Elon Musk says Tesla is still planning on $30,000 EV by 2010
The San Jose Mercury News did an interview last week with Tesla Motors chairman Elon Musk. Musk made his fortune by founding PayPal and Zip2 and now he wants to change the world. He has personally kicked in $30 million of his own money to the Tesla project and reiterated his intentions to expand the company beyond the Lotus Elise based roadster. By 2010 he wants to have a range of three models including one costing only $30,000 that he expects to eventually reach a sales volume of 100,000 annually.Apparently the upcoming Tesla Roadster is undergoing crash tests in Germany right now and production is expected to start next summer. The other models won't be coming from Lotus so a new factory will be needed somewhere. Unless those cars are based on some other existing models, Tesla is going to have a very hard time meeting that 2010 target for the lowest-priced model. Of course, there are a "few" plants scattered around the United States right now looking for a product to build.
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[Source: SiliconValley.com via Hugg]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tim 3:42PM (12/18/2006)
Where giants fear to tread... Go Tesla!!
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Beeri 6:03PM (12/18/2006)
Is this article hinting that Tesla could take over the plants that Ford and GM shut down? Just wanted to make that clear.....!
100,000 a year! wow... optimistic!
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Andrew 9:53PM (12/18/2006)
I'd buy it. also love the car in the backround. Could this be the design shop?
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philQ 10:16PM (1/20/2007)
there is a new ribbon tech solar panel that uses no glass and is moldable. could help to recharge if molded into body panels
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Jeff P. 12:08AM (7/19/2007)
Now this is what I'm talking about it in my other post (see my post on the G-Wiz EV). An EV at the mass market price that's still stylish and looks like a real car and not a golf cart or subcompact (if that black one is the prototype). Super-small NEVs are only good to get a few groceries and pick up the kids. We're going to need full size replacement vehicles for gasoline autos when gas prices start to permanently spike.
Elon Musk is a very smart man and with his SpaceX venture, will probably be one of very few rocket vendors (besides the Russians or Europeans) to allow NASA to service the ISS and other space missions for 5-7 years after the space shuttle is retired and until Lockheed-Martin and others can get replacements built.
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