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The following update was sent by Ze’ev Drori to Tesla customers yesterday.
You know of course the saying “Good things are worth waiting for” … undoubtedly we were trying the truism of this adage longer than warranted, but we have broken the logjam. We are delivering the Roadster to our customers. Already 9 production Roadsters have arrived in California, another 3 arrive this weekend, and they will keep arriving at the rate of 4 per week (except for the scheduled factory shut down in the last two weeks of August). In fact, currently there are 27 Roadsters in various stages of assembly. In large measure we deliberately limit the production until we install our own born and bred final transmission by mid-September, at which time production will start to ramp up leading toward a monthly rate of over 100 cars in December.
From the start we planned a slow production rate for the first several months to allow us time to work out the kinks of production prior to increasing the rate of production. As mentioned above, an important mile marker of our progress is the development and implementation of Powertrain 1.5, which is going smoothly. Already we have prototypes running with the Powertrain 1.5 configuration and we are establishing the manufacturing facility for the gearboxes in our own facilities. The performance of this production configuration is extraordinary.
The Roadster delivery to our customers perfectly dovetails with the Grand Opening of our second Tesla store in as many months. The first was the one in Los Angeles and it’s a huge success, and now the one in the heart of Silicon Valley right near Stanford in Menlo Park. The store in Menlo Park replicates the unique customer experience so successfully present in the LA store and more, since in addition to sales and service it is the place where all final assembly, tests and preparations are made with each car prior to customers’ delivery. We are pushing forward with planning for our next stores in New York, Chicago, Miami and Seattle.
In other news, I have hired Mike Donoughe, an accomplished auto industry executive, as our Executive Vice President of Vehicle Engineering and Manufacturing. Mike spent over 24 years at Chrysler, where most recently, as Vice President of “Project D”, he had been tapped to lead their critical redesign of their mid-size vehicle program. Mike’s addition is an example of my commitment to build a world class team at Tesla, combining the best of what Silicon Valley and Detroit have to offer, to build this company into the next great car company. Keep an eye out for additional news on this front.
On behalf of Tesla employees world wide I would like to thank all of our loyal customers and assure you that we do our utmost to justify the faith that you have shown.
Ze’ev Drori
President & CEO
Tesla Motors
Roadsters in final assembly at Tesla Store Menlo Park
Thanks for the update, glad vehicles are flowing again.
Is there a chance you can get those customers who have received their vehicles to blog on their experiences charging / operating them?
Thanks for the updates. Having followed things since the begining the latest developments are the most exciting yet. The feeling is akin to watching my childrens first baby steps. I could not be happier for Tesla and the progress being made. I am still hoping to make my next new car purchase a Tesla Motors product.
Thanx for the update!!!! Sounds like things are geting ready to speed up. I live in Miami & cannot wait till the Tesla Store is opened here! Keep up the good work & GO TESLA!!!
Fabulous!
I guess I need to take me a trip to Menlo Park now. It’s nice to see the several Roadsters in varying states of final assembly, and to know that this is happening so close to home. Thanks for the encouraging update and the great photo.
oh the irony. tesla returns to menlo park. edison just rolled in his grave.
Ze’ev, three great updates in a row! This is very welcome news. I’ve yet to lose faith that Tesla Motors is well on its way to success.
Keep it up!
Oooo pretty colours … here’s hoping you make it down under in the next couple of years when I am due for an upgrade
“The store in Menlo Park replicates the unique customer experience so successfully present in the LA store and more, since in addition to sales and service it is the place where all final assembly, tests and preparations are made with each car prior to customers’ delivery. ”
Super cool idea.
What does “final assembly” include? Batteries? Motor? PEM? All? Are you guys planning to have this at all Tesla stores. I think it would be an excellent idea, although I’d imagine it would be a hard to manage this at every Tesla store.
It took a year or so too long, but it good to see that the obvious step of hiring a *real* car production person has finally been taken. I’m glad that Tesla is “growing up”.
Great news!
Keep updates coming… and give us more than press releases please!
A long wait, but here they come! Go Tesla!
“we deliberately limit the production until we install our own born and bred final transmission by mid-September”
I find this illogical. Why don’t you have Lotus make as many as possible and store them for a mass shipment to arrive in September and start installing the new power train at a rate limited only by your manufacturing process, and not limited by Lotus’s delivery schedule?
