Thread by @gabebassin

A solution to Elon’s woes.

0/Distributed Energy + IOT+ Aggregate Efficiency Gains
=
Energy Internet + No More Tears

1/It’s so simple: Turn TSLA car’s into roaming batteries that take-up the excess (“wasted”) energy spit off by solar panels.

2/In many parts of the county (CA and maybe AZ) there are periods of the day where energy prices are NEGATIVE. There a bunch of reasons for this most notably the build out of renewables like solar as well as snow melt increasing the pressure at several hydro-electric plants.

3/The why is less important than the WHAT: There is often excess energy that goes unused and the surplus is only growing.

4/There is a term called Aggregate Efficiency. In layman’s terms it’s the amount of actual work relative to the potential work that can be extracted from materials. Re: energy, the aggregate efficiency of the US is currently around 14%. We waste 86% of the energy we produce.

5/To be fair, this isn’t all simply power produced that goes unused. Much of the energy is lost in transmission and such, but a lot of it goes to wasted power that is produced and not stored or used.

6/So here is the solution to your woes, Elon: Let’s figure out a way to let people monetize their TSLA car “asset.” Instead of it being a depreciating asset like every other car, lets make it a cash-flow machine!

7/How you say?

8/Let’s say someone owns a TSLA and also has solar or some other distributed energy setup where supply is greater than demand. Why couldn't they use their TSLA as a roaming “battery” that could service other homes that wanted to pay for cheaper energy?

9/These cars are going to be able to autonomously drive themselves right? So why can’t they become cash-flow machines for their owners (or maybe even be self-owned 🤔) while their owners sleep at night?

10/Think of how attractive this value proposition is for people! They get to drive a computer on wheels, be green AF and distribute their excess energy. They get to serve the greater good whilst making mad paper for doing so. Talk about incentives! Right @naval?

11/Furthermore, these cars could easily self-finance from future cash-flows as they could be posted as collateral to pay for the car upfront giving TSLA the cash it needs continue putting out better energy transmitting vehicles! Everybody wins!!!

12/Keep in mind I am clearly not an energy expert and nor am I a technologist. I am just super enthusiastic and you seem a bit shaken given the last few weeks. That NYT article was depressing.

13/If you take nothing else from tweetstorm take this away: ITS ALRIGHT TO CRY

(Hey tech vc peeps what do think? @msuster, @pmarca , @bhorowitz, @fredwilson, @albertwenger, @impcapital, @m2jr , @wolfejosh @dfjsteve , @naval - is this idea just dumb or what?)