66-473: Tesla Roadster may refer to: Tesla Roadster (first generation) , an electric sports car produced by Tesla Motors between 2008 and 2012 Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster , a first generation Tesla Roadster that was launched into space in February 2018 Tesla Roadster (second generation) , an upcoming sports car in development by Tesla, Inc. Topics referred to by
132-748: A 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport at the Wayland Invitational Drag Race in Portland, Oregon, in July 2009. He did a quarter-mile (~400 m) in dry conditions in 12.643 seconds, setting a new record in the National Electric Drag Racing Association among the SP/A3 class of vehicles. The EPA combined range (specifying distance traveled between charges) measured in February 2008 for early production Roadsters
198-468: A best-case scenario using a 240 V charger on a 90 A circuit breaker, Tesla documents a recharging rate of 56 mi (90 km) of range for each hour charging; a complete recharge from empty would require just under four hours. The slowest charging rate using a 120 V outlet on a 15 A circuit breaker would add 5 mi (8.0 km) of range for each hour charging; a complete recharge from empty would require 48 hours. In June 2006, Tesla reported
264-501: A characteristic of electric motors and offers one of the biggest performance differences from internal combustion engines. The motor is air-cooled and does not need a liquid cooling system. The Sport model introduced during the Jan 2009 Detroit Auto Show includes a motor with a higher density, hand-wound stator that produces a maximum of 288 hp (215 kW). Both motors are designed for rotational speeds of up to 14,000 rpm, and
330-401: A duo of dark silver stripes on its hood and rear clamshell, and exclusive anthracite aluminum wheels. The Roadster is powered by a 3-phase , 4- pole , induction electric motor with a maximum output power of 248 hp (185 kW). Its maximum torque of 200 lb⋅ft (270 N⋅m) is immediately available and remains constant from 0 to 6,000 rpm; nearly instantaneous torque is
396-522: A mobile adapter that enables recharging with an SAE J1772 connector. The vehicle was not provided with any DC fast-charging ability and was not retrofitted later on when the Tesla Supercharger network was established. It can be recharged with AC using: Charging times vary depending on the ESS's state-of-charge, the available voltage, and the available circuit breaker amp rating ( current ). In
462-532: A production contract with Lotus in 2007 to produce "gliders" (complete cars minus electric powertrain) for the Roadster, announced in early 2010 that Roadster production would continue until early 2012. Starting one year prior to the end of the contract, no changes to the order was allowed to give time for tooling changes at Lotus's assembly plant in the UK. Several years later in 2018, Musk would go on to say that using
528-492: A range of 221 mi (356 km) using 23.9 kWh/100 mi (149 Wh/km) battery-to-wheel and 33.6 kWh/100 mi (209 Wh/km) plug-to-wheel. In February 2008, Tesla reported improved plug-to-wheel efficiency after testing a validation prototype car at an EPA-certified location. Those tests yielded a range of 220 mi (350 km) and a plug-to-wheel efficiency of 32.1 kWh/100 mi (199 Wh/km). In August 2008, Tesla reported on testing with
594-540: A tank-to-wheel efficiency of about 15%. Taking a more complete picture including the cost of energy drawn from its source, Tesla reports that their technology, assuming electricity generated from natural gas-burning power plants, has a high well-to-wheel efficiency of 1.14 km per mega joule , compared to 0.202 km/MJ for gasoline-powered sports cars, 0.478 km/MJ for gasoline-powered commuter cars, 0.556 km/MJ for hybrid cars , and 0.348 km/MJ for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles . ‹The template How-to
660-433: A tzero for use as a development mule and converted the vehicle from lead–acid AGM batteries to lithium-ion cells , which substantially increased the range, reduced weight, and boosted 0 to 60 mph performance. Tesla licensed AC Propulsion's EV power system design and reductive charging patent, which covers integration of the charging electronics with the inverter , thus reducing mass, complexity, and cost. Tesla, however,
726-436: A weight of 2,877 lb (1,305 kg), a drag coefficient of C d =0.35–0.36 and a rolling resistance of C rr =0.011. Tesla began delivering the higher performance version of the Roadster in July 2009. The Roadster Sport has adjustable dampers and a new hand-wound motor, capable of 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 3.7 seconds. Scotty Pollacheck, a high-performance driver for Killacycle , drove
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#1732772219028792-525: Is 3.9 seconds for the Standard model and 3.7 seconds for the 2010 V2.5 Sport, which Motor Trend confirmed in the first independent, instrumented testing of the V2.5 Sport model. The magazine also recorded a 0-to- 1 ⁄ 4 -mile (0.00 to 0.40 km) time of 12.6 seconds at 165.1 km/h (102.6 mph). Tesla said the top speed is electronically limited to 125 mph (201 km/h). Tesla claims it has
