Now that Darryl Siry has left the building we know who the new sales boss is at Tesla Motors. Michael van der Sande from Harley Davidson will be joining Tesla in the senior VP role responsible for sales and marketing. As a veteran of Harley Davidson, van der Sande clearly has experience nurturing a premium niche brand with a loyal following. That seems to be exactly what Tesla someday aspires to be. At Harley, the multi-lingual van der Sande was director of strategic planning and then oversaw Harley's Europe, Middle East and Africa operations.

With Tesla making aggressive moves into Europe, someone with van der Sande's background may be exactly what the company needs. Tesla however, must provide some product for van der Sande to sell. With the recent delay to the Model S development program, Tesla really needs to crank up production and deliveries of the Roadster in order to generate the cash flow needed to keep the lights on. From what we hear, that is starting to happen, but it looks like they will also need some cash help from the government to move forward.


[Source: Tesla]

We just got word that the turmoil at Tesla Motors is continuing as SVP for Marketing and Sales Darryl Siry has tendered his resignation. According to the post on Siry's personal blog, he is leaving "due to some disagreements in strategy." We talked to Siry but he declined to elaborate any further on the specifics of the disagreements. Recently, Chairman Elon Musk took over direct control of the company when he replaced previous CEO Ze'ev Drori at the silicon valley startup. Apparently Tesla has already found a replacement and Siry has been working to manage the transition in recent weeks. Siry has no immediate plans for where to go next, but promises to do more blogging on the alternative fuel vehicle industry.


[Source: Darryl Siry]
Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

A bit of an online dust up has sprung up between the New York Times' Randall Stross and Jason Calacanis. Stross published a column the other day opposing Tesla Motors' application for low interest loans from the Department of Energy under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Incentive Program (ATVM). That money would be used to fund development of the Model S sedan and construct the factory to build it. This is exactly the kind of thing that program was designed to fund. Calacanis, as a new owner of a Tesla Roadster and friend of CEO Elon Musk, is of course none to pleased with Stross. Stross's main thesis is that loaning money to a startup EV company would not be a good investment since the technology is not evolved enough. That is ridiculous on the face of it. While Tesla has made plenty of mistakes along the way to delivering some Roadsters, they do appear to be learning lessons from those errors.

On the flip side, Calacanis is no stranger to a bit of hyperbole himself. It's not clear that a Roadster would only cost 1/3-1/2 as much just by lowering the range to 100 miles and while the Model S will certainly be less expensive, $60,000 is still not what I would call an affordable car. However, it's a big step in the right direction. While Silicon Valley has a remarkable record of innovation, it remains to be seen if they have all the answers to the world's transportation problems. Considering the 100s of billions being flushed down the toilet of Wall Street, a $400 million loan (with interest and everything) to Tesla should be a no brainer.


[Sources: New York Times, Jason Calacanis]

Uh oh. Rumors suggest that Porsche isn't all that impressed with the all-electric lithium-ion powered 911 from longtime tuning company Ruf. Not that the German automaker is giving up on electric sportscars completely or anything... in fact it's quite the opposite. Porsche is developing its own electric machine without the help of any outside companies, at least in the traditional sense. According to Tesla Motors, officials from Porsche have stopped by to take a good long look at the Roadster. It seems that they were interested enough to place an order for one of the $100K-plus electric sportscars, though Porsche will have to wait its turn just like everyone else that has put down their deposits. One can only assume that the car will be put through its paces, compared with models from the German automaker's own stable and summarily taken apart bit by bit just to see how it all ticks. Sounds like we won't be waiting too long for a Porsche versus Tesla run 'round the 'Ring after all.


[Source: Inside Line]

One of the good things of having the Tesla Roadster assembled close to at lesat some of its customers is that they can actually go to the factory and see how their car is being made. This is what Bill Arnett did, and he not only had the chance to see his Roadster's drivetrain installed, but also got permission from Tesla to take pictures of the whole process; watch along here. The rest of the car was assembled in the UK and shipped (by air). The photos were taken on Nov. 12th, and we can see how the ESS (battery), the motor and the PEM (Power Electronics Module) are all packaged into the Roadster's sleek package. Thanks for the tip, Doug!

