Lights, Camera, Tesla! EV Could Star in "Killed" Sequel

By Matt Nauman, Contributor

SAN CARLOS, Calif. – Documentary film-maker Chris Paine is pretty sure there’s an audience for a sequel to his 2006 movie, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" That’s why he and a film crew were at Tesla Motors headquarters Friday afternoon, recording the arrival of the first production model of the company's electric roadster.

Paine isn’t sure that the 2008 Tesla roadster will be the star of "Who Saved the Electric Car?" his yet-unfunded movie.

The leading role also could go to General Motors, which is pushing the Chevrolet Volt, a range-extended electric vehicle set for a 2010 debut. Ironically, it was GM and its EV1 electric cat that played the villain in "Killed," as Paine spun a broad conspiracy theory on why electric vehicles failed a decade ago.

But certainly Tesla will be the part of the story. After a series of transmission-related delays in 2007, and a public dust-up after the removal of its co-founder and former CEO, Tesla is poised to deliver cars to owners in 2008.

The company says it has more than 600 orders for its $98,000 two-seater that produces no emissions, goes 200-plus miles with a full charge and gets from standing to going in rapid order.

One of those who has made a deposit is Paine, who reports he’s in the 20s or 30s on the waiting list.

"We’ve all wanted electric cars to come back," he said. "Tesla has made it a lot more possible for everybody to get one."

As Paine’s crew filmed the first production unit getting rolled into the company’s workshop, where technicians set about the two-hour task of installing its pack of 6,800 lithium-ion batteries, Tesla Chairman Elon Musk talked about the brand’s future.

"This really is a big day for me, but I think a bigger day for the country in that it heralds the start of an electric-car revolution,’’ he said.

Tesla intends to make a few thousand Roadsters in the next few years, followed by a mid-size luxury sedan, probably priced in the $50,000s, that will sell in the tens of thousands, Musk said. Then comes a compact electric that could find hundreds of thousands of buyers. Tesla remains committed to this three-model production schedule, and could even become profitable next year, he said.

Meanwhile, the company influences the auto industry.

"GM has acknowledged that Tesla is a major reason behind their Volt," Musk said. "It’s amazing that a little tiny company like Tesla can cause a global giant like GM to change the way they do things."

Scaling up production, of course, is much easier said than done.

Paine talked about Tucker, another American car company that ultimately died before producing just a handful of cars.

"To do a car company is a huge undertaking," Paine said. "It’s tough to do this. I’m just psyched they got it here."

Musk, who has invested $50 million of the fortune he amassed as one of the founders of PayPal into Tesla, also mentioned Tucker and DeLorean. He doesn’t think Tesla will end up as simply another footnote in automotive history.

The Roadster meets all U.S. vehicle safety and crash tests, he said. His own car, painted jet black with a black interior, represents the first "real production electric car" -- a road-worthy car that passes all FMVSS (federal motor vehicle safety standards), and one that can be bought, not just leased -- in decades, he said.

"We’re definitely going to make a lot of cars," he said, "otherwise, this would be a very expensive car."

Late in the afternoon, with Paine’s camera rolling, Musk got into his Roadster and drove away. If other snags don’t develop, other Tesla owners will get the same experience in the months ahead.

Posted by

John O'Dell February 3, 2008, 5:14 PM

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General Motors, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla, Transportation Alternatives