Found the roadster in Malibu!...oh and it was BROKEN

[McRat]

Here in Europe, the minimum requirements apply to all vehicles (even one offs, which must be independently verified for things like mirrors, lights, leading edge radiuses, etc. etc.) so you may see prototypes on the road before they are fully approved for general sale, but they would need to meet a minimum for the safety of other road users irrespective of how they were registered (they can and do use "trade plates").

I'm still surprised. One has to question if it is sensible, even if legal, to drive a car on public roads with no side mirrors. Manufacturers plate or not. Surely they could have fitted something to the car if it was for general testing purposes.

It's a matter of scale, which many governments cannot understand today. Modern belief is that if spending $100 billion to save a single life is possible, we should do it, even if that method of saving lives kills 100,000 people as a side effect.

Once you start understanding humans trade a percentage of their lives for each dollar they earn, things become clearer.

If you spend $1,000,000 to save a life, you've actually taken a life in the process, or at least taken the equivalent number of waking hours that equals a life.

I blame the schools.

 

[mongo]

One has to question if it is sensible, even if legal, to drive a car on public roads with no side mirrors. Manufacturers plate or not. Surely they could have fitted something to the car if it was for genuine testing purposes.

The side AP cameras may have been serving that purpose. Manufacturers can get waivers on a lot of required items, but most requirements are for sale-able vehicles and need to be there to be registered (fortunately, Tesla doesn't need to deal with emissions)
Interestingly (to me), side mirror requirements are more linked to backing up than to driving / blind spot elimination

 

[jelloslug]

Here in Europe, the minimum requirements apply to all vehicles (even one offs, which must be independently verified for things like mirrors, lights, leading edge radiuses, etc. etc.) so you may see prototypes on the road before they are fully approved for general sale, but they would need to meet a minimum for the safety of other road users irrespective of how they were registered (they can and do use "trade plates").

I'm still surprised. One has to question if it is sensible, even if legal, to drive a car on public roads with no side mirrors. Manufacturers plate or not. Surely they could have fitted something to the car if it was for genuine testing purposes.

It's up to the individual states in the US. The best example I can come up with is the Ariel Atom. In all states it's considered a kit car so it does not have to have airbags or meet the federal mandated emission controls. Some states have a limited number of cars like that that they will allow, others don't, and some will not allow the car to be registered and tagged at all. Some require a windshield, some require a windshield and wipers. Some don't require those things at all. Some states have safety inspections that it will have to pass and others (like mine) don't check anything ever.

 

[NeverFollow]

Not too sure what happened, but I assume there have to be kinks to fix due to it being 3 years out from production lol.

The car seems being completely disabled,
like impossible to turn the wheel or been able to roll in a secure location.

Otherwise at least I would had slowly rolled back down the slope
and parked parallel to the curb on a flat surface
to avoid this priceless prototype been hit by any other passing vehicul.

Even in the case of complete power failure,
I suspect that you should be able to turn the wheels and use the breaks?

Also instead of using a Model S or a BMW as safety car,
they should use a Model X which has towing capability.

 

[NeverFollow]

A question for those of you familiar with US regulations, but how was it even legal to be driving it on public roads?

This not also the purpose of using any 'camo' painting on any prototype car to make it distingable from legal cars.

 

[smac]

they should use a Model X which has towing capability.

Which would have been as much use as a chocolate fireguard given there is no towing eye on the Roadster.

They could have hitched a flatbed trailer to the Model X, but then they might as well have towed the Roadster to wherever it was going

 

[smac]

This not also the purpose of using any 'camo' painting on any prototype car to make it distingable from legal cars.

It isn't here either.

Plenty of cars we see are "mules" painted normally, and designed to blend in. Mainly used as manufacturers try out drive trains etc. for upcoming models, which are significant enough of a change to require new "type approval".

So these cars get individually approved, but to casual observers they wouldn't know the difference.

Anyway, I still think it's highly unusual for a manufacturer to be driving around a "concept car" on public roads.

So for me the bigger question is not why it broke down (sorry "failed temporarily to continue forward momentum under it's own power"), but why Tesla weren't doing testing away from public view on one of the numerous testing facilities around the world.

 

[jelloslug]

It isn't here either.

Plenty of cars we see are "mules" painted normally, and designed to blend in. Mainly used as manufacturers try out drive trains etc. for upcoming models, which are significant enough of a change to require new "type approval".

So these cars get individually approved, but to casual observers they wouldn't know the difference.

Anyway, I still think it's highly unusual for a manufacturer to be driving around a "concept car" on public roads.

So for me the bigger question is not why it broke down (sorry "failed temporarily to continue forward momentum under it's own power"), but why Tesla weren't doing testing away from public view on one of the numerous testing facilities around the world.

Maybe that car is much more than just a concept car?

 

[smac]

Maybe that car is much more than just a concept car?

A cynic would suggest that's the intention of driving it round


Clearly with no wipers, mirrors, door handles, side reflectors, etc. etc. it definitely falls into the concept car category. (even if the drive train / battery is further along), it does look very early along the path from design to production.


BTW I love the looks of the Roadster, and would happily buy one post production. I'm just not going to risk a quarter of a million on a sight unseen purchase.

 

[TEG]

I am imagining what Franz was saying on the cellphone...

"No... I want to talk to the engineering director, not an intern !"
"Yes, I know to press the turn stalk 3 times, press the brake 2 times, and then press the hidden switch under the dash, but the damn thing still won't move !"

 

[smac]

I am imagining what Franz was saying on the cellphone...

He was trying to call Elon, but after an unfortunate twitter incident, the phone number no longer worked

 

[eMotionRentals]

So for me the bigger question is not why it broke down (sorry "failed temporarily to continue forward momentum under it's own power"), but why Tesla weren't doing testing away from public view on one of the numerous testing facilities around the world.

Because that's not nearly as much fun as cruising through Malibu. Is Franz single?

 

[gregd]

I am imagining what Franz was saying on the cellphone...

"Ok on the Control and Alt. Where is Delete?"

Either that or he was ordering pizza 'cause they were going to be there a while.

 

[TEG]

Because that's not nearly as much fun as cruising through Malibu. Is Franz single?

Not that it is any of our business, but no, he is married...

 

[FlatSix911]

Not that it is any of our business, but no, he is married...

... with children

 

[NeverFollow]

Which would have been as much use as a chocolate fireguard given there is no towing eye on the Roadster.

Towing eye or not, there must be a way to move a car on top of a towing flatbed.

 

[smac]

Towing eye or not, there must be a way to move a car on top of a towing flatbed.

How about this?