Tesla Roadster Test Drive - 2007 Future in Review Conference

[DarthNefatious]

@timreha w3 teslamotors com/models/options

[timreha]

Whats the latest on EVs, Tesla?

[treasguy]

Nice car, but I'm troubled by the build process.

The US Government has given Tesla Motors $450 million to help build this car. Is it just me, or is there a tremendous opportunity for fraud? The owners could siphon off several million for themselves, declare bankruptcy in a couple of years, and retire on their "salary".

Also, do we need to be spending $450 million taxpayer dollars so the rich can purchase two-seater sports cars?

Sorry to rain on the Green Parade.

[Nickings07]

Can you hack the vehicles software and take control of it via a remote? Wouldn't it be fun if police used this vehicle and then you suddenly turned their sqaud car into a toy RC car for your child!

[kevin8se7en]

Anyone who talks shit about this car is an idiot. True car fans love this car... Jay Leno and Jerry Sienfeld want one and they are 2 of the biggest car collectors in North America... they are also big lovers of american cars...

As for the full charge only lasting 10 mins... WRONG

try more like several hours

[mvlady]

i love it but does it have a trunk?

[kevin8se7en]

It has a small trunk. You could fit a duffel bag and a basketball basically

[timreha]

This car was so quite and so fast...... A great ride. Tim Reha

[masteraso]

or maybe you like Oil wars and friends and family to dye every day holly shit you people are stupid!

[masteraso]

wow are u people stupid or what we are not talking about liking cars or not we are talking about green car that runs just as good and better than normal gas cars and please take your head out of your asses and think for one second about the planet your children and fresh air ok!

[samsemtex]

that guy from tesla looks incredibly dull. Every word has to be dragged out of him.

I dont particularly like it. Sure its fast but its got no sound. The noise out of a sports car is one of the best things. Whether its a screaming Ferrari or a rumble like in a V8 from a Mercedes AMG. The engine provides most of the character of the car.

This will not take off with car enthusiasts.

[robcarey18]

theres a shop makeing knock offs of the tesla that go 130km/h stock and upgradeable, def getting one

[morgangamer22]

COOL

[koneye]

For all the haters out there this is NOT the best raceing car in the world but it IS the most EFFICINET RACING car in the world

and since the last time I checked electricity is cheaper than any type of fuel even bio's ,

200 miles for a 3.5 hours of charging in the grid and even solarpanel if u got one

DO THE MATH B***ES

TECHS----

0-60 in 4sec - when fully charged batteries

which is basicly the first 20-30 min(but what a mins AH :D )as the battery decharges the number fades to 6-7sec

[Whoatemycheese]

"How fast did we get goin' on that?"

"Uh we got up to...I don't wanna say on camera...60...something...ya."

Hahaha. Best part.

[goth601]

who wants to see his stupid mug, should let pamala anderson drive it naked,at least she has a nice looking profile.

[cyborgtroy]

Nah the car would have just distracted from her.

[tardesnegras]

they should have called this video side of some guys face for six minutes, they should the car for like 5 seconds!

[benz4life]

3.9 sec o to 60 i dont think so

[ranj971]

electric cars can deliver full torque at 0 rpm thats why it accelerates so fast.

[gazillionaire1000]

sweet car

[glad122912]

This is a great car, and a break through.

[pulmonq2]

beat any car at it's price point? 100k? lol.

[rtsoccerplayer]

but if i had to choose from a corvette and this, i'd choose the tesla...plus the corvette is around 100k too, no?

[bombfrostings]

you have no idea what you're talking about. of course you would take the electric car, you're a faggot

[rtsoccerplayer]

lol faggot? someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

why i'd take a tesla over a corvette:

-better for the enviornment

-no need to throw all that money away to the fat men running the oil companies

-looks just as nice

-performs just as good

-and pretty quite

faggot...

[samsemtex]

no it doesnt perform just as good as the corvette. The corvette will run similar 0-60 times but the Tesla will only do it while its on full charge ie. for around 10mins. The Corvette will do it all day long.

The noise is the best thing about the corvette. Im sorry but anyone who wants a silent sports car is not a car fan.

