Tesla Bluestar? Right, And I Have a Bridge for Sale
The first folks to sign up for an electric Tesla Roadster did so with $100,000 in their hot little hands — all for a range of approximately 200 miles, but admittedly in a sexy, sporty package. Then the company started talking about a five-passenger sedan (which then became a sport sedan), the White Star, with a price of $50,000 to $60,000 and a possible debut in 2010. (I wondered about the wisdom of that name at the time. I mean really people. the Titanic sailed for the White Star line. Should you really spit karma in the eye?)
Oh yes, they have their hip, trendy 10,000 square foot dealership set up in Los Angeles at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Sepulveda. They’ve overcome transmission woes and are locked in a lawsuit with Fisker over stolen trade secrets. In fact, Tesla has become something of a saga. And now — wait for it — wait for it — we have the Bluestar. According to Tesla CTP J.B. Staubel, speaking at MIT’s Emerging Technologies Conference, the company is at work on a $20,000 to $30,000 family car.
But guess what?
They’ve only shipped 27 cars to date. Yes, you read that right — 27 cars to date with pre-orders of 600 and more.
I really, really, really want to get excited about an all-electric sports car and a company with plans to get something on the showroom floor the rest of us can afford, but 27 cars? I’m sorry, but I’m still seeing more myth than substance in the progress of this particular carmaker.
Sure Tesla has only shipped a few dozen cars at this point. The same was true for every car company out there once. I am not holding my breath for a Bluestar. I hope they are able to deliver on these promises. However, even if Tesla closed their doors tomorrow they have done a lot to change people’s perception of electric cars are just golf carts.