In a recent article posted on this site, we had reported that the Tesla Roadster would see a production lapse in 2012. The lapse was considered to be necessary due to a chassis changeover by Lotus, of which the Roadster shares numerous components. During the changeover by Lotus, Tesla would be left with no chassis to use for production and hence stated that beyond 2011, the company would no longer sell the current generation Roadster.
Tesla's initial plan was to halt production of the current Roadster during the changeover and then release a new Roadster possibly by 2013. This would leave a gap of a year or more with no Roadster. If the Model S arrived late to market, Tesla could have possibly been without a single vehicle to sell in 2012.
All of the worries have been put to rest as Tesla has now announced that Roadster production will continue into 2012. Here's what the company had to say:
"Responding to customer demand, Tesla has negotiated agreements with key suppliers that will increase total Roadster production by 40% and extend sales into 2012. In the coming year, you'll find Roadsters in more countries as we expand to Australia and Asia. Customers in 23 countries have now taken delivery of their Roadster - last month we delivered the first Roadsters to Spain and Ireland."
The worries are no longer present and Tesla will keep the Roadster alive while providing a production boost to Lotus and other key suppliers.
Source: Tesla