[Source: Bill Arnett via Teslamotorsclub]

Brabus is a German tuning company best known for its work on cars from Mercedes-Benz and Smart. At the Essen Motor Show later this month, the company will show off its latest handiwork for none other than the Tesla Roadster. Those who get bored with the near silent hum of the electric motor will now be able to get a new "Space Sound Generator" that provides simulated audio tracks including a V8 engine, a race engine or various synthetic futuristic sounds like "Beam" and "Warp." Visual "enhancements" include a matte white paint finish, LED running lamps in the front air intake and the always classy under-body neon lightning. Since the electric sports car doesn't provide Brabus the option of extracting more power out of the engine as tuning firm typically does, the only real functional enhancement is a new wheel and tire package. Pirelli P Zero Nero tires are wrapped around 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels. Brabus would also be more than happy to take your money to do whatever level of customization you desire to the Roadster's interior, as well. Now, there's just that pesky problem of actually getting a Roadster.


[Source: Brabus]

The man behind the wheel of the bright orange Tesla that was spotted at Infineon Raceway whilst it was setting an impressively quick 12.7 second quarter-mile time has written about the event. As you might imagine, Iain Morrison, a Test and Validation Engineer at the fledgling automaker, had quite a good time sending the electrified Roadster down the good 'ol 1320, and we're feeling quite envious. Mr. Morrison mentions the poor reaction time that he posted during his first run but points out that it doesn't affect the timing of the run any, so the timeslip stands.

The driver also mentions how repeatable the Roadster's performance happens to be... just slam on the gas at the right time and don't let up 'till the end. How could it be any easier than that? For this reason, the Tesla Roadster with drivetrain 1.5, and any other single-speed electric vehicle for that matter, will be an excellent bracket car. Unfortunately, only one timed run was completed before Iain was asked to leave. It seems that track safety personnel didn't believe that the car had a roll bar, which is required for any convertible that's as quick as the Tesla. Now, any Tesla Roadster owners out there willing to try and beat Iain's time?

[Source: Tesla Motors]

Sometimes you have to see the upside when something bad happens: this is what engineers from Tesla must have realized because they have gotten their hands on the Tesla roadster that got wrecked in southern France. According to VP Darryl Siry, the car has been shipped to Hethel, England, where the Lotus factory is located. A group of engineers will check how every piece of the car that suffered in the accident. According to Mr. Siry, "The safety systems worked exactly as engineered," although the passenger has announced plans to sue Tesla for injuries. Nevertheless, the Tesla's electric security worked and the systems were shut off during the accident, preventing electrocutions. "Now that it happened, we're excited to be able to dig into it. It will be a valuable tool," Siry told Green Car Advisor.

[Source: Green Car Advisor]

A Tesla Roadster was, sadly, crashed at speed in the South of France a few days ago. Details are somewhat sketchy and early reports contain some factual errors but after checking with Tesla Motors sales and marketing head Darryl Siry, we think we have the real skinny. Simon Rochefort, a Tesla Motors sales rep, was driving in a heavy rain with a passenger and hydroplaned on a curve in the highway and lost control. The all-electric sports car was traveling at close to 60 miles an hour (not 100 mph) at the time and no one was, thankfully, ejected. Although Simon did sustain a broken bone (reportedly in his hand), both passengers emerged from the wreck only slightly worse for wear. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for the Roadster, going by the pics on it perched ignominiously atop the burned-out carcass of a mini-van in some nameless scrapyard that were published on WreckedExotics.com.

The car does appear to have performed its job of protecting its occupants quite well though. Our faithful readers may remember seeing the footage of official crash tests last year but car accidents that occur in the real world can have unpredictable results. Contrary to what some predicted might happen in this situation, we note that there was no explosion, no electrocution and no instant death as a result of the high-speed mishap. Thanks to Doug for the tip.

[Source: WreckedExotics.com / Tesla Motors]

With all the bad news around Tesla lately, you might want to hear something positive for a change. We told you last week about a Roadster heading out to the Wednesday night drags at Infineon Raceway. The orange Roadster recorded a pretty respectable elapsed time of 12.757 seconds over the quarter mile. Tesla SVP Darryl Siry sent us a scanned copy of the time slip for the run. The car itself was validation prototype #13 and it was driven by Tesla engineer Iain Morrison. The car had the updated 1.5 drivetrain with the high torque motor and single speed gearbox. As an inexperienced drag racer, Morrison's reaction time of 0.764 sec was nothing to write home about, but drag racing turns out to be a lot harder than it looks as I found out last spring. The 2.058 second 60 ft time and 12.757 sec quarter mile time were in the ball park of the best I managed with a 530 hp Shelby GT500 as was the 104.74 mph trap speed. The Roadster may not have the range to go endurance racing, but it makes a pretty decent drag car.


