- Tesla Roadster is the first car without Russian-made parts to park on Red Square.
- The Roadster was in Russia as part of the 37,000-mile Odyssey of Pioneers world tour.
- Odyssey of Pioneers tour has also visited Monaco, Milan and Budapest.
MOSCOW — The Tesla Roadster grabbed headlines and a rousing reception as it made its sixth stop on a 37,000-mile Odyssey of Pioneers world tour, a visit to the famous Red Square here, on Friday. The all-electric sports car was even granted permission to park on the square, the first car without Russian-made parts to receive this clearance.
Tesla technician Luke McClure, who is behind the wheel of the Roadster on the three-continent tour, said it was "humbling to be granted the honor of parking in Russia's most hallowed ground — and at the same time we have been mobbed by fans excited to see the Roadster in person." The car was on display in Moscow's Autoville Museum over the weekend, greeted by a 250-guest reception before it continued on its journey.
The Odyssey of Pioneers is co-sponsored by TAG Heuer, the Swiss watch company, and has taken the Tesla Roadster to Monaco, Milan and Budapest — that last stop in honor of Nikola Tesla, who designed the alternating-current induction motor there in 1882. The Tesla Roadster uses an AC induction motor that is a descendant of Tesla's invention, the company noted.
On the trip, the Tesla Roadster is being charged up in hotel outlets and other conventional electrical outlets as well as from a solar panel array in Italy. The company says the tour demonstrates that the Roadster is highway ready.
Tesla says the Roadster goes from zero to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and gets 236 miles per charge. The base price is $101,500.
Inside Line says: A method of transportation that beats the traditional European backpacking trip hands down. — Maggie Hostetler, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
jeremy_c says:
10:53 AM, 05/04/2010
I watched the entire Top Gear episode and the silver Tesla failed and they took out the black one and it ran out of charge after being plugged for some time.
What you quoted was a response from Tesla who "claimed" that there was no breakdown. He said, she said, at best. I will agree that maybe we will never know what happened but it certainly does not prove that the Tesla's did not fail during the test session.
isend2c says:
05:31 PM, 05/03/2010
@ justinlink & jeremy_c
I think the car died, and he pushed it back, but the rest of what Justin said is right.. I believe.
justinlink says:
04:08 PM, 05/03/2010
@jeremy_c
Top gear also said that their "test" was done with journalistic license and that the cars never failed to keep a charge, nor did it take 48 hours to charge one. Clarkson pushed the car back to the garage "to show what would happen" if the car ran out of charge.
try some research next time.
cwmoo740 says:
03:01 PM, 05/03/2010
Yes, most engineers acknowledge that the Tesla roadster has many drawbacks. There's a reason the Germans (BMW, Audi) were so against developing electric cars until they found out that Americans would shell out 6 figures for them. But having driven one, I also say it's a buttload of fun and really novel compared to a regular old elise. Just the thing if you have 6 figures to buy a new toy.
jeremy_c says:
01:29 PM, 05/03/2010
Top Gear tested 2 Tesla Roadsters and both broke down during the test and one failed to keep charge. They also said that to fully charge a Tesla from a household outlet requires 48 hours.
I think if you really want to go green, buy a diesel.
Tesla also runs on a insane number of Lithium batteries which the production of which generates tons and tons of toxic waste and pollutants. (ore mining, smelters, shipping) Not to mention disposal of the batteries in 10 years.