Tesla Roadster pictures and news

Base price: $98K

And if you don't live near San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, or Miami, Tesla Motors will add an $8,000 Out of Service Area fee to price of your car to ensure they can provide you with a superior quality of service. The fee includes the cost of dispatching a technician to your home or transporting the Tesla Roadster to the nearest Tesla Store when service is necessary.
 
Last edited:
Any idea of cost?

Around $80,000

Reports came out yesterday that Tesla Motors had sold out its first batch of 100 Signature models, which retail at a price of between $80,000 and $120,000. It's not surprising to us that Martin Eberhard, Elon Musk and company succeeded in selling their first 100 cars. Musk, the company's chairman, told AutoblogGreen that after the car's introduction on July 19th, "We have 100 collector's edition cars for sale that require a $100,000 up front deposit for purchase and only a few units are left." So it took them a few weeks to unload the remaining that weren't sold at the unveiling, but as Engadget notes, Tesla Motors just raised $10 million in capital in less than a month. CNET reports that only a few cars have actually been built so far and there's no word from Tesla Motors on when the next wave of orders will be announced.
 
Its exciting to see that these are actually being made. And they actually look pretty good. Front end looks NSXish.
 
Its exciting to see that these are actually being made. And they actually look pretty good. Front end looks NSXish.

From most other angles, it looks almost exactly like a Lotus Elise.

tesla-ride-30.jpg


tesla-ride-31.jpg


tesla-ride-32.jpg


tesla-ride-33.jpg
 
"I have been especially interested in the Tesla since it based on the Lotus Elise chassis and is in fact assembled by Lotus in Hethel in an arrangement similar to that used on the Opel Speedster/Vauxhall VX200. However unlike the Opel/Vauxhall, which were more like badge engineered Elises, the Tesla uses a substantially modified Elise chassis with an all-electric powertrain and is a whole new beast. " --G Living Network
 
Tesla Roadster Passes Crash Testing, Ready for Production

9080126.010.Mini1L.jpg


9080126.010.Mini2L.jpg


9080126.010.Mini3L.jpg


9080126.010.Mini4L.jpg


Press Release

First production 2008 Tesla Roadster Imported Series Production Begins in March

0. Tesla Motors has received all regulatory approvals to import the first production Tesla Roadster (P1) for sale. This includes all necessary EPA and DOT approvals, including completion of all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS.)
0. P1 will arrive at Tesla Motors headquarters next week for delivery to customer Elon Musk, Chairman of Tesla Motors.
0. Series production of the Tesla Roadster is scheduled to begin March 17th, 2008.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND
0. As communicated previously, early production units will be equipped with an interim transmission that meets durability requirements but limits acceleration to 5.7 seconds from 0 to 60 mph.
0. Separately, Tesla Motors engineers have designed a permanent solution for mass production that supports the original specification of 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds.
0. The planned solution has some very positive benefits for our customers. Instead of a complex 2-speed transmission design, Tesla will achieve the original performance goals with a simpler one-speed unit mated to a higher rated Power Electronics Module (PEM.) The existing motor will be modified to have advanced cooling capabilities to handle the additional power. The permanent transmission unit will be engineered to handle the higher torque of the powertrain.
0. The planned solution reduces program risk, provides better efficiency, lower weight, equal or better range, better thermal performance and quicker quarter mile acceleration due to the elimination of the need to shift gears.
0. The planned solution incorporates the latest developments of our powertrain team which has been continually improving on Teslas core technology.
0. Early production will proceed at a limited rate and then ramp up to full production when the permanent powertrain solution is production ready later this year.
The upgrade from the interim solution to the higher power, permanent solution will be provided to our customers free of charge when available later this year.
<!-- google_ad_section_end -->
 
Last edited:
These are such cool cars. I hear the uniform acceleration is a unique experience. It's to bad they're so pricey.
 
I really wish I could just drive one once, just to see what it was like cause god knows i'll never be able to afford one.
 
Tesla #6 crashed, witnesses say it went unnoticed because its too quiet

tesla_number_6_crashed_image_main.jpg


Tesla has delivered about 10 or so models of its $100,000 roadster so far. Well, #6 of the 10 was crashed shortly after it was delivered to an unnamed private owner. Many thought the driver of the crashed black green beauty was Darryl Siry, Teslas Vice President of Marketing. Siry later told Wired.com that #6 had been delivered to the customer shortly before the accident.

It was a Tesla customer who got into that accident. Were aware of it because we service our vehicles, he said.

Thats nice. But whats more interesting is that witnesses say that that the cause of the accident was due to the fact that the Tesla roadster had gone unnoticed because of its silent powertrain. Not to mention the airbags didnt deploy either.

tesla_number_6_crashed_image004.jpg


tesla_number_6_crashed_image003.jpg


tesla_number_6_crashed_image002.jpg


tesla_number_6_crashed_image001.jpg
 
am i missing something..? the accident was caused by it being so quiet, yet it is crammed under the backside of another car. unless it was hit from another car from behind. but still this statement does not make much sense. my girlfriend's honda accord v-6 is so quiet i think its not on sometimes.
 
yes, it was so quiet that someone either didn't see it and rear ended it or it drove into the car in front of it. when i think of silent cars those are some of the things that come to mind. ???

and when do people actually hear another person's car when driving anyways? unless it has a fartcan exhaust most of the time i certainly don't hear other's cars, either because of my radio, my own car's road noise, or because my windows are rolled up

and why would the airbags deploy? doesn't look like more than a fender bender, just made slightly worse because of the low front of the car turning it into a ramp


just sounds like the article writer doesn't like the car and was looking for an opportunity to put it down
 
haha o god that sucks, i really dont get why all of a sudden people are complaining about cars being too quiet, we have had the prius for many years no issues
 
the press just put out an artical about 1-2 weeks back talking about how the Prius is more dangerous to pedestrians in parking lots due to it's relative silence.

the above article is a bit dumb in terms of airbag deployment.....from looking at the photos, unless one were to mount the sensors in the middle of the hood, the result is normal.

haha o god that sucks, i really dont get why all of a sudden people are complaining about cars being too quiet, we have had the prius for many years no issues
 
This is absolutely absurd, I have my music playing so loud often that I dont' hear ambulances. has nothing to do with the accident. Idiot.
 
This is absolutely absurd, I have my music playing so loud often that I dont' hear ambulances. has nothing to do with the accident. Idiot.


I'm the same....... I have a hearing loss but if my radio is off I will hear sirens. With my radio on I hear nothing, even my passengers who aren't hearing impaired will not hear it most the time (dunno)

The airbag not deploying makes sense...... the car is so low set that the sensors are in the bumper and since the car in front of it sits higher the rear bumper just smashed into the hood.

The "witnesses" thing is B.S. it's probably just the guy who wasn't paying attention trying to get out of a ticket "zomg I didn't hear the engine I didn't know!!!!" SO....... you can't see now either? Shouldn't be driving then (rofl)

God what a waste though....... I have for the longest time admired the tesla roadster...... 100% electric car, 0-60 in 3.3 seconds and it will get up to it's 130 mph top end in less than 10 seconds..... Such a nice car to have. Poor thing. That guy's insurance is SCREWED (the one who hit the Tesla, which is what I'm thinking happened) that's gonna be a pretty penny to fix (freak)
 
Such a shame it costs $100k. I bet they'd get more customers if they could drop the cost to $50-$60k.
 
Back