Michael and TechCrunch writer Leena Rao are currently at Tesla’s showroom in Menlo Park, CA for a special event showcasing Tesla’s new Model S sedan, which was unveiled last month. They’re streaming live using Qik. They took a brief test drive – the first, the company says, with any press.
Because the Model S is not currently street legal (something about no front air bags and no seatbelts in the back seat), the company won’t allow the car to leave its parking lot and only employees can actually drive it. But they managed to get up to 80 or so in the parking lot, and the video shows the interior computer and touch screen fairly well.
Thats pretty cool.
I am pretty sure Michael can afford one also.
The should have had a more shock and awe intro. I was expecting an Arrington drift through the cones.
Leena Rao.,
You never showed us your face!
Wow, this is great. I didn’t know they were ready to test-drive. Is this a production model or a pre-prodution teaser? What’s the mileage per charge?
I recently drove a hybrid that goes quite a bit of it’s initial acceleration on electric only. It’s an eerie but exciting feeling when your drive off without any motor noises at all
Looks like a blairwitch project video.
Tesla is another success story that is being under reported by the woe-is-me-I-lost-my-job-the -economy-stinks media.
But they are asking for a bailout…. Success story?
More in the line of “hey, everybody’s being bailed out, why not us that we’re green?”. And yes, they need the money.
yeah bailout.. my freaking tax money. Its an insult.. just because everyone gets a bailout to apply for one too.. its BS.. quite frankly. Its my tax money.
They aren’t asking for bailout money. The money they asked for was from two years ago as part of legislation to offer domestic car producers low-interest loans for designing and building energy-efficient vehicles. This was way before the housing bubble burst, and unlike the *real* bailout cash being thrown at the Big Three, they will actually have to *pay back* the loan (also, the loan was for a couple hundred *m*illion). You think GM is ever going to pay back the tens of *b*illions of dollars they’ve received?
Love this car.
Pretty awesome. This one company that I really hope succeeds. This is real innovation. Hope they make it! One day, I’ll like to have one. Keep it up Tesla.
Does seem awesome.
“(something about no front air bags and no seatbelts in the back sea”
thats pretty much a bs excuse, you can drive around in anything as long as you have manufacturer plates
This is California, remember? You can’t go to the bathroom in this state without filing an environmental impact study.
and they are trying to ban cars painted black…
Waldo — that rumor was proven untrue. LMGTFY
Awesome!
Definitely the effort need to be appreciated. With big GM’s /Ford’s taking for ever to design a complete electric car, Tesla needs to be appreciated and is the way to go. But have a question – the car seems to be a well running one then why the heck they are talking about 2011 for commercial launch?? this should be on the road sooner so that by 2011 the cost and price come down to realistic level for common man’s consumption.
who gives a flying fuck? red necks are busy buying F150s, largest selling US vehicle for 10 years running.
Have to make a slight correction, since my local bar, the Oasis, is across the street from the showroom in *menlo park*
I think they need to pave their parking lot. Sooo many pot holes.
What a blog. 10 daily posts on Twitter plus one random, obligatory one on Tesla.
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Few things:
(Why aren’t they mass-producing these?)
They cannot mass-produce these. No money, no backing, no mass-production facility. Their best bet is to get bought and rushed by Ford (currently the last remaining US-based Non-government-owned car company)
Pre-production teaser (but the electrics are all legit), and it has been reported that the vehicle will be able to be purchased with one of three ranges (up to 300 miles-per-charge).
Depending on the life of the batteries (number of charges before they die completely) and the cost of replacements, this might be the first non-combustion/non-hybrid vehicle I actually have any interest in.
Hopefully we’ll get more information on those last bits soon.
looking for some guy online and for the tall singles ! you
can try the dating site called *************tallmeet …COM
……. there are many tall persons gathered ! it is
absolutey good !
OMG I love it…. I’ll take two!
…. oh wait, I already did.
one for each bulldog?
hookked for maximum coolness. I saw this post on hookk.com and had to come and pay my respects.
fuck the cameramen ! mofo, cant you handle the camera properly ?
michael, i wanna go for drive
Nice video. I really hope I will get my hands on one of those. Hope it will ship in Europe too …
But I have the feeling that it’s gonna be a long time before I can drive it
With all the press Tesla has got in the last week, things should go faster
Any release date ?
I refuse to call it the Model S. It will always be the Whitestar to me!
Yes, I’ve watched Babylon 5, what of it?
Can you get some anti-glare on that touchscreen? It’s like a mirror.
Can someone that ordered one give me their insight/justification for pre-ordering a car that won’t be delivered for another 2 years? I’m curious about that.
Second, for those that have ordered. Are you concerned that, one, there is the potential that Tesla will not be around in 2 years (what about servicing)? Two, do expect any other cars to drop in the next 2 years that will surely mop this thing up?
Thanks for posting the videos! Wish I could have been there.
I hope you’ll consider using a proper video camera for future coverage like this, though. These were sooooooo shaky. I guess the live aspect was cool on the day of, though.
The pics look sweet……looks like alot of people turned out. Here’s to hoping they meet their release date targets.
Is Leena that slut Michael has been sleeping with ?