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Kardax
Member
This is a very important milestone. When Tesla starts getting kudos from major automotive magazines, they had better have production up and running or all the publicity will be wasted.
I hope this means they expect to have production underway by then
-Ryan
I hope this means they expect to have production underway by then
-Ryan
mt2
Member
The article says, "Tesla officials said they want to produce 1,800 cars in 2009". I don't recall seeing a specific number before. Wasn't it only supposed to be around 1,000 per year? If they can make 1,800 a year, they will certainly sell 1,800 a year.
tonybelding
Active Member
It's hard to pin down their production capacity exactly since it's all done on the Lotus assembly line, and one must presume Lotus's own products come first. Making 1,800 Teslas per year might require adding a shift -- unless Lotus sales have gone soft, which is also possible.
I've heard a lot of different production numbers tossed around at different times, but I think 2,000 per year is the highest that I've ever heard.
They must be doing this with a VP, I can't imagine they have any production cars yet. It does indicate that they are confident about having most of the bugs worked out, and that probably the production plan is on schedule.
Maybe they have more VPs upgraded with the new transmission, and otherwise brought up to production intent, since lack of available vehicles was one reason they were putting this off.
I'm not sure how the car mags will react. They will cetainly like the performance, but probably diss the lack of engine growl. I remember C&D in particluar had good things to say about the Elise, so they should like the Tesla even better.
Maybe they have more VPs upgraded with the new transmission, and otherwise brought up to production intent, since lack of available vehicles was one reason they were putting this off.
I'm not sure how the car mags will react. They will cetainly like the performance, but probably diss the lack of engine growl. I remember C&D in particluar had good things to say about the Elise, so they should like the Tesla even better.
The first articles will be "First Rides".
Tesla would give them a car for 15 minutes or an hour so they can write about first driving impressions. After Tesla exhausts (!) all the chosen media then they start over again giving them test days, and week long "ownership" rides. And then there are the ones where a writer keeps a car for a few months and gives a long range review of the car. (These are not usually exotics though).
I'm curious how the Tesla with its propriety charger that gives the fastest, safest charge -the one you want journalists to swoon over, will be supplied to the temporary owners.
I'm guessing a certified electrician would be 500 to 1000 dollars to do an install depending on power availability and proximity.
Tesla would give them a car for 15 minutes or an hour so they can write about first driving impressions. After Tesla exhausts (!) all the chosen media then they start over again giving them test days, and week long "ownership" rides. And then there are the ones where a writer keeps a car for a few months and gives a long range review of the car. (These are not usually exotics though).
I'm curious how the Tesla with its propriety charger that gives the fastest, safest charge -the one you want journalists to swoon over, will be supplied to the temporary owners.
I'm guessing a certified electrician would be 500 to 1000 dollars to do an install depending on power availability and proximity.
mt2
Member
Well, here's the "official" announcement.
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog3/?p=69
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog3/?p=69
Last edited by a moderator:
siry
Member
Motor trend
drive went great today with motor trend. Kim seemed to like the car quite a bit and enjoyed the meeting at the end of the day I set up with key engineers for all the major subsystems.
they did an instrumented 0-60 and I will say it was pretty consistent with what we have gotten, if not exactly.
Tomorrow I host Csaba Csere of Car and Driver, who is an engineer by background
drive went great today with motor trend. Kim seemed to like the car quite a bit and enjoyed the meeting at the end of the day I set up with key engineers for all the major subsystems.
they did an instrumented 0-60 and I will say it was pretty consistent with what we have gotten, if not exactly.
Tomorrow I host Csaba Csere of Car and Driver, who is an engineer by background
mt2
Member
Darryl, you posted that you were excited about having the magazines review the car. What is your impression of the reviewers' level of anticipation? After all, they are some of the first people to drive something that is totally new - something that will rock the auto industry. They've got to be at least a little pumped.
Congratulations Darryl and the team. It's good to get back to some good news after recent events.
Get set for a new media feeding frenzy
The Roadster is going to be a very tough product to follow. It sets the bar very high. Will Whitestar be able to take up the torch?
MT wrote:
"What is your impression of the reviewers' level of anticipation?"
This is a great question. It's worth writing how each magazine reviewer approached the drive. This kind of Market Research should ask what they have heard, what they believe and what their friends and family are saying.
This from a segment of people who are surrounded by everything car but (unlike us) are not everything EV or PHEV etc.
When they arrived, were they;
Excited?
Interested?
Ambivalent
Skeptical?
Hostile?
"What is your impression of the reviewers' level of anticipation?"
This is a great question. It's worth writing how each magazine reviewer approached the drive. This kind of Market Research should ask what they have heard, what they believe and what their friends and family are saying.
This from a segment of people who are surrounded by everything car but (unlike us) are not everything EV or PHEV etc.
When they arrived, were they;
Excited?
Interested?
Ambivalent
Skeptical?
Hostile?
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tonybelding
Active Member
TTAC is most definitely hostile towards Tesla. I don't think any possible experience they could have with the car would change their mind. In fact, one of TTAC's people rode in the car and came away with a positive experience -- which Robert Farago then re-spun into an attack/smear piece on the website. So, it literally doesn't matter how the car performs or what Tesla does or says: Farago will find something to gripe about, or if he doesn't find something then he'll invent something.
I think some top people at Car & Driver and Top Gear have expressed strong skepticism toward electric cars in the recent past, but I expect they can be turned around with hands-on experience of the car.
Yeah, doesn't VP10 have the new, improved, transmission?
If so, that seems a bad sign that they had to lock it into 2nd gear.
One would think that all the VPs would get the new transmission in short order.
With all the other herculean engineering done why would it be so hard to get the transmission upgraded on ~6 cars?