Joseph: If memory serves me right, from previous blogs the final assembly does include battery pack, motor and transmission. Certainly all Tesla stores must have hoists and equipment to service and therefore could do final assembly, but it only makes sense if shipping is significantly cheaper. I.E. If Lotus ships the car to the east coast and the motor etc.come from the west then assembly in New York or Miami would be logical. It would not be logical to ship all parts from California to Seattle and assemble there.
Look what happens when you forget to put a space between etc. and come.
Ze’ev: I have another question relating to previous blog about relocation. Now that your Rochester Hills group has been with Tesla for more than a year, maybe you could ask how many are willing to re-locate to California. I understand the advantages of hiring Detroit skills, but it would seem to me that having engineering all in one place would be even more desirable than having local manufacturing. If enough agree (90%?) then I think it would be worth the cost of re-location.
Mike,
that Menlo Park was in New Jersey (in an area now called Edison). This Menlo Park is in California, and the Wizard of Menlo Park would
probably love to see this operation.
AK
I saw one of these yesterday — a teal color, IIRC — driving east at El Monte & El Camino in Mountain View yesterday.
I’d like another
Roy,
I agree that Lotus should have been building as many gliders as they could, unless Tesla Motors was trying to conserve cash.
As for relocating the group in Detroit, it would be like relocating a group of computer guys from Silicon Valley. While co-location is beneficial, having a presence in Detroit is critical for an automaker. I suspect that Tesla Motors may eventually want to sell components / systems to the major automakers there, and they would need a team to help the majors integrate their products.
Does any one know what the Coefficient drag of the Roadster is?
This is so exciting! We’ve been reading about Tesla for quite awhile now - it’ll be a looooong time before we’d be able to afford one, but still I’m so happy they’re being made! I can’t *wait* to see them on the road!! Go, go, go!!!
Excellent. Carry on folks. I expect to see a line of successors over the coming years, including an economically priced family car.
I’d like to read about customers experiences charging , operating them
I feel sad that such a company that would offer such a benefit to society feels the need to overcharge for their cars.
If I need 100k+ to buy a car in these strapped times where we head for a recession, no wonder people stick to gas.
Come out with a car like this for 50,000 then we’ll talk!
Until then make mine texaco
Does “Arrived in California” mean customers have taken deliver or that they’re being worked on in Menlo Park still before going to customers. It might sound like a small difference but still needs some clarity.
AK, the Wizard of Menlo Park would HATE to see this in operation. Edison believed in DC and hated AC. I suggest you read up on the War of the Currents some time. The Tesla uses an AC motor for the engine. Something that Tesla designed and that Edison spent years trying to quash.
Dave T: customers may have taken delivery as I watched one pull a u-turn and speed away on highway 1here in the Bay Area this weekend…it sounded beautiful - I only heard the waves in the background
Yay, more roadsters! They couldn’t come at a better time. I wore my recently acquired Tesla polo today and felt great. On with the EV revolution. I am sure GM is really cursing themselves for crushing their EV program.
“I feel sad that such a company that would offer such a benefit to society feels the need to overcharge for their cars.”
Leon, get a grip. These first cars are almost certainly being sold at a loss, and once production gets into full swing the margin is still likely to be less than any major automaker’s for quite some time. Meanwhile, at initial volumes they could surely jack up the price much higher and still sell all the cars. No one is “overcharging” for anything. The fact that current batteries and electronics of this performance level are expensive is just that: a fact. And of course it’s worth noting that the next model (a sports sedan already well on its way in development) has a target price of $59,000; the master plan calls for a third model around $30k. When you take out the gas prices and the ICE maintenance, those are darn cheap prices. So keep your pants on; the Tesla for the rest of us is on the way.
Now, if you could get these to be affordable to those of us more affected by gas prices then I would be on the list
Jay,
I am quite sure they would be happy to sell you another. Loved your garage show on it. What number did you get ? When is yours supposed to be delivered ?
Roy: It seems to me that holding initial production to low rates is best, because you know there are going to be bugs your prototyping didn’t catch. It’s easier to fix design flaws in 40 cars than it is to fix them in 40,000.
