New London Showroom - Westfield Shepherds Bush

[Alan]

See you both there Thursday.

 

[PV4EV]

I'll be there too. Went to the test drive yesterday in Savill Court hotel near Wednesday so my wife could experience a drive in the Model S. Word was that prices will be finalised and out before Christmas but they are hoping sooner than that.

I'm guessing that the UK prices will be a tad more than those listed on the Tesla EU websites, not least because of the daft amount of taxes loaded onto everything coming into this country. However, purchase one through a company and you'll be able to write down the entire purchase cost in year one effectively getting a 20+% discount on the purchase cost, and there are numerous other tax advantages due to it being a zero emission car with 0% benefit-in-kind allowances.

My wife took delivery of her Zoe on Friday last week so we drove the the event in that which made me feel quite virtuous! The comment above about the Renault stand is completely consistent with our experience of Renault form our pre-reservation through to delivery. It's a real shame because the car is actually a great little car and if marketed properly would go a long way to getting EV's going to a broader set of the population that aren't necessarily "in the market" for a Model S

My other half also took out a Zoe and Leaf back to back after the Model S on Saturday morning - interesting day for her !

The Zoe seems like a good looking EV, on the outside but with a sea of plastic on the inside with distracting dash-top reflection in the windscreen. The Leaf was butt ugly on the outside but completely amazing on the inside and with a 2nd hand price of just £12k at 1 year old.




Couple of phone pics of the carpark at the Savill Court / Get-Amped event. I think they had 5 or 6 Model S's in use. Pity about the 'orrible weather most of the day !

 

[hileyms]

Elon in London today - article from Guardian attached. Some comments about Gen3 etc.

Elon Musk: oil campaign against electric cars is like big tobacco lobbying | Environment | theguardian.com

 

[sp4rk]

Thanks, hileyms, for posting that link. Wish I could be be there for the opening ... I find it incredulous that whateverhisnamewas on the video described the 17" screen in the same para with adjectives "hideous" and "spectacular". Not sure they're in the thesaurus under the same heading!

 

[hileyms]

Elon opening London store. Comments to be found at Tesla UK Store Official Opening

UK price likely to be low to mid £50,000

 

[sp4rk]

Anyone have video of this?

 

[hileyms]

No idea, I am reading the tweets of a green organisation called Transport Evolved who are there. There were some pictures on their web site I think from about 2 hours ago - do not know if there are any more.
elon is still answering questions

Including the coment from Elon that he is planning a further smaller car after Gen 3 about 2019.

 

[PV4EV]

Anyone have video of this?

If you haven't caught this, the link below is from someone using a mobile phone at the event. Average quality but its audible enough :-

Tesla London Store Opening reception with Elon Musk - YouTube


One of the most interesting things to come out was that UK pricing for the 60kwh MS would start at around £55k which *includes* the 20% VAT / Sales tax.


Here are some shots from my own mobile :-

 

[dpeilow]

So it seems that just about the entire British "EV scene" was at this event judging from what I have read on here / twitter / facebook. I found out about it last week literally 45 minutes after I had booked a work trip but included a 3 hour stop in Paris on the way back for a social visit (that didn't happen). I then got an invite on the 22nd, just as I was getting ready to go on said trip, asking me to RSVP by the 21st...

I could have taken the earlier train back from Paris and caught the last couple of hours of the party, but it would have meant binning a non refundable ticket and spending £233 of my hard earned to get a last minute new one. I didn't deem it worth it. Damn you Tesla and your last minute marketing. Colour me p***** off.

There was another fail as the Westfield management had put out this sign.

Which according to Robert Llewellyn lead to...

30 electric charging bays at #Westfield and other than one Leaf they are all ICE'd.

...on the night of this high profile opening. EVers turning up without a way to get charged.


Still, it wasn't all doom and gloom as I managed a 45 minute test drive of the Model S around Geneva before I came back yesterday.

 

[mpt]

Loads of pictures from Green Car Reports Elon Musk Opens New Tesla Store In London Mall: Live Photos