Los Angeles becomes home to Tesla Motors' first dealership

Nary two months after the Tesla Roadster finally hit production, the automaker's first dealership has swung its doors wide open. Not surprisingly, the establishment is planted in gridlock heaven, better known as Los Angeles, California. Even less shocking is the fact that it opened at one of the busiest intersections in the city -- near the practically useless (we kid... sort of) 405 freeway and the always-packed corner of Santa Monica and Sepulveda boulevards. Of course, the 10,000-square-foot dealership isn't exactly rolling cars off of the showroom floor just yet (something about a lingering transmission issue), but it's hoping the $2 million cost of construction more than pays itself off in a couple of years. And if you're hankering for a Telsa Motors store near you, you can look forward to others popping up in Menlo Park (CA), New York, Miami, Seattle and Chicago in the next year or so.

[Vic20 @ May 4th 2008 2:41AM]

Tesla Motors? Right outside Encino? Shocking!!

[OneLove @ May 5th 2008 11:15AM]

Is that a bouncer outside?

[Ace b @ May 4th 2008 2:54AM]

So I'm thinking we technically informed folk should have a field trip to the dealership to bug the crap out of them about the transmission deal.
And to see if it's gonna come out in a hardtop version.

[Vic20 @ May 4th 2008 3:25AM]

Mr Murph is right: the 405 is basically a void call.

While we're getting the facts on the 1-speed, let's see if they'll agree to a test drive up in Topanga Park -- specifically, Mulholland Drive. We'll see how this thing handles curves...

[rambo @ May 4th 2008 5:41AM]

The $10000 Lion battery pack wears off after 200 cycles, just like in your mobile phone. $10000/year for batteries is the hidden rotten easter egg inside this operation. And the industry is not even close to solve the "battery problem" which in fact is the only problem holding the plugin-EVs breakthrough. This is why to Chevy Volt is further delayed. Solve the battery and you can mass produce cars, everything else for the EVs is commodity these days.

[Liam @ May 4th 2008 8:55AM]

If it 'wears out' after 200 cycles (which I sincerely doubt, this is probably just when it stop holding full charge), then you would still need to drive 40,000+ miles in that year (given the 225 mile range of one charge). This is going off full discharge/charge etc cycles, which will wear it out faster than typical use. It's not the case that everyone will be buying new batteries every year, that would be a con.

[zeitgeiber @ May 4th 2008 9:39AM]

Also, you're wrong, the problem of the limited lifespan of the Lithium-ion batteries in this electric car (and others) *has* been solved, and I'm not just talking about some prototype, either. Google A123 battery (or pick up a copy of the latest issue of Tech Review) and read all about the crash-proof, lightweight, fast charge / discharge, long-life lithium-ion batteries they're going to put into the Chevy Volt.

[Joe @ May 4th 2008 3:26PM]

The A123 battery is FICTION. It exists only as a VERY expensive prototype. If history is a guide, it will be late, expensive and operate at a fraction of the claimed capability.

[white_ultras @ May 4th 2008 6:28PM]

5kWh A123 Prius conversion high-end LiPh battery costs $9999 (no joke), that is about 3000 gallons of fuel... this EV party is over folks

[jake @ May 4th 2008 7:20PM]

@rambo
Hopefully you do better research next time before talking about batteries, the Tesla is using commodity li-ion cells with 500 cycle ratings. A 500 rating means the cells can stand 500 full discharges (FULL not just partial) before reaching the end of it's "life". And end of life is 70% according to Tesla. That means after 500 cycles it WON'T be completely useless when it reaches end of life: it will just have lower capacity, you can choose to replace or live with the lesser range (with 221 mile range even half that is 110). And 500 cycles gets you 500 cycles * 221 miles epa combined range = 110,500 miles. More than enough for most sports cars and still a good amount for normal cars as hybrid battery warranties today only go up to 100,000 miles anyways.

