We actually don't share a chassis--although it is built by the same company (Norsk Hydro) that builds the Elise chassis.
We share a bit more than a chassis, I went and checked one out at the dealership and everything looked very familiar including the same yokohoma LTS specific tires. They are built by Lotus, the key difference is the carbon fibre body, and of course the batteries/motor - which is why they are so much more expensive.... other than that - they are a Lotus through and through. The showroom sales staff did not seem too thrilled that I pulled up and parked in their parking lot and the customers all came out to see my car
In my experience in LA , Tesla owners tend not to notice that an Elise is passing by. I work right down the street from Mahalo.com (Mr. Musks new startup search engine company) in Santa Monica and there are usually 2-3 Teslas parked out front and driving around the area.
"Factual data " Coming from the mouths of the Tesla marketing department -hehehe - they are in absolute denial over the Tesla being a Lotus and their sales staff will hardly acknowledge the fact. They avoided pretty much every question I asked in regards to the subject. Snooping around and sitting in one in person you notice a hell of a lot more than %7 parts I can tell you that right now. Tesla also "plans" on buying a Detroit factory and making 100,000 cars a year that only cost $50,000 ! Only problem is they have not figured out how to get the money or how to make 100,000 people buy their non existant $50,000 cars ! Elon Musk is a big dreamer to put it politely....
Well technically it is Jason Calicanis's joint but Musk is a major player / investor. The company is not doing too well it seems. Taking on Google is not a great biz plan it seems. I think one of those Teslas is Jason's actually, but I have seen Musk on several occasions zipping around the area
Del, the 7% figure comes from a diff of the parts list--it's not marketing spin, it's simply fact. Look closer next time you're in the showroom, the windshield is different.
I would love to see how they calculate that figure. You see this extrusion has the holes drilled in a different spot so its a completely different part. We use a different supplier for bolts and there are 350 of them in the car so 350 parts are different in that respect.
And yet the "facts" being spun around the internet are somehow the "truth" -poke-
It's an article covering a wired live talk with Elon Musk, that is what he said at the eventAnd yet the "facts" being spun around the internet are somehow the "truth"
I was not referring to the article
The article you're quoting refers to long-term manufacturing plans to get us off foreign oil and end environmental damage. Model S is a step in that direction, as is the Roadster.
You corrected/questioned my 100,000 figure and detroit factory plans, I supplied my sources - thanks for playing.
Del, the $50,000 car you referred to is Model S. Nowhere in the article does it mention this. This will be built in California, with a planned stat volume of 10,000/yr. The mass-produced car (100,000+ voume) from the Wired article you're referring to is a future third model priced far less.