858-502: Is being considered for merging .› As the Roadster does not use gasoline, petroleum efficiency (MPG, L/100 km) cannot be measured directly but instead is calculated using one of several equivalent methods: Geneva International Motor Show The Geneva International Motor Show was an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva . The show was hosted at
924-482: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Tesla Roadster (first generation) The Tesla Roadster is a battery electric sports car , based on the Lotus Elise chassis, produced by Tesla Motors (now Tesla, Inc. ) from 2008 to 2012. The Roadster was the first highway legal, serial production , all-electric car to use lithium-ion battery cells, and
990-575: The Lotus Elise including the windshield, airbags, some dashboard parts, and suspension components. The Roadster's single-speed gearbox was made in Detroit by BorgWarner . Brakes and airbags were made by Siemens in Germany , and some crash testing was conducted at Siemens as well. 30–40% of components were sourced from Taiwan . For Roadsters bound for customers in North America, the glider
1056-498: The Lotus Elise , where Lotus provided advice on designing and developing a vehicle as well as producing partly assembled vehicles, and amended in 2009, helped with basic chassis development. The Roadster has a parts overlap of roughly 6% with the Lotus Elise , a 2-inch-longer wheelbase , and a slightly stiffer chassis according to Eberhard. Tesla's designers chose to construct the body panels using resin transfer molded carbon fiber composite to minimize weight; this choice makes
1122-707: The Palexpo , a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon was organised by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles , and was considered an important major international auto show. First held in 1905, the Salon hosted almost all major internal combustion engined models in the history of the automobile, along with benzene- and steam-powered cars from
1188-569: The U.S. EPA , the Roadster can travel 244 miles (393 km) on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery pack. The vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 3.7 or 3.9 seconds depending on the model. It has a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h). The Roadster's efficiency, as of September 2008 , was reported as 120 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (28 kW⋅h/100 mi) (2.0 L/100 km). It uses 21.7 kWh/100 mi (135 Wh /km) battery-to-wheel, and has an efficiency of 88% on average. Prototypes of
1254-488: The advanced (two-stage) air bag rule noting that the Roadster includes standard air bags . Similar waivers were granted to other small volume manufacturers, including Lotus , Ferrari , and Bugatti . Tesla delivered its first production car in February 2008 to Musk. Tesla announced in early August 2009 that Roadster sales had resulted in overall corporate profitability for the month of July 2009, earning US$ 1 million on revenue of US$ 20 million . Tesla, which signed
1320-485: The tzero , a concept car from the small automaker AC Propulsion . Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning , who had also driven the tzero, tried to convince the company to put the car into production, but when they declined, they decided to establish Tesla Motors in Delaware on July 1, 2003, to pursue the idea commercially. South African-born entrepreneur Elon Musk would also test drive a tzero and encouraged AC Propulsion to put
1386-454: The 1994 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1993 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1992 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1991 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1990 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1989 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1988 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at
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#17327722190281452-417: The 2000 Geneva show: The following concepts and major launches featured at the 1999 Geneva show: The following concepts and major launches featured at the 1998 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1997 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1996 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1995 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at
1518-479: The American market. Fifteen Final Edition Roadsters were produced to close the manufacturing cycle of Tesla's first electric car. For a time, Tesla offered an optional upgrade to existing Roadsters, the Roadster 3.0. It offered a new battery pack with cells from LG Chem increasing capacity by 50% to 70 kWh, a new aero kit designed to reduce drag, and new tires with lower rolling resistance . The upgrade
