Don't believe everything you read out there, Tesla production date has not slipped again
It's a wild world out there on the interwebs, wtih a multitude of sources of information. Unfortunately the quality of those sources tends to vary quite a bit so it's a good idea to double check stuff. Then of course there are the old fashioned typos. We've been known to err on occasion (or sometimes more often) around here, and we do try to correct mistakes when they are found. Given that I've been unaware of a particular self proclaimed "car nut" until a few hours ago, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt this time. In a post about Tesla yesterday, said nut mentioned in the title and the body a March 26 date for start of production on the Roadster. However, elsewhere in the same post is says March 17th, the date announced by Tesla last week. No mention is made of an additional delay, or reason for the discrepancy in the dates, so I'm going to guess that the author's fingers were moving a little too fast. A call to Tesla confirmed that there has been no change in plans, St Patrick's day is still Job 1 for series production. Of course anything can change in the next six weeks, but it hasn't yet.
Update: Speaking of correcting myself, after some of the comments below appeared this evening I put in another call. What I was told previously wasn't wrong, but it also wasn't yet set in stone. More power will be put out through the PEM to the motor. That means the motor will need more aggressive cooling. That means it will likely need to be liquid cooled. However, testing is still going on both on the dynamometer and in vehicles. There is a possibility that they may be able to come up with an air cooled solution which would probably simplify things. So they know what they need to do to meet the performance targets and maintain durability, they just haven't finalized the implementation.
[Source: The Car Nut, via TTAC and Tesla]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Yanquetino 8:26PM (1/30/2008)
I'm sure a lot of customers will be thrilled when production starts on March 17 --especially Martin Eberhard, since his Roadster No. 2 is next-in-line.
With any luck, maybe they'll have the water-cooled motor ready to install by then.
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BlackbirdHighway 8:52PM (1/30/2008)
Another correction for a previous Tesla article on this site:
The new plan is NOT to have a liquid cooled motor in the Roadster, but instead to beef up the air cooling, as well as an improved power electronics module (PEM). The new PEM not only provides more juice to the motor, but is also slightly more efficient as well.
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Don A 8:52PM (1/30/2008)
As I expected the roadster is not going to have a water cooled motor. That is too large of a change to get the car into production in any reasonable timeframe. It is going to have improved air cooling.
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Sam Abuelsamid 8:56PM (1/30/2008)
Blackbird where did you get your information? I was told directly by Tesla that it would be liquid cooled.
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A.Brien 8:58PM (1/30/2008)
This car must be very fun to drive and can be equip
in futur version by a hydrogen fuelcell and a small battery for less cost, too. Microcell compagny sell cheap fuelcell.
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Don A 9:06PM (1/30/2008)
The motor for Whitestar will be liquid cooled, but the Roadster motor will just have improved air cooling. The Roadster does not have all the required radiator, hoses and pumps to support a liquid cooled motor. This information was provided at the Tesla Town Hall meeting today.
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Mort 10:40PM (1/30/2008)
An independent fan w/ a hood cowling would make it mean looking.
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Yanquetino 10:51PM (1/30/2008)
Interesting...! Air-cooled motor, huh? Shades of the VW Beetle and the Corvair! Well, here's hoping that it all works out as planned.
What I don't understand is why they would bother to put a water-cooled motor in the Whitestar. It would only make it more complicated, heavy, and expensive. Unlike the Roadster, it doesn't need to accelerate as fast, nor be capable of a screaming top-speed. If it could hit 60 in less than 8 seconds, and topped out at 100 mph, most customers would be happy. You don't need any extra "cooling" for that. Keep it simple, guys.
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Chase 11:28PM (1/30/2008)
It'll be cool too see these on the road when they come out. I silent peel-out sounds awesome, and $98,000 is low enough that maybe a few folks from Wisconsin will actually be able to buy one and show it to me.
http://www.aboutdryers.com
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Joseph 12:15AM (1/31/2008)
"the Roadster motor will just have improved air cooling"
Hmm...I wonder how that'll work out.
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srilrok 1:47AM (1/31/2008)
Let me get this straight. This thing is still basically in skunkworks and they are going to be ready for production a scant 6 weeks after making a major design change. It doesn't work that way, does it? You change one thing and 3 other things you didn't consider pop up as a result.
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BlackbirdHighway 4:49AM (1/31/2008)
These changes are not as big as they sound. The motor is already air-cooled, they are just going to improve the airflow and heat transfer. They have already put 100,000 miles on a single speed transmission, (really, one of the two-speed transmissions that is locked in 2nd gear), and this new one speed is very similar, just tweeked to improve backlash and simplified because it will never need to switch gears. There is no clutch to worry about.
The new PEM is basically the old PEM with new transistors that have less resistance and can handle more current. All of these components will be extensively tested while production ramps up using the interim transmission.
Tesla doesn't know exactly when they will switch over to the new components, Which vehicle will be the first to come out of production with the new stuff will depend on how fast production ramps up and how the testing of the new components goes. I had thought that they will keep production low, and only about a dozen cars will be produced with the interim trans, but that's not the case.
