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Tesla raises prices on all-electric Roadster

 
2 1,282 views Jan 22, 2009

2008 tesla roadster motorauthority 001

A few details on the new Smart EV powertrain, which Tesla is building under contract for Daimler, were also revealed

A few details on the new Smart EV powertrain, which Tesla is building under contract for Daimler, were also revealed

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Tesla has delivered 150 all-electric Roadsters to its first lucky customers and still has another 400 or so eagerly awaiting their chance to hop behind the wheel of the ground-breaking sports cars. Unfortunately for those waiting individuals, Tesla has decided to increase the price of its Roadster and even those who have already paid deposits of up to $50,000 will have to fork up the extra cash.

Citing its own survival as the reason behind the decision, Tesla has bumped prices on all its Roadsters by at least $6,700. The electric car company is essentially charging customers for features that were previously offered as standard equipment.

"We want to have healthy margins on the car to guarantee the viability of the company," Tesla spokeswoman Rachel Konrad told Wired. "The margins are really important on this car for the next group of investors, whether it's public shareholders in an IPO, the federal government looking at federal loan candidates or the next group of venture capitalists."

The first 2008 Roadster was originally listed at $92,000. For 2009, Tesla has priced the car at $109,000. Konrad explained that customers can still receive the car at the original price but it will be missing a few extras.

These extras include a high-power connector, which is used to recharge the Roadster’s lithium-ion batteries in just over three hours. The special connector is now a $3,000 option and without it charge times can take up to 37 hours. Other items include forged-alloy wheels for $2,300, a SolarPlus wind shield for $400, and a new $1,000 destination charge.

Tesla has made no secret of its poor financial situation. Late last year the company underwent a major managerial reshuffle and was forced to layoff up to half of its staff. The company also hoped to seek up to $400 million in federal government aid as part of the Department of Energy’s $25 billion loan package designed to help American manufacturers create more efficient vehicles.
Tesla Roadster
2009 Tesla Roadster Sport

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Comments (2)

  1. ma_azlan avatar azlan Posted: 1/22/2009 4:51pm PST

    is lotus and tesla one in the same? or is this just a complete copy?
     
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  2. ma_buddy4095 avatar buddy4095 Posted: 1/23/2009 5:37am PST

    Uh . . If I deposited that money and they changed the car (leaving off options) I wouldn't want the car especially now that it'll take 37 hours to charge the car ! Geez

    Tesla's fault for not making a car that most people would want (4-5 people, 200 mile range, reasonble price tag - something other car companies are striving for)
     
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