Teslas On The Road!

[Smoky]

I think it is wierd how many people are buying the first gens, since the original 2-speed design did not work out, and the transmission they chose decreases performance as promised from the outset: 3.9s 0-60 (same as Lotus) vs the actual 5.3s they are seeing now. I don't think anyone got a discount off the six figure price tag either.

Still, nice to see someone making reliable, range-friendly (250miles aint' bad) real-deal electric cars that are also performance oriented. And nice to see them actually selling!

[EricH]

Is it wrong that I would want the motors re-wound so I could have 300hp and maybe get 150 miles a charge out of it? I would be stuck on the side of the road a lot but hell, I would get there a lot faster.

[smicker]

Originally Posted by Smoky

I think it is wierd how many people are buying the first gens, since the original 2-speed design did not work out, and the transmission they chose decreases performance as promised from the outset: 3.9s 0-60 (same as Lotus) vs the actual 5.3s they are seeing now. I don't think anyone got a discount off the six figure price tag either.

Still, nice to see someone making reliable, range-friendly (250miles aint' bad) real-deal electric cars that are also performance oriented. And nice to see them actually selling!

Only the first 40-50 cars are being delivered with the original transmission locked in 2nd gear, and will be upgraded to the 1.5 powertrain free of charge.

Which Lotus gets 3.9s 0-60?

[Bavarian Motorist]

Originally Posted by smicker

Only the first 40-50 cars are being delivered with the original transmission locked in 2nd gear, and will be upgraded to the 1.5 powertrain free of charge.

Which Lotus gets 3.9s 0-60?

A 2-11?

[Smoky]

I believe the Cup cars can get down into the high 3s with a hard launch. The 08 240S is supposed to get down there as well when the launch control is used properly.

I agree 0-60 is not the whole picture nor was I implying it. Just struck me as odd to see that number on the site. I expected a quicker time. And yes, I agree it would be a brilliant upgrade and dramatically improve the performance and feel, despite whatever metrics are posted at this time (prob not enough road testing at this point to really know anyway)

[Monsi]

Originally Posted by smicker

I don't know what you saw on Kauai, but it wasn't a Tesla...

it was red and parked and said Tesla on it

there are plenty of rich people here so it doesn't surprise me

I saw an arctic silver elise the same weekend that got me all spun up in a bad way

[smicker]

Originally Posted by Monsi

it was red and parked and said Tesla on it

there are plenty of rich people here so it doesn't surprise me

I saw an arctic silver elise the same weekend that got me all spun up in a bad way

Decal? None of the presently shipped cars have gone to Kauai

[carlover]

Originally Posted by delise

I dropped by the Tesla showroom in West Los Angeles in the Elise yesterday and checked it out. Really cool store and service area and the people were super nice and answered all my questions. We got there as 2 people were getting ready to go on a scheduled test drive. An elderly couple in their 70s I would guess? The top was off and the wife could not get in the car, so finally she put her full weight on the windshield and hung from it then plopped in the car. I said kind of quietly to the saleswoman, um, that looks like the same windscreen as the Elise , and she said yes it is the exact same windscreen. Then I said, you might want to tell people not to do what she just did unless you want the windshield breaking and injuring them , it is not a structural part of the car ! She was surprised and said thank you for that information we were not aware of that !

Nice color car, almost polar blue, the guy took off and it was eerily quite, looked like magic. Very
cool are and more livable luxuries than an Elise in many ways, BUT My only issue I realized is that unless they make 250' charging cables, I would not be able to charge the car at home, I live on the 3rd floor and have underground parking, no way in hell the building owner would let somebody sponge electricity from a parking lot outlet or allow me to drop a cable over the balcony. And at work , same situation, no way the company is going to flip the bill for me recharging all day !

It's only supposed to cost a buck or two to charge the battery. I can understand your neighbor balking at that, but your office probably spend that on a/c for the building in 5 min.

[Monsi]

Originally Posted by smicker

Decal? None of the presently shipped cars have gone to Kauai

resale? someone moved?

I know what a tesla looks like... and there are other people who have seen it

maybe they shipped it out here for vacation

[LARRY]

Originally Posted by EricH

Is it wrong that I would want the motors re-wound so I could have 300hp and maybe get 150 miles a charge out of it? I would be stuck on the side of the road a lot but hell, I would get there a lot faster.

It's NOt a slot car!!!

Then again...

[delise]

Originally Posted by LARRY

It's NOt a slot car!!!

Then again...

Wait a second larry, I think you are onto something, they could make a tesla only slot race track out at willow springs, and you have a special contact that hangs down from your tesla, you can race all day and never recharge !

[mopho]

Originally Posted by delise

I dropped by the Tesla showroom in West Los Angeles in the Elise yesterday and checked it out. Really cool store and service area and the people were super nice and answered all my questions. We got there as 2 people were getting ready to go on a scheduled test drive. An elderly couple in their 70s I would guess? The top was off and the wife could not get in the car, so finally she put her full weight on the windshield and hung from it then plopped in the car. I said kind of quietly to the saleswoman, um, that looks like the same windscreen as the Elise , and she said yes it is the exact same windscreen. Then I said, you might want to tell people not to do what she just did unless you want the windshield breaking and injuring them , it is not a structural part of the car ! She was surprised and said thank you for that information we were not aware of that !

Nice color car, almost polar blue, the guy took off and it was eerily quite, looked like magic. Very
cool are and more livable luxuries than an Elise in many ways, BUT My only issue I realized is that unless they make 250' charging cables, I would not be able to charge the car at home, I live on the 3rd floor and have underground parking, no way in hell the building owner would let somebody sponge electricity from a parking lot outlet or allow me to drop a cable over the balcony. And at work , same situation, no way the company is going to flip the bill for me recharging all day !

The guy from the Tesla Store brought the car over to the Sunday Morning MDR meet last Sunday






.

[Monsi]

I'll make sure to snap a crappy cell phone pic next chance I get to prove to you I am not hallucinating

[bboersma]

I saw one out the window of my office building in Chicago, was weird as I never look for cars but I saw an awkward reflection in the building across the street and looked and sure enough Tesla pulled up to the stop light. I think they recently opened their showroom here. Wish I had a camera at work, it was silver with red interior.

[AgentTripleX]

I got some more seat time yesterday, and the best way to describe the experience is "whimsical." I love it. It's completely surreal to me. It's nice to be able to hear tunes now.

[Noisycow]

Hopefully people know who the Tesla was named after; the greatest inventor ever -

[Spudboy]

Originally Posted by EricH

Is it wrong that I would want the motors re-wound so I could have 300hp and maybe get 150 miles a charge out of it? I would be stuck on the side of the road a lot but hell, I would get there a lot faster.

Then soak the whole engine in liquid nitrogen, drop the resistence to zero, and see how many amps you can push through the motor!!!

[FLuXeXigeS]

would love to test drive one...

[ewalberg]

you don't need to re-wire the motor, all you need is to edit the program that limits the current to the motor (ESPECIALLY FROM STAND STILL)... i wouldn't be surprised if part of the current limiting of the engine were specifically associated with managing miles per charge specs... how much more it can take who knows, but the smaller motor was granading the tranny and still got 0-60 in 5.3 seconds locked in 2nd gear?... didn't have motor problems did they with the original smaller motors?... now it's a bigger motor... what you wanna do is find the engineer who works there who's got one... you can bet that limit value isn't stock.

[Hello Kitty]

Originally Posted by smicker

Decal? None of the presently shipped cars have gone to Kauai

If one made it to Oahu, then you can expect to see it on any Hawaiian island. Shiping cars to other islands is easy.