Tesla raises prices on Roadster options, sparks controversy, anger among early adopters

There's a firestorm of controversy surrounding the Tesla Roadster and its most recent set of options and pricing details. Apparently, a number of Roadster reservation holders who had already placed hefty deposits (as much as $50,000 dollars) on the Tesla, had locked in their orders and picked their options recently received letters and phone calls informing them that they were unlocked from their orders and their spot in the line was in jeopardy if they didn't re-option their rides. What's more, the new set of choices included many pricey bits that had previously been standard, along with a price increase for options that were already available. After all is said and done, a new Tesla Roadster with the same set of features that had previously been standard is now $6,700 more expensive than before.

Perhaps the biggest omission from the current base set of specifications is the High Performance Charger that allows the electric car to be quickly recharged in as little as 3.5-hours. Without the optional HPC, which now costs a whopping $3,000, it could take all night to replenish the Roadster's battery pack. Another previously standard component that is newly optional are the set of forged alloy wheels, which are now a $2,300 upgrade. Tesla claims that the extra money is necessary to become instantly profitable. Regardless, many owners are understandably upset with the extra surcharge, especially after receiving notification that their orders had been locked for production. Thanks for the tip, Ron!


[Source: Tom Saxton's Blog]