Tesla Motors surpasses milestone for Roadster orders

Tesla Motors, a manufacturer of high-performance electric cars, recently reached a significant milestone by passing the 500 mark in 2008 model year Roadster reservations.

“We are currently planning to produce 800 of the first model year Roadsters, said Darryl Siry, vice president of sales, marketing and service at Tesla Motors. “The fact that more than 560 are already accounted for demonstrates the tremendous demand for the 2008 Tesla Roadster.”

Many Tesla Roadster customers already own hybrid gasoline cars, and have purchased the Roadster to get the best of styling, performance and efficiency, with the Roadster being twice as energy efficient as the Prius.

“One common misconception is that because of the high performance aspects of the car, it must not be as efficient as hybrid models on the market, such as a Prius,” said Siry, “This is actually not true. Because of the unique all-electric design, the Roadster offers supercar performance yet is twice as energy efficient as the Prius. For customers who want to make a strong statement about energy efficiency, the Roadster offers the opportunity to have the best of both worlds. We have also had a number of recent buyers tell us that they were in the market for a performance car like a Porsche 911 or BMW M6 when they learned of the Tesla Roadster. These customers are choosing the Roadster over traditional sports car platforms with an understanding that the power delivery and handling dynamics of the Tesla Roadster are second to none.”

Early customers have also pointed to the historical value of the first model year Roadster.

“The first model year of any significant new platform tends to carry with it the thought that it may one day become a collectable,” said Siry. “Certainly, with an all-new model from an all-new American car company and a revolutionary all-electric powertrain, there are a lot of customers interested in the 2008 Roadster as an instant classic with historical value.”