The calendar life is 5 years to reach the same point. So after 5 years & 50k miles (10k miles per year) Tesla estimates the battery 70% charge remaining. To reach 100k miles in 5 years you would need to drive 22k miles a year. Most people don't drive that much a year, esp for customers of this type of vehicle. And even if they do, it will just hold less charge but not be useless. So they won't be replacing batteries every year (you don't even do that in your cell phone and that's charged even more erratically and pretty much almost every day, while 221 miles in the Tesla can last almost a week for most people, they squeezed up to 265 miles driving city) as you are trying to saying; after 5 years they might reach that point but they still have a choice to live with lesser range. Another thing is unlike a cell phone battery, this pack is designed to be modular so they can replace individual sections and not the whole pack to extend life.

And the thing is, Tesla isn't even using the best cells avaliable, just commodity ones (for energy density reasons not price cutting reasons). The a123 cells you mentioned have a 7000 cycle life and 10 year shelf life! And for people saying a123 is vaporware and their cells don't exist, ever heard of the killacycle? Also it has been made clear that the Volt has been delayed by changes to accessories (remember the bit about air conditioning and the sound system), NOT the batteries; so stop spreading misinformation. What's holding EVs/PHEVs back isn't the cycle life/calendar life of the battery, but the cost: $20k, not $10k for Tesla's pack, and also energy density: a 1000lb battery pack in the Tesla for 221 miles of range.

[Ace b @ May 4th 2008 8:54PM]

So why aren't they using li-poly?
Isn't that better?

[rambo @ May 4th 2008 9:42PM]

@jake

thx mate to clarify the situation here, i hope your numbers will hold in real-life, 500 cycles are ok, 7000 cycles would be revolutionary...

[CharlieX @ May 4th 2008 3:04AM]

Is that Dexter trying to hide behind the bush?

[Twitchy @ May 4th 2008 7:44AM]

Nope, just some Secret Service reject guarding the 'un-scalable security fencing'.

[zephead @ May 4th 2008 3:24AM]

Practically useless... ha. Santa Monica and Sepulveda at the 405 is so perpetually jammed that it's even jammed on Google Street View.

[gabe @ May 4th 2008 4:09AM]

how many months do u bet till we see Tesla go out of biznatch?

i give it 18

[ZeroCorpse @ May 4th 2008 4:37AM]

They'd have a much better chance if they were reasonable about their prices. They've priced themselves out of the market, as far as I'm concerned. And this is coming from a guy who just spent a month rebuilding an electric moped, as it's my primary means of transportation.

I can buy Prius and convert it to plug-in for a lot less than Tesla is asking for their cars. They're just not being reasonable.

[fashionista @ May 4th 2008 10:02AM]

Uh, I don't think their target market for the Roadster is guys who ride electric mopeds. Believe it or not, there are plenty of people out there who have $100K to drop on a toy car.

[ManoloDF @ May 4th 2008 11:10AM]

Yea thats why there is over a year waiting list on these things, cuz they priced themselves out of the market, that sounds right...

[filllx @ May 4th 2008 4:37AM]

"Nary" = Nearly?

[gad get @ May 4th 2008 4:47AM]

"Nary" = nary.

[LarryLarryLarry @ May 4th 2008 5:55AM]

It's definitely not too soon, after 3 years of hype, to talk about Tesla vaporware. What kind of company opens a 4 million dollar car lot with NO CARS to place on it? Oh, an Evon Musk company.

Just because someone is lucky/skilled in web design does not mean they are lucky/skilled in automobile manufacture and sales.

[torfred @ May 4th 2008 6:06AM]

Hey whats with all the hate, they got a nice concept despite some of their delays, they are the one of the only companies offering a electric car with a decent range.

I find their ideas quite nice, let the expensive car market pave the way for the economic cars, of course they have a long way to go but their popularity will insure they have fresh capital for a long time, they could raise huge amounts from an IPO.

And if they were to team up with one of the major players they could really mass produce the cars they are building, of course no one expect them to ever be a major player by themself.

[white_ultras @ May 4th 2008 7:03AM]

IPO would bring huge exposure and money.

