I have been waiting for ages about the launch of the Tesla in the UK and yesterday I spoke to Tesla sales in the US about ordering one for UK road use. I had a good chat with one of the sales woman and asked a few questions about the specification, availability etc and learned some valuable information which could help me make a decision. What really got me was the UK price which is not for off £100,000 for a car which sells for half that in the US.
Questions I asked
Where would my car be built and serviced?
The car would be built by lotus and delivered anywhere in the UK free of charge. The US spec cars currently have the drive train fitted in the US after delivery but European spec cars will be 100% finished in the UK. In 2009 the only sales and service centre will be in London and a UK wide roll out will only be considered if they sell enough cars to provide the service.
Could lotus not service the car as London is 400+ miles away?
Lotus and Tesla only share 4% of components with almost all equipment specially designed for the Tesla range. A lotus engineer could fix the brakes and modify suspension but if there’s an electrical fault it must go back to London.
When could you deliver my car?
The sales woman was a little unsure about delivery as she said they had to crash a few more and change some lights but as they are using some European loophole to sell a limited amount then she thinks they might be able to get me one for April 2009.
Could I just import a US spec car and save some money?
The European car is a special edition and this is why its a little more expensive than the US cars. I would be fine having a car serviced anywhere but she was unsure if permanent UK importation would affect the warranty.
How much is the car?
The car is 99,000 Euros + Vat and requires a 50,000 Euro deposit to place a confirmed order. If you want to place an order you can do so online and wire the money as there is no UK sales team at present.
Conclusion
The Tesla is a great looking car and great for the environment but I’m unsure if its work spending 100,000 on a car with no proven record and no data on residual values. Unless Tesla can offer some very special deals it looks like the deposit on the Ferrari 149 was a good move!
Popularity: 46%
May 17th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
From the Tesla website:
“While U.S. demand is likely to exceed production capacity in 2009, a special allocation of 250 euro-spec roadsters will be reserved for the first European customers at a price of €99,000.”
So if you can wait until next year you can get a euro spec one for €99,000. Although why you would want one is beyond me
May 17th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Hi Kieron,
I was advised that I would have to add the 17.5% GB Vat on to the car as the price of 99,000 Euros was a general one for the European market.