Tesla - who here has ordered one?

Link?

 

So far there doesn't seem to be any problem with sales. They are booked solid for at least a year. The problem is production. They can't build them fast enough! Sound familiar?

BTW, the Corvette may be "cheap" in the US, but in Canada it's almost $100,000 too. I was quoted $95,000 when I asked. I wasn't going to buy one, as my penis is normal size, so I don't have to compensate for anything.

 

I suppose this is a negative?

I have a Tesla redesign just for YOU.
An original if I've ever seen one.

Sporting multiple solar panels, and an ION drive, it looks like no other sports car.

ZC1

 

For $100K it better have hot and cold running water and George Clooney driving.

 

Someone fill me in - what is a Tesla?

 

Well, if you decide you don't like it, just send me a PM. I'll be glad to take it off your hands for a quarter on the dollar...

 

See Tesla Motors

It's a two seat all electric sports car. 0 to 60 in under 4 sec.
Uses LiIon batteries (lots of them). Costs about $100,000, and place your order now and receive the car in about a year.
The company (Tesla Motors) will be making other models, if they stay in business.
I think Jay Leno is early on the list, unless he already has one.

 

hmmm... liquify most of my investments??...then i would only have a underfunded 401K to retire on, nothing to fall back on in case of emergency....

i think i will pass. besides, now that gas is starting to reach the threshold of pain for a growing segment of the population, alternative EV's will be popping out of the woodwork like mushrooms on a rainy october morning.... (was gonna say like daisies on a sunny may afternoon... but have to use what i am familiar with)

besides, as i understand it, whether you take a Tesla, or wait until one of the several announced EV's, most slated to be available in late 2009, you will probably take delivery about the same time anyway.

besides, if i cant pay cash for a car, i dont buy it.

 

lol...sorry for the confusion, but the object of my post was not to give you advice. it was to state my situation only. if i had the money, or rather, i should say, if i had the EXTRA money, i would probably do it too. then again, if i had the money to blow, the Tesla really does not fit my needs. i already have a 2 seat EV that works just fine for me. it has limitations, but it is fully utilized so it definitely fits a large portion of our transportation needs.

since i have gotten my Zenn, it has become readily apparent that getting another Zenn would be smarter than getting another Prius. i could sell my Pri, have enough left to buy another Zenn and a good decent mileage used car...simply because the times where the Pri is required due to range or seating is simply not all that often.

i would save at least $55 to $85 a month driving two Zenns. on the rare occasions that i needed a bigger car, i only have to make sure my gas cost is at that level or less to "break even"

but money is not really the issue. i like to believe that my buying a Prius helped to make the Prius such popular option right now. there is no doubt in my mind that the same would not happen with a $100,000 sports car.

because of that, the Zenn is like the Prius. i know that my purchase of the Zenn has turned some people on to that option (i personally know 2 people in my town that are on the waiting list for one because of me)

and the more EV's there are, the more businesses will start offering plug-in sites. so as you can see, if i won the lotto today, i still wouldnt buy a Tesla simply because one of my needs to promote VIABLE alternative modes of transportation and the Tesla, although capable simply will not fit the bill

*edit* as for my real plans, i plan on getting an EV with a greater range and speed and i fully expect to get one by next year. the Pri, i will probably never get rid of except to exchange for a MINIMUM 20 mile EV plug in Pri.

 

spending 100k on a car is downright absurd

 

all things are relative... to some, spending 25k on a car is absurd.. and yet, millions have done it.

 

The definition of absurdness would be better done by using percentage of available income rather than pure dollar value.

 

Good point Stefx.
Plenty of people already spend 100k on vehicles. If they have the money more power to them. And if they choose the most fuel efficient of the bunch, far be it from me to criticize their choice.

 

The Tesla might look familiar because it really is a electrified Lotus Elise.

 

I know it's probably blasphemy - but wouldn't it probably be (in terms of total environmental impact, if that's what we're talking) more sensible just to get a used Elise? I mean the Tesla is like 85% Elise anyway, and it's not like their gas mileage is horrible at almost 30mpg (I got 28 driving around the Bay Area in one, admittedly not much city driving though). However, I do commend your willingness to be an early adopter.

The whole Tesla thing sounded great to me at first, but then every time they came out with more news about the car, it felt like they were downgrading the spec of the car. First it was the downgrade from a CVT or some other fancy transmission to a 2-speed, then a 1-speed (which is what I think they're at now)... Doesn't that tend to suggest that the majority of that performance is due to a specific kind of gearing to meet that 4.x-second 0-60mph spec (which is so often bandied about) as opposed to the 0-60 time being reflective of the total performance (like the "teaching to the test" methods occasionally used to boost apparent student achievement on standardized tests)? Don't get me wrong - I understand that the engineering of something like that is extremely challenging, but it's really hard to get over the whole it's-just-an-electric-elise thing.

 

i agree with your decision 100%. it is a fun car, its clean, it will send a message to people driving regular cars. of course, you will need to give a full report here on your experiences with your Tesla.

 

I totally agree with you. If I had your income level, I would go for a Tesla.

 

If you're going to buy a toy (which is what this is, no way around that), then this toy is much better than, say, a Corvette, Ferrari, Mazzarati, Porche, etc.

I always recognized my 3rd gen RX-7 as a toy. No way was it practical, unless running from Police who have no radio (or helicopters) was your objective.

If I had the disposable income I'd be on the "list" somehow. I miss showing my RX-7 at car shows.