[Jacques Auef @ May 4th 2008 6:24AM]

The particular corner where Tesla is located can be a nuisance to get
out
of but there is an alley way that leads out to other side streets to
BYPASS SM Blvd and get the car out stretch it legs. There
are other areas to take the car to test it and SM Blvd isn't busy
every hour of the day. There are just specific times you want to
avoid that area. If you "live" here you will know. But guess what,
you are assuming there will be "test drives." I am not so sure they
will be giving test drives at this
point. And it will be interesting to see how they deal with the looky
loos who just want to stop by and see the now in the flesh electric
roadster. Me thinks that Tesla itrying to figure out how to
run a "dealership" as they go along. Hopefully they figure it out
because it's one thing to build a car and another to try and sell and
service it. And they better hope they don't run into a technical
problem with the car after they sell their initial lot because there
isn't a whole lot of room to store or park cars where the dealership
is now (unless they have an arrangement with the building next door).

[ck @ May 4th 2008 7:33AM]

Did you know you don't have to hit enter at the end of every line? Computers can figure that sort of stuff out themselves these days.

[bartoron @ May 4th 2008 7:40AM]

No way,
I had
no idea
that computers
knew stuff.

[Steve-o @ May 4th 2008 7:47AM]

Wow CK, And I thought I was the numero uno DOUCHEBAG! With that petty comment of yours, you make me look like an amateur. Thanks bro!

[phanbouy @ May 4th 2008 12:53PM]

TL;DR

[ck @ May 4th 2008 4:21PM]

Petty comments are what makes the internet so great. And look at his next post -- no line breaks!

Random internet guy: 0
Me: 1

[Jacques Auef @ May 4th 2008 7:00PM]

ck,

I just read your post about the problem my original fragmented post. It's not an error by me hitting enter but me copy and pasting what I originally wrote in the email confirmation and then changing it. Seems that when I copy and pasted my original text and then added to it, the copying added the breaks.

But thanks for being the a proud member of the posting police! I am glad to know you take your job seriously. Please let me know of any other mistakes I have made so I can correct them.

[Randomness @ May 4th 2008 8:18AM]

I thought they were selling out of these things as fast as they could make them? Why throw money away on an expensive dealership when you can put up a webpage and have all the rich geeks buy them up as you make them?

[pwfletcher @ May 4th 2008 10:38AM]

Is that a $cientologist standing out front in the suit?

[rockintom @ May 5th 2008 11:44AM]

Moron.

[Charlie Taylor @ May 4th 2008 10:52AM]

Jeez people, what's with all the negativity? Tesla Motors is doing something amazing with the Roadster. If you think 100k+ cars can't be profitable than why are companies like Lamborghini and Morgan still in business? These companies don't really produce any technology for the racing scene so their only source of profit are their cars.

[Jacques Auef @ May 4th 2008 11:40AM]

There was a time when many of these companies weren't profitable and relied on big infusions of money from investors or other companies. Heck, it wasn't that long ago that Porsche almost went bankrupt. Again, it's one thing to build a car but it's another to mass produce it and sell it. Tesla has a very unique and amazing car. That alone doesn't ensure it's survival. And while the first wave of buyers have come, the company then has to convince others who are more frugal with their money that the Tesla is worth the price. Remember, many are buying the car to make a statement just like Prius. But this is a very expensive statement. The price will come down if the company can continue to sell more units. I just hope they have figured out the transmission issue because if they haven't, it's going to be the death knell to the company.

[nikola @ May 4th 2008 1:00PM]

Because its enblaaaahget. You have a bunch of sexually frustrated republican geeks and nerds who suck their crooked teeth at ANYTHING slightly different than whats already out.

Add to that the random paid troll who seeps in from the bowels (basement) of Generally Malevolent and the Evil Oil Cartels to talk down all this hosh-posh about electric cars. Its no surprise half the posts dealing with "alternative" concepts smell like musty unflushed turds from all the bitternessnass..

[Joe @ May 4th 2008 3:41PM]

Lamborghini made most of its money selling tractors. It went bankrupt and was later bought by Chrysler, who in turn told it. It eventually was purchased by Audi. I'll wager it still loses money.

Morgan survives by good financial discipline and accepting being a low volume boutique manufacturer. (I doubt they'll last another generation.)

[Vic the One @ May 4th 2008 4:14PM]

@nikola

This has nothing to do with political party. Anyone with a brain wants innovation. Being politically conservative, at least in my mind, has nothing whatsoever to do with being technologically close-minded.

