VIDEO: First Tesla Model S buyer takes first ride
Click on the pic above for a hi-res Model S gallery
When the Tesla Model S was revealed the other day, the car on hand was not a clay styling buck or some car show concept with glued-on buttons (actually, it has no buttons) but an actual pre-production prototype. Therefore, after the presentation was made, rides were given. Paying customers got dibbs on the initial tours and Steve Jurvetson, the customer at the very top of the list, got the first one. Although wildly giddy with excitement, he managed to remember to bring along a camera and dutifully record video as Tesla CEO Elon Musk took the wheel, turned on some OutKast and drove the luxury electric sedan around a short loop.
Once they got on a bit of straight road unencumbered by onlookers, Musk gave him a small taste of the S's acceleration and teased with a bit of back and forth on the wheel to demonstrate its handling. Despite only having two-thirds of its power available it made a pretty good impression on Mr. Jurvetson, who is already a Roadster owner. Asked if he was tempted to play around with it, Musk confided that, "Well, I actually did drive it a little hard earlier on..." and went on to say that it handled pretty well. For his part, the passenger thought the handling felt "outrageous" which only serves to make our mouths chomp harder on the bit for our chance to grip the leather-clad wheel. Hit the jump for 7 minutes of Model S action as well as a bonus video taken later by the same lucky buyer outside of the vehicle.
Gallery: Tesla Model S: LIVE REVEAL
Gallery: Tesla Model S
[Source: YouTube]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Richard in FLA 1:14PM (3/30/2009)
OK, now I really want one!
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Dean 1:25PM (3/30/2009)
Cool video, but I have one criticism...
If there is a next time, turn the freakin music OFF. It was distracting, hard to hear the dialogue, and nearly impossible to hear whatever sound the motor/car makes.
All we learned is the thing moves, and he apparently like it.
Still, congrats to Tesla for doing what multi-billion dollar car companies haven't figured out yet, somehow...
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Brn 4:11PM (3/30/2009)
"congrats to Tesla for doing what multi-billion dollar car companies haven't "
Ford, GM, and Toyota have all made EVs. Ford and Toyota even sold them to the general public. They know how to do it, it's just not practical for their audience.
Also, the Volt is conceptually much more complex than a Tesla. GM is taking it to the next level.
I don't want to take anything away from Tesla. They deserve a pat on the back for pulling this all together.
Ed 1:52PM (3/30/2009)
Are there any pictures under the hood?
If a small start-up company can pull this off - Then why haven't ANY other car company made the effort?!?!
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Chris M 4:49PM (3/30/2009)
Actually, there isn't much to see under the hood, just the air conditioning condenser and cooling radiator, fans, and a big space for luggage. The batteries are mounted under the floor, and the motor hardly takes any space at all.
Matt 2:17PM (3/30/2009)
Well, Tesla has a rather elite group of engineers who have been focused on one car for a few years now. The Roadster was very expensive, and the Model S wouln't be cheap. These cars have had their share of problems, and will likely continue to have issues for years to come. Nobody has driven a Tesla 100,000 or 200,000 or half a million miles, and nobody knows how long that battery pack will really last. The major manufacturers are doing the research, and will eventually create electric cars. The fact is, up until very recently the battery tech simply was not available to build a decent electric car, and now that it is the reliability is questionable. The Chevy's and Honda's of the world can not put out a car that might not be 100% safe or 100% reliable... ok, maybe they do, but they try not to because of the damage it could do to the mother ship! Tesla is barely financially solvent, and is taking huge risks that the big boys can't. Give it time, you'll get your electric car soon(ish).
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jake 4:28PM (3/30/2009)
@Matt
The funny thing about your statement is that GM is the one who is insolvent right now.