[darfunkelidas]

Im an F1 nut. But if silent F1 cars can save some biodiversity, why not?

[samsemtex]

because the scream of an F1 car is the best thing about them! You clearly have never been to a race if you think it would be the same if they were silent. Thats the most ridiculous thing ive ever heard.

There are 22 f1 cars competing every year. What possible difference would having them bio diverse make to the climate? None.

[darfunkelidas]

Ive been to the French GP twice. It's true that it won't directly make a big difference but it indirectly inspires people to reduce their emissions. I really don't think that the car will be completely quiet if it does manage to pull 18000 revs. The roadster was probably silenced intentionally.

[porscheowns16]

ha ha no way u want the best performance for your money u buy a bike u want the best performance for ur money while buying a guy u get a ultima gtr

[LiquidBlow]

Shut and drive. Silence is golden.

[Two11two]

The bald guy is a little bit of a buffoon.

[tucci06]

if i won the lottery i think this is the car i would buy it's just so cool lol it even has a valet mode where it controls the speed acceleration and range so no joy rides and it takes a PIN number to start lol...not to mention the acceleration rate and 13k RPM redline

[gavnook]

How does an electric car have a redline?

[tucci06]

ask them it's on the front page of their website. besides redline is redline just means the motor is passing it's safe zone for operation.

[myrmexaw20]

it means the motor has a peak operation use , the more money you spend blueprinting and milling a motor to be as close in impending the higher you can make it rev.

Exactly like in gas car where you can spend 10k just to polish and blueprint your rod and crank journals to be 100% the same all around.

[samsemtex]

you think having a valet mode that limits acceleration is cool? This is why green people will never ever be supported byt people who love cars.

[tucci06]

err, green people? lulz trust me I'm not "green" I'm a car guy, the thing that limits the acceleration is just a mode so people can't fuck your car up

[proverb311031]

lol

[dropyourdrawers]

I get 30 mpg, and drive about 60 miles a day. This car costs over $100,000.00. If gas was $5.00 a gallon, it would take me over 27 years to spend $100 Grand in gas. Give me a break, the people need an affordable electric car, not some car that people are trying to get rich off of.

[MissAPierce]

You forgetting that this car doesn't need oil and other fluid changes or tune-ups, brake maintenance, etc... and you wouldn't need to buy gas at all. Your total energy cost is about $.02 per mile, and the maintenance is even less. There are a lot of cars that cost $100,000. This one's cheaper to maintain than all of them, and Tesla's next vehicle is going to have a much, much lower buying price. They need to sell the sexy car so they can mass-produce the more affordable one.

[FullFrontalCrudity]

these guys are selling to an elite market right now in order to fund development on a viable electric car at a lower more affordable price point. this is their plan for entry into a market that is incredibly difficult to penetrate.

[Truthstorm911]

I want a Tesla. Hell, I am a recruiter and I would LOVE to work for Tesla!

[XholdstillX]

Why do all the GREEN cars have NO clutch. I want to clutch and shift. Not hit a button.

[DaMiaNNL]

because it doesn't need one...

[XholdstillX]

It was more of a statement than a question. Notice the I WANT. I know they don't need it, but it's something that I value in a vehicle.

[OJIMMY92]

it doesnt have a clutch because it isn't necessary.

[TheFerruccio]

I hate how the music dubs over the "punch it" phase of the video. Way to totally ruin the essence of quietness that is this car's selling point.

[fashionallstars]

I guess you are right. The experience is really just wind moving fast over the windshield. No loud car noise. We joked that you could have your choice of audio sound file attached to the tachometer if you really wanted to hear the sound of a traditional motor...

[TheFerruccio]

That would be kind of funny. I mean, I know the electric motor makes some kind of noise, and actually makes a neat sound.  Albeit quieter.

[carsismeZ06]

it's just a Elise with a different body

[DarkDosman]

Have you ever seen an Elise???

[carsismeZ06]

yes

[watchpaulrun07]

you're kidding... right?

[UPRsupport]

well since it's electric car - ur retarded or sth?

[gr8whiterb26]

pfft, get the new gtr

[hekma]

this car might not make it out, the company's run into problems

[joubertco]

let me go fast and place my order is only 92.000.00 now and it will be 98.000.00 next month.

