A topsy-turvy rollerskate kitchen for show not go. I'd bet it's the "entertaining" space, and that there really is a quite utilitarian servant's kitchen somewhere else. I can't imagine trying to prepare a meal in that cavern!

I'd also be kinda nervous about that obviously "thin brick" clad ceiling that you like. Reminds me of the silly stuff Trading Spaces used to do, like the straw on the wall. Even thin brick has considerable weight when compared to conventional plaster or drywall.

Thin brick is not straw. Thin brick has been used successfully in backsplashes for at least 30 years.

I will wager the $17M Bel Air home had the thin brick properly installed. The "considerable weight" of thin brick can properly secured with the correct materials.

In some alternate universe where I win Powerball and buy that house I would feel quite secure with that ceiling just changing everything else.

Not silly at all. Electricity in CA can cost 3-4x what natural gas does. The US has an abundance of natural gas; we're net exporters of it and could supply most of the world if we had the LPNG terminals to ship it out.

Not silly at all for the average Californian but curios for a man worth $7.7B that made most of his fortune selling electric automotive "appliances" and putting solar panels on homes.

If for no other reason than public relations I am sure he has or will have solar panels on his private home making the marginal cost to using electric appliances zero.

In large swaths of the US, electricity is generated by . . . . . . burning coal. Which isn't good for the environment. That's something that's left out of the electric-car debate most of the time. The car may not pollute the air, but the powerplants that create electric power to charge the batteries do. That said, the Telsa Model S is a tres cool automobile.

Elon's kitchen, however, is hideous.....

I don't know where you engage in debate over electric cars but it is considered by owners of EVs and people who engage in policy debates.

Coal generates about 40% of the electricity in the US and that share is expected to fall over the next 10 years. Just ask the freaked out people in coal producing country about "Obama's War on Coal." Or just google "Obama's" and the first option is Obama's War on Coal.

So the most important consideration is not what is the distribution of fuel sources for electricity generation today but 30 years from now when the automobile is electrified.

But even if using electricity generated exclusively from coal a Tesla produces 25% less emissions than an equivalent gas powered car. Anybody who tells you differently is comparing the entire supply chain of EVs pollution vs the tailpipe emissions of a gas powered car excluding it's supply chain and its massive electrical footprint, cleanup from spills, leaking gas-station tanks, and externalities like fighting multi-trillion dollar wars to keep the price of oil relatively low and stable. And gas powered cars create a massive transfer of wealth from the West and Japan to OPEC and Russia which fills the coffers of America's enemies including Al-Qaeda.

The vast majority of electricity from Tesla's Supercharging stations will be from renewables. Mostly solar but hydro and wind too. Even if solar does not become economically feasible in the foreseeable future we have enough supply of natural gas which burns much cleaner than coal and America has a very large stock of.

I actually like his kitchen! Maybe it's not the most classically in-fashion magazine-white kitchen of current tastes, but it's earthy and warm and different. I could be happy trading his kitchen+car for my kitchen+car. :)

I'm well aware of the current and future EV issues, and actually, think EVs make a huge amount of sense even right now for urban areas where even if the electical plant spews out pollutants, it would at least not be right in the most congested parts of the city. And less reliance on oil would have lots of positive political and social implications. I'm less optimistic about being albe to replace existing coal (or nuclear) powerplants with something clean and econonomically viable.

I like the idea floated by Elon Musk (and others) of adopting a replacable battery pack system where EV owners could swap their depleted battery packs for a fully charged one at service stations, in much the way liquid propane tanks already are. This probably would be easier to adopt than building an infrastructure of fast-charging stations with gas-pump like nozzles that recharge your electric car, which with currently technology takes at least 25 minutes. Home charging is problematic in North America because most of our outlets are 120v/15a, which takes too long to charge overnight, so we'd want to install higher-amperage 240v chargers at home too. And, in something so rarely mentioned by EV enthusiasts, so many of us don't even have the option of recharging our cars at home - renters, homeowners living in garden apartment condos or highrises, etc.

My problem with the kitchen isn't that is or isn't fashionable, rather how overwrought and blingy it is (that humongous exhaust hood, etc.) and unfunctional (three ovens, none of them easy to reach, and loads of stovetop space but not much countertop around any of them). I wouldn't want to frequently have to carry all that heavy cookware to the very distant dishwasher and sink (assuming there isn't another DW not viewable in the photo). The arched brick ceiling is, as HGTV likes to put it, "taste-specific".

I'm less optimistic about being albe to replace existing coal (or nuclear) powerplants with something clean and econonomically viable.

I am not. Changing from coal to natural gas is viable and available now. Through the constant yearly improvement to solar panels solar power will be viable for the USA to replace natural gas in about 40 years sooner if some genius makes a massive technological leap.

Most people who own Model S, 7 Series, A8, and S class own single family homes and can more than afford to install Tesla's fast charger. The problem of non-homeowners is discussed. The battery swap stations are more than a floating idea it will happen.

If you can install 240v for you dryer or wall oven why not for your car? This gives you a charging time of about 3 hrs vs 8 hrs. for 110v. Tesla's supercharger station will give you 180 miles in about 22 minutes, there have recent software updates. This service/energy is free for life if you buy the 85w battery car. It is a one time $2500 charge for owners of the 60w car. It takes a lot longer to charge the last few watts into a battery back because you must slow down or else you risk damaging the battery pack.

Most current owners vastly prefer the supercharger stations to the near future battery swap stations(probably because they are homeowners) and I think the supercharger stations are easier to build out. We already have the electrical grid all we need is the electricity storage, supercharger, and in the cases were renewable energy is not available solar panels. You feed the grid when the sun is blazing and pull from the grid when battery runs low.

For the battery swap stations you need the battery swap machine device plus the battery packs, storage warehouse to store them plus the machine that pulls and stores batteries. Another issue is that you own the battery and the system needs to keep track of your original battery to return to you or charge you the difference in value between your old battery and the one installed. People may forget and not like the idea of getting a CC bill in the thousands. Then there is the problem of bolting and unbolting the battery pack again and again. It might wear out the sockets in the chassis where they install the bolt. But Tesla will build both probably side by side and let the market decide.

Maybe battery swap stations for metropolitan cores and supercharger stations everywhere else. Maybe some locations will continue to have both. Elon said the price of a battery swap will be equal to the price of filling up a premium sedan with premium gasoline.

As far as the kitchen goes humungous range hoods are functional I just don't like the contrast with the wall. Tiny sleek hoods are not functional. The brick wall with the ceiling is just too much.

There is bland generic "I am too afraid to pick anything that might look dated next year don't offend anybody" styling and everything else is "taste-specific." And that ceiling is gorgeous.

This post was edited by deeageaux on Sun, Aug 25, 13 at 20:57

There are two DWs, one on both sides of the main sink. And there is a 2nd sink on the island. Chances are this was taken with a wide-angle lens so it looks bigger than it actually is.

"I just thought it strange serendipity that the guy leading the charge to electrify the automobile and move electricity production away from fossil fuels cooks on natural gas. "

"curios for a man worth $7.7B that made most of his fortune selling electric automotive "appliances" and putting solar panels on homes. "

Big D - let's get a few things straight here, Mr. Musk didn't make his fortune selling solar panels to well heeled hippies and cool cars to techies with fat wallets. Those ventures aren't really a drop in the bucket.

Most of his $$$ comes from the fact that he was the largest shareholder and a founding member of the PayPal Mafia. Tesla is barely profitable and just recently paid back its Government loans.

Furthermore - he purchased that BelAir Mansion and didn't build it - so he got the kitchen that came with it. Judging by the old CMT Thermador single oven and the Miele dishwasher with the exposed control panel that has a black knob and the height adjustment baffles , that kitchen is easily turn of the century.

D- how many induction cooktops were on the market in the U.S. circa 2000 ? Any induction ranges ? At 72" wide ?

Think this is his only home ? Perhaps his other one(s) have an induction top ?

Big D - let's get a few things straight here, Mr. Musk didn't make his fortune selling solar panels to well heeled hippies and cool cars to techies with fat wallets. Those ventures aren't really a drop in the bucket.

Most of his $$$ comes from the fact that he was the largest shareholder and a founding member of the PayPal Mafia. Tesla is barely profitable and just recently paid back its Government loans.

Xedos,

You could not possible be more WRONG!!!!!!

He made a $180M as his share of selling paypal to ebay. He went all in on SpaceX and Tesla. He now has a net worth of $7.7 billion.

He owned 50% of Tesla stock and now owns roughly 25%. Tesla's market cap is $19.59 BILLION RIGHT NOW.

MOST OF ELON'S NET WORTH IS THE RESULT OF THE APPRECIATION OF TESLA STOCK.

I made about $100K in Tesla stock about enough to buy a Model S. Thanks Elon.

Solar City is a billion dollar company. And SpaceX is a private company but most evaluate it at over a billion dollars too.

Tesla is the first successful American automotive start-up in almost 100 years. Their factory in Fremont has 500k car capacity but will delivery about 22k cars this year. In 3-5 years they will debut their BMW 3 series fighter. With the brave new world of massive automotive regulations it takes time to get up the economies of scale to make consistently solid profits on cars alone but Tesla is well underway.

I acknowledged he probably did not specify the kitchen. You can install more than one cooktop if you need more than 5 hobs. Most billionaires change properties to their taste regardless of payback at sale. But Elon is a different cat.

Elon was renting not too long ago. He said he did not feel safe buying a house as he was near bankruptcy not too long ago. :)

Investors who have listened to Forbes regarding Tesla have been shorting the stock since it was at $30 per share.

Tesla stock is trading at over $164 per share right now.

Probably what a kitchen designer selected, I doubt he's ever
been in there.
BTW, I despise gas.

I doubt he's ever
been in there.

You obviously did not click the link to see the video.

Part of the interview is in the kitchen.

He opens the fridge to get a diet coke.

It looks well stocked like somebody actually lives there.

Not a bachelor fridge with beer, pizza box,mayo, and ketchup.

I aggree with weedmeister...
a wide angle lens was used for the photo to give a more expansive look. It's still a big kitchen though.

> If you can install 240v for your dryer or wall oven why not for your car?

You can, of course, if you own a detached house or townhouse. But this question unintentially illustrates the point I was trying to make - even though it's possible to install a 240V outlet, convincing people to do so has proven difficult even when the speed advantage is obvious.

The GE Advantium 120 ovens far outsell the 240v versions, even though the latter make better tasting, better textured food (because they don't rely as heavily on microwaves), and also are twice as fast. But many homeowners put up with the limitations of 120V/15A because they don't want to pay an electrician to install a 240V/30A line. Same with 240V washing machines - they can be fed cold water and still are faster than 120V machines that have internal water heaters, and can heat to higher temperatures. The best way to wash clothes is often to soak it in cool water first (so certain types of stains won't set), then heat the water as it washes to a high temperature that blasts out dirt. This takes a long time with a 120V washer. Combination washer/dryers that both wash and dry the clothes in one shot are popular in Europe, but here most manufacturers don't even offer them, and those that do, like LG, try to make them run on 120V/15A to be palatable to Americans. So not only does it take a long time to wash clothes, but an even longer time to dry them. Only Fagor-Brandt sells a 240V combo washer/dryer in the US, and it's hard to find except online. Nobody even sells a 240V dishwasher in the US, and noboby's brave enough to try, despite frequent complaints about how long new dishwashers take to complete a cycle.

Maybe Americans value fast electric car recharging more than they do fast cooking or fast laundry. We'll see.

Maybe Americans value fast electric car recharging more than they do fast cooking or fast laundry. We'll see.

It is not clear to the average consumer what that the differences between the cooking results of 120 vs 240 nor the performance advantages of 240 washers. It becomes half truths and appliance salesmans-speak gobbily gook.

Everybody that can afford and is inclined to consider a Tesla understands the difference between 3 hrs and 8 hrs.

Tesla had a $60K Model S with a 40kwh battery but very few people wanted it because of poor performance and range therefore it was discontinued.

D - I'm glad you made a few bucks on Tesla. We'll just have to disagree on what constitutes "made money". At that level it's mostly about keeping score rather than what it allows you to buy..

> It is not clear to the average consumer what that the differences between the cooking results of 120 vs 240 nor the performance advantages of 240 washers. It becomes half truths and appliance salesmans-speak gobbily gook. Everybody that can afford and is inclined to consider a Tesla understands the difference between 3 hrs and 8 hrs.

The difference between the LG 120v washer/dryer and the Fagor 240v is 2 hours vs 3-1/2 hours which is plenty easy to understand, but either Americans aren't ready to futz with their electric lines for shorter times doing the laundry, or the major manufacturers aren't giving Americans a choice to voice their opinions by not offering a 240v appliance option (I once owned a Westinghouse dryer that could run off either 120V/15A or 240/30A if the latter was available - I'd like to see that approach revived).

> Tesla is the first successful American automotive start-up in almost 100 years. Their factory in Fremont has 500k car capacity but will delivery about 22k cars this year. In 3-5 years they will debut their BMW 3 series fighter.

which will have to compete with actual BMWs - they're launching a line of electric cars beginning with the i3, a $40K all-electric with optional small onboard gasoline-fired generator that will soon be in showrooms in this form, and the i8 exotic sports car which is a plug-in hybrid, with more to follow.

{{gwi:1447520}}

I can easily see the BMW i3 replacing the Prius as the go-to car for people who want to wear their green credentials on their sleeve....

The difference between the LG 120v washer/dryer and the Fagor 240v is 2 hours vs 3-1/2 hours which is plenty easy to understand

Like Tesla you have to have the whole package.

Not plenty easy to give up size unlike the Tesla.

99% of American Consumers have never heard of Fagor and will instinctively recoil at such a tiny washer. Large percentage of appliance salesman have not heard of Fagor either. Not so with Tesla who's useable interior volume is greater than a 7 series.

which will have to compete with actual BMWs

I3 has 80-95 miles of electric range. It is no competition for Tesla. 190 miles of total range with gas?

This is not a very compelling car. Maybe they will get some Volt intenders.

The I8 is a $150k? hybrid with 22-30 miles of pure electric range? Again not a very compelling electric car but we shall see when it is out for sale and everybody has tested it.

. We'll just have to disagree on what constitutes "made money". At that level it's mostly about keeping score rather than what it allows you to buy..

Yeah the difference between $180M and now $8 billion ( a not insignificant amount that has been cashed out of Tesla) is a matter of opinion.

What Ebay is willing to pay for all of Paypal is intrinsically more honest or truthful than what investors are willing to pay for part of Tesla Motors or Solar City?

Most great American fortunes are not the direct result of profits from the sale of widgets but the appreciation of stocks or real estate.

BTW $180M can't buy you a colony on Mars as Elon plans to launch by 2025 but $8 Billion can.

This post was edited by deeageaux on Wed, Aug 28, 13 at 21:45

> Like Tesla you have to have the whole package.

Exactly. You must (a) have the right product, (b) promote your company and have good distribution, and (c) promote the advantages your product has. None of my appliance examples have all three. The LG washer/dryer is from a well-known, readily available brand and is big enough, but because it's 120v is too slow. GE doesn't make the full advantages of the Advantium 240v vs 120v clear (they mention the 240v is twice as fast, but not that it will make crispier, less soggy food). The Fagor W/D is too small and too obscure.

I used Paypal almost from the beginning, but rarely do anymore unless necessary for an eBay purchase. Remember when both sending and receiving PayPal payments was free, and they claimed it would always remain free?

Ebay is letting paypal die on the vine.

Instead of innovating in many ways they are regressing.

RE Tesla I think the supercharger network is making hybrids obsolete. BMW, GM or Toyota working on next generation hybrids is wasted money, effort and time.

When the Model E comes out starting at $35K it will make the Volt, I3, Prius Plug-In($40k) and any hybrid around that price distressed merchandise requiring large discounts in order to move.

I really don't see a competent competitor on the horizon. As a Tesla investor that is great but as a consumer that is horrible. Competition puts the pedal to the medal for innovation and driving down cost and therefore price.

Chevy Spark, Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi I, Ford Focus Electric, Fiat 500e, Honda Fit EV have to get at least a 200 mile range in order for average consumer other than the Ed Begley Jr types to consider.