PS everybody remember: DON’T FEED THE TROLLS.
“leon anderson wrote on July 14th, 2008 at 5:43 am
I feel sad that such a company that would offer such a benefit to society feels the need to overcharge for their cars.
If I need 100k+ to buy a car in these strapped times where we head for a recession, no wonder people stick to gas.
Come out with a car like this for 50,000 then we’ll talk!
Until then make mine texaco ”
Whatever this just shows how much you know about tesla. They are making they’re sports car first a car that has pretty close performance (albeit below 125 mph) to others costing close to as much. Plus its electric and new technology which always costs more. If you read any articles from the company they quite often say they are already working on a sedan that will be cheaper. Go educate yourself.
As a resident of Boca Raton, Florida in Palm Beach County , Florida i would like to suggest openning a plant in Palm Beach County , where as many cars as you can produce will sell like hotcakes and Palm Beach County offers tremendous ifinancial ncentives for companies such as yours as received by Scripts Research when they moved to Palm Beach County. Clean undustry is greatly desired in south florida as there will be a tremendous supply of workers with the state buying and closing of south florida’s sugar industry to end its polution creating a need to employ these low wage usa citizens. Costs in florida are a fraction of those in calfifornia. Please consider production and sales in Palm Beach county florida and if it is just to be a showroom/sales facility, i would recommend openning in Palm Beach County, Boca Raton/delray beach, highland beach area as opposed to Miami, as that is where the yuppie wealth is who will be buying your vechicle. Miami is quite undersirable to drive to for service related matters which will adversely effect your southeast florida sales. I moved to Palm Beach County from Maimi about 20 years ago due to the dangerous place florida had become and because my wealthy clientele were also moving north from miami at the time. Pockets of Miami are quite nice and if you were to have numerous south florida dealerships Miami would be ideal, but because one must travel to these locatations thru unsalfe miami, Boca Raton/Delray beach is the best choice. i look forward to seeing your cars on the road.
I would like to know, if the actual production, supply chain and general power supply of your fantastic company, is carbon neutral?
Sometimes I get a bit tired of all the whining by people who have probably never produced anything in their lives, other than low-quality methane. Dozens of companies tried the low-price route to electric cars and they sold dozens of cars, maybe. It is far easier for a company to establish a reputation at the high-end and work their way down. Tesla could have targeted the masses and all they would have done is complain about the lack of holders for their Big Gulps.
Do You have in plan some other models of this car ??? I have 10 month old baby and I can not take wife and baby with this 2 seat model, so I am wondering would You make some other body shapes for whole family ??
According to my sources, the area that later became the town of Menlo Park CA got its name in 1854. The name was more-or-less formalized by its use to designate a railroad stop there in 1863. The “Menlo Park” in NJ, of which Edison was “Wizard,” took its name from that of a failed real estate development, which was actually within the boundaries of Raritan township (renamed Edison since 1954), much as the troubled Coyote Valley real estate development region is technically in South San Jose CA. Edison didn’t set up his “Menlo Park” lab until 1876. The California town seems to have the older and more substantial claim to the name, so it’s not surprising that so many people (at least on this side of the country) initially think that Edison must have worked here in California during his glory days, perhaps as the original “Silicon Valley” pioneer, but no!
Thanks for the update.
Am curious. With the news of GM (and other dinosaur American car companies) closing manufacturing plants throughout the U.S., had Tesla Motors given any consideration to utilizing them?
What?!? There’s no holder for my Big Gulp? That does it; I’m canceling my Roadster order immediately!
I congratulate everyone on the Tesla team for turning into a tangible reality the existence of a high performance, electric vehicle.
The prospective opening of a Tesla store in Miami will not only magnify Tesla’s exposure to the multi-cultural community inherent in the city,
but also will find many innate advocates for a ZEV in this naturally subtropical environment. Opening the store in Miami is definitely a good choice.
Although the high-end Roadster may be not financially feasible for most, our hearts are set in on the future sedan.
Thank you for proving that a high performance ZEV is possible!
Keep up the good work!
