Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Hybrids/Alternative, Sports/GTs, Green, Videos
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Tesla Roadster Unveiling
AutoblogGreen's intrepid editor, Sebastian Blanco, was a busy man last night at the unveiling of the Tesla Roadster in Santa Monica, CA. Check out our exclusive video (iPod format) of the unveiling that features interviews with Tesla Motors CEO Martin Eberhard and the company's chairman Elon Musk, as well as footage of the car in motion from both inside and outside the cockpit.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
mark f 8:49AM (7/20/2006)
On their website they say if you don't live in the immediate area where these are sold, you'll have to pay a $10K 'shipping charge'. Cute.
"For customers who are still interested in purchasing a Tesla Roadster outside of those areas, we will be happy to sell you a vehicle but we will charge a $10,000 out-of-service-area premium to cover our costs for transportation of the vehicle to the nearest Tesla Motors Customer Care Center or any other related servicing expenses".
http://www.teslamotors.com/learn_more/faqs.php
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Ruis 9:01AM (7/20/2006)
Will have to put some cardboard noise-makers on the wheels to get engine sound...
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ed 9:05AM (7/20/2006)
Remember to only use official Tesla brand Lithium Ion batteries in your Tesla Electric supercar. Using cheap, off-brand imitation batteries in the Tesla Electric supercar may result in leakage, catching fire, or overheating.
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Dan from Delaware 10:14AM (7/20/2006)
It's an electric Elise, right?
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TechRightGuy 11:10AM (7/20/2006)
Why has there been not one word about weight? Anyone know?
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Mark 11:50AM (7/20/2006)
so it's built in england, but anyone who wants to buy one in england will have to pay $10K shipping, even though it'll only be transported at most 600 miles, and at the least 5 miles, but someone in california, 6000 miles away, will get free shipping?
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Anonymous Coward 12:24PM (7/20/2006)
They say the "fuel tank" weighs 1000 lbs, so that probably makes the car weigh ~500 lbs more than a standard elise...? Which, BTW, how can you not make even a mention of LOTUS and act like this car is designed from scratch? I would think they would WANT to brag about the lotus engineering (but then again, maybe lotus didn't want them using their name, but I find that hard to beleive).
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CuriousB 12:24PM (7/20/2006)
I don't undertsand...if this car is truly not harmful to the environment...did they figure out a way to properly dispose of the batteries/ battery acid once the batteries' life has ended???
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Daggy 1:09PM (7/20/2006)
Why does an electric car have to be a fast roadster? Is'nt that the reason for the failure of GM's EV1.
People looking for a green car want something that is practical and AFFORDABLE.
Why not convert an econobox like the Yaris to electric at a fraction of the price.
The electric version of the Smart car is a step in the right direction.
P.S. Ultracapacitors will make batteries obsolete.
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skaz 1:18PM (7/20/2006)
mark f: The $10k covers service transport, as well.
Dan from Delaware: No. I don't see why people can't get over this -- the car is based on the Elise, with some different body panels and a completely different drivetrain. It would be VERY difficult, for me at least, to consider this an Elise.
Mark: You can't buy one in England. It can only be bought in the US, as their website states.
I don't like the idea of electric cars, but this one has got me thinking, and hard. This is an awesome machine and if I had 80k to throw around I'd definitely consider buying it. Good for Tesla Motors -- they've come out of nowhere and surprised everyone. It's hard to bash a car company as smart as Tesla and I hope they're very successful.
I just think the first thing needed for electric cars to take off is standard charging methods, so that it can be distributed at gas stations. Then we'll have a fossil fuel challenger.
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asurroca 1:22PM (7/20/2006)
Looks very nice. So, it's essentially an electric Lotus Elise. Sounds fantastic.
I wonder about the solar option mentioned at the end of the video. Would this mean that if you drive a normal number of miles, that you would essentially never have to recharge the car? That's one hell of a plus.
Take THAT, you pseudo-green hybrids. ;)
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Chad Gallion 2:04PM (7/20/2006)
I think this car would be a great 1-upsmanship on other celebrity types that are buying hybrids and believing they are being so green. Maybe we will see Leonardo Dicaprio in one.
Also, Sebastien. What is with the tie and the short sleeve shirt? Fashion advisor: Homer Simpson? Maybe you guys should stick to audio until you figure some stuff out. Eek.
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Michael Hollander 3:55PM (7/20/2006)
This is not an "electric Elise." Lotus was the winner of a "bake-off" for a design for the new Tesla Roadster. Lotus is involved. It's NOT a Lotus. It's a Tesla.
The initial intent is to sell the cars where Tesla can provide appropriate service.
As for the comparison to the EV1, you'll have to ask General Motors why the EV1 is no longer produced.
For the person worried about "standard charging," the Tesla Roadster can be plugged in to any standard 110VAC outlet. The charging system is onboard the car. There's a fast charging system which is installed in the home and provides 220v for a 3.5 hour charge.
In case no one noticed, that's Gov. Schwarzenegger riding around in the early shots of the car.
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jeff 4:21PM (7/20/2006)
Dude... daggy, would you rag on mazda for making a sporty car with suicide doors?? Why dictate what people want? Sure he coulda made an electric econobox for people that want that kind of thing, but why would you be upset if that's simply not what they set out to do? That's like getting pissed off cause your brother wants to be taxi driver instead of a bus driver.... Why don't you go and build your own electric econobox is that's what you want and if that's what you think will make more money.
Personally, i think there are tons of people who love the idea of a fast, good looking car, but don't wanna play such a large part in the many problems this planet's dealing with.
And about the ultracapacitors.... its not such a simple story... i don't know what you're basing yourself on. But at this point, ultracapacitors are great for high power outputs, but have low energy storage; it can put out a lot of power, but only for a really short time. Really it'd be best to team up an ultracapacitor with a Lithium or a valve regulated lead acid battery for more watt-hours. That way, when you need a big boost of power when you're starting to move, or passing or something, you've got the UCAP for a high power output, but you've still got the batteries for longer lasting power, and you can run on those while the UCAP recharges for your next stamp on the throttle.
and oh ya... 250 miles? Sure its the EPA test, but it gives you a ball park figure. So much for the 10 to 20 miles somebody was saying in that thread on plug in hybrids.
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James 5:39PM (7/20/2006)
Another great science experiment. Do any of you drones understand that the emissions and environmental damage caused by the manufacture of the components, disposal of batteries, burning of coal to produce electricity, etc, outweighs any benefit. It simply relocates the pollutant! WAKE UP!
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norm 9:10AM (10/22/2007)
No it does not simply relocate pollutants you can make electricity
with solar panels wind turbines ect...
even in the production of the vehicles .In fact the production of solar and wind generators themselves could eventually be produced enviromentally .Why are you putting down something that is doing the earth so good? Eventually carbon based fuels will run out anyway, do we wait until that day comes before we start producing renewable energy sources if so we will really be screwed, think outside of the box.
Charles S 5:46PM (7/20/2006)
"I think this car would be a great 1-upsmanship on other celebrity types that are buying hybrids and believing they are being so green."
Gee, so Green Celebs are evil, but somehow Thugs driving Hummers are just riding with style? Enough with celebrity bashing already. People who are in the limelight can take advantage of it and use it in any way that they please. But bashing them because they are not PERFECT is just stupid. FIGURE this out people: NO HUMANS ARE PERFECT, so don't go holding celebrities on higher standards than anyone else.
All that said, what celebrities drive have NOTHING to do with hybrids or electric cars. Get off the political bandwagon and buy whatever car you want to buy.
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homeskillit 6:14PM (7/20/2006)
"15. Another great science experiment. Do any of you drones understand that the emissions and environmental damage caused by the manufacture of the components, disposal of batteries, burning of coal to produce electricity, etc, outweighs any benefit. It simply relocates the pollutant! WAKE UP!"
the thing people are most concerned about is CO2. all polution is not created equal. yeah, the disposal of used batteries creates waste but thats what land fills are for. there is no land fill for CO2, what you produce ends up in the atmosphere.
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naggs 6:21PM (7/20/2006)
even if all cars become electric, it still doesnt eliminate the co2 emisions. most power comes from the burning of coal and that isnt much cleaner than the emisions from the average ICE car.
the real tradegy is that the increse in CO2 imisions over the last few decades can be blamed on the stupid anti neuclear hippies. every year we will use more power than the year before and it has to come from somewhere. neuclear power is by far the best solution to the problem and if it werent for the image problem that nueclear power has this country and the enviroment would be much better off.
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Charles S 6:24PM (7/20/2006)
"I don't undertsand...if this car is truly not harmful to the environment...did they figure out a way to properly dispose of the batteries/ battery acid once the batteries' life has ended???"
Why can't people get off the subject of batteries?!!
You know, just about every single car on the road has a lead acid battery and they DO get recycled. As a matter of fact, a high percentage of current batteries came from recycled materials.
We already have a very good system in place that help us recover automotive batteries, and I can tell you now, when you have 1/2 ton of batteries in a car, it's not that easy to just throw it away in the trash!
So while the process of delivering oil is plauge with many opportunities of mishaps, the usage of batteries from manufacturing to disposal is well controled, and certainly much safer for our health and environment.
I'm not it is PERFECT, but making a big deal about batteries is like saying CANCER (oil) is easier to treat compare to a burn.
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