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My Tesla Arrived!

Look, now people are on their knees in front of you with this car =P
Nice batNANOmobil ; )
Ho and...Is it me or is their something written in sanskrit-संस्कृतम here.... ; )
SHOTGUN!!! I called it!!
My Tesla Arrived! by jurvetson.
Woo-hoo! They just delivered it tonight. Excited beyond words… 
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tifotter  Pro User  says:

Cool! How is it? Having fun?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Jaako  Pro User  says:

ohhh man....

hating you a little bit right now. =)
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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AGrinberg  Pro User  says:

Giving rides to all your Flickr friends? :)
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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aminorjourney  Pro User  says:

I dig the color choice. Nice. :)

Enjoy driving it and please don't wrap it around a tree, or offer to jack up a Mercedes! ;)
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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The Sage of Shadowdale  Pro User  says:

Pfft... Big deal. I've got 3 in my garage already. :D
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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rrelam  Pro User  says:

What is the actual range, and how long does it take to charge via household plug?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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ravenwoman_9 says:

Great score!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Tayne  Pro User  says:

New mechanical toys are always good.
I'll assume that since its engineered by Lotus then it will be great to be drive.

As others have asked, I would also like to know how it performs day to day, in terms of running costs, charge time, range, whether range is dramatically effected by having the radio on or such like.

I love the fact that you've put in solar panels to charge it. Do they only run only to the car? Are they the only source the car has? Do you mind me asking whta that set up cost? I'll understand if you don't want to say.
Thanks
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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schoschie  Pro User  says:

Congrats!
There were some short reports about it on TV here in Germany lately as the first ones have been delivered to Europe. Waiting for the day I can spot one here.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Ramones Karaoke  Pro User  says:

Cool. Is that officially the Thousand Yard Grin? I have a meeting with Tesla next week, looking forward to that. I'll ask how demanding their lead customer was ...

It does look *GREAT* you know. Like a really good Lotus. And I've had a really good Lotus and a really bad Lotus!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Emily Kay Photography  Pro User  says:

Congrats! I'm jealous! Have fun with your amazing car!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Pedro Duarte Jorge  Pro User  says:

yey!!!! lucky guy!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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mantruc  Pro User  says:

wondefrul, congrats!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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« Joseph »  Pro User  says:

Beautiful Steve! Been watching these guys through the tumultuous journey to get this far, and I'm still convinced (despite the rough spots) that they're going to be a (*the*?) leader in the paradigm shift.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Shamagu  Pro User  says:

Congrats Steve, wave to me in my white Prius as you blow by on the 280.

You are green with zero carbon emissions.
I am green with envy.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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aaron_f  Pro User  says:

congrats and Im so jealous now. why cant anyone make a decent electric car that is affordable? Im hoping the Think Ox comes out soon. oh and how much for a ride?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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xouroborus says:

awesome! maybe you can take me out for a spin someday?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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TEG2 says:

Enjoy it! The wait is finally over!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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j_silla  Pro User  says:

Nice. Happy for you. I was curios about how many movies has this roadster been in and found a database, that had listed 2: The Iron Man and a doc: Who Killed the Electric Car. www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=tesla&mod el=
but Ford T come up over a 1000 times
www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=ford+&mod el=t
The Tesla looks like a classic that should last as well.

Some interesting comments on the subject at the end of this article - www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_31/b 4044419.htm?...
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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benjiman  Pro User  says:

Nice. Congrats. Be careful with that...
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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firexbrat  Pro User  says:

ha ! I saw the title before I saw the pic and thought you had ordered a Tesla coil to make lightening for some reason. I assume the car uses some similar coil method?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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zenera  Pro User  says:

pretty!!*
what are you going to call it...
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Apollo 11 says:

I really can't express the depths of my envy! :) That is a cool car!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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~Reshma~  Pro User  says:

Steve, is everyday like a Birthday for you? Excitement, surprise, presents, friends (like Obama)... :-)
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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rocketmavericks says:

Where do we install the Q motor?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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menlo  Pro User  says:

Please keep us informed about the repair history.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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egoboss  Pro User  says:

beautiful - as one would expect, being based on a lotus elise!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Victor1  Pro User  says:

no doggie tricks for this one please Steve ! (e.g. bmw) Looks Killer! Can't wait for a ride in it. Pedals on both sides?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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drona  Pro User  says:

congrats...now, your only challenge is going to be to keep it "between the lines"

:)
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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jurvetson  Pro User  says:

thanks y'all. Gosh, I just love this car, and I think this is a new experience for me. I last felt something like this when I got my first Apple ][ in 1978. But never with a car. I was “happy” and a bit “excited” when I got other new cars, like a V12 BMW coupe a few years back, but it was a kinda like a fun first date that you just know won’t go anywhere long term. Not that I have dated much, but it’s the only analogy I can think of.

Victor, drona, xouroborus: I keep repeating to myself: "go for a spin, not a flip"

AshwinK: heh, I thought every day was Halloween....

zenera: looking for naming suggestions. "green machine" is a bit trite... Sequester... EVe... Beta... Sol... when I thought I was going to get the metallic red one: Ruby on Rails

menlo : glad to see you are perpetually sour. I was worried that you just hated Obama. =)

j_silla: Bob from the movie works for Tesla now!

rrelam and Tayne: The solar panels connect to the house and the car hangs off that too. One great option in California is net metering with time-of-day pricing. So the solar panels send power back to the grid during their peak hours (from noon to 6), and the Tesla charges at night... and the utility offers a 3:1 pricing ratio between those times. So three hours of charging at night only needs one hour of afternoon solar. The utility does the time shifting, and with a huge cost advantage to the consumer. So far, recharging has taken about 2 hours (but I have not driven long distances yet). The commute use case for me is compelling: I never worry about range since I plug in each night, and leave with a full tank of electrons each morning. Charge time could be 3x slower and it wouldn't be noticed by me.

