Convoy of Tesla Roadsters in California commemorates 500th delivery
by Jeremy Korzeniewski on Jun 8th 2009 at 7:50PM 
UPDATE: Added Speed and Motion HD Video after the jump
Just what do you call a gathering of 30 or so Tesla Roadsters all in one place? A gaggle? A flock? After taking a look at the photos of such an event from our friends at Speed and Motion, we'll go with convoy. This crowd was brought together to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Tesla's first retail store and the delivery of the 500th Tesla Roadster, meaning that the cars you see in the pictures below represent less than a tenth of total Roadster production so far. Elliot from Speed and Motion describes the experience this way:
[Source: Speed and Motion]
Videos:
PRESS RELEASE:
Tesla Motors' "Roadster Rally" to Commemorate 500th Delivery and Anniversary of First Retail Store
WEST LOS ANGELES, Calif. - (Business Wire) Tesla Motors will host a road rally Saturday to commemorate the electric vehicle manufacturer's 500th Roadster delivery and the one-year anniversary of its first retail store.
Several dozen Tesla owners are expected to participate in event, which will begin at 10 a.m. at Tesla's showroom in West Los Angeles. Owners and their invited guests will then travel a scenic mountain route to Malibu for a barbecue at a Greener Pasture Ranch, a Tesla customer's private home.
The 60-mile drive will likely be the largest gathering of Tesla Roadsters on public streets. It's expected to attract eco-conscious sports car buffs, EV enthusiasts, and the elite Roadster Club members from the region.
It's also an important customer appreciation event for Tesla, which delivered its 500th Roadster last weekend.
"People who buy Roadsters are getting a superlative sports car that drives more like a performance jet than a car – and they are supporting a new American automaker committed to building well designed, high performance vehicles with a level of efficiency far greater than any other automaker in the world," said Jeremy Snyder, Tesla's General Manager for the South Western Territory. "We're hosting this event to say thank you to our owners and stay engaged with our passionate community of customers."
In addition to the West Los Angeles store, which opened a year ago, Tesla has a showroom in Menlo Park, Calif., in the heart of Silicon Valley. The company is scheduled to open regional sales and service centers this summer in New York, Chicago, London, Seattle, Miami, Washington, Monaco and Munich.
San Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla is the only production automaker selling highway-capable EVs in the United States or Europe. The Roadster beats nearly every other car in acceleration yet is twice as energy efficient as a Toyota Prius. It costs roughly $4 to refuel and can be completely recharged in as little as 3.5 hours.
Tesla Roadster convoy - Click above for a high-res image gallery
Just what do you call a gathering of 30 or so Tesla Roadsters all in one place? A gaggle? A flock? After taking a look at the photos of such an event from our friends at Speed and Motion, we'll go with convoy. This crowd was brought together to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Tesla's first retail store and the delivery of the 500th Tesla Roadster, meaning that the cars you see in the pictures below represent less than a tenth of total Roadster production so far. Elliot from Speed and Motion describes the experience this way:
What a treat it was to experience 60 miles along the streets and freeways of LA including a run through the scenic Malibu canyons. What surprised me was how quick (0-to-60 mph acceleration of 3.9 seconds) and agile in the corners this electric vehicle really is on the road. We made a pit stop at the Rock Store before heading over for a wonderful barbecue at Greener Pasture Ranch, a Tesla customer's private home.We've got 20 pictures in the gallery below that are almost too much if you're a Roadster fan. See the rest of the photos here and be sure to click past the break for a couple of videos that were taken during the event, along with the official press release.
Riding in these cars is so peaceful and tranquil. It sure was a change from the loud and wild exotic cars that we are used to experiencing here at speedandmotion! One thing I can say for sure is the owners are such a spirited and lively group, not to mention car aficionados at heart.
Gallery: Convoy of 50 Tesla Roadsters
[Source: Speed and Motion]
Videos:
PRESS RELEASE:
Tesla Motors' "Roadster Rally" to Commemorate 500th Delivery and Anniversary of First Retail Store
WEST LOS ANGELES, Calif. - (Business Wire) Tesla Motors will host a road rally Saturday to commemorate the electric vehicle manufacturer's 500th Roadster delivery and the one-year anniversary of its first retail store.
Several dozen Tesla owners are expected to participate in event, which will begin at 10 a.m. at Tesla's showroom in West Los Angeles. Owners and their invited guests will then travel a scenic mountain route to Malibu for a barbecue at a Greener Pasture Ranch, a Tesla customer's private home.
The 60-mile drive will likely be the largest gathering of Tesla Roadsters on public streets. It's expected to attract eco-conscious sports car buffs, EV enthusiasts, and the elite Roadster Club members from the region.
It's also an important customer appreciation event for Tesla, which delivered its 500th Roadster last weekend.
"People who buy Roadsters are getting a superlative sports car that drives more like a performance jet than a car – and they are supporting a new American automaker committed to building well designed, high performance vehicles with a level of efficiency far greater than any other automaker in the world," said Jeremy Snyder, Tesla's General Manager for the South Western Territory. "We're hosting this event to say thank you to our owners and stay engaged with our passionate community of customers."
In addition to the West Los Angeles store, which opened a year ago, Tesla has a showroom in Menlo Park, Calif., in the heart of Silicon Valley. The company is scheduled to open regional sales and service centers this summer in New York, Chicago, London, Seattle, Miami, Washington, Monaco and Munich.
San Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla is the only production automaker selling highway-capable EVs in the United States or Europe. The Roadster beats nearly every other car in acceleration yet is twice as energy efficient as a Toyota Prius. It costs roughly $4 to refuel and can be completely recharged in as little as 3.5 hours.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chris M 8:21PM (6/08/2009)
Even for auto jaded Angelinos, that parade must have caused quite a stir!
Congratulations to Tesla Motors for delivering over 500 cars! So much for the "vaporware" charges...
Reply
willyolio 12:36PM (6/09/2009)
oh, don't worry. people will still be yelling "tesla's a scam! nobody's received their car yet!" for years to come. they're like flat-earthers or creationists.
xyz 1:26AM (6/10/2009)
No comment from Greg Blencoe about his "vaporware" fool cells. Geee...
Chris M 2:06AM (6/10/2009)
xyz, it seems that Blencoe only comments on H2 friendly articles, which isn't suprising. He's rather adverse to any criticism of H2, and won't allow any critical comments on his blogs.
I doubt he pays any attention at all to Tesla Motors, apparently he has never heard of the Tesla Model S, as he keeps saying "Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are the only technology that can both be scaled up globally and meet customer requirements for driving range, fueling time, cost when mass produced, and trunk and passenger space" - but the Model S does all of that with batteries only, far cheaper and more efficiently than any H2 fuel cell vehicle.
Nick P. 8:53PM (6/08/2009)
What's the brand of the car in the second video around 3:05? It has a "Penske" logo on it and it's not a Roadster. Is this a mistake?
Reply
stevejust 11:53PM (6/08/2009)
It looked to me like a McClaren F1, but the nose is wrong. So then I was going with a Rossion Q1.
But I'm not confident in the guess. If you really want to know, google Tesla Roadster in google images, and my guess is it will come up, which is probably how it wound up in this movie montage by mistake.
Nick P. 12:13AM (6/09/2009)
OK, found it. It's the Shelby's Ultimate Aero EV (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/shelby-supercars-ultimate-aero-ev-electric-car.php). Aside from being a fast electric sportcar, I'm not sure what it was doing in that video.
Reply
BlackbirdHighway 4:12AM (6/09/2009)
Wow, that's impressive!
I suppose it was inevitable that they would start forming gangs. Did anyone check for Tesla gang tattoos and discover the secret Tesla hand sign?
Reply
mapoftazifosho 9:48AM (6/09/2009)
Anyone bring an extension cord?
Reply
jharlan 10:20AM (6/09/2009)
I have to admit I would have bet against them. They are not out of the woods yet, but they have a chance. 500 pricey EVs is significant. Daimler wanting a piece of the action is significant. Musk has gotten it done up to now. I wonder if he has an exit strategy. An IPO when the time is right perhaps? Elon Musk, I was wrong, You are the man.
Reply
kook43 11:39AM (6/09/2009)
How about a "farad of Teslas" , seems appropriate. Good showing for the Roadster. Bring on the ModelS.
Reply
Doug 12:33PM (6/09/2009)
I don't like "farad" for this purpose. The farad is named for Micheal Faraday and is the unit of capacitance. Where as the Tesla is the unit for magnetic field strength. To anyone that gets the reference, a "farad of Teslas" just sounds like someone's using incorrect units. I has the sense of being closely related but wrong.
vfx 10:45AM (6/09/2009)
Over on the TMC site we discussed what a group of Tesla Roadsters should be called.
No consensus, but there were some good suggestions:
A Coil of Teslas
and
A Field of Teslas
and a
Bolt of Teslas
"Coil" and "Field" might work for a group of EVs but "Bolt" might be reserved for Super Electric cars.
Reply
Doug 12:23PM (6/09/2009)
Yeah, I prefer "field" since it works on a variety of levels. I like "coil" too, but it only works on maybe two levels and makes them sounds springy (which might be good or bad). Field is best IMO.
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/tesla-roadster/2451-collective-noun-group-teslas-post24107.html
Ross 10:10PM (6/10/2009)
I suggest the the grouping be named, "a Nicola of Teslas".
Reply
kook43 2:13PM (6/09/2009)
I don't like your use of a "Homer" mobile as your signature picture, for the purpose of posting on a green auto site. The "Homer" is named for Homer Simpson and is the monstrosity he designs when given free reign. Most would agree it's probably not eco-friendly. To anyone that gets the reference, a "Homer" represents what cars should not be, and just looks like someone's using it incorrectly. It has the sense of being cute but wrong for this site. Lighten up Doug - ;-)
Reply
Doug 3:05PM (6/09/2009)
Heh... oops. Sorry, didn't realize that I might have sounded harsh. Wasn't intended that way. I'm a bit of a word geek.
I think the irony of that Homer photo makes it funny. I started using it back when Fisker was fired as the designer for the Model S.
Simon 2:41PM (6/09/2009)
Collective noun for Tesla Roadsters? Seems obvious.
A battery of Teslas.
Reply