More trouble for Tesla
Feb 23rd
Judge Throws Out Tesla’s Top Gear Libel Lawsuit
By Matt Hardigree
Amidst the Tesla battery problem, comes news of a judgment from the UK courts again dismissing Tesla Motors’ complaints and reiterating that Top Gear did nothing libelous or maliciously false in the program’s review of the Tesla Roadster.
Sometimes, life is all about timing.
This whole issue goes back to December 2008 when Top Gear aired a mixed review of the Tesla Roadster, praising it for its technological advancement and speed but critiquing it for its range and deficient brakes. Specifically, there was video of the crew pushing one of the two Tesla Roadsters they had into a hanger on the Top Gear test track as Jeremy Clarkson said this:
“This car was really shaping up to be something wonderful but then… (artificial dying motor sounds and music slowing down and stopping)… although Tesla say it was do 200 miles we have worked out that on our track it will run out after just 55 miles and if it does run out it is not a quick job to charge it up again.”
These words, and an implication that the brakes failed (which boils down to an argument over whether or not a fuse that makes the brakes harder to use counts as a brake problem), were enough to cause Tesla to run to the courts.
Of course, Top Gear admitted the car they pushed wasn’t out of batteries but that it was done for effect and that it is completely true that the car would have run out at 55 miles of track time. Producer Andy Wilman defended their actions by basically saying “Duh, it’s a television show” and accusing Tesla of trying to use them for press.
Elon Musk responded by calling the show’s actions and his investor’s response to it “Fucked up.”
In October 2011, almost two years after the show originally aired, British Justice Tugendhat tossed out the libel claim and said that Tesla’s lawyers would have to amend their malicious falsehood claim.
They changed it to this:
“There were reasonable grounds to suspect that each of the Claimants [Top Gear] had intentionally and significantly misrepresented the range of the Roadster by claiming that it had a range of about 200 miles in that its true range on the Top Gear track was only 55 miles”.
I.E. they’re saying that Top Gear they intentionally said something untrue, as opposed to intentionally misrepresenting true facts.
The judge today dismissed this as unreasonable as motorists are aware that cars will perform different under different conditions, such as being on a racing track.
Justice Tugendhat also made mention that what Tesla appears to want is a legal ruling saying Top Gear is a bunch of lying liars who lie, but that “rectification of inaccuracies is not a function of the courts unless that can be achieved in the course of proceedings properly brought to enforce a recognized course of action.”
The BBC has jumped on the ruling and released this statement:
We are pleased Mr Justice Tugendhat has ruled in favour of the BBC on both the issues before the court, first in striking out Tesla’s libel claim against the BBC; and secondly in describing Tesla’s malicious falsehood claim as so “gravely deficient” it too could not be allowed to proceed”
We’ve contacted Tesla Motors for a statement on this issue but, since they won’t return our phone calls or emails, we’re not holding our breath.
This story comes to us from Jalopnik
Boulder police seeking suspects in robbery spree
Feb 23rd
Police seek suspects in two robberies, one theft
Police in Boulder are investigating two robberies and a theft that occurred recently and are attempting to locate the suspects who are involved. Police do not believe the cases are related.
Case # 12-2371
A theft took place on Feb. 19 at approximately 12:30 a.m. The male victim was with friends at a restaurant in the 1300 block of Broadway and had gone outside for a few minutes. The victim told police that two men approached him and demanded his wallet. The victim complied.
One suspect is described as being 6’1” to 6’2” tall and weighing about 180 pounds. He has brown hair and an earring in one ear. At the time of the theft, he was wearing a dark shirt and jeans. The other male suspect had brown hair and was of average build. There is no clothing description for the second suspect. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Tom Dowd at 303-441-3385. No one was injured in this incident.
Case # 12-2345
Also on Feb. 19, a male victim was robbed in the north alley of the 2100 block of Goss Circle at 10:01 a.m. The victim told investigators that he was heading to his parked car when a male suspect approached him and demanded his cell phone. The victim laughed at the suspect, and the suspect cut the victim’s face with a knife. The victim was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injury.
The suspect in this theft is described as a Hispanic male in his late 20s, about 5’8” tall and “skinny,” probably weighing less than 125 pounds. He had short, curly hair and light brown eyes. The suspect was wearing a black hoodie, black pants and black shoes. A black and white bandana covered most of his face. Detective Jeremy Frenzen is the lead investigator. He can be reached at 303-441-1890.