[Source: Tesla]

Ten people are scheduled to be let go from Tesla Motors UK at its Hethel facility in Norfolk. The UK facility is the starting point for Tesla Roadsters, which see their first light of day outside the Lotus factory where the guts are welded and bonded together from aluminum. In the interest of sounding a bit more palatable, the official reason for their departure is that they have been "made redundant." Note to automakers, we know what that means... just be honest. While ten people doesn't seem to be a big number, it actually represents a fifth of the total number of workers employed by Tesla Motors at that facility. For those who like to keep track of such things, that places the workforce at 40 persons, which, for those who aren't so good at math, is down from 50. The good news is that Tesla Roadster production is not expected to be affected.


[Source: Autocar]

It's not all bad news for Tesla today. With the lawsuit with Fisker now over and done with, Tesla can get back to focusing on making and delivering vehicles. One way to get more Roadsters out the door is through an injection of $40 million in convertible debt financing that was recently approved by the company board. Last week, Elon Musk said the company was sitting on around $9 million and was about to close a round of funding worth $20 million.

So, what is "convertible debt financing"? Entrepreneur.com says it's "simply a loan (a debt obligation) that can be turned into equity (stock ownership), generally upon the occurrence of future financing" and is a good way for start-ups to raise money. Musk likes the process and said in a statement that, "Forty million is significantly more than we need. However, the board, investors and I felt it was important to have significant cash reserves."

UPDATE: added Tesla's official announcement after the jump.

[Source: Reuters]

Tesla Motors and it's man in charge, Elon Musk, have had to make some tough decisions these past few weeks. The announcements made by Musk indicate that cash is getting tight, leading some to speculate that the company won't be in business much longer. Not so, says Tesla. Musk has reportedly personally guaranteed that the fledgling automaker would deliver all Roadsters to customers that have placed deposits, saying, "I have the means and wherewithal to do so. So people should have absolutely zero concern about their deposit." While the Roadster's production is moving forward as planned, the automaker's Model S sedan has been delayed by at least six months.

Tesla Motors has also just announced that it is close to closing on its latest round of funding to the tune of at least $20 million. As of right now, Musk suggests that the automaker currently has about $9 million in funds with which to operate, a figure that some point to when suggesting that Tesla's on the financial ropes. Musk discounts those rumors, saying that $9 mil is plenty for now and that more funds will be coming from past company backers in the very near future. Of course, we'll be watching the situation closely, but it appears that rumors of the company's death are more than a bit premature.

[Source: Tesla Motors, Reuters]

The December issue of Road & Track should be turning up on magazine racks and in mailboxes momentarily including a segment on new and future cars. Parts of it have already turned up online including this rendering of what they think the Tesla Model S will look like. Unfortunately, the reality of actually laying out, print and shipping paper magazines mean that they the content was generated weeks or months ahead of last week's announcements at Tesla.

Nonetheless, it's an interesting take on what the car might look like. The overall proportions are probably about right given what we've heard about the car. Some design elements have been carried forward from the Roadster including the general shape of the front air intake, the headlights and the air vents along the rocker panels behind the front wheels. The Model S will have a coupe-like profile for its four-door body, along with a rear hatchback like the Porsche Panamera. We won't be seeing the real thing until at least next March at Geneva and maybe longer depending on what happens in San Carlos over the next few months.

[Source: Road & Track]

Image removed at request of photographer. To view the image, visit BusinessWeek.

The very first official teaser shot of the upcoming Tesla Model S has just turned up on BusinessWeek. As we all know by now the second car scheduled to come from Tesla has been delayed by at least six months into sometime in 2011. However, before most work on the new car was put on hold last week, the design had been largely finished. That's new Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen lifting the veil on the Model S rump. The car will be a four door fastback with a hatch which should prove to be an interesting sales challenge in the U.S. market. We know that Tesla has been using Dodge Magnum body shells as powertrain mules for the Model S and the Tesla is expected to be a similar overall size to the now discontinued wagon. Unlike the Roadster with its carbon fiber body, the Model S will be constructed largely of aluminum to help bring the cost down closer to the $60,000 target starting price. According to Tesla SVP, Darryl Siry who tipped us off to this photo, the car won't be shown publicly until next spring, possibly at the Geneva Motor Show. That's about a year later than we originally expected to see it. Let's hope the company survives long enough to get it out on the street.

[Sources: BusinessWeek, Darryl Siry]