Tesla To Kill Electric Roadster In 2011 - Tesla Roadster - Jalopnik Kind of sad.. I hope they don't go out of business.
That's not quite the whole story. Lotus is changing the platform for the Elise anyway around that time. And Tesla wants to focus its energy, intelligence and efforts on getting the Model S into full production. And there's nothing in anything that I've read that says they plan to permanantly kill the Roadster. There's some speculation that the next Tesla Roadster/sports car will be built on the same skate board as the Model S, but that's questionable. I think it's more likely that around 2014 they'll begin US only production of a new Roadster to accompany the Model S. Trying to run 2 completely separate and unrelated lines simultaneously is, I think, more likely to lead to Tesla's demise than maintaining focus on getting their future and money making high production line up and running successfully.
Ceasing production of the roadster will reward the Tesla early adopters. Only about 1000 of the cars have been built. By ending production at this relatively low number, Tesla will have created an "instant classic," with ever increasing resale values. Close out your IRAs, withdraw the kids college funds, the roadster could be the Shelby Cobra of the 2030s, ~1000% appreciation!
According to a filing by Tesla with the SEC, reported in the February 2010 issue of CurrentEVents, "The launch of the Model S could be delayed for a number of reasons and any such delays may be significant and would extend the period in which we would generate limited, if any, revenues from sales of our electric vehicles." Such an occurrence would be disastrous for Tesla. Let's all hope they get this one right, and do not run into the kind of delays the ill-fated Roadster transmission caused. The Roadster would have been a fabulous car without a transmission. But their target buyer was never the EV enthusiast; it was the fast-car enthusiast, and the transmission was to maximize simultaneously the acceleration at low speeds and the top speed of the car. But problems with the transmission delayed production of the car for (???) a year (???). I'm rooting for them. They plan to bring back the Roadster after the Model S is in production, though of course the new Roadster will be different than the "classic" Roadster. Hopefully, better.
Naw . . . there are more Cobras on the road now days (as well as convertable '64 1/2 mustangs etc) then there were in the 1960's. Fiberglass knock off's will always be in vogue. .
It looks like tesla is not killing of the roadster after all. They are actually increasing production by 40%. I knew the Roadsters are selling steadily, but not this well. this is good news
They're still killing it off, but they're increasing production and intend to extend sales until 2012. I do think that, eventually, they'll produce a Roadster II or something, but not until the Model S is off the ground.
I guess I miss read it . I have no doubt that Tesa would be making another Roadster, but what chassis will Tesla use? The new Lotus or a modified model s?
The S is a sedan. I don't see how you could make a roadster from a sedan chassis. But why does it matter? They may not even have decided yet where to get the chassis. But it seems an insignificant matter. At some point in the near future they will quit making the present model Roadster, and then when the S is off the ground and in production, they will design and produce a new model Roadster. What matters is that they will produce a new Roadster, not what chassis they'll use. Unless you care more about styling than about putting EVs on the road.
They make coupes from sedan chassis' all the time (accord coupe, G37 coupe, Altima coupes, toyota solara). Styling plays a bigger roll than you think. Which is partially what makes tesla as success. An EV with style and performance . Of course if you are more worried about putting out a product that the masses will shun.