Tayne: driving cost is free to me because of the solar. But if I was paying, the car's touch screen has a calculator (and all kinds of cool graphs) that shows that I use less than $1 of electricity per day.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Tayne  Pro User  says:

Did they give you a guarantee on how long the batteries will last?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Gone-Walkabout  Pro User  says:

you lucky dog
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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onesock05  Pro User  says:

How about sharing any other pics?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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jurvetson  Pro User  says:

Waiting for the next one, en route to our parking lot, to arrive... I have a photo idea in mind...

Meanwhile, the best story so far came when I parked in a 2 hour zone. A meter maid drove up in her cart, tire-chalker in hand, and she just stopped and stared: “That’s just too beautiful for me to mark.”

And she drove by to mark the next car.

The Tesla made a meter maid friendly!!!
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Jaako  Pro User  says:

now thats an accomplishment.

Actually, I'm curious about the batteries too.
How long do they last and whats the replacement cost?

I recently had to dole out hundred-something-$ for a new powerbook battery after three years. not horrible all things considered, but I can imagine that cost being a power of magnitude higher with the kind of batteries the Tesla runs with.

thoughts?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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jurvetson  Pro User  says:

We'll see how long they last. Laptop usage patterns (drainage cycles and temperature) are about as bad as you can get for battery lifetime. Tesla liquid cools the batteries and runs fiber optic sensors along all of them for longevity management. We may only have accelerated testing to guide us on ultimate lifetimes, and that may be biased if the temp is regulated. Your milage may vary. =)
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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tifotter  Pro User  says:

Did you see the GM Volt Battery Lab on Charlie Rose recently? They had a pretty crazy battery testing center. Here's a link: www.charlierose.com/shows/2008/08/19/1/a-look -at-the-new-...

Skip forward to about 00:29:26.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Knut Rokne  Pro User  says:

I am exceedingly jealous. And very happy to see someone with a Tesla. Congratulations.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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avlxyz  Pro User  says:

Congrats! 0-60 in 6s!
maybe u can join the queue for the European Telsa :P
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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jurvetson  Pro User  says:

Oh, the early U.S. customers will get the same "0-60 in 3.9 seconds" performance as the Europeans. Tesla is going to upgrade our PEM and motor/gear box block in the same time frame.

The interesting back story is that a major improvement to the whole system (no transmission, longer range, higher performance, higher efficiency) was enabled by a breakthrough in the semiconductor industry – a new IGBT transistor that just started shipping. (full story from the CTO)
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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tripletlads  Pro User  says:

Fine choice of vehicles Sir. I admire your forward thinking.
Glad to see what some thought of as a pipe dream actually being use in the real world.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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Gone-Walkabout  Pro User  says:

out of curiosity how tall are you? This model of the Tesla is built on the Lotus Elise frame correct?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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jurvetson  Pro User  says:

yes, same basic aluminum space frame, extended a bit, and with a new carbon fiber shell. I'm about 6'2" and I can extend my legs fully. Elon Musk is taller, and he wanted to make sure it would work for him...
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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jurvetson  Pro User  says:

I see that FORTUNE picked up the meter maid comment in the Sept 15 issue.
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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schoschie  Pro User  says:

Was it Lovely Rita, at least?
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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nels1  Pro User  says:

hey Steve, don't know if you knew that you were featured in this article at EcoModder.

congrats...yes, nearly as exhilarating as getting your first Apple ][ :D
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

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jurvetson  Pro User  says:

thanks...

firexbrat: at first, I thought the reference to a Tesla Coil Inside was purely electrifying metaphor...


Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

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schoschie  Pro User  says:

Woah. That's a big one.
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

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jonrawlinson  Pro User  says:

You are a lucky lucky man.

That is so awesome.

Congrats!

What are your thoughts on the car so far? How is it to drive? Do you drive it on a daily basis? How far can you go in it?
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

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jurvetson  Pro User  says:

I'm lovin' it. It's such a rush, without the punctuation of shifting... Yes, I drive it on a daily basis, and I start with a fresh charge each morning and never drive more than half its range on any given day.

Other than a long-distance road trip (which I wold not use this for, and which I rarely do anyway), I never think about the range or how/when to charge it. For commute / local business / local fun uses, it's a free ride.
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

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Gone-Walkabout  Pro User  says:

how much has your electrical bill gone up? also is there a portable charger option; say if you wanted to charge it at work? and have you tested to see how long it can sit without being plugged in; and how much charge you have?
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

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Kevin J Hatton's Flickr Pics  Pro User  says:

Jealous? Me?
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

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Doug_Dirac_Delta  Pro User  says:

These guys used the photo:
gas2.org/2009/08/08/tesla-delivers-again-is-p rofitable-in...
Posted 5 months ago. ( permalink )

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jurvetson  Pro User  says:

and a better shot just came out here:

Gone-Walkabout: the driving is free, fed by solar panels. Yes on portable charger, but I have not had a need for it. Have not tested sit time, but by early estimates, I could leave the headlights on for a month. =)
Posted 2 months ago. ( permalink )

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