It came. It saw. It started to kick some ass.
And just like that, it was gone.
Hidden within a lengthy filing with the SEC ahead of its IPO is news that Tesla’s first and currently only vehicle will not be sold beyond 2011. According to the filing, a replacement is planned, but not “until at least one year after the launch of the Model S, which is not expected to be in production until 2012.”
The end of the Roadster is a result of “planned tooling changes” at a supplier. Built by Lotus, the Roadster has been a hip choice for celebrities wanting the speed, style, and eco-credibility offered by the electric car. As of December, 2009, 937 have been sold.
A replacement will not hit the road until 2013 at the earliest.
“As a result, we anticipate that we may generate limited, if any, revenue from selling electric vehicles after 2011 until the launch of the planned model S.”
Tesla Model S
Early responses from automotive publications including Jalopnik and Wired’s Autopia have been skeptical and consider this a big risk for a company seeking investors. We tend to agree, as this move means that everything must happen exactly as planned with the Model S for the company to be able to survive long enough to produce a replacement for the Roadster. Any complications could put the company and its recent $465 million loan from the Department of Energy in jeopardy.
Such a shame. Here’s a video that shows what we’ll be missing.
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Read more news on this automotive blog.
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