@Roy
Having Lotus build gliders (cars without the power trains) in advance would be a good strategy if every Roadster were the same. But customers on the wait list have been promised that they aren’t committed to their car until 3 months before production of their Roadster. If Lotus were to build a customer’s glider a year before Tesla finished the car, the customer would be locked into their Roadster (as well as the options they chose). This is a $100,000+ investment, so Tesla needs to be very good to their customers.
Julian,
They are doing the best they can under extreme pressure. Just the fact that they are taking the chance at what they are trying to achieve gives them a pass on planting a tree today.
When can I buy one in Europe?
I understand that the Whitestar project is still in the development phase, but isn’t that production line supposed to be in Albuquerque? I rolled by where I thought the plant was supposed to eventually be and there are still no signs of construction. Anyone have an estimate of when ground breaking is expected. I’m not whining about the development rate or Roadster costs; I think Tesla has the right plan in action. Nothing better than to have those who can, and will, afford it finance the R&D for those of us who cannot. I just plan on a move to that area soon and can’t wait to boast that the sedan is in production there.
Julian, that’s downright silly. Tesla’s job is hard enough without being laughed out of the room by suppliers after TM demanded that they somehow make their whole operations carbon neutral. And, by the, way, why so, many, commas?
This is a first step toward a long-term vision. Tesla’s work will help to finally defeat the fossil fuel giants, ensuring a real future for my children & yours. This is a good thing; let’s just hope they become profitable so that they can eventually produce the lower priced vehicles we ALL need!
Thanks, Tesla Motors!
So pumped. Always love to hear about progress. I’m rooting for Whitestar in the PAXP.
I have already decided that I am never buying a gasoline powered car again (unless I can someday afford a 1961 E-Type Jaguar that I have always dreamed of). It may not be for another 5 or 6 years, but I look forward to the day when I can buy my own Tesla!
Great job - keep it up, there are many of us waiting for your success to reach the masses!
Thank You for caring so much about America and the world. You have created a great auto and I can not wait until
I can afford one. The family cars coming are awesome. And I also thank you for your solar program, making it
possible for us regular people to start looking at being able to start helping to slow down the flow of oil into our
country and the flow of money out of our country. Thanks again and please keep up the good work for this thing
you are doing is going to change the Quality of the world
I just want to say, though I am no Global Warming crusader, you could put me in the denier crowd, I love this car and love the idea it will change how the World looks at Electric Cars.
I hope it works out. I may start a website on it.
As far as carbon neutral, the benefit of the car far out weighs any carbon the manufacturing of it may produce. In essence, the company is Carbon Neutral.
cow22boy,
That plant was moved to CA. Better deal than NM could provide.
CoW22BoY, the Albuquerque plant got canned. Production will be somewhere in California. www.teslamotors.com/blog2/?p=60
I think this idea is excelent.
I try to find a e-mail to send some data, but find none. Do you have any e-mail to contact you. How about an e-mail to investors ?
Thank´s.
Great news, my congratulations! Your experience in electric cars will be of great interest to other car manufacturers soon. Watch out to choose the right partner and stay with your current path. The masses want an alternative and it should be electric!
CoW22BoY - about the Albuquerque site, sorry to break it to you, but that idea was canned — www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2008/06/30/daily11.html
Kevin M: Re: manufacture gliders sooner. A year? I was thinking that this policy might get as many as 100 roadsters into customer hands anywhere from a few days to a month earlier than otherwise. And when I say as fast as possible, I do not mean at the expense of quality. This blog suggests that the production of gliders is being deliberately delayed because the transmission is not ready, and I don’t see the need for this.
Roy, it costs money to store inventory. Especially for something like a nearly-complete vehicle. Look up “Just in time” production methods.
Is there a reason that the main blog post seems to flip-flop so often between “Executive Appointments” and this article?
Many congratulations on this development! As a Texan sun worshiper, I very much want to own an electric vehicle. As soon as you make the Tesla Minivan, I’ll buy it!
Again, does anyone knows what the Coefficient drag of Roadster is?
Are there any plans on making a family sedan? I would bet that many people would jump at the chance to buy one of those cars.
I love it very much as production is undergoing very fast and delivering it to customers….
but alas it is very costly please reduce price it, otherwise if you want keep that price then please rename your company as Costly motors and not TESLA MOTORS please…because Honorable Late Mr. Tesla was pro people…and his experiment was meant for masses…of course free of cost…but you have to reduce the price of your cars of TESLA MOTORS and should be available to the all people in affordable prices.
if anything what wrong I’m saying please sorry for that…
well keep it up TESLA MOTORS!!!
anyway have a nice day!!!
prashantha venkataswamy
This is something I have dreamed for years. Id love to just buy the parts and put this together myself. Even better id love to work for this company. Makes me wish I had all the education and experience..All i can do now is study more. And wait untill the end of this year when Tesla goes public.Cause I plan to invest, profit and buy one. (1.5 package)
How about a 3.0 package = 475+hp 350 lb-ft torque maybe a sporty 6 spd tranny. This will kill other supercars and the consumer would feel more value even if you dont get the 220 mile range. It can be done.
If you ever design a track/race car I want to be your driver. I called it first, I am the best.
Chris,
I have found that true many times as well. Many times when I go home after work the pages that come up are completely out of date ( not only hours but sometimes day) while at the office they are current. I thought it was a setting at home but maybe not.
Is it a cache issue or something. I have noticed when I empty my cookies and files it tends to update. But that does not always work either.
I am looking forward to a post on Monday about the MP store opening. And I am hoping that now that the logjam of Roadsters has been substantially cleared up and they are now getting to the public more often that TM will see fit to update us on the Whitestar as well - I am sorry but I refuse to call it Model S. That is just dumb sounding. Maybe simply the Tesla S might be OK but Model S is wierd. Maybe the 225S for 225 miles. As upgrades are made to the Battery Pack - as they now call it - then the model name would change as well. Like the 225S, the 300S or the 350S. Many cars do that for engine size so why not TM for battery size.
Where and when do you expect to have a store in Seattle? I would be interested in knowing!
John K.,
Yes they are planning a family sedan. Announcement is supposed to be VERY soon. We have been waiting with baited breath for it. Supposed to be a luxury sedan in the $60,000 range. 5 seater with 225 mile range. Out on the market in 2010 ish time frame.
Prashanth,
Obviously you have not taken the time to actually read the web site. The plan is to produce mass market cars for the general public. This is just the first step in that process. They are VERY much honoring Nikola’s name !!! Next car out is a $60,000 sedan followed by a $30,000 compact. It takes time to get the technology down from the rich to the masses but you should have yours in 3-5 years
“Are there any plans on making a family sedan?”
“but alas it is very costly please reduce price it”
“How about a 3.0 package = 475+hp 350 lb-ft torque maybe a sporty 6 spd tranny….It can be done.”
Anyone ever notice that as more time elapses after a blog post, the comments get less and less informed? Really folks, these answers are all over. Yes, John, there are plans for a sedan…see all the comments above about “whitestar” and “model S”? Prashantha, this tech just isn’t cheap yet; Tesla’s doing everything they can to make more affordable models, starting with the aforementioned sedan…note that this same complaint was asked/answered several times above. Shadrick, why on earth would you want a 6-speed transmission on a motor that has maximum torque from zero to 10k rpms?
Ford has it’s Mustang
Chevy has it’s Corvette
and now Tesla has it’s Roadster.
Can’t wait to see what the other models turn out to be like, but I definitely want a Roadster. Pity I’m north of the boarder, but I’ll find a way to snag one of these, you wait and see
I live in the Caribbean and can’t wait for a Jeep “like” Tesla to hit the market. Our roads just aren’t suited to the roadster model and likely never will be. A family sedan is not really our market either. But if Tesla ever makes an affordable, Jeep “like” model, I want dibs on the first delivery to the British Virgin Islands!
Great idea and kudos to Tesla Motors for making it a reality! It’s about time somebody took the electric car seriously!
Hey Tesla customers: Any feedback yet from those lucky ones who recieved their Roadster’s? Is it all you thought it would be? Pro’s? Con’s? Pictures of your ride?
Thanks for your time.