Tesla, I have heard has have problems with liquidity, running low on cash to the point of having only $9 million in the bank, however I haven't heard any claims of them being close to insolvency. It seems the investors aren't pushing too strongly for returns on their investment this early on in the company, so insolvency doesn't seem like too much of a concern right now (it helps that probably the largest investor, Elon Musk, is also the CEO). The raising of the prices of the Roadster I see is more of a move to prove company profitability to qualify for government loans rather than a move to pay off debts.
On the car itself, I have read most of the coverage and while it is an exciting car, I think it's important people realize a lot of the things seen in this "prototype" won't be on the $57k base price version of the car (and people shouldn't expect them to be). For example, the glass roof, suede interior, wheels are likely going to be options; I also doubt the LED & neon lights will make it to production. The "7 seat" thing is kind of iffy too (the windows aren't low enough in the back for the children to see out, so it doesn't make sense to add seats there even if they fit, which I doubt they will). Also the base battery is the 160 mile one, not the 300 mile battery; some reports and even on the Tesla site they make it unclear whether the 300 mile battery is included in the base price. The extending door handle & lcd screens I think can make it on the production version though. And given they didn't let anyone pop the hood, it's clear the drivetrain details haven't been worked out yet (reminds me of how the drivable Volt concept also had it's hood off-limits). It also appears they don't have a finalized chassis right now (if they did, they would have shown a barebones version of it). So think of this car more as a concept, though in terms of styling I'm quite confident Tesla will stay true given their past record on the Roadster. I don't see them having all the drive-train details and chassis design locked down until they have the funding locked down for the car.
Matt 4:56PM (3/30/2009)
@jake
ok, GM = bad example, but I don't see a BMW electric car or even a Toyota electric car. Toyota has a very fuel efficient car that has electric parts, but VW has diesels that rival its mpg with no electric motors aside from the starter. Mitsubishi has "i MiEV", but I can't get one yet. Honestly, I expect the big guys to have LiPoly or some similar battery tech ready soon, you just can't expect them to take big risks... if they do they'll be Johnny Lawsuit Motors faster than you can say battery explosion :)
banyan99 4:17PM (3/31/2009)
Dude, you should do your homework before posting such nonsense. The people who started Tesla were fired from GM when GM decided to quit their profitable electric car program in the 90s. The program had cars delivered to MANY customers who were VERY happy with their electric cars. Electric car charging stations were available at locations in California where the electric cars were sold. As soon as it was legally possible, GM repossessed all the 'leased' electric vehicles and systematically crushed them all, refusing to sell them to the customers who were leasing them. One survived, in a car museum - EV1 my friend. GM was not alone; Toyota and other companies had ALL electric vehicles in the 90s that they too crushed as soon as they were legally allowed. Huge long story - CARB mandates.
As for the reliability of vehicles - when's the last time your non-electric vehicle was in for service? If you're like most people, it was within the last 3 months - oil change? Oil, transmission fluid, belts, hoses, spark plugs, filters, water pump, gaskets - all of those parts FAIL on cars every day. And you're concerned about the batteries? I've replaced the battery in my car once, in 5 years. I realize the difference is huge, but, in general, batteries seem pretty reliable.
Wake up and quit buying the BS the big four are selling. Do some research and then you will truly appreciate what an amazing vehicle this is. How for these people have come to bring an electric vehicle to their customers is absolutely amazing.
Matt 4:57PM (3/31/2009)
@banyan
EV1 sucked, and was not generally though of as a good idea. A few people thought it worked well enough, but the reality was the range was limited and it was so heavy the brakes and suspension could not control it. Lead acid batteries simply didn't have the energy to weight ratio to perform at an acceptable level. Li-ion batteries do, but they tend to explode on a regular basis, so we're not very comfortable with them yet.
About maintenance; don't think electric cars will have significantly less maintenance, especially in their infancy. The only thing you'll loose is a motor and a fuel system, and they will be replaced with a slightly more simplified motor (that you are less likely to be able to service at your local shop) and a far more complex fuel system. Instead of pumps you'll have amplifiers and computers. Stuff breaks, and electric stuff is not immune. BTW, you'll probably still have a transmission, and it will need fluid, your air conditioner will still have pumps and be prone to leaking, your suspension will cost you $1,000 or more to replace, your tires will still wear down, your sun roof will leak, the paint will fade, I can go on for days.
As I said before, Tesla has a great team and they have made it a long way, but the electric car needs time. The "big four" are hard at work trying to make something you can buy and feel good about driving. 99% of Americans can't afford a $100,000 vehicle, and probably 90% or more cant afford the base model Type S even at $50,000. Tell me who's got an electric car at $25,000 that meets all the crash test ratings, has at least a 50k mile warranty, and a reasonable range and then I'll give them an A+. Until that happens, Tesla and everybody else has failed to bring the electric car to the masses.
MT 2:26PM (3/30/2009)
Nicely done by Tesla. Chevy sent the Volt for a PBS Frontline photo shoot and the vehicle wouldn't make it up a small hill. Nothing against the Volt, but almost unthinkable that GM would send a car that was likely to be less capable than a golf cart. Tesla unveils the Model S and proceeds to give test rides in the "show" car. A nice break from the usual automotive mold where you see a show car and then wait 2+ years for a version that any customers get to see/touch/ride in. Very nice bit of PR crafting by Tesla.
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John Rowell 2:25PM (3/30/2009)
Nice videos! A little youtube browsing reveals many more videos of the Model S, including a few from "TeslaRoadster181" that I really like because they're in HD: http://www.youtube.com/user/TeslaRoadster181
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Rick 2:32PM (3/30/2009)
Great job on the car - but of course the reason major manufacturers haven't built millions of these things by now is because there aren't millions of buyers for them. The darn thing is still probably limited to 100 miles or maybe 60 miles just to be safe and then you probably need a 12 hour charge or something.
It comes down to the fact that you can buy an ordinary car for less than half the price and drive it 2 weeks between fill ups that just take a few minutes. So thats exactly what you're going to do if you have any sense.
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vinny 4:01PM (3/30/2009)
dude this car gets 300 miles to the charge and has an optional quick charger for 45 min charges base price is 49 g's
Dolphyn 3:19PM (3/30/2009)
Tesla spec sheet says:
Up to 300 mile range
45 minute QuickCharge
5 minute battery swap
This is obviously missing some details, but it clearly won't be limited to your prediction of 60-100 miles on a 12-hour charge!
Nick 5:13PM (3/30/2009)
@Rick
Complete garbage, that's what auto makers came up as an excuse for not making an electric car "nobody will buy it". That is BULL---- GM made an electric car 10 years ago, which worked very well, and was liked by its drivers until they decided to crush it.
There's been electric cars 100 years ago, and it's status-quo loving **** like you who then find arguments against it. If car makers had started earlier we would all be driving affordable electric cars today, look at how much has been done in the last 4 years.
Rick 3:55PM (3/30/2009)
hey Nick - If I liked the status quo, I wouldn't be visiting this site ....and name calling would get your post deleted if it was up to me. Look - car companies are in the business of separating you from your cash - thats it - If it will sell - they'll build it.
Stan Wellaway 2:45PM (3/30/2009)
Yep, drowning out the comments with music was pretty dumb. But good to see what America can produce when it really tries. I hope Tesla can persuade someone to back it financially and get this car into production. The styling is stunning. I hope it handles as good as it looks. The Lotus connection surely helps there.
If no US company or bank is prepared to fund it, my guess is that some oil-rich arab state will step in and do so.
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jpm 2:55PM (3/30/2009)
OK, wtf...
the test drive was in the dark
the first buyer, who creamed his pants 8 times during the test drive, didn't even get to drive it.
there was really annoying music during the test drive
but still, props to Tesla for breaking the status quo and doing this.
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Rick 4:00PM (3/30/2009)
yeah - If I'm the buyer, I want to be in the drivers seat.