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I the author clearly doesn't understand that the US vehicles should have the updated drivetrain some several months before the first Euro cars are delivered. The Euro "start" is later than the US "later".
tomsax
Member
The Register's interpretation of Pedersen's statement is totally wrong.
Tesla has delivered 16 Roadsters to US customers. They have the old drivetrain, and will get free upgrades as soon as they are available.
Vehicles assembled before the August break had the 1.0 transmission and motor installed in the UK, then got the battery installed in the US. (I think the controller was also installed in the US, but I'm not positive.)
Starting after the August break, vehicles will be assembled with no drivetrain components, shipped to the US and will get the final "version 1.5" motor, gearbox, controller and battery pack installed after they arrive in the US. At least initially, this will happen in the Menlo Park store. Owners of the first 16 will get their upgrades drives installed at Menlo Park also.
Eventually, Tesla will set up a drivetrain installation facility in Europe so those cars won't have to come to the US before being delivered in Europe. Obviously, it would be pretty inefficient to ship the cars back and forth. (Likewise, I would expect them to eventually build a drivetrain facility on the east coast to reduce the transport cost and delay for east coast customers.)
Tesla doesn't have the Europe facility set up. In fact, last I heard, they hadn't even decided where they're going to put it.
Further, the European orders are all 2009 model year, which will start production after all 600 of the 2008 model year orders have been assembled for delivery in the US. Presumably, US customers early in the 2009 list, who ordered before Tesla starting taking European orders, will also get their cars ahead of the European orders.
So, US owners will be driving their 2008 model year Roadsters long before the first European Roadster is delivered. (There is at least one European who ordered a US version vehicle in the first 100, so there may be one Roadster in Europe earlier than the rest.)
If you read Pederson's statement very carefully, with these facts in mind, he is just saying that no European cars will have to go through the upgrade process, they will get the 1.5 drivetrain from the start, just like the hundreds of US owners after the first 16 but ahead of the European orders.
Tesla has delivered 16 Roadsters to US customers. They have the old drivetrain, and will get free upgrades as soon as they are available.
Vehicles assembled before the August break had the 1.0 transmission and motor installed in the UK, then got the battery installed in the US. (I think the controller was also installed in the US, but I'm not positive.)
Starting after the August break, vehicles will be assembled with no drivetrain components, shipped to the US and will get the final "version 1.5" motor, gearbox, controller and battery pack installed after they arrive in the US. At least initially, this will happen in the Menlo Park store. Owners of the first 16 will get their upgrades drives installed at Menlo Park also.
Eventually, Tesla will set up a drivetrain installation facility in Europe so those cars won't have to come to the US before being delivered in Europe. Obviously, it would be pretty inefficient to ship the cars back and forth. (Likewise, I would expect them to eventually build a drivetrain facility on the east coast to reduce the transport cost and delay for east coast customers.)
Tesla doesn't have the Europe facility set up. In fact, last I heard, they hadn't even decided where they're going to put it.
Further, the European orders are all 2009 model year, which will start production after all 600 of the 2008 model year orders have been assembled for delivery in the US. Presumably, US customers early in the 2009 list, who ordered before Tesla starting taking European orders, will also get their cars ahead of the European orders.
So, US owners will be driving their 2008 model year Roadsters long before the first European Roadster is delivered. (There is at least one European who ordered a US version vehicle in the first 100, so there may be one Roadster in Europe earlier than the rest.)
If you read Pederson's statement very carefully, with these facts in mind, he is just saying that no European cars will have to go through the upgrade process, they will get the 1.5 drivetrain from the start, just like the hundreds of US owners after the first 16 but ahead of the European orders.
Good summary Tomsax. I beleive one of the REC founders (the other one is CEO of Think 
has ordered his Tesla as the first European. His got a number somewhere in the 20s I think
Cobos
has ordered his Tesla as the first European. His got a number somewhere in the 20s I think Cobos
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