[JUKIO01]

i think the big car corporations will kill this car, just wait and see

[offfbeat]

someone has to be the first!

[JUKIO01]

true, someones got to stand up to them!

[atlanticus]

At least this will make the guys at GM think about EV again.

[Jager1988]

if 0-60 is 4 seconds than how fast can you hit top speed? i think it would sell much better if it was limited to 155 like real cars...

[GobblingHerBox]

Cool car! But hey Tom Cruise wanna be driver, four point zero seconds is the same as just saying 4 seconds you fuck!

[jip1jip]

4 seconds is somewhere between 3.5 and 4.4 seconds, 4.0 seconds is between 3.95 and 4.04. You do the math..

[f00kumofo123]

looks nice out but ugly inside. Price is an insult - saves no shit green. Better buy a 5 MPG truck and burn all oil so nothing is left but for everyone to switch to electric.

[Milchmang]

I want one!!!!!!!!! ahhh!! Why they didnt have permission to drive it in Europe?? And why the hell Daimler Chrisler build an expensive car with a range of 65 km (40 miles) ??? I really didnt get it!!!!!!

[bogdan9]

toooooo expensive

[markyboi2]

my dad is makin the car and it is so nice yea the company own lotus but its nothin like it its much faster and nicer

[moejoe04]

You guys need to understand that this is just the beginning. Tesla's first electric is not produced in large numbers yet. Therefore it costs tens of thousands of dollars. But this car was meant to draw attention. Soon, Tesla will be mass producing more practical models for the average American. They will be cheaper and more available very soon.

[gardlinesurveyor]

This car is just a copy of the electric Lotus Elise that Lotus produced years ago. I think the Tesla is being built at the Lotus factory as it was also designed there.

[ereeves116]

yeah it's less than 2 cents per mile but for the price of the tesla, you can buy a Lotus Elise and 125,000 gallons of gas...

[stratnews]

Yes, and burn up the polar ice cap.

[stefancelmare21]

less than 2 cents per mile that amazing when and going a whole day with no charging. You just plug that in . That s the future. I dont know about how durable is this car but it sounds good

[firehose03]

one would think that by 2008, 2010, electric cars would be all around, but that won't happen. just like the flying car of the future ( 2005 - 2010 ) at that worlds fair in the '60s didn't happen...

[nealenealeneale]

bit of a difference when replacing petrol with electricity than the wheels with wings

[firehose03]

there's plenty of parts/ battery packs/ diodes that burn  up/ out on electric cars....wal - mart and auto parts stores don't have them.....92 k ? - expensive throw away battery car....

[tsport100]

You'd try to buy electronic components at Wal-Mart  LOL

Electric motors are rated at 100,000 hours. Driving @ 60kph that's 6 MILLION KMs. Sure beats the 300,000kms (that'll cost you $60,000 worth of fuel) you'll get out of your ICE before it's junk

[vblogrsRLzrs]

Dont get me wrong, the tesla is an amazing piece of engineering, like a fine electric razor. but some prefer to wet shave. theres something about the vibration, the roar, the powerband, slamming the shifter into the gates. different strokes.

[vblogrsRLzrs]

the person who buys the tesla is someone who is into the green movement and technology and happens to like fast cars. a true automotive enthusiast buys the lambo, either way neither is a daily driver by any means.

[kfox66]

A real enthusiast would buy both! Leno owns one of everything.

[vblogrsRLzrs]

difference is a car like a lambhorghini is like a fighter jet amongst passenger jets. beutifal, emotional, and representing but a fraction of the population. it should be loud. it should get hot. theres so few its emissions are nonconsequential. its an experience, not a piece of "carbon footprint"

[firehose03]

where do ya get parts / batteries for that thing ? i doubt they have them at wal- mart or circuit city. gas fumes ? eh, no big deal. electric burning smell/ "fumes" is no fun, and not cheap to fix on that thing.....