I believe that every intelligent person in the US will drive an alternative-fuel car as soon as they become cost-effective. We just have to let the rich buy them first so the price can come down.

(Disclaimer: I am not a republican or a democrat. The best way to describe what I am is "moderate".)

[Quikboy @ May 4th 2008 12:02PM]

Los Angeles, New York, Chicago.

Then there's Menlo Park, Miami, and Seattle.

I wonder how come the 4th largest US city isn't represented. Considering the crazy car culture that exists in Houston, you would kinda expect them to offer something here.

[phanbouy @ May 4th 2008 12:54PM]

yeah i'm sure an electric car would go over really really well in Houston

[Cody Boring @ May 4th 2008 12:07PM]

If I hear jason calacanis talk about the Tesla one more time!!!!!!!! GAH

[Mark Eigenbauer @ May 4th 2008 1:17PM]

Are you watching and listening Detroit??? This stuff should have been out and running a loooong time ago.
Mark Eigenbauer

[Joe @ May 4th 2008 3:33PM]

I predict Tesla will sell a few cars, and then declare bankruptcy. What's less certain is just how much of a nightmare the cars will actually become. (Of course that won't stop the proponents from making outlandish claims about conspiracies and so forth.)

[Daimyo Nintendo @ May 4th 2008 4:08PM]

Oh god I would love a Tesla, but all they offer is a $100,000+ roadster, a roadster I mind you I would love to own. They offer 100% electrical and that is key! I dont want a hybrid where I am still burning dirty frigin gasoline or even ethanol for that matter. Researchers say even ethanol is brutal to burn. The best is hydrogen/electric car or strictly hydrogen or electricity generated by solar, wind or hydro.

[crispy @ May 4th 2008 6:56PM]

Hey, how clean do you think our electricity is? Not much better than the gasoline we burn. We get most of our electricity from coal plants.

[eyecannon @ May 4th 2008 4:17PM]

I live a block away from there. The dealership looks really great and they had cars in the showroom as long ago as one week. They look like really sweet rides.

[fshagan @ May 4th 2008 7:14PM]

The dealerships are there so they can service the cars ... its doubtful the local Firestone dealership is going to touch them. It will be hard to buy one if you aren't near a dealership.

Most commuters travel less than 80 miles per day, so an electric car can make sense. Making it sexy instead of a golf cart can clear the path for future innovations. I'm still holding out for the Aptera, and will probably opt for the $30,000 hybrid version. While its stated range is enough for my daily commute, I'd hate to be stranded because of cold weather, etc. that might affect range.

[jake @ May 4th 2008 7:48PM]

@crispy
Gah, another "how clean our electricity" comment. But at least you got the "not much better than the gasoline we burn" part right, but only for 100% coal. In 100% coal situation, EVs are barely better (but still better) than conventional gasoline and with the exception of SO2, which is worse. However, even though we use a lot of coal, it by no means is 100% for most people. And I'm sure you know the next most popular one, natural gas, is a lot cleaner than both coal and gasoline even without taking the exceptional efficiency of EVs into account. So again, I point to this site: http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/how-clean.html

Tells you all the relavant emissions data for YOUR part of the grid, so there is no excuse to make blanket statements; check out your area and you will know if a decision to go EV is worthwhile from an emissions standpoint when EVs/PHEVs become more widely avaliable, instead of saying "we are powered mostly by coal." Another thing is, the fact the USA is powered around 50% by coal can be changed by either cleaning up emissions or by switching to other methods, & this is something we should do regardless of existence of EVs; dirty electricity is dirty regardless of how we use it. Improving energy generation also doesn't involve individual decisions in EVs: any EV will benefit from improvements in electricity generation, while for gasoline cars, you have to force or wait for people to switch cars to realize improvements in emissions technology. Another thing people always forget is offpeak energy, energy normally wasted to keep powerplants online. If you care about emmissions, plug-in offpeak and avoid peak hour charging. Smart chargers will be able to handle this if EVs/PHEVs get popular and even improve efficiency of the grid by providing load balancing by communicating with the grid to determine the optimal time to charge given the time that the owner will need to use the car.

[Brady Williams @ May 4th 2008 9:38PM]

i heard today that my moms is coming q4