You don't see these every day

[JST]

Only problem is that I've had "Tesla Girls" stuck in my head since the autocross yesterday. The guy didn't run the car, unfortunately. Said he gets about 200 miles/charge. No dealer in DC yet, so apparently the company delivered the thing right to his door.

I wonder if Tesla's family gets any licensing money from the use of the name?

In person, it's very nicely finished. Lots of good detail work; other than the exposed carbon fiber (which, I am sorry, looks cheesy), there's absolutely nothing about this car that screams "low volume manufacturer" (unlike, e.g., the Panozes I've seen). The biggest argument against it, of course, is the Elise, which costs half as much and weighs 600 or 700 lbs less.

Still, it's range is better than my M3, and as the guy pointed out, his starts out every morning full. The M3, as far as I can tell, starts every morning empty.

Oh, also--bonus pic of the best thing about autocrossing.

[ZBB]

Cool.

I haven't seen one in real-world conditions yet. Tesla had a couple at Goodwood last year (including the one later tested by Top Gear). It was really strange watching it go up the hill-climb with just the whine of the electric motor...

[bren]

Strangely enough, I've seen two Tesla's. One of them is around very frequently.

[Sharp11]

Charlie Rose had the founder of Tesla on for the full hour one night - he's got ambitious plans for a line of cars, including an upcoming sedan (priced as a volume seller).

Should be interesting.

Ed

[ZBB]

Originally Posted by Sharp11

Charlie Rose had the founder of Tesla on for the full hour one night - he's got ambitious plans for a line of cars, including an upcoming sedan (priced as a volume seller).

Should be interesting.

Ed

The Model S is the sedan... Target price (after Gov't rebate) is $49k, on sale in 2010 or 2011.

I'm considering it as a replacement for the CTS, assuming the price holds... It might cost the same or less than what I pay for the CTS + gas each month now...

[JST]

Originally Posted by ZBB

The Model S is the sedan... Target price (after Gov't rebate) is $49k, on sale in 2010 or 2011.

I'm considering it as a replacement for the CTS, assuming the price holds... It might cost the same or less than what I pay for the CTS + gas each month now...

The Model S has a lot of bold claims associated with it. While Tesla has been able to deliver actual, honest-to-god Roadsters (which is frankly more than I ever thought they would be able to do), there is a big difference between the Roadster (which is at heart just an electric Elise) and the work they'll have to do to get the Model S to market. I suspect that, if it happens, the price will not hold. I also wonder what will happen to Tesla's revenues if Dodge really does start selling its own version of an electric Lotus.

I think Fisker has a more realistic business case, but I doubt any of these niche players are going to be around very long if any of the bigger manufacturers decide that there's money to be made from these products.

That's the long way of saying that while I am intrigued by the Model S, I'm not considering it as the replacement for an actual, real car yet.

[lupinsea]

I've seen two separate Tesla Roadsters around the Seattle area within the last 4 weeks.

And yes, I'd take an Elise over the Tesla for half the cost any day. You have to WANT the electric car really bad and to make a statement.

Not that I do it much but a 200 mile range would suck if you wanted to do a road trip. Get 3 hrs away from home and have to wait 6-8 hours for the car to charge up?

[ZBB]

Originally Posted by JST

The Model S has a lot of bold claims associated with it...

I think Fisker has a more realistic business case...

That's the long way of saying that while I am intrigued by the Model S, I'm not considering it as the replacement for an actual, real car yet.

It will be very interesting to watch. If there was ever a time for a new form of auto company, its now.

Don't forget that Daimler now has a stake in Tesla -- which gives them access to MB technology. It'll be interesting to see if they'll be able to get more than Chrysler did...

And I really like Fisker's business model -- design and sell a fantastic product, but farm out production to contract manufacturers. Sounds a lot like Apple, but with cars. And since he's using Valmet to produce the Karma, I think it will work. Unfortunately, I won't be able to afford a Karma! But the rumors of a ~$40k volume car are very interesting.

While I'm "considering" a Tesla, I'm waiting for a lot more info on the Model S and actual production reviews before I'll put down a deposit...

[ZBB]

Originally Posted by lupinsea

Not that I do it much but a 200 mile range would suck if you wanted to do a road trip. Get 3 hrs away from home and have to wait 6-8 hours for the car to charge up?

The Model S will have a battery pack that can be changed out in ~5 min. They'll have 3 packs avail -- 160, 230 and 300 mile ranges, with the larger packs obviously being more expensive. But you'll also be able to rent the larger packs for a road trip -- which could be interesting.

I see the Tesla as being primarily a commuter car though. Something else would be needed for a road trip...

[dan]

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