1584-450: The ESS both when the car is running and when the car is turned off if the pack retains more than a 90% charge. The coolant pump draws 146 watts. The cooling and battery management system keeps the temperatures and voltages within specific limits. A full recharge to 53 kWh requires about 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours using the "High Power Wall Connector", which supplies 70-amp, 240-volt electricity. Tesla said in February 2009 that
1650-522: The ESS had expected life span of seven years/100,000 mi (160,000 km), and began selling pre-purchase battery replacements for about one third of the battery's price today, with the replacement to be delivered after seven years. Tesla says the ESS retains 70% capacity after five years and 50,000 mi (80,000 km) of driving, assuming 10,000 mi (16,000 km) driven each year. A July 2013 study found that after 100,000 mi (160,000 km), Roadster batteries still had 80%–85% capacity and
1716-611: The Lotus Elise as a base for the Roadster was a poor strategy because the Elise was incompatible with the intended AC Propulsion technology and was modified so extensively only 7% of the Elise remained in common with the final production Roadster. Tesla's cumulative production of the Roadster reached 1,000 cars in January 2010. The Roadster is considered an American car though many carry a Vehicle Identification Number beginning with
1782-514: The Roadster Sport, the first derivative of Tesla's proprietary, patented powertrain. The car accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 3.7 seconds, compared to 3.9 seconds for the standard Roadster. Changes for the 2010 model-year cars included: All of these features, except for the motor, were available either as standard or as add-on option for the non-sport model. Beginning mid-March 2010, Tesla, in an effort to show off
1848-461: The Roadster in January 2012. Subsequent to completion of the first production car, the company announced problems with transmission reliability. The development transmission, with first gear enabled to accelerate 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 4 seconds, was reported to have a life expectancy of as low as only a few thousand miles. Tesla's first two transmission suppliers were unable to produce transmissions, in quantity, that could withstand
1914-771: The Roadster one of the least expensive cars with an entirely carbon fiber skin. Several prototypes of the Tesla Roadster were produced from 2004 through 2007. Initial studies were done in two development mule vehicles based on Lotus Elises equipped with all-electric drive systems. Tesla then built and tested ten engineering prototypes (EP1 through EP10) in late 2006 and early 2007, which led to many minor changes. Next, Tesla produced at least 26 validation prototypes, which were delivered beginning in March 2007. These final revisions were endurance and crash tested in preparation for series production. In August 2007, Martin Eberhard
1980-481: The Roadster's battery-to-wheel efficiency as 110 Wh/km (17.7 kWh/100 mi) on an unspecified driving cycle—either a constant 60 mph (97 km/h)) or SAE J1634 test—and stated a charging efficiency of 86% for an overall plug-to-wheel efficiency of 128 Wh/km (20.5 kWh/100 mi). In March 2007, Tesla reported the Roadster's efficiency on the EPA highway cycle as "135 mpg [U.S.] equivalent, per
2046-451: The acceleration from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in under 4 seconds and an improved motor limit of 14,000 rpm to retain the 125 mph (201 km/h) top speed. In the interior the gear selector is similar to a push-button automatic with buttons labeled P, R, N and D. Some earlier models have a gear lever similar to that in cars with manual transmission. The Roadster's 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) acceleration time
Tesla Roadster - Misplaced Pages Continue
2112-449: The beginning of the century. Exotic supercars often steal the spotlight during their debuts at the show. Prototypes, new equipment, technical breakthroughs, international partnerships , as well as political and social debates, have been announced at the exhibition. The show was regarded as a level playing field for the world's automakers, aided by the fact Switzerland lacked an auto industry of its own. The Geneva International Motor Show
2178-512: The board in April 2004 and helped recruit J. B. Straubel as chief technology officer in March 2004. Musk received the Global Green 2006 product design award for the design of the Tesla Roadster, presented by Mikhail Gorbachev , and he received the 2007 Index Design award for the design of the Tesla Roadster. Before Tesla had developed the Roadster's proprietary powertrain, they borrowed
