cascade

I had an opportunity to take a ride in a Tesla yesterday. I was a passenger only, the driver was a salesman from the dealership (long story). Anyways, here are some observations:

The acceleration is breathtaking -- seemed faster than a Porsche Turbo -- have not been in a GT so I can't compare. The G forces even on a short city block are awesome.

Eerily quiet -- cannot hear the darn thing except when the battery fan comes on.

The salesman said he doesn't use the brake very often as the motor slows down the car when you take your foot off the pedal. He called it on "one pedal driving." There is only one gear (and reverse).

Styling is quite attractive. People's jaws actually drop when they see the cars. Teenage boys were salivating over the cars, and knew all about them.

Room in the trunk for one set of golf clubs and shoes (sound familiar...).

Batteries need to be replaced in 80,0000 - 100,000. Cost about $20,000 to replace. Motors are hand made in Palo Alto apparently and weigh about 150lbs. Body is composite with an aluminum frame.

Handling seem pretty tight -- the guy said the clearance was 6 inches -- though it looked lower than that. Had the suspension dialed in tight.

He said a lot of the people coming into the showroom were P car owners...

In Washington state, you apparently do not have to pay sales tax if you buy one (saves you about 10%). Sticker price is about $100k, and there is $7,500 tax credit. They have a couple of cars in the showroom ready to be sold. If you order one, it's about an 11 week wait.

I realize a lot of this is old news -- but I found it an interesting experience. You might want to give it a shot. I came away more impressed with the car than I expected. As for the stock, who knows....

utkinpol

i think it is THE future. batteries in the cars and magnetic coils under the highways to charge them.
only part needed is new battery concept and industry still struggles with it apparently.

GHills

utkinpol:

Yes magnetic coils under the highway for charging. I'm with you. That certainly is coming. Pls start a separate thread (on a different website ideally) on the fountain of youth secret that is going to keep us alive until what, 2110 to see these coils deployed

ADias

Sure! Given that many rural areas still do not have power I guess those who opt for the electrical highway will accept restricted views. I will preserve my ICE for empty and non-electrified back roads.

utkinpol

yep, right. you`ll be able to ride your ICE in same way how i`m able to shoot my shotgun on my backyard.
damn, i cannot even have a freaking campfire on my backyard to burn out old broken branches, who cares about shotgun...

Asquared

Careful on that tax credit - Many of them have income phase-outs. I guy I used to work with bought a Pious based on the tax credit only to find out he was not eligible because he made too much money (and he was not making a ton of money, but I think he was a DINK - Dual Income, No Kids).

If there is a income phase-out, I'm guessing anyone buying a $100,000 Tesla will not get a tax credit, but the salesmen will never mention that to you.

UPDATE:
A quick review of this does not show an income phase out and it appears to apply to the AMT calculation (which is quickly becoming the real tax code) unlike last year.

Conclusion, it may be OK, but I still say don't blindly listen to salesmen talk about tax credits.

alanm

I drove a Tesla several weeks ago, and was underwhelmed. It is fast, 0-60 in 3.9ish sec (so they claim.) But, the driving experience was dissapointing. The car was quiet, and I found that I really missed the sweet sound a fine-tuned engine. Also, it is a single speed transmission and I found that I missed the fun of running through the gears of the 6-speed. To me, it didn't feel like it handled as well as my C2 and it was small. I was rubbing shoulders with the sales guy in the passenger seat. I couldn't get away from the feelilng that I was driving a really hot golf cart. The Tesla rep. told me that with all of the options that I would want, like AC and a CD player, it would price out about $120k. That's TT type of money. I know where I would spend my $$.

Ryan360

I saw an orange Tesla on the side of the highway a few weeks back with an enclosed tow truck getting it ready for towing. This is the third time I've seen a Tesla stranded.

I wonder who makes their batteries for them?

MJPereira

The Tesla also got pretty bad reviews from Top Gear, which I tend to use as a bible for what a car is actually worth.

LlBr

Loooove the instant electric torque. Too bad the batteries suck (heavy and inefficient).

winkingchef

So why then do you own a Porsche? Clarkson seems to have a jihad against them.

That said, I thought that Clarkson's comments on the Tesla were spot on.
I have a college buddy who owns a very beautiful cobalt blue Tesla and I've had the opportunity to drive it.

PROS:
* It accelerates like stink
* It's tiny (I like small cars) and convertible
* It is a granola chick magnet
* Suspension is very good (thanks to Lotus)

CONS:
* The steering is good, but not Porschesque.
* The things sounds like a sewing machine
* Only one gear (seriously?) which makes it rather ho-hum to drive in twisties (I am a manual transmission snob - it's a critical component of what makes a car fun for me)
* In corners, it lacks confidence (I think this is a tire problem).
* You can't really GO anywhere in it - California is too big to really enjoy a road trip with a 150mi range.

Overall, I walked away uninspired by the car and was quite thrilled to hop back in mine and hear that "bark" when it started up.

Leader

And, from what I've read, the "150 mile range" is attainable only if you drive it very conservatively.
I'm not sure the "all electric" car is the answer. The battery technology needs a quantum leap, which may not be realistic.
Hybrid power is probably the best hope for the future.
But - a one-speed transmission is NOT what most enthusiasts are looking for.

Alstoy

If I understand correctly-the roadster is based on the lotus body. The Lotus is so small, I'm afraid people in their F350s might not notice them. The model S is based on the Jag. It is half the price of the roadster. I might like one of those in my garage so that I can look green. Hope they make them.

ADias

I guess the keyword here is 'look green'.

PHDX2

Nice account---thanks for sharing.