Tesla Building Next-Gen Roadster Completely In-House

Viknesh Vijayenthiran

1,568 views Jun 29, 2010

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Today was a big day for Tesla, with the company’s shares finally trading on Nasdaq and investors pouring in more than $226 million into its coffers. As with any major Wall Street listing, Tesla needed to submit an IPO filing to the SEC detailing its structure, future plans and just exactly where investor money would be going.

IPO filings are usually a boon for company information and Tesla’s is no different. The electric car start-up has revealed through its IPO filing that it will use investor funds to pay for possible acquisitions and factories to start producing the Model S electric sedan and that its second generation Roadster model, due in 2013, will be built completely in-house.

The current Tesla Roadster is based on a Lotus Elise/Exige ‘glider’, which is essentially a rolling chassis delivered to Tesla’s Californian facilities from Lotus’ factory in Hethel, UK. Tesla basically installs its electric drivetrain technology and its own interior.

Production of the first generation Roadster is expected to stop at the end of 2011 and the new model not arrive until 2013--and only after the Model S.

[SEC via Autoblog]

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2011 Tesla News News Electric Cars Tesla Roadster News

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Comment (1)

Steve Bruns Posted: 6/30/2010 1:34pm PDT

um...yeah (moderator!)
I'm sure the Lotus chasis are superbly designed and built, but it's not exactly rocket science, izzit? Seems like a good way to lower costs, and definitely a move in the right direction: Tesla's met technological and aesthetic design challenges, now they need to show that they've got a viable business model.
Hope they make it.

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