I would like to set up the company to install all of the charging stations across the U.S. highway system so that instead of a meter dispensing gasoline, you put in your credit card and it dispenses wattage and shows it moving through the line. I would think that the first place to install would be the reststops. When generation 2 and 3 are rolled out, can there be a device installed to handle a full recharge in only 30 minutes versus 3 hours? That way, when families stop for a lunch or dinner break traveling cross-country, they can recharge. If so, ZEV will take over like a weed. I’d call the company “ZIP Charge” and hook up with McDonald’s to charge cars at every free-standing store.
Many years ago I owned a Lotus 7 while living in England for a time. Your production photo reminded me of the “feel” of the Lotus factory and their crew. Always, each vehicle was produced with care, skill , pride and love. for the design. The Tesla line is gorgeeous and I’m in love with the roadster. Though beyond my means : If you ever need a baby boomer gal to drive one around on the East coast - please call me. In the meantime I’ll continue to live vicariously through the Tesla website. Awesome design. Someone is going to have a heck of alot of fun!
In 1971 upon viewing a hacked together Honda 750 with car batteries and an electric starter motor from a car welded in its place, my High school electronics teacher prophetically stated, “Well boys…You’re looking at the future”. Since Tesla isn’t claiming any “breakthrough” technology to support their claims, don’t the “normal” laws of storage and physics still apply when calculating performance? If you’ve watched an electronic “Instantanous fuel milage” gauges on a newer car you’d see cars with average fuel mileages of say 20, dip down to 3 and 4 when accelerating. That is a huge drain on your battery. Some of us don’t seem to realize that the claimed 200 miles per charge won’t be able to deliver that if you are using 180KWs sporting around. (Where is all the “electricty coming from to charge our EVs? Oil? Natural gas? Nuclear? Windmills?Its got to be generated from something). The huge advantage gasoline has is that there is a lot of calories packed into each gallon and that as you use up the energy the weight of it “disappears”. The weight of the rechargable battery is the same fully charged or totally flat, and energy densities are no where near that of gasoline…… The future will be made of efficient low horsepower cars, not 375 Hp Viper types. My EV club friend says that they can get ahold of a Lithium- something type battery….for $10,000. For now they are sticking with lead acid golf cart batteries. GO Tesla! Let’s get the battery development funded and energized!
CAN ANYONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE DRAG COEFFICIENT OF THE ROADSTER IS?
DARRYL PERHAPS YOU CAN?
:(
Enough prancing and preening over your 100K plus car. Its electric, (good), but its never going to have an impact on the ecology because of its out of reach price tag for most of us, (very bad). If you can afford a Tessla, you can afford the gas. Where’s the “Volkstessla” ???????? What a silly idea to make an electric car that only rich people can afford. There aren’t enough of them to effect any pollution concerns so I don’t get the point ot the car at all. Oh, wait, you might get rich. Then again, how many people who can afford a 100K plus electric car are going to buy one. I wouldn’t.
Kevin, I am not really fond of Model S either, but you need a consistent name for it (does Whitestar violate copyright or naming rights for anyone else?). We don’t know how frequently battery pack updates will come, so it might get confusing to include the original range rating in the model name the way you suggest. However I am not sure how I would denote greater range (save it for a new model year? Use an extra letter?). I assume Tesla is unlikely to market two Model S cars with different ranges (at least initially - after they earn a spot amongst the big automakers they would have more freedom to stock and build a variety of models tailored to different uses).
I think the future is upon us. I would like to compliment all involved in this revolution. Progress sometimes needs a push and Tesla , OPEC and the prius are that push. I hope to one day help propel the dream. Great work!!!
I keep seeing posts like Terry’s above. To start with I wonder if they even lookover the site at all. If you look hard enough Terry you will see the reasons for Tesla to start with the high-end vehicle. Maybe have a mission statement thats always visible to let people know the reason they chose to do it this way. It makes perfect sense to me…..
I’ve got cash in hand just waiting for you to open a dealership in Orlando, Florida. California isn’t the only place in the world… hurry and get moving in Florida.
@ ronal IQ
The drag coefficient of the Roadster is 0.365
Can’t wait for a store in Seattle, although I’ll be ordering one before then. Go Telsa!!