2244-440: The car into production, instead the company connected Musk with Eberhard and Tarpenning. Musk took an active role within the company starting in 2004, including investing US$ 7.5 million (~$ 11.6 million in 2023), overseeing Roadster product design from the beginning, and greatly expanding Tesla's long-term strategic sales goals by using the sports car to fund the development of mainstream vehicles. Musk became Tesla's chairman of
2310-581: The car was also restated downward from 245 to 221 mi (394 to 356 km). The downward revision was attributed to an error in equipment calibration at the laboratory that conducted the original test. Tesla produced a special edition of 15 Final Edition Roadsters to close the production cycle of the electric car. The 15 special-edition cars were sold in each of the three sales regions, North America, Europe and Asia, and five units were allocated to each. The Final Edition Roadster did not have any performance modifications, but featured sporting atomic red paint,
2376-872: The car were officially revealed to the public on July 19, 2006, in Santa Monica, California , at a 350-person invitation-only event held in Barker Hangar at Santa Monica Airport . It was featured in Time in December 2006 as the recipient of the magazine's "Best Inventions 2006—Transportation Invention" award. The first Tesla Roadster was delivered in February 2008 to Tesla co-founder, chairman and product architect Elon Musk . The company produced 500 similar vehicles through June 2009. In July 2009, Tesla began production of its 2010 model-year Roadster—the first major product upgrade. Simultaneously, Tesla began producing
2442-475: The charge. A Roadster drove around the world (although flying as cargo over oceans) in 2012, and repeated it in 80 days with other electric cars in 2016. Simon Hackett and Emilis Prelgauskas broke the distance record for an electric vehicle, driving 501 km (311 mi) from Alice Springs to Marla , South Australia, in Simon's Tesla Roadster. The car had about 4.8 km (3.0 mi) of range left when
2508-552: The continued COVID-19 pandemic measures. The Qatari location was to be held in November 2022, but it was postponed to 2023 for the same reason. The global chip shortage was also cited as a factor in the 2022 cancellation of Swiss location. The 90th Geneva Motor Show was planned for 5 to 15 March 2020, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Switzerland's decision to impose a limit on gatherings of over 1,000 people
2574-475: The conversion rate used by the EPA" or 133 Wh/km (21.5 kWh/100 mi) battery-to-wheel and 155 Wh/km (24.9 kWh/100 mi) plug-to-wheel. The official U.S. window sticker of the 2009 Tesla Roadster showed an EPA rated energy consumption of 32 kWh/100 mi in city and 33 kWh/100 mi on the highway, equivalent to 105 mpg city and 102 mpg highway. The EPA rating for on board energy efficiency for electric vehicles before 2010
2640-514: The drive was completed. Tesla refers to the Roadster's battery pack as the Energy Storage System or ESS. The 992-pound (450 kg) ESS contains 6,831 lithium ion cells arranged into 11 "sheets" connected in series; each sheet contains 9 "bricks" connected in series; each "brick" contains 69 cells connected in parallel (11S 9S 69P). The cells are of the 18650 form factor commonly found in laptop batteries. Sources disagree on
2706-508: The end of 2011. Tesla stopped taking orders for the Roadster in the U.S. market in August 2011. Featuring new options and enhanced components, the 2012 Tesla Roadster was sold in limited numbers only in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Tesla's U.S. exemption for not having advanced (two-stage) passenger airbags expired for cars made after the end of 2011 so the last Roadsters could not be sold in
Tesla Roadster - Misplaced Pages Continue
2772-414: The exact type of Li-Ion cells—GreenCar says lithium cobalt oxide (LiCo), while researchers at DTU / INESC Porto state lithium manganese oxide (LMO). LiCo has higher reaction energy during thermal runaway than LMO. The pack is designed to prevent catastrophic cell failures from propagating to adjacent cells (thermal runaway), even when the cooling system is off. Coolant is pumped continuously through
2838-541: The first production all-electric car to travel more than 244 miles (393 km) per charge. It is also the first production car to be launched into deep space, carried by a Falcon Heavy rocket in a test flight on February 6, 2018. Tesla sold about 2,450 Roadsters in over 30 countries, and most of the last Roadsters were sold in Europe and Asia during the fourth quarter of 2012. Tesla produced right-hand-drive Roadsters from early 2010. The Roadster qualified for government incentives in several nations. According to
2904-450: The gear-shift requirements of the high torque, high rpm electric motor. In December 2007, Tesla announced plans to ship the initial Roadsters with the transmissions locked into second gear, providing 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) acceleration in 5.7 seconds and allowing customers to swap out transmissions under warranty when the finalized transmission, power electronics module (PEM), and cooling system became available. The EPA range of
