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GM and other manufacturers get to watch another auto manufacturer do something they can't..

Tesla announces they've begun production of the first all-electric roadster..

From Tesla...

Quote:We have begun regular production of the Tesla Roadster
by Ze'ev Drori
President and CEO

published Monday, March 17th, 2008


In my last posting on this blog I emphasized that my primary goal as the new CEO of Tesla Motors was to get the car on the road. The potential of this company is vast but it is dependent on meeting our commitments and that starts with delivering the 2008 Tesla Roadster to our customers.

Since my previous communication we have obtained all the required regulatory approvals for the sale of the Roadster in the US and delivered the first production Tesla Roadster. We also set at that time a date of March 17th 2008 for the start of regular production of the Roadster. I am pleased to report to you that we have met this commitment and have begun regular production.

While this is an important milestone for the company and a watershed for the new era of electric vehicles, we still have a lot of work to do. Our key focus with the Roadster will be on gradually ramping up our production in a deliberate and controlled manner reaching a rate of over 100 Roadsters per month early next year.

At this point our attention is expanding into the sales and service arena marked by the opening of our Los Angeles store and Menlo Park store in the near future. We are determined to provide a customer sales and service experience that will not only raise the bar to the automobile business but will far exceed the best available anywhere.

Our customers have been a key part of this journey to date, staying engaged and loyal as they have watched us closely through our development process. We plan on rewarding this loyalty by delivering a revolutionary car and providing a level of service that inspires confidence and a sense of association with a company that really cares.

With this milestone, the Tesla Roadster is the only zero emission electric vehicle in production today – this is in stark contrast to the others who only talk about their future plans. Tesla’s remarkable achievement validates the vision, ingenuity, hard work and commitment of Tesla’s employees.

Tesla will further expand its existing technological lead as we build and deliver thousands of Roadsters per year. With innovative EV technology, a strong brand, and being ahead of the pack, Tesla has established an extraordinary platform for future success.

Ze’ev Drori
President & CEO
Tesla Motors

kinda reminds me of a Lotus looks good wonder what the sticker price is gonna be?

how long is the extension cord?

If they're able to do it while getting some descent HP this will surely rock the industry.

I like the look of it.
Kinda retro.

well, it's rated at something like 240HP with a 220 mile range..that's not too shabby.

Eat that s*** oil companies!

i saw the blue prototype on my commute to work driving down the 101 freeway a few weeks ago. did i ever post those pics?

i think it looks like an elise because it IS an elise with battery packs etc stuffed in. not sure what changes they made to compensate for the weight.... i'm sure GM etc could have done this too if they really wanted to.. they had the EV1 out in like the mid 90s and many other car co's had full electric cars they had leased to the public (electric RAV4, etc). i'm sure if they really wanted to / thought it would be viable others could have done this too. sticker is something like $98k USD

i'm surprised this is on the radar screen for people on this forum.. its not a sub 90hp euro eco diesel ford!

ZX3_2NV,Mar 18 2008, 12:52 PM Wrote:kinda reminds me of a Lotus looks good wonder what the sticker price is gonna be?
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its actually based on the Lotus Elise for the frame.

great looking car...

NikiterZTS,Mar 18 2008, 04:21 PM Wrote:great looking car...
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Doesn't stop it from being queerer than a 3 dollar bill...

Someguy_ca,Mar 18 2008, 08:42 PM Wrote:Doesn't stop it from being queerer than a 3 dollar bill...
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:blink: Someone either doesn't like electric cars, or 3 dollar bills...

Thats whats its called Elise I just call it an expensive Celica since it pretty much has the same motor. But i called it looked like a Lotus as soon as a saw it

ZX3_2NV,Mar 19 2008, 10:11 AM Wrote:Thats whats its called Elise I just call it an expensive Celica since it pretty much has the same motor. But i called it looked like a Lotus as soon as a saw it
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I wouldnt even come close to calling an Elise a Celica............that motor is also in the XRS corolla btw, which I think they discontinued.

ZX3_2NV,Mar 19 2008, 02:11 PM Wrote:Thats whats its called Elise I just call it an expensive Celica since it pretty much has the same motor.
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one of them is fwd open diff and 2500lbs.. the other is mid engine/rear drive, lsd option,2000lb

for sure same thing!!! :ph34r:

i don't have any tech about the suspension design differences or aerodynamic differences but i suspect there are differences (camber curves, damper response, downforce at speed etc etc etc) that further differentiate the celica and the elise

Ok so they took the front end of a Celica Threw it in the Rear of a Lotus and gave it a diet and Called it an Elise. This is the Only Elise i have respect For \/ \/ \/ 600+whp with a Dog Box Tranny and different rear end because the stock one sucks, all the other ones are High priced Celicas.

^^ that looks like an exige...

I think the Elise is a totally different beast than the celica who's engine it borrows. one is a comfy daily driver, the other is a purpose built go-kart.

just as you don't compare a miata with a mazda 3, an elise has even less in common with a celica.

so... you've driven an elise (hard) and you've decided it is the same thing as a fwd car with an open diff?

this is great for you, because i find that fwd cars (ITR, celica gts, etc) are much cheaper than mid engine rwd cars.. so from your point of view you can get the same experience for much cheaper.. always an awesome thing

naz,Mar 20 2008, 02:51 PM Wrote:so... you've driven an elise (hard) and you've decided it is the same thing as a fwd car with an open diff?

this is great for you, because i find that fwd cars (ITR, celica gts, etc) are much cheaper than mid engine rwd cars.. so from your point of view you can get the same experience for much cheaper.. always an awesome thing
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The only Point im trying to get across is why start with the Celica Motor as a platrom im sure there is another motor that they could have used and a V6 in that would be beautiful