Videos of the first production Tesla's arrival and test drive
CNET is there as the first production Tesla electric roadster arrives (see video above). Why are they rolled from the truck by hand and not driven? The cars are made in England by Lotus, the batteries are made in Taiwan, and Tesla puts the components together in California.
Edmunds got a test drive that you can check out here. The Edmunds review says there is "a slight whine as the motor starts spinning" and the "unassisted steering is heavy at low speeds." We liked the steering when we took a Roadster for a spin. Cars like the Tesla are not meant to stand still and the Edmunds' review continues saying "With 248 horsepower and between 205 pound-feet and 211 lb-ft of torque available from zero rpm to 6,000 rpm, this 2,690-pound roadster accelerates steadily and even quickly as we drive up the steep roads that wind through the redwood trees."
The delivery of the first Roadster means that celebs like George Clooney, the Governator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), two members of the band Red Hot Chili Peppers, Will.i.am and Google founders, all of whom are on the waiting list, are one step closer to getting their new rides.
Related:
[Source: CNET, Edmunds]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BillySharps 5:51PM (2/11/2008)
Why is there an apostrophe in "Tesla's"?
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BlackbirdHighway 6:22PM (2/11/2008)
The Edmunds review says the worse case range is 150 miles, then they go on to say the car is suitable of "the occasional short commute". I guess they have a different definition of "short" than I do.
If my commute was 75 miles each way, that would mean spending about 6 hours per day in bumper-to-bumper, creep-along traffic every day.
If that was my commute, I wouldn't need a Tesla, I would need Dr. Kevorkian!
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Trev 11:49PM (2/11/2008)
@billysharps
because the arrival belongs to Telsa, simple grammar.
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texmln 2:06AM (2/12/2008)
"Why are they rolled from the truck by hand and not driven?"
Let's see:
No battery
No transmission
And you're calling this a 'production' model? The hype continues... Call me when an the regular 'Affluent Joe' with a spare $100k in his pocket can head down to the Tesla dealership and drive one off the lot. Until then, please refrain from using the words 'production model' and refer to these cars as concept vehicles.
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Nicholas Pye 10:42AM (2/14/2008)
Are you for real texmin? Of course this one is a production vehicle! Just because they can´t assemble everything at the same place doesn´t mean it can´t be a production vehicle. Please do some research before opening your mouth.
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