News: Tesla To Kill Electric Roadster In 2011

[Squidge]

Who killed the electric car? Well, a closer evaluation of today's Tesla's IPO filing with the SEC reveals Tesla will. They plan to kill the Tesla Roadster after 2011. No, seriously.

More can be read here ...

http://jalopnik.com/5460062/tesla-to-kill-electric-roadster-in-2011

and here ...

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/01/teslas-roadster-to-exit-in-2011/

Seems prophetic considering James said that, "Battery powered cars will soon die out altogether", during the Tesla review back in season 12.

 

[the Interceptor]

Seems prophetic considering James said that, "Battery powered cars will soon die out altogether", during the Tesla review back in season 12.

They will have to stop making the Tesla Roadster at the end of 2011...

Because it doesn?t have anyone to build it.

?We do not plan to sell our current generation Tesla Roadster after 2011 due to planned tooling changes at a supplier for the Tesla Roadster,? the company wrote in the filing.? The Roadster is built by Lotus, so presumably Tesla is talking about changes at the British automaker?s factory in Hethel, England

It's a small company that makes, or rather gets made, one model. The supplier of parts for that models stops making those very parts, so what is Tesla Motors supposed to do? They can only keep on developing their next model and hope they get it ready soon enough.

This could happen to every small car manufacturer that uses parts from a larger car company's model, and it has, not even in the slightest way, anything to do with Tesla killing off their only product for any other reason than that they are forced to do so.

You know, I understand that there is a movement among the petrolheads against certain cars, but this is getting kind of ridiculous. I understand the reference to the movie about the EV-1, but after we've all had a chuckle, we should stick to the facts again.

 

[teeb]

Intriguingly, as many have pointed out, this suggests a new / retooled Elise or Exige in 2011/2012.

 

[laxmax613]

Is the next one going to be Better Place compatible?

 

[NecroJoe]

WAsn't one of the reasons the Espirit was killed off was because of unavailability of parts (like transmissions) or something similar?

 

[Merc63]

Seems prophetic considering James said that, "Battery powered cars will soon die out altogether", during the Tesla review back in season 12.

Sounds like it's merely the current gen roadster that's being axed. Considering there has been a second gen roadster being readied for a while now, I'd bet that there WILL be a replacement after a brief hiatus.

And of course, the Model S sedan is being readied (and a smaller, lower priced sedan model after that), so don't count out battery powered cars just yet.

 

[argatoga]

Blame Lotus. Tesla will probably survive though. A lot of venture capitalists down in CA love them.

 

[Steve Levin]

From strictly a financial standpoint, Tesla's hole keeps getting deeper and deeper.

GM may be slow, but giving them an 18 month headstart on the Volt may be a bit too much. Especially since Tesla may well be in a bit of a cash crisis before the Model S is released, depending upon how they can use the government funds.

Raising another $100 million sounds like a lot... but when you figure they have to go an entire year without revenue at a minimum... it's not much.

Salaries for just 1,000 people, for example, for 12-14 months could easily suck that up -- not to mention rent, etc -- things that the government loans might not cover.

I am looking forward to the new Lotus, though

Steve