Vawlkus,
The Roadster is simply not on the same level as a regular production mustang - the GT500 KR is closer, though the Roadster has more in common, in terms of style and rarity with the Ford GT. As for Corvettes, the Z06 is beneath it, and the forthcoming ZR1 is probably going to be more rare. This is all, of course, ignoring the electric versus ICE factor, which differentiates the Roadster the most. And it ignores the most obvious cousins: the Lotus family, the most costly (desired?) is the Exige 240.
Personally, from the above mentioned cars, I’d take, in order:
Ford GT
Roadster
Corvette ZR1
Elige S 240
Z06
GT500 KR
But that list acknowledges my own love of gadgetry, which makes the Roadster higher rated than its sheer numbers or looks would suggest.
Thanks BARRY for the information!!!
I DO HOPE, AND EXPECT BETTER A BETTER DRAG COEFFICIENT FOR THE WHITESTAR.
:)
We ask you to familiarize with the given site, for construction of the new car.
Yeah, I love the car, it is like one of those toy electric race cars I had when I was a kid only in real size. I’ll certainly buy when I have the cash.
Hello again, I bring fresh news from Portugal. One of the most prestigious Auto magazines in the country named Turbo published a section this month related to current fuel choices, Gasoline, Diesel and Gas. They made a sort of advan. and disadvan. of all. In the end they give the possible choice of electrical and hybrid solutions for the future. When I was already thinking of sending them a mail complaining why they didn’t mention Tesla Roadster, I turn the page and there you go 2 pages dedicated to Tesla Roadster with a big photo of the car covering both pages. This is very good publicity I hope I can see one in our roads soon.
This is the website of the magazine sadly only in Portuguese aeiou.turbo.pt/
@Gabe
You missed my point I think.
The Roadster is Tesla’s ‘flagship’ car, the car they’ll probably be noticed because of, in the same way that the Ford Mustang is Fords iconic car, and the Corvette is the iconic Chevy car.
Keep plugging away Tesla. The world is patiently waiting……
Chris,
I totally agree. I love Whitestar much better over say 225S or 300S. But also keep in mind that Merecedes puts several badges on the same car with different engine sizes. As do many other makers. Seems to work well over international borders. I realize that in the next few years it may not make a difference to get a 225S or a 250S but it would certainly reflect a model change well. Especially since range seems so important. But then what do you do when you bought a 225S and later replaced the battery after 5-6 years and now it is really a 350S… I don’t know what was so bad about Whitestar. I have grown very fond of it after all of this time I guess.
Vawlkus,
Fair enough then.
Andy Chiodini, good luck with your new business. I hope you find economical ways to deliver 100kW+ (to meet your 30 min charging time) at rest areas and the like; it would be a major boon to lots of other industries as well. And I also hope you find enough demand for the service in spite of the fact that 95% of drivers will be fueling at home instead of at your stations.
JohnSwick, you do a good job of stating the basic obstacle: the relatively low energy density and relatively high cost of batteries. However, let me mention a few things you may have missed:
First off, you need to consider the whole system’s weight rather than just the fuel when you compare densities. My car only carries about 85lbs (14gal, 513kW) of gas…but it’s carrying around 1000lbs of engine/tank/pumps/etc. to use it. That leaves a systemic energy density of 472W/lb, vs. 6032W/lb for just the fuel. Considering that the Roadster is only carrying ~200lb of drivetrain around (along with 1000lb of batteries containing 53kW) its system density is around 44 W/lb. Still less than a tenth the gas car…but wait, there’s more.
Next, the dramatic difference in efficiencies comes into play: a 90% efficient Roadster drivetrain can go nearly three times as far as a typical ICE car on the same amount of pack/tank energy. So the 44W/lb in the Roadster is more comparable to a car with 132W/lb of drivetrain/fuel. Still only about a quarter what mine has, but probably getting close to Hummer territory.
So, to pick up some of the slack, Tesla lightens and streamlines the rest of the car. It’s expensive, and maybe unfair, but it apparently has a big impact; they squeeze 221 miles out of that tiny 53kW, while my car only manages about 340 from its 513kW. Without the changes (from the figures above), I’d expect a range under 100 miles. They more than double that, so that means the overall useful energy per lb is more than half that of a gasoline system.