[Nichen]

lol what parts? There are like 13 moving parts for the Tesla. I bet you wont be needing to replace many stuff for the Tesla

[isthissnfree]

the expierience just seems lacking without any sound

[stratnews]

The Tesla Test Drive was actually a pleasant surprise. The sound was actually peaceful, rather than obnoxious. I have hit the gas peddle on a $250K Lamborgini and the Tesla just felt a lot more in harmony with nature, more "green". The Lambo generated a lot of heat and noise. Its a sweet sound, but it just seems arrogant and decadent to buy a Lambo that gets 10MPG, when you can invest in a Tesla and help a company grow that is focused on "Green Tech". -- Tim Reha

Best, Tim

[zmass]

I like this car.

It wont be worth anything until they can price it affordibly though.

[stopcrazypp]

Actually it would be worth exactly what they price it. They are a startup company, so they really need the revenue on their first car. They also don't have the capability of mass producing a car yet. They will be selling progressively more affordable cars. Next one is white star sedan @ ~50k.

[zmass]

50K is really good for the new technology..... Show me one for 20-30K though.... that has more than 2 seats. Then ill be impressed

[Detroitbum]

Chevrolet Volt electric car, seats 4-5 and target price is 20-30k.

[seventhsun11422]

but it only goes about 60 to 70 miles per charge.. I'll take the 200 - 220 for 100k, if you think about it, it is almost the same.. 30k for 70 miles = 90k for 210 miles..

[IGP84]

teslas webpage said 400miles per charge.

[seventhsun11422]

Last I heard it was 210, but I will check, thanks for the update..

[kfox66]

Im looking at the site right now and it says 220 miles per charge

[MissAPierce]

You're right. It's 220 miles per charge. Interested parties should check out: Tesla motors-dot-com FAQ

[gardlinesurveyor]

It's just an electric Mk 1 Lotus Elise. Similar body, bonded alluminium chasis,etc. Lotus made one of these five years ago or more. But what a car! the day will soon come when we look at the internal combustion engine like we look at the steam engine now. So simple, so eficient, so obvious!!

[mikoguy]

Why the heck not? Porsche? Pffftt!

[bpope123]

I hope this company puts the rest out-of-business

[mr2021]

I would rather own this over any other sports or exotic car out there, you get performannce with efficiency, now if only I wasn't broke:)

[lotteryjerk]

Very nice! I hope the big car manufacturers are taking notes because this is the way forward

[casanova4all]

Well battery solution is kinda "Stone age solution".

If u want better eficiency then why not trying other tesla patents?

Nikola Tesla,Yugoslavian scientist is the inventor of alternating curent and induction motor!

He has loads of patents!

Nicola Tesla found a way to emit alternating current throo thin air! He succesfully managed to light a light bulb and power hes induction motor over few miles without using any wires.

that patent would give this car the soul he need,making it battery free

[Zobeid]

They are only being sold in the USA at first. Stereo and lights shouldn't make much difference. If you leave it parked with the lights on, it will run down the battery -- in about a month's time! The cabin heater draws a lot of power, but the car also has heated seats. If you rely on those, then the power consumed is much lower, I've been told.

[piratesi]

Really do love this car! Its getting made in England... does that mean i can just swing by the Lotus factory and pick one up instead of bothering with all that shipping from the US?

200miles/charge is pretty sweet. Is the driving battery completely seperate to the mod-cons battery or what? It'd be pretty rubbish if you lose miles to a loud sterio, lights, air-con and all the rest of it.

Cheers Tesla, for resurecting the electric car!

[stratnews]

The TESLA is built on the Lotus platform / they are their contract manufacturer. Thus, has basically the same leg room. Best, Tim

[kababyenoh]

I wonder if it would offer more legroom than the ELISE??? I'm a bit a taller and a little "big" to fit in a Lotus.

[aleanse01]

I am about 6'8"-6'9" and fit surprisingly well in a Tesla. Legroom is fine, but I would have to leave the top off to drive it.

[kababyenoh]

thank you, that clears it for me.

[stratnews]

The Future in Review event where the TESLA was on display is hosted at the Hotel Coronado, "on the island" in San Diego.

[ztodaro]

Coronado, CA?

[tucfinland]

I just love Tesla Roadster. Hope you'll make thousands of those! Excellent choise to build them with Lotus, they know how to make a proper sports car.