2970-517: The letter "S", which is the designation for the United Kingdom. Some, however, carry a number starting with "5" appropriate to the US. Parts were sourced from around the world. The body panels came from French supplier Sotira. These were sent from France to Hethel , U.K., where Tesla contracted with Lotus to build the Roadster's unique chassis. The Roadster shares roughly 7% of its components with
3036-403: The new, single-speed gearbox and upgraded electronics of powertrain 1.5, which yielded an EPA range of 244 mi (393 km) and an EPA combined cycle, plug-to-wheel efficiency of 28 kWh/100 mi (174 Wh/km). In 2007, the Roadster's battery-to-wheel motor efficiency was reported as 88% to 90% on average and 80% at peak power. For comparison, internal combustion engines have
3102-461: The only significant factor is mileage (not temperature). Tesla announced plans to sell the battery system to TH!NK and possibly others through its Tesla Energy Group division. The TH!NK plans were put on hold by interim CEO Michael Marks in September 2007. TH!NK now obtains its lithium-ion batteries from Enerdel. The Roadster uses a proprietary AC charging connector, although Tesla sells
3168-578: The practicality of its electric cars, sent one of its Roadsters around the world. Starting at the Geneva International Motor Show , the Roadster completed its journey upon its arrival in Paris on September 28, 2010. In July 2010, Tesla introduced the "Roadster 2.5" update including: Tesla produced the Roadster until January 2012, when its supply of gliders ran out, as its contract with Lotus Cars for 2,500 gliders expired at
3234-498: The regular motor delivers a typical efficiency of 88% or 90%; 80% at peak power. It weighs less than 70 pounds (32 kg). Starting in September 2008 Tesla selected BorgWarner to manufacture gearboxes and began equipping all Roadsters with a single speed, fixed gear gearbox (8.2752:1 ratio) with an electrically actuated parking pawl mechanism and a mechanical lubrication pump. The company previously worked with several companies, including XTrac and Magna International , to find
3300-399: The right automatic transmission , but a two-gear solution proved to be too challenging. This led to substantial delays in production. At the "Town Hall Meeting" with owners in December 2007, Tesla announced plans to ship the initial 2008 Roadsters with their interim Magna two-speed direct shift manual transmissions locked into second gear, limiting the performance of the car to less than what
3366-425: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Tesla Roadster . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tesla_Roadster&oldid=1165265319 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
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#17327722190283432-565: The show. Press days for the show started on 2 March 2010, when most of the major introductions occurred. The 2009 Geneva Motor Show was held from 5–15 March 2009. The following vehicles were introduced: The 2008 Geneva Motor Show was held from 6–16 March 2008. The following vehicles were introduced: The 2007 Geneva Auto Show was held from 8–18 March 2007. The following vehicles were introduced: In addition, Subaru introduced its new boxer diesel engine , and Honda showed its next generation clean diesel engine . The 2006 Geneva Auto Show
3498-645: The show: The International Advanced Mobility Forum is the Geneva Motor Show forum on the mobility of the future. The organizers of the car show have announced the closure. While they will continue to organize the Qatar Motor Show , at Doha . In July 2023, plans were announced for the 2024 Geneva Motor Show from 26 February to 3 March, with a revised format to reduce costs for exhibitors. The 2024 edition highlighted serious organizational shortcomings, which resulted in lower participation or
3564-562: The total absence of the manufacturers. As of January 26, 2024, automakers that are confirmed to present at the show in 2024 are: The following vehicles were first presented at the show: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic along with "uncertainties in the global economy and geopolitics" in 2022 led the organisers to cancel the Swiss location for 2023 (fourth year in row) and to postpone the Qatari location until October 2023. Another contributing factor
3630-419: Was 231 mi (372 km) city, 224 mi (360 km) highway, and 227 mi (365 km) combined (city/highway). In August 2008, additional testing with the newer Powertrain 1.5 resulted in an EPA combined range of 393 km (244 mi). The vehicle set a new distance record when it completed the 241-mile (388 km) Rallye Monte Carlo d'Energies Alternatives with 36 mi (58 km) left on
