Sachin’s Posterous

My life: London, LA, Stanford, Phi Psi, Apple, New York City, Posterous, San Francisco, Kate. 
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I just put down a deposit on a 2012 Tesla Model S, the all electric sedan created by Tesla Motors

I just put down a deposit on a 2012 Tesla Model S, the all electric sedan created by Tesla Motors

The specs on this car are pretty incredible, and I'm very excited to have a place in line to take delivery of this vehicle.

  • 100% electric drivetrain. Range of up to 300 miles
  • 45 minute quick charge, 5 minute battery swap 
  • Batteries lined the floor, allowing for a completely new car design 
  • Seats up 5 adults and 2 child seats 
  • Can store a surf board, 50" TV, and mountain bike at the same time. Kate says we'll need to buy these things to test this 
  • Center console is a 17" touch screen with 3G and GPS. This means Google Maps, Pandora Radio, and anything else you can imagine. The iPhone for cars! 
  • Beautiful exterior design, check out the door handles and headlights

         
Click here to download:
I_just_put_down_a_deposit_on_a.zip (945 KB)

Some of you may know, I've always been a die hard car enthusiast, unwilling to give up my internal combustion engine or manual transmission:
 
I'm not a fan of hybrids like the Prius. These cars are huge compromises. Yes, they are a step in the right direction and great technology, but they are boring to drive and don't interest me at all. I'd rather have a Jetta TDI.
 
I also wasn't a fan of the Tesla Roadster that came out a couple years ago. I'd rather have a Lotus Elise, the platform the Tesla is based on. The Elise has better vehicle dynamics, a manual transmission, and a perfect engine+exhaust note. Vroom, vroom. And it's less than half the price.
 
But after doing a lot of research, I decided the Tesla Model S actually makes a ton of sense for me. It's perfect as a daily driver, with lots of luggage space, and enough range to go pretty much anywhere I drive. And I'll never have to stop for gas!
 
It will be my practical car, that I compliment with the most impractical sports car I can find, maybe a Miata, maybe an Elise, maybe an Audi R8 :).
 
Of course, it's crazy to put down a deposit for a car when so much is still unknown. Most prices and specs on the car are still a mystery, release dates are likely to move, the company could go under, I don't even know if I'll have a garage with a power outlet :).
 
But overall I'm very optimistic about Tesla and the Model S, and hopeful that when my turn comes around to take delivery of the car, it will live up to the hype and find a place in my garage.
 
Click here to check out this cool video about the design of the car

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Comments (29)

Sep 15, 2009
Jason Grimes said...
Living the dream--enjoy!
Sep 15, 2009
Brendan Lim said...
Very nice! Congrats!
Sep 15, 2009
Dustin Eichler said...
You SOB. jealous.
Sep 15, 2009
Aviraj Saluja said...
Honestly, that is one of the best looking cars I've seen in recent times. I'm pretty sure it will live up to all the hype.

Damn happy for you man -- cheers!

Sep 15, 2009
Steel Fu said...
Congrats man! I'm the same way about the compromises of electric vehicles. The Model S looks really promising and I really hope the production model doesn't disappoint. The next decade is gonna be a really exciting place for electric vehicles. However I hope we can make some strides on batteries and energy storage. Batteries will become just as big of a polluter as emissions are now as we shift towards electric propulsion.
Sep 15, 2009
Sachin Agarwal said...
Totally agree about the batteries. They need to get lighter and more efficient. Every time I ask a Prius owner about the cost ($ and environmental) for the replacement and disposal of their batteries, they have no idea. It's really not fair to disregard that.

I'm also a bit worried about the weight of the batteries in the Model S. I believe the standard range (160 miles) has 1300 pounds in batteries. The 300 mile version adds another 1000 pounds. I'd love the extra range, even at a higher $ cost, but I wouldn't be willing to add on that weight.

But yeah, it's pretty exciting times. I wonder if BMW will produce a hydrogen combustion car for mass production anytime soon...

Sep 15, 2009
Steel Fu said...
At least the batteries don't need to be in a single clump. They can distribute it across all corners to give it better handling :D At least thats what I would do.

I bet BMW would build small turbo 4s before a hydrogen car. But who knows what they have up their sleeves.

Sep 15, 2009
Sachin Agarwal said...
The Model S lines the floor of the car with the batteries, which helps with weight distribution. I believe it's supposed to be 45/55
Sep 15, 2009
Adam Rodriguez said...
nah, the smart money isn't on lighter batteries, it's on faster charges. Energy density is a tough nut to crack, but there are some excellent prototype batteries out there that can charge in minutes...literally. Shorter range is much more liveable if it only takes 15 minutes to recharge from a high power station.
Sep 16, 2009
Sanat Gersappa said...
Nice car. Congrats!
Sep 16, 2009
Servaas Schrama said...
sweet! I'd like one too, but, err, I live in the EU so I have to be patient for another 100 years I think.
Sep 16, 2009
Eric Pederson said...
Early adopters are a positive force in the universe, so way to go. The car does sound sweet - it would be great to hear what you think of it from a car enthusiasts point of view once you have it.

I've wondered how sharply it will handle (crispness & oversteer/understeer). Handle like a beemer? Better?! :) Can I get mine in AWD? cheers

Sep 16, 2009
Trudy said...
OMG. wow.
Sep 16, 2009
adelle + elijah said...
that definitely is a great vehicle to have a place in line. if things were looking up in the airline industry, I wouldn't mind putting some serious cash into Tesla and the Tesla S.

Good luck and let us all know when we can take a ride =)

Sep 16, 2009
Des Stanley said...
Hey, so did my husband!! I'm so excited about this car. It'll be torture to wait the two years for this thing. Congrats to you. No doubt you'll enjoy the car when it arrives!
Sep 16, 2009
Nam Nguyen said...
Man! This car looks hott! Congrats.
Sep 16, 2009
Matt Kinnick said...
Wow, that's huge! A big step. I admire your courage, and congratulate you!
Sep 16, 2009
Gisele Diaz L. said...
Sachin, this car it's all about design! In white is something an Apple fan has to have ;) Including the energy efficient interest.
Sep 16, 2009
Perry said...
Baller! Nice buy. My client is in the same building as Tesla and I see the Tesla cars lined up in the parking lot all the time. There is a lotus that sits next to them too.
Sep 16, 2009
Tomy Thomson said...
Great choice! I really like the model S too. It's one of the best looking sedans I've seen in a very long time.
Sep 16, 2009
Jeffrey Lim said...
Congrats! would like to see when you get...
Sep 17, 2009
Did you hear on TWiT that Jason Calacanis has ordered two of the S models ? (I think he got serial no. 1)
Sep 17, 2009
Jason Calacanis said...
You are the man! I have #1 and #85 of the signature series and I can't wait. I love the Roadster!
Sep 17, 2009
Tuyen Vo said...
Good deal. I need to convince my wife that we should put the $5K down for a car we won't see until 2012-13. Problem is in our condo garage, I'll need to have an electrical outlet installed. Gotta get that past the HOA.
Sep 18, 2009
Gary said...
Dude, that's pretty pimp. Are you going to put shark teeth on it too?
Sep 20, 2009
Carolyn Chan said...
great choice. that's a hot looking car too.
Sep 22, 2009
Florian said...
Welcome to the club, Sachin! I put in my reservation in April. Same hopes about a garage with outlet, the well-being of the company, etc. here :o) But I'm really looking forward to that great vehicle, even more so after test driving a Tesla Roadster in June. Which REALLY rocks!
Sep 27, 2009
Parit it said...
man it's sick car!

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