More than half. Still not there, to be sure…but a lot closer than it seems if you’re just comparing the (fuel) densities. And batteries are still quite pricey…the Roadster’s is definitely of the $10,000 type your friends covet. But with $/Whr falling fast, and Whr/lb going up at the same time, we’ll get there. And with a kW from the grid now costing only a fraction of a kW from gas, the really important part (cost/mile) will be at parity shortly…in many parts of the world it’s there already.
Yes, $100,000 IS greatly overcharging. Worse than that, it makes the technology unavailable to people who could and would actually use it. People that can afford to spend that much on a car don’t care how much gas costs, and most of them will go ahead and buy a Porsche or the like instead. The only way the electric car is going to make any difference is when real people can afford to drive them. Until then it will just be a novelty. Build one that goes 80 instead of 150 MPH and cost the same as a Dodge Stratus or a Toyota Camry and you’ll have something.
Very exciting to know that electric car will be available to the public in the near future. Appreciate your effort in providing what this country needs to become energy independent. Your car will help us reduce the 700B dollars outflow from this country for oil consumption. Good luck and hope to buy your car in the future.
Paul,
I’m really tired of hearing people make the statement “Anybody who can afford this car, doesn’t care about the price of gasoline anyway.” I can afford this car and hope to have it delivered early next year. If you’re not in a position to afford it, what makes you think you know what I care about? I do care about the cost of gasoline, not just for me but for you and everyone else as well. This won’t be my only car and until the technology can be applied to a wide range of vehicles, my other car (a truck) will be gasoline powered.
Additionally, Tesla (and the cost of the roadster) doesn’t make the technology unavailable to others. The opposite is the case. By investing millions of dollars to build and create this new technology, they have started the cost reduction cycle that we have seen so many times. Are you old enough to remember when a Texas Instruments pocket calculator cost over $100? How much does a calculator cost today? Some companies give them away as promotions! Personal computers were very expensive when they first hit the market. But, as that technology advanced and spread, the costs to the consumer came down.
Read a little deeper into the Tesla web site and you’ll see that their business plan has always been to start with the higher priced vehicle to absorb the cost of the research and development, to create the DNA in the next step in personal transport evolution, then to move onto more affordable cars like Whitestar (Model S) and the Bluestar. If you don’t know what these projects are, you need to read more on this site than just the base price of the roadster on the spec sheet.
Many people (who can afford this car) have given great sums of money with little more than faith and a promise, to a group of people willing to try something where many before them have failed. The Chairman of the Board has said publicly many times, “The Roadster it’s self will not change the world. But the technology it represents will.”
You need to take a few minutes to read further and understand why things are the way they are before you insult me by claiming to know what I care about.
Tim
3 words …..
WHITESTAR ANNOUNCEMENT PLEASE !!!!!!!!
Hello!!
I have a question. With the new cutting edge Spray on Solar collectors that are 80% efficient, will we be seeing a Tesla painted with a spray on Solar collector? I would love to have a car that does 0-60 under 4 that is powered by it’s own paint! What is the likely hood that you guys can achieve this? - Thanks,
Gian
I’ve been an electric vehicle supporter for five years. I owned a Nevco Gizmo for 5 years and just sold it. I now have had a Zap Xerba PK for the last year and a half. I don’t mind the short range as I use it to run to work, groceries, and college quite often. But the companies are disreputable and the engineering is shoddy.
I’m glad a company has stepped up and made a serious effort to make a real electric car. The technology is not new, but the refinements required to make a long distance, commercially viable solution are. I work at a major silicon manufacturer and know design and implementation cycles. The first production runs of ANYTHING are at a loss from R&D money spent and even the most stringent validation may not uncover all the initial bugs. Their vision in this regard is perfect in my opinion.
If you can make a high end, high performance model of an electric car, that technology can be cost reduced in increments until it is available to a wider consumer base. They have this car in initial production phases. Electric motors are vastly more efficient in terms of usage of available energy, pollutants versus work, and sheer torque versus weight. No kidding its going to have incredible sports car potential. Once they get their production rolling, work out any kinks in the technology, get a solid vendor and investor base, and get some industry recognition and standing- they will have the required backing to go head to head with the big ICE car companies.
They are going at it in the right manner. They are taking their time and improving incrementally. Once they get in the $30k range, I will be proud to buy one of their vehicles.