3696-423: Was cited as the reason for the cancellation. It was one of the first of many major automotive events to be cancelled due to COVID-19. The following vehicles were to be presented at the show in 2020: The 89th Geneva Motor Show was held between 7 and 17 March 2019. The 88th Geneva Motor Show was held on 8 to 18 March 2018. The 87th Geneva Motor Show was held from 9 to 19 March 2017. The 86th Geneva Motor Show
3762-524: Was dissatisfied with how the motor and transmission worked in the chassis. Tesla then designed and built its own power electronics, motor, and other drivetrain components that incorporated this licensed technology from AC Propulsion. Given the extensive redevelopment of the vehicle, Tesla Motors no longer licenses any proprietary technology from AC Propulsion. The Roadster's powertrain is unique. On July 11, 2005, Tesla and British sports car maker Lotus entered an agreement about products and services based on
3828-573: Was expressed as kilowatt-hour per 100 miles (kWh/100 mi). Since November 2010, with the introduction of the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt , EPA began using a new metric, miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (MPGe). The Roadster was never officially rated by the EPA in MPGe. In August 2007, Tesla dynamometer testing of a validation prototype on the EPA combined cycle yielded
3894-444: Was held from 3 to 13 March 2016. The 85th Geneva Motor Show was held from 5 to 15 March 2015. The 84th Geneva Motor Show was held from 6 to 16 March 2014. The 83rd Geneva Motor Show was held from 7 to 17 March 2013. The 82nd edition was held from 8 to 18 March 2012. The 2011 edition was held from 3 to 13 March 2011. The 80th edition of the Geneva Motor Show was held from 4–14 March 2010. Over 80 introductions were expected for
3960-516: Was held from 3–19 March 2006. The following vehicles were introduced: The following introductions were made at the 2005 Geneva show: The following introductions were made from 4 to 14 March 2004 at the Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 2003 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 2002 Geneva show: The following major introductions were made at the 2001 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at
4026-661: Was less commitments from the manufacturers for the Swiss location. The dates for the Qatar Motor Show were confirmed to be from 5 to 14 October 2023. In 2021, the Geneva International Motor Show organisers entered into an agreement with Qatari government to hold the biennal exhibitions in Qatar during the fourth quarter along with the annual exhibitions in the Switzerland during the first quarter. The 2021 and 2022 exhibitions were cancelled due to
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#17327722190284092-526: Was not held in 2020-2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact on the global automobile industry. The event returned in 2024. In May 2024 the Geneva Show organizing committee decided to cancel the event for 2025 and beyond, citing a general lack of interest by manufacturers and competition from other shows. It shifted its focus to the show scheduled for November 2025 in Qatar. Areas of
4158-543: Was offered between September 2015 and late 2016 at a cost of US$ 29,000 (equivalent to $ 36,817 in 2023). In November 2023, Tesla open-sourced some of the Roadster's design and engineering documents, as well as diagnostic software. After Martin Eberhard sold NuvoMedia to TV Guide , he wanted a sports car, but could not find one to his liking. His battery experience with the Rocket eBook inspired him to develop an electric car. During his search, Eberhard test drove
4224-471: Was originally stated (0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 5.7 seconds instead of the announced 4.0 seconds). Tesla also announced it would upgrade those transmissions under warranty when the final transmission became available. At the "Town Hall Meeting" with owners on January 30, 2008, Tesla Motors described the planned transmission upgrade as a single-speed gearbox with a drive ratio of 8.27:1 combined with improved electronics and motor cooling that retain
4290-454: Was replaced by an interim CEO, Michael Marks. Marks accepted the temporary position while a recruitment was undertaken. In December 2007, Ze'ev Drori became the CEO and president of Tesla. In October 2008, Musk succeeded Drori as CEO. Drori left the company in December. In January 2008, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it would grant Tesla a waiver of
4356-585: Was sent to Tesla's facility in Menlo Park, California for final assembly, and for Roadsters bound for customers in Europe or elsewhere outside of North America, the glider was sent to a facility at Wymondham near Hethel for final assembly. At these locations, Tesla employees installed the powertrain, which consisted of the battery pack, power electronics module, gearbox and motor. Tesla ordered 2,500 gliders from Lotus, which ceased production in December 2011 when their contract expired. Tesla ended production of
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