So. My Tesla story starts around March 2010 when I was given around the cost of a deposit of a Model S
Growing up in Los Altos I was pretty familiar with all of the stuff going on around the area and liked the idea of electric cars.
The Factory tour last October and Test ride was pretty sweet. I stopped shaving my beard then and just shaved a little last week finally! (the wife was a little upset, no more braids ) I studied for a few days after the test ride and passed CA seismic part of the PE in late October last year for civil and was licensed in December which was critical to be able to afford the S (almost afford :>
After taking the PE for the second time I had a little time to make my first RC Models S (pic above + some in my albums) 4 LiFe batteries makes the little S pretty quick
For the test drive event in June at the Factory I took my wife + 2 Bay Area Friends - 1 who worked at NUMMI before Toyota left and another that works for Hilti
I think They liked the car and Factory! I managed to get the S up to 110 on the return into the factory - with 5 people, averaging 200 lb each!! From that speed I slammed the brakes on and - still total control!
During Thanksgiving weekend we were in the Bay and stopped at Santana Row so I could sit in an S for a little and just look at him/her a litle more. I was expecting/ hoping to get my car by the end of the year but close to Christmas.
Well, I guess they wanted to do some grey ones first after the Sigs and I was shocked to get the e-mail that my car was Finished on November 28th!! Just 2 days after returning home (300 miles from the factory)
What?? I had to sell my Rav4, to my neighbor fortunately, but still that is short notice.
Somehow I managed to get together the cash I needed + smoged my Rav4 and sold it to my neighbor on Friday to get enough cash for what I was paying down.
My wife and I drove down to Freemont in the crazy rain storm that was flooding rivers over the highway later in the night luckily it wasn't raining the whole way. We made it to the factory right on time for our time slot. The tour is even more Awesome than before - So much going on, I could stand there and watch each station for hours. Pretty cool stuff
They had put out 20 cars that night and were busting ass. I talked with a final QC inspector that does the bump testing and noise/vibration I think. He said thank you for giving me a job!
The cars are Awesome I told him :biggrin:
- - - Updated - - -
So my trip from the factory on saturday night was in mild rain and I drove to Los Altos hills (Magdalaena). The car was even better than the test drive since I had 1000+ lbs in the car of people ( a couple of heavier friends came along).
Passing cars is like magic and the car is so responsive in every way.
Saturday night I only plugged into 120V and picked up 60 miles overnight.
I left in the morning headed up hwy 101 to eureka. I managed to use cruise control for most of the drve and kept right around the speed limit except for some little bursts here and there.
Several people gave thumbs up and many passengers in other cars were trying to figure out what my car was
I stopped in Hopland at the solar living center for about an hour and left there with 160 miles ideal. Our next stop was the Benbow for dinner and dog walking (my wife was driving her truck back with the dogs) benbow was something like 70 miles farther so I had plenty to start driving 'fun'
Hopland solar living center / Gaiam
- - - Updated - - -
Here is my screen before the update - they said mine was one of the last built with the old one - the new one came that night
This was when I was driving nice. Now I get 400-50whr/ mi but I haven't been doing freeway driving
Last edited: