Tesla Roadster deliveries starting by November

Posted Wed Aug 8 2007 9:25 AM by Alex Kaufmann

Those car buyers fortunate enough to put a deposit down on the first batch of Tesla electric roadsters should be able to get behind the wheel by November at the latest. The cars, which cost upwards of $100,000, are being assembled by Lotus Engineering in England and will be sold solely in the US initially. The news comes from Tesla CEO and co-founder Martin Eberhard, who also told Reuters that the original release date was set for this summer.

The cause of the delay was a late change of the supplier for the transmission. Still, the long wait hasn’t stopped more than 570 customers placing deposits for a car they haven’t tested. Production isn’t fully accounted for yet, however. Tesla will be opening two showrooms in LA and Northern California and plans to open more around the US soon to attract even more customers.

Following the launch of the Roadster, Tesla will then look towards building its new ‘White Star’ sedan model. When ready, the new sedan is expected to cost roughly half what the Roadster currently costs and will be manufactured at a plant in New Mexico.

MotorAuthority