Production is going to ramp up anyway, so there will be quite a few cars that will need retrofit later. Tesla is even going to provide the option, with some incentives, for owners who choose to keep the interim trans. I don't expect more than a handful to go with that. I don't think Tesla expects many either, but, it's an option available if anyone wants it.
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Randy C. 10:57AM (1/31/2008)
Who's quibbling over 9 days at this point in time. In the grand scheme this is terrific news. I really want this company to succeed. Seeing Tesla Motors sell just one more roadster than GM leased EV1's would be grand. Selling twice as many would be the greatest revenge for crushing perfectly good cars. GM says "there's no demand", right, then how is this company flourishing? I would like to rub it in GM's face and say "this could have been you" the company people picture when the electric car is mentioned.
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Tony Belding 7:08PM (1/31/2008)
Randy C. . . GM is one of the few major companies that is really pushing electric drive now. They are talking about making 40,000 Chevy Volts in 2011, and Bob Lutz admitted that the Tesla Roadster spurred them to start the program. So if you are looking for Tesla to teach GM some kind of lesson, I'd say they've already gotten the message. Better focus your scorn on the companies that are lagging way behind, like Ford for example.
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texmail 11:43AM (2/02/2008)
Of course the date hasn't slipped. It's still NEVER.
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jake 11:25PM (1/31/2008)
@texmail
Why do you say that, their first production model (made for the CEO) with the interim transmission is already done and they are almost ready to ship it. The production of the others will start March 17. There is nothing holding them back with production models with the interim transmission. The new revised transmission might come later than those, but I think they had around 100 customers already agree to get the one with the interim transmission first. Why do people still feel this car won't be produced?
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Randy C. 12:44AM (2/01/2008)
"14. Randy C. . . GM is one of the few major companies that is really pushing electric drive now. They are talking about making 40,000 Chevy Volts in 2011....."
To me the Volt is a joke, just a PR ploy. It is the electric car that the oil companies want built. Moderately expensive, short range and has an ICE to burn fuel. GM is screwing around with Lithium batteries while NiMH batteries have been proven to work better in an EV. GM had a better car in 1997, it ran 100% electric and could go twice as far as the Volt on a charge. Have you ever heard of a next generation car that has 1/2 the performance of its predecessor?
A 40 mile electric range will not cut it for me. My commute is 17.5 miles each way, with 2 steep hills on front end and 1 on the back end to climb, plus 11 miles at highway speeds in the middle. With that kind of a trek the gas engine will kick in every day (hills and freeway speeds cut into electric range). This means I'll be paying 2 energy providers for my daily commute. I'm unable charge at work to extend the range. I need a vehicle with some cargo capacity not another sedan or coupe. I use to own a Pontiac Sunfire, great highway car but really sucked in the city. The trunk opening was 1" to narrow to put a 13" TV/VCR combo inside. GM wont be offering a utility version of the Volt for the foreseeable future so I'll stick to my desire for an eBox.
GM is trying to make up for killing the EV1 I'll grant them that much. But until I see a GM electric car with equal performance to the EV1 they are just waving smoke and mirrors diverting public perception from the current problems: excessive fossil fuel consumption (big SUV's), pollution of our one and only atmosphere (various nitrogen and sulfur compounds), high oil (gas) prices and global warming (CO2). Problems GM is contributing to with assorted business tactics. Right now all I see is a green washed image to sell more cars, no real substance.
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texmln 11:53AM (2/02/2008)
Well, Jake, I say that because nobody is able to buy the car and drive it save for - as you rightly point out - the CEO. I don't consider ONE vehicle with a temporary transmission to have kicked off 'production'. If you really believe the car is in production I guess you'll all agree the Chevy Volt is in production because Rick Wagoner showed up at the Detroit auto show with one. Oh, it's not TOTALLY finished yet and nobody outside GM can get one but Rick has one so it counts, right?
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Nathan 12:59PM (2/03/2008)
Ransy C, it sounds like you have other problems...
You commute 17.5 miles? Have you thought of living closer to your job?
Your employer is unwilling compromise with you on a charging station? Maybe you need a new employer?
In my mind your problems are with your own life, not the specs on the Volt...
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jake 5:41PM (2/03/2008)
@texmln
Seems you don't understand the difference between a production car, a concept car, or even a mule. The Volt was just a concept car, none of the parts in it is ready for production. In fact it is just a very crude EV underneath the shell; why do you think they don't let anyone open it's hood? The Volt doesn't even have a mule yet, meaning it doesn't even have a working copy of it's proposed drivetrain to show to the public.
The Roadster is different, the car came straight off the production line from Lotus. Needless to say they already had 20 working prototype mules. Interim transmission or not, it is ready to start delivery to customers on March 17. Sure you can doubt if they can deliver a car with the proposed PEM capable of 0-60 in 4 secs, but there is no doubt they can at least deliver the car with the interim transmission.
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