Tesla Delivers its First Cars to Owners

The internet has been abuzz today about Tesla Motors delivering its first roadsters to paying customers. What’s unusual about a car company selling cars? Well, it’s a long story, but Tesla received a lot of buzz initially when it announced it would sell a $100,000 all-electric roadster, only to hit a number of speed bumps in doing so, from revised batteries and transmissions to new management that has delayed production for months.

But on Saturday, new CEO — and obvious workaholic — Ze-ev Drori announced the first Tesla Roadsters had reached their buyers. While the blog mentions nine vehicles arriving in California, a company spokesman confirmed only four had actually been picked up by their new owners, while the other five will be delivered sometime this week. That means the silent, 0-60-in-3.9-seconds roadsters could be zipping through an intersection near you sometime soon. Keep an eye out.

Update on Production and Delivery of Cars to Customers (TeslaMotors Blog)

Comments

Silent?
Really?

Wouldn't that posse a threat to blind people worse than hybrids?

Just because it's engine is silent, doesn't necessarily mean that you can't hear the car coming. I'd imagine (because I'll never see one hear in NE Ohio) that it would make a decent amount of wind/road noise as it approaches. I mean, when I hear a car coming down my road it is much more common that I hear the tires on the road long before I hear the engine. And, the speed limit on my road is 35mph; so I doubt a blind person will be crossing any roads that have higher speed limits than that lol they should be fine.

Kyle,

Good point. Problem is, think intersections. When the green light is on for the north-south roads, the pedestrian "walk" light on the east-west road is on. So, when those "silent" vehicles make a turn, those blind people crossing the road may get hurt (especially when drivers are yaking on their cell phones).

Actually, regardless of what type of vehicle is driven, it's the yahoos that drive on our streets on a daily basis that are your main concern.

Yes, and now the $5,000 per test drive! I'd really like to take one out for a spin put putting down that kind of money is a bid mad.

More info on that test drive deposit:

http://smashgods.com/2008/07/22/test-drive-a-tesla-bring-a-little-cash/