visit a building which houses a cluster of hi-tech startups regulary. One of the 'inspirational' texts on one of the walls says: 'I just found 10 000 ways which don't work'.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 09:40:32 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on May 25, 2021, 08:45:04 pmYou may have tried 10,000 ways which didn't work to build a perpetual motion machine, but what makes you think there is even one way that would work? According to the laws of physics it should never work.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2021, 09:41:16 pm
content: There a a few companies making those 3 wheeled things. They all are ugly as all sin, but there is not much small companies can do here. The reason they pick 3 wheels is that it is not technically a car, it is a motorcycle or whatever lighter classification is applicable in the region. This allows them to bypass a lot of regulations and testing.Not to say that they are somehow worse because of that, of course.To me Smart car form factor is much better for a small one-two person vehicle. But adding another wheel would make it a real car.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2021, 08:13:34 am
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on May 25, 2021, 09:40:32 pmYour analogy with a perpetual motion machine is totally bonkers as the English would say. Preservation of energy is a pretty simple law of physics. Beyond that it becomes muddy quickly. A good example are analog phone lines. Back in EE school I learned that you can never get more than 9600 baud over a phone line -complete with a solid mathematical proof-. Don't even think about trying to send more through a phone line; you will fail guaranteed! With today's technology you can push tens of megabits/s over a standard phone line.

author: station240
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 26, 2021, 12:04:51 pm
content: Seems to me this Altis Motor Vehicles is at best an EV technology IP company.That is make something needed (in this case a fast charger + battery), then wait for a larger company to buy you out.It's extremely hard to start a new car company from scratch, Tesla was the last one to manage it in the US, should be some others soon.Could it be another outright scam like Nikola where they paid Bosch to make one prototype for them, it's possible but unlikely anyone would try that again.Their EV pickup does look a lot like the Rivian one, which is a lot more credible as a company.Sure they could make an entire car, but sometimes companies do so simply to sell the tech inside, and prove it works.Is it going to work, that's the $57M question ?

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2021, 03:03:44 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on May 26, 2021, 08:13:34 amI realize it’s a terrible comparison. But in physics there are laws and theories. In biology/ medicine it’s all theories. I was trying to relate a law in physics to a theory in biology. Just as a perpetual motion machine violates the laws of physics EH’s machine “violates” the theories of biology. Point being if someone told you they had a perpetual motion machine you would immediately doubt their claim. With EH the claims she was making with her machine and the amount of blood where immediately doubted by people who know bio-medical technology. As Carl Sagan said, “ extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2021, 03:31:57 pm
content: Rivian Is suppose to start delivering next week. If they deliver, they beat Nikola/Badger, Tesla/Cybertruck and Ford to market. There is a market for EV trucks, question is can a company make money and stay in business? Rivian Is saying they are rolling out 3,200 charging stations. Have they installed any yet?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2021, 05:13:00 pm
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on May 26, 2021, 03:31:57 pmActually Rivian has working cars for a while now. Look up the TV series 'Long way up' with Ewan McGregor to see some prototypes in action.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2021, 09:04:33 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on May 26, 2021, 05:13:00 pmPrototypes can be fixed between takes. Nikola had a prototype of their semi truck. Wonder how they will do in a consumer market.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2021, 09:27:57 pm
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on May 26, 2021, 09:04:33 pmJust watch the TV series before digging your hole deeper. They drive from the southern part of South America to Los Angeles.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2021, 09:40:24 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on May 26, 2021, 09:27:57 pmHaven't seen the show, but sounds interesting. How do they charge the batteries.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2021, 10:26:18 pm
content: Any which way they canAlthough they admit at the end of the 2nd episode that they are afraid they are making a documentary about range anxiety instead of a travel documentary about a great journey through a lesser travelled part of the world. Ewan McGregor and his motor cycling friend have done 2 trips (long way round and long way down) in the past which IMHO are well worth watching.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2021, 10:29:27 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on May 26, 2021, 10:26:18 pmSeems to me there would not be enough charging stations in South America. (But what do I know.)

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2021, 05:28:20 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on May 26, 2021, 05:13:00 pmTwo of my friends work for Rivian in R&D. They seem ok but realistically the Ford truck is the one to beat. Rivians are doing sub 3 second 0-60's, they do well off road and on. No idea about real reliability yet but I'm told the suspension could be a problem.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2021, 05:39:59 pm
content: From the promo video it looks like the Rivian is more an off road vehicle than a work vehicle. Looked at getting a Ford at the local dealership and they want a cash deposit, and it's about a year's wait.What about thesarcasticallyBadger?

