I got email today from Don Cochrane of Tesla in the UK saying that next year Tesla will offer Right Hand Drive models. This is a significant indicator in my view of good company health and credible market expansion in prospect. Right Hand Drive models obviously open up UK sales much more. My speculation is that the UK alone wouldn't be enough reason to do this (presumably) costly development. I speculate that it prefigures the Japan launch of Tesla, and I predict one of the 2010 Tesla store launches will be Tokyo. Andrew
Good news - possibly it opens up Australia more, as I understand the Japanese see having LHD as cool.
Looking at the email again, I see I skim-read it. Specifically mentioned were Japan and ... Australia! Well done dpeilow. Bets on first store? Tokyo, Sydney, Perth, Osaka, ...?
Don't forget Hong Kong. It's a small place with lots of wealthy people and you are required to have somewhere to park your car to get it registered so most will have somewhere to charge. That would be my pick for the first Asian sale office. As for Australia I want it to be Sydney, as I live there, but it will probably be Melbourne as Project Better Place has headquartered there. As soon as they announce a RHD model S I'm ready to put my deposit down.
Presuming you are an Aussie (asking about LCT): Wikipedia says the following:- Which implies it is applicable if there is no additional category available to EVs.
When I talked to Simon Hackett he said that his Tesla was subject to all the normal taxes of a motor vehicle even though it was initially brought in to Australia on a temporary basis for "Testing and demonstration" purposes only. I didn't ask him if the higher fuel efficient luxury car tax threshold applied but I would imagine it would. Still given a US$125,000 Roadster, after import duty 5%, GST 10% and LCT 33% (for amounts above $75,000) I think you will still have little change out of Aus$200,000.:frown:
Right-Hand-Drive Roadster - a set on Flickr I'm glad to see they left the charging port on the left side. Makes so much more sense for parallel parked curbside charging.
You might be a little more likely to have to get back out of the car to unplug it, though. Have any current owners had to do that?
Re: Right Hand Drive Roadster announced for Q1 2010 Yes, too often but I have found that I can at least close the charge port door when I leave that open without getting out.
Those are some nicely done pictures of those RHD roadsters! Anyone else notice the fogged up headlight housings in this one: Moderator's note: Subsequent discussion on airbags moved here.
Taken Delivery of RHD EU Signature 222 Today I felt it was appropriate to use this thread to announce with pride having finally taken the plunge to Tesla Roadster ownership today. I took delivery at the Tesla Store in London of a Signature Edition with VIN 222 of 250. It's a right hand drive model in Obsidian Black. More info to follow. Right now it's back at the store for further work before delivery out.
