While owners of the current Tesla Roadster get the benefit of driving their bad ass electric vehicle today, people who are on the list for a 2010 model will get a few benefits that make 2009 owners jealous. Tesla Motors Club member DrComputer wrote about "a conversation with Ted at corporate" that revealed some improvements to the new cars. A tipster sent in a similar list of upgrades. The upgrades include:

• New power electronics module
• Better cooling for the power electronics
• Improved AC with variable speed fans
  
• Built in WiFi cards that connect the Roadster to the Internet (unless you turn the feature off) and gives Tesla the ability to interact with the car remotely. Also, this could open the door to mobile phone apps that talk to the car.
  
• Glove box locks when you lock the car (to leave it out with the top down)

Both sources mention the ability to switch vehicle performance modes – from Range to Standard or Performance (but not back to Range) – with the key instead of needing to change modes via the screen. There has been no official confirmation about these upgrades, but none of them would surprise us if they were true. Thanks to Dan for the tip!



[Source: Tesla Motors Club | Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty]

According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the long-anticipated right-hand-drive Roadster is coming in the first quarter of 2010 and will be available in both standard and Sport guise. The first market that's slated for electrification is, as you would expect, the United Kingdom, and Tesla's first European showroom has already opened up in Knightsbridge.

In addition to Great Britain, Musk has also indicated that Japan, Australia and India are seen as important right-hand-drive markets for the automaker to pursue in short order. The switch from LHD to RHD is surely made easier by the fact that the Lotus Elise, which shares a large portion of its chassis with the Roadster, was initially designed as a wrong right-hand vehicle.

Interestingly, there's already a lone Tesla Roadster in Australia, but that left-hand-drive car was imported by a man named Simon Hackett for his own personal use at a cost of about $200,000 Australian dollars – nearly twice what a Roadster costs in the States. Click past the break to watch a short video segment featuring that car.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Go Auto]

While things have been quiet on the Tesla legal front in the battle for recognition between Martin Eberhard and Elon Musk, some of the bystanders in the saga are continuing to come forward with their takes of the story. Earlier this week, we heard from Tesla's former senior vice president of marketing, Darryl Siry, in a piece that ran on Wired. Now, former communications director David Vespremi is responding with a counterpoint to Siry's article.

The heart of the legal argument revolves around who did what in the very earliest days of Tesla's existence in 2003-2004 and then what happened in 2006-2007 as Tesla approached Job 1 for the Roadster. The two men have their own versions of those events and how that relates to what has been said by and about Musk over the past 18 months.

Keep in mind that neither Vespremi or Siry were there in the earliest days of Tesla. Instead, Siry's piece looks at the Roadster's evolution from the AC Propulsion tZero. Vespremi's response goes way beyond that and places Tesla in some historical context in the progression from the EVs of a century ago as they "cross the chasm" to mainstream acceptability. You can find Vespremi's entire response (it's a worthwhile read) after the jump.



[Source: David Vespremi]

Shortly after Tesla Motors co-founder Martin Eberhard filed a lawsuit against Tesla Motors and its Chairman, Product Architect and CEO Elon Musk, the Silicon Valley automaker had this to say:

This lawsuit is a fictionalized, inaccurate account of Tesla's early years -- it's twisted and wrong, and we welcome the opportunity to set the record straight. Incidentally, Tesla will also be filing counterclaims and in the process present an accurate account of the company's history.

The first bit of record-resetting has shown up on the official Tesla blog. Not surprisingly, Elon Musk has lots to say in regards to the early years of the Roadster's development, and he seeks to offer his side of the story, along with a number of emails to back up his claims.

What does Musk say? Well, his initial response is a long, informative and interesting read. Here are some choice lines:

• The facts are that when I requested through AC Propulsion to meet Eberhard, he had no technology of his own, he did not have a prototype car and he owned no intellectual property relating to electric cars.
• At the time [early 2004], "Tesla Motors, Inc." consisted of Eberhard, Tarpenning and Wright, plus an unfunded business plan and they were looking for an initial round of funding to create a more advanced prototype than the AC Propulsion Tzero. While there was a basic corporation in place, Tesla hadn't even registered or obtained the trademark to its name and had no formal offices or assets.

Make the jump for more.


[Source: Elon Musk / Tesla Motors]

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 one 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 to for a wonderful for a barbecue at Greener Pasture Ranch, a Tesla customer's private home.

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.

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.



[Source: Speed and Motion]

From the first to the 100th and now to the 500th, the story of Tesla Motors and their first offering, the Roadster, has been pretty heavily documented. The trend is unlikely to stop any time soon and, in that vein, Tesla is making sure to note its latest milestone, the delivery of the 500th Roadster.

The lucky recipient is New Jersey's Martin Tuchman, who Tesla describes as chairman of The Tuchman Foundation and a board member of The Parkinson's Alliance and Parkinson's Disease Foundation of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. Tuchman is apparently a car fan, with a 1967 Mercedes 250 and a 1993 Jaguar convertible in his stable. Those cars will get even less of a workout now that the Roadster is around, as it is scheduled to become Tuchman's main commuter car. Interestingly, Tuchman will reportedly use solar power to charge his new toy whenever possible, which ought to make for a clean getaway. Official press release after the jump.



[Source: Tesla]

Tesla Motors has announced its first-ever recall, affecting all 345 Roadsters the Silicon Valley automaker produced in 2008. According to the official recall notice from the NHTSA, the rear hub flange bolts on some vehicles may not be torqued to proper specifications, which could lead to "degredation in vehicle handling and a rubbing noise from the rear of the vehicle." That, as you would imagine, would be bad, and if left unresolved could result in a crash.

The problem can be traced back to the Lotus factory in Hethel, England where the Roadster's main chassis is constructed before being shipped to the States to have its electric drivetrain installed. This being the case, Lotus has issued its own matching recall on the 27 Elises and Exiges that have shipped so far in 2009. As always, you are advised to contact the manufacturer as soon as possible if you've yet to be notified of the recall.



[Source: NHTSA - Tesla | Lotus]

Tesla Motors' charismatic frontman, Elon Musk, will be showing up on the Late Show with David Letterman tonight to dazzle America's TV audience with his gorgeous all-electric sedan. Tesla says that when the Model S goes on sale at an undefined point in the future, the cost for the base model will be just under $50,000 – $49,900 to be exact – after a $7,500 government tax break. Business Insider has a word for that: Horsefeathers.

BI teamed up with Mark Boyadjis, an auto analyst at iSuppli, and they did some math based on actual numbers used in the auto industry and a lot of educated guesses. The result? They didn't exactly find a lot of room for profit if the car sells for $57,400. Their math is based on at least one error – they say the replacement battery for the Roadster is $36,000, but that's a carry-over mistake from Edmunds – it's actually $30,000. Still, that's the equivalent to the base price of an entire "near luxury" sedan – one that conventional automakers have trouble making margins on. That big, sexy touchscreen? Estimated to cost $4,000. Add everything from chassis and body panel costs to in distribution, marketing, further engineering, and lest we forget – building a factory, and Musk's price target starts to look more and more implausible.

BI has a good point here – Tesla needs to be careful with their pricing predictions. The ambitious startup made big financial mistakes when pricing the original Roadster – which didn't make everyone happy – and there's not a lot of room left to goof up a second time.



[Source: Business Insider]

Since it was announced that the highly quotable Bob Lutz would be departing from his General Motors management spotlight, automotive bloggers and reporters everywhere have been mourning the loss of an executive with such an exquisite way with words. Now it appears that the pining may have been premature, thanks to the emergence of another top management type with the brass, it seems, to freely speak his mind in public.

In a new interview with Yahoo! Tech Ticker's Sarah Lacy, Tesla CEO Elon Musk was asked what he thought of an earlier New York Times piece that voiced opposition to a government loan for the electric car maker. With a huge smile indicating his delight in the opportunity to speak about the issue, Musk announced that "Randy Stross is a huge douchebag". After a brief pause he added, "...and an idiot." Take that, Mr. Fancy Pants reporter guy!

In the course of the interview, Musk goes on to explain exactly how he felt the writer in question cherry-picked from the facts to make a case for Department of Energy loan denial, going on to vigorously defend the Tesla business model. In the conversation that followed the opening barrage, it was very interesting to note the certitude expressed by Elon that Tesla Motors would receive the low interest loan requested from the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) program. Noting that his company is a "perfect fit" for ATVM funds, he states, "The odds of us getting that money ($350 million) are 99 percent..." alluding to assurances given in private meetings, Musk suggested the funds are coming and coming soon. Hit the jump for the entertaining and informative video.



[Source: Tech Ticker via Tesla Motors Club]

Here's Tesla's Elon Musk, speaking in March (and just published in Car and Driver):

Even in the worst case of an Armageddon scenario, I'll personally refund people [their money] if need be.

While the U.S. federal government needs to step in and guarantee the warranties for General Motors and Chrysler vehicles should those companies enter bankruptcy, the loaded Musk (C&D calls him an "Internet zillionaire") is apparently unofficially willing to give people interested in his company's electric cars one more reason to buy. No details are available yet about what, exactly, Musk means by all of this (a Tesla spokesperson we reached declined to clarify), but this is slightly interesting, no?

Another detail from C&D's interview interview worth noting is that Musk believes that part of the money issues that became public earlier this year were caused by misrepresentations from a management team that has since left the company. The board thought the Roadster (which was selling for just over $90,000) cost $65,000 to make instead of the $140,000 it was estimated it was really costing the company to make the car a few years ago. Part of the solution was to reduce costs and to refine the car in order to offer the new Roadster Sport version at a higher price point.

[Source: Car and Driver via All Cars Electric]