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2021, 03:18:53 am
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on May 23, 2021, 04:11:53 pmIf Nikola really did have a partnership with GM, then they conned a major automaker.This only confirms my already jaundiced view of the competency of GM management, & if they got scammed it warms my old heart!After bleeding billions over the years from the Australian taxpayer to "support Australian auto manufacturing", GM stopped local production of Holdens .This was going to be great, as they wouldn't have to support, "lazy, overpaid, Australian workers" any more, could import cars from "more efficient countries" & rebadge them as Holdens----surely, that would cause a great turnaround in their fortunes in this country.Well, they couldn't even do that!After a year or so they dumped the "Holden" name, & disappeared from the market-----I wouldn't know where to buy a GM product in Oz now!Ford & Toyota shut down local production, too, but to their credit, they stayed in the market.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2021, 03:39:03 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on May 26, 2021, 08:13:34 amBack in the late 1950s, the old Oz PMG's Dept fed analog video through "phone lines" between Melbourne & Sydney.It was crappy & noisy, but useable ---certainly better than "kines" off 405 line, or even 525 line TV.It was regarded as just an "engineering curiosity" & was never used practically.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2021, 09:07:18 am
content: Are you aware that the chip shortage as shutdown 4 automobile production lines in the US? To rent a car in popular cities in the US one has to book 4 months in advance. People who phrased new cars in the past couple of years are selling their used car for more money than they paid for it.As for GM, they did the same thing in the US. Why would the people of Oz expect a for profit company not to make false promises to take free Oz money?

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2021, 02:50:29 pm
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on May 30, 2021, 09:07:18 amIt's not about them being a "for profit" company---it's just a matter of their incompetence & meddling with asupposedly independently managed subsiduary over decades.Vauxhall in the UK has gone in the same manner, & they sold off Opel.As I said above, they couldn't even make a success of selling imported cars in the short term, so gave up & "pulled the plug".

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2021, 03:22:44 pm
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on May 30, 2021, 02:50:29 pmHow can you say it's not about the profits.... it's all about the profits. You guys were not buying GM-Holden cars so profits are down. If you are trying to make money why would you keep something that's loosing money? You know if you drove on the right side of the road you would make it easier for GM to make more money and they would return. But you folks have be different living below the equator in the land of Oz.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2021, 01:44:52 pm
content: Take a look at Nikola Trucks Trevor Milton and Theranos's Elizabeth Holmes.

author: cliffyk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2021, 01:48:55 pm
content: Ask me again--"in the future"...

author: zeke.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2021, 02:32:04 am
content: I like the guy who founded atlis. He has the type of personality you could trust that will be successful.Very hard working guy who has alot of exposure to different fields in his engineering career.They are using a different motor design rather than using a synchrous motor that other EV companies use. Looks like an axial flux motor.Also their batteries are focused on range rather than being environmentally friendly, seems like their focus is to get the people who like trucks that don't care about the environment.However, I haven't seen a working prototype of their truck. I'm not investing until I see the numbers they claim put to test.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 02:36:15 am
content: Quote from: zeke. on December 12, 2021, 02:32:04 amYou know Elizabeth Holmes and Trevor have very nice personalities and people trusted them with billions of dollars. Elizabeth has been convicted... The show with Trevor over his Badger and Nikola trucks are about to begin.

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 08:04:47 am
content: "Best" investments..1/ yourself, your own business2/ long-term stock market index fund, NASDAC, DJI, AMEX, etc3/ real estate4/ Au, AgNFT, Bitcoin, single spécialisé stocks as mentioned are for speculation, and have huge volatility and risk.They have a history of becoming worthless like all financial bubbles.Just the ramblings of an old retired EEI AM NOT GIVING FINANCIAL ADVICE.Bon chanceJon

author: zeke.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2022, 04:52:11 pm
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on February 14, 2022, 02:36:15 amI think it says something that the founder of atlis founded the company off of his side project of converting his diesel truck into electric.I respect that because that’s something I always wanted to do. He just took it to the next level to make a company for people who don’t care to buy EVs for environmental reasons.I don’t think atlis is a scam but im uncertain they will succeed. Too many electric car startups out there while the big car manufactures are making EVs themselves.Just listening to Holmes and/or Milton for 2 seconds and they already sound like they want to "disrupt" their respective markets. That silicon valley optimism is all BS.Quote from: jonpaul on February 14, 2022, 08:04:47 amI agree with Jon here, forget trying to find the "next tesla, apple, amazon...etc"

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2022, 09:13:55 pm
content: Quote from: zeke. on March 01, 2022, 04:52:11 pmProblem with owning you own business is statistically you have a 90% chance of failing in the first year. And if you are one of those lucky ones who is able to stay in business you have a 90% change of being out of business within the next 10 years. Decades ago owning you own business may have been the way to make it, but not anymore.Not sure if it’s true where you live, but in the US most kids are finding it’s easier to not work and live with you parents. Or become a drug addict. If you do in the US the government/tax payers and kind nice people will give you money for drugs, give you clean needles, feed you, shelter you, clothe you and even give you free medical and legal care.Trevor Holmes and many others are finding wealth by scamming people or convincing them to buy Gold, Silver, NFTs and cryptocurrencies. It’s far too easy to scam people than it is to own you own business or work.

author: uer166
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2022, 09:48:45 pm
content: Quote from: DougSpindler on May 15, 2022, 09:13:55 pmAre you seriously bashing harm reduction techniques that have proven to work and save money in the long term in a technical forum? Holy crap my dude.. Please keep politics away from here and go back to Facebook.

author: DougSpindler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2022, 05:55:46 am
content: Quote from: uer166 on May 15, 2022, 09:48:45 pmIt’s not political, statement of the facts.

author: f4eru
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2023, 07:26:25 pm
content: Hello, it seems Altis rebranded to NXUhttps://nxuenergy.com/An interesting Munro video :

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2023, 01:19:17 pm
content: I once read an impressive article about EEstor.And now, the company has been making promises for about 20 years and I'm still not sure if they have any product...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEStor