Hasta La Gadget!

In a troubling sign, Tesla Motors has effectively raised the price of its all-electric Roadster sports car by at least $6,700, Autopia reports, a move that the company says is necessary for survival.

The increased pricing affects not only new customers, but specifically the 400 who have already placed a deposit on 2008 Roadsters that haven’t been delivered. Those customers must now pay thousands extra for features they thought were included in the original deal, according to the report, even though some had already placed deposits of up to $50,000. The biggest change is that the “high-power connector,” which recharges the car’s lithium-ion battery in as little as three hours, is no longer included. Now Tesla wants an extra $3,000 for it. Without the high-power connector, it takes up to 37 hours to charge the car. Other options, such as Bluetooth, navigation, and metallic paint all have higher prices as well.

“That’s ill-advised,” said Eric Noble, president of the auto-industry consulting firm The Car Lab, in the article. “Your first buyers are your emissaries. Treat them wrong and all the advertising in the world won’t cure it. It’s just bad marketing.” Aaron Bragman, an IHS Global Insight analyst, said in the report that hitting customers up for more money after they’ve put down deposits is highly unusual. “They’re probably a lot closer to the edge than they want you to think.”

Daimler has been talking about electric Smart cars for about 10 years now, but the closest you’ve ever been able to come to a production model has been to go all KIRF-style and buy a knock-off CMEC City Smart. At the North American International Auto Show this past week the company again confirmed that a little Smart that runs on little batteries is still in the works, announcing plans to release 1,000 electric fortwos on lease here in the States by the end of the year. Now that the show is over, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is letting everyone know that his company will be producing those little batteries, a partnership the likes of which he must surely be hoping to develop with other manufacturers as they jump on the EV bandwagon. 1,000 cars is disappointingly few, but it’s better than the paltry 500 plug-in Prius models Toyota plans to pilot here.

Filed under: Transportation

Daimler taps Tesla’s battery know-how for electric Smart originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don’t even bother with that BRABUS overhaul, as you can now get a Roadster with 15 percent more peak power and a 0 to 60 time of 3.7 seconds right from the factory. Out of seemingly nowhere, Tesla Motors has just announced the lovingly refined Roadster Sport, which arrives with a hand-wound stator and increased winding density for lower resistance and higher peak torque. You’ll also notice Yokohama Ultra High Performance tires, improved suspension with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars that will be tuned to the driver’s preference. The automaker is taking orders now in the US ($128,500 and up) and Europe (starts at €112,000), with deliveries slated to begin in late June — oh, and if you’re currently on the waiting list for a standard Roadster, you most certainly can scratch the upgrade itch.

Filed under: Transportation

Tesla revs up more powerful Roadster Sport: starts at $128,500 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diversity can be key to small business sales figures, but this is certainly a new one: the Green Station, a biofuel refueling stop in Santa Cruz, Calif., has now opened a ZENN electric car dealership on the premises, according to AutoblogGreen.

Station co-owner Bill LeBon said in the report that NEVs (Neighborhood Electric Vehicles) like the ZENN can be the “perfect car to do 90 percent of your driving in.” The problem with NEVs like the ZENN is top speed and range—they’re usually limited to just 25 mph. Not only are they illegal to drive on the highway, but they also present a problem even within city limits on roads with 30 mph and 40 mph speed limits.

At any rate, LeBon believes that by beginning to sell ZENN cars now, he’ll be prepared to offer the $30,000, more practical cityZENN EV as soon as it’s available. The current target date for that car is the fall of 2009; ZAP and other electric car manufacturers are waiting on the development of a capacitator that can help bump the top speed to 80 mph and greatly reduce charging time.