One of the pleasant surprises of a silent zero emissions sports car… you can drive it indoors.
At the Telsa launch party last night, two of the roadsters did laps around the room, offering rides to the guests around the indoor track and punching it outside.
I got a lot of answers on the Tesla site. I wonder how putting both the motor and the battery in the rear affects weight distribution, however. It seems that it would be too light in the front… although a 70lb motor is quite light the ESS (Energy Storage System) weighs in at 1000lb. I guess a lot of that is the liquid cooling system for the lithium ion battery pack.
I didn’t see this covered on their site: Do they shield the magnetic waves around the motor to prevent issues with magnetic media that you might have nearby? (e.g., a laptop in the cabin)
It’s too bad that they’re going to sell for more than most people can afford. It’s a shame that a car you don’t have to buy expensive gasoline for is too expensive to own. Sell it for $40,000 and people will buy them by the million. Sell them for $80,000 to $100,000 and they’ll sell a few, but not enough to make a difference. In the soft drink industry, we call this the "Fast Nickel versus the Slow Dime". Many stores run a loss leader (sell items at a loss) just to get attention. I don’t know what the manufacturing cost is on this car, but selling below cost initially and eventually, with volume selling, reducing manufacturing costs so that a razor thin margin of profit can be achieved would be in the best interest of all involved. Everybody would win then.
Can you tell I have a lot of interest in this?
Kevin — I think the high-end was a good place to start, because it gets more attention and makes people rethink electric cars.
Lets face it, people associate electric cars with granola-munching hippes or snotty nouveau-riche geeks.
The Tesla Roadster puts some sex-appeal into the electric car. The name is great as well, because "Tesla" sounds sexy and powerful even if you have no idea who Telsa is — but it appeals to the geeks who are still an important consumer base. $40 K cars are not sexy, you need some lust to build up in the market, and people don’t lust over things that are easy to get. I don’t lust after a riced up Civic, but I’ll be damned if I don’t turn-stare-lust after a Jaguar E-type, even though a $25K Civic on nitrous can beat the pants off a $100K E-type in a race.
There are also some practical considerations. The first generation is going to be buggy and in the shop constantly, an unavoidable truth for all 1-gen products. The $40 K market buys cars for their utility — they need to get to work and pick up the kids — and if it is always in the shop they are going to be pissed. The $80 K customer undersands high-end machines are picky, and wont recoil quite so much at the time or bills associated with the 1-gen machine, because they are buying the car for fun or prestige.
Also, I doubt they could scale production fast enough to meet demand at the $40 K price point. They don’t need to sell a million, they need some cash to reinvest into the company.
In time they should release a $40 K version, because I want one, but for now it is best for them to keep me here lusting.
This kind of car is definitely a rich and successful man’s sportscar. It is for a man trying to attract a woman, or for a woman hoping to impress a man, and could never be used as a practical vehicule. It is a car of prestige meant for male needs. That is ok because there is a demand for that kind of car. However, it would make no sense to have a more economical version of the same car to satisfy those who are less financially endowed. A different car with a different look and appropriate price could be produced with new intentions. The purpose of its design and the marketing strategy would have to be altogether different and not EVER associated with the Tesla. Otherwise, the appeal for the unique and prestigious Tesla would greatly diminish and sales would go down. Who wants to pay a fortune for a prestigious sports car that finally is just a higher-end version of the new all-purpose or family car! Each model would have to be completely dissassociated from one another to attract the right consumer for each respective car. There must exist a clear-cut distinction between the two. This is my opinion that you can share with the company if you feel it is valid.
Steve and Mimosa, I agree with both of you. I think the company needs this flagship premier to be the best of the best, regardless of cost. After a cash infusion, hopefully brought on by early adopters, then research into an ultimate family vehicle would be embraced. I envision a stylish crossover vehicle that looks sort of like a sporty utility vehicle that borrows styling from the roadster, yet provides room for a family.
Also… on a separate note… Steve, why don’t you ask the Tesla engineers to come up with an induction charging plate that would automatically charge your car’s battery when you drive into your garage above the plate?
Kevin Trotman:
I am glad you agree with my comments. However, I insist that the style of the sportscar be unique and never copied in any way. A completely different model would have to be thought up for a automobile that would be purchased by a larger population. Let others try to copy the model which would actually make the Tesla even more alluring since the best form of flattery is imitation. The company which created the Tesla must not ever attempt to transfer some of the glory from the Star to a Starlette! Let the starlette shine independently. It should become a star on its own and have it own public and admirers.
As a Designer, i think the only fault of the Tesla Roadster right now is its appearance – other than producing no exhaust noise, it is mostly indistinguishable by looks alone from a lot of other 2-seater sports cars, let alone cheapo gas-guzzler kit-cars, which makes it a lot less attractive. I think a good design strategy communicationg whats new inside on the outside, while of course looking great and not musli-munching-hippie-style, would still make a great difference to the impact of the car. Give people something to remember, that is, besides all the technical stuff and the envy most bystanders would feel by recognizing one, by giving some back with a great look that is as far in front of the field as is the technology involved..
good luck!
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