Right Hand Drive Roadster

Good news - possibly it opens up Australia more, as I understand the Japanese see having LHD as cool.

 

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.

 

Right-hand-drive Teslas confirmed - Car and Car-Buying News - What Car?

 

REPORT: Tesla planning to launch 2011 Roadster in more right-hand export markets

 

Greentech Media: Tesla Soon in Asia, Wrong Side of Road

 

I have a left hand drive model and it is OK to drive in the UK

 

Yes LHD is OK in the UK, but certainly RHD is preferable unless you're a mailman. =)

 

Or driving a road sweeper.

 

Is Luxuary Car Tax applicable to Tesla Roadstar ?

Thanks.

 

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.

 

Video: Testing the Tesla Roadster | Environment | guardian.co.uk

 

Congrats!