Case # 12-2437
Another robbery took place at Pleasures, located at 2801 Iris, on Feb. 21. A clerk at the store says a male suspect approached him at about 8:10 p.m., displayed a handgun and demanded money. The clerk gave the suspect cash and the suspect fled on foot. This suspect is described as a possibly Hispanic male in his mid-20s, about 5’9” – 5’10”, with an “average” build. He was wearing a light gray hoodie, dark gray sweatpants and black tennis shoes, with a black beanie-type cap, and a blue and white bandana covering most of his face. He was also wearing dark gloves. Detective Brian Scott is the lead investigator on this case, and he can be reached at 303-441-3381.
Those who have information but wish to remain anonymous may contact the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at www.crimeshurt.com. Those submitting tips through Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.
CU student’s project UAV to “shake the ground” of rocket research
Feb 23rd
CU team’s efficient unmanned aircraft
jetting toward commercialization
jetting toward commercialization
Propulsion by a novel jet engine is the crux of the innovation behind a University of Colorado Boulder-developed aircraft that’s accelerating toward commercialization.
Jet engine technology can be small, fuel-efficient and cost-effective, at least with Assistant Professor Ryan Starkey’s design. The CU-Boulder aerospace engineer, with a team of students, has developed a first-of-its-kind supersonic unmanned aircraft vehicle, or UAV. The UAV, which is currently in a prototype state, is expected to fly farther and faster — using less fuel — than anything remotely similar to date.
The fuel efficiency of the engine that powers the 50-kilogram UAV is already double that of similar-scale engines, and Starkey says he hopes to double that efficiency again through further engineering.
Assistant Professor Ryan Starkey, left, with a team of students and one graduate, looks over = engine model nozzles for a first-of-its-kind supersonic unmanned aircraft vehicle, visible in the simulation on the computer screen, that's expected to fly farther and faster Ñ using less fuel Ñ than anything remotely similar to date. From left: Starkey, Sibylle Walter, doctoral student; Joah Deomm, master's graduate; and Greg Rancourt, master's student. (Photo by Glenn Asakawa/University of Colorado)
Starkey says his UAV could be used for everything from penetrating and analyzing storms to military reconnaissance missions — both expeditions that can require the long-distance, high-speed travel his UAV will deliver — without placing human pilots in danger. The UAV also could be used for testing low-sonic-boom supersonic transport aircraft technology, which his team is working toward designing.
The UAV is intended to shape the next generation of flight experimentation after post-World War II rocket-powered research aircraft, like the legendary North American X-15, have long been retired.
“I believe that what we’re going to do is reinvigorate the testing world, and that’s what we’re pushing to do,” said Starkey. “The group of students who are working on this are very excited because we’re not just creeping into something with incremental change, we’re creeping in with monumental change and trying to shake up the ground.”
Its thrust capacity makes the aircraft capable of reaching Mach 1.4, which is slightly faster than the speed of sound. Starkey says that regardless of the speed reached by the UAV, the aircraft will break the world record for speed in its weight class.
Its compact airframe is about 5 feet wide and 6 feet long. The aircraft costs between $50,000 and $100,000 — a relatively small price tag in a field that can advance only through testing, which sometimes means equipment loss.
Starkey’s technology — three years in the making at CU-Boulder — is transitioning into a business venture through his weeks-old Starkey Aerospace Corp., called Starcor for short. The company was incubated by eSpace, which is a CU-affiliated nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurial space companies. Starkey’s UAV already has garnered interest from the U.S. Army, Navy, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and NASA. The acclaimed Aviation Week publication also has highlighted Starkey’s UAV.
Starkey says technology transfer is important because it parlays university research into real-life applications that advance societies and contribute to local and global economies.
It also can provide job tracks for undergraduate and graduate students, says Starkey who’s bringing some of the roughly 50 students involved in UAV development into his budding Starcor.
“There are great students everywhere, but one of the reasons why I came to CU was because of how the students are trained. We definitely make sure they understand everything from circuit board wiring to going into the shop and building something,” said Starkey. “It makes them very effective and powerful even as fresh engineers with bachelor’s degrees. They’re very good students to hire. That’s a piece that I’m interested in embracing — finding the really good talent that we have right here in Colorado and pulling it into the company.”
Starkey and his students are currently creating a fully integrated and functioning engineering test unit of the UAV, which will be followed by a critical design review after resolving any problems. The building of the aircraft and process of applying for FAA approval to test it in the air will carry into next year.
Starkey’s continuing fascination with speed first began to burn inside of him when he visited Kennedy Space Center at the age of 5.
“When I teach I tell my class, ‘If it goes fast and gets hot, I’m in it.’ That’s what I want to do. There needs to be fire involved somewhere.”
-C
