2010 Tesla Roadster Road Trip: Around the World With Leo

By Shannon Arvizu

Shannon Arvizu

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Shannon Arvizu is a clean-tech strategist and educator. She is currently a doctoral researcher at Columbia University and has spent the last two... More

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2010 TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster

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It's every green car girl's fantasy. A romantic, adventurous trip in a 007-style 2010 Tesla Roadster with her beau, Leonardo DiCaprio (insert wistful sigh here).

While it may sound like a dream, it is true.

Tag Heuer (the luxury watchmaker) and Tesla just announced the "Odyssey of Pioneers," a 12,000-mile road trip across three continents. The eight-month tour will include displays, owner appreciation events, and VIP parties in 15 cities and 150 towns on three continents.

2010 TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster

Enlarge Photo

The "Odyssey of Pioneers" is a celebration of the Swiss watchmaker's 150th anniversary. DiCaprio, as TAG Heuer's official ambassador and one of the original Tesla owners, kicked off the trip yesterday in Basel, Switzerland. He was joined by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Christophe Babin.

The vehicle itself is a one-of-a-kind 2010 Tesla Roadster designed in conjunction with TAG Heuer. It features "avant-garde design elements" and a "unique interior with a prototype watch."

So where will they charge on their global journey? According to the Tesla press release, the deluxe Roadster will use existing infrastructure to charge from garages, hotels, and parking lots. From this, we can deduce that the Roadster will rely primarily on 110- or 220-volt outlets.

This will be the first round-the-world tour in a zero-emission, zero-petroleum electric car. Tesla CEO Elon Musk says, "We are undertaking this global journey using existing infrastructure, proving that the world is ready for electric cars."

A trip around the world in a plug-in sports car is a monumental feat. It is important not only for creating publicity, but also for showing the viability and versatility of this kind of technology.

Another group, Project EVIE, has similar plans to take a plug-in vehicle on a global road trip in the near future. To follow the "Odyssey of Pioneers" on their journey, visit http://odyssey.tagheuer.com

Shannon Arvizu is a clean-tech strategist and educator at Columbia University. For more info, visit www.misselectric.com.