Tesla IR Confirms Model S Options, Pricing, etc. "on track before before year end"

[ckessel]

If 5,000 people over the course of a day causes their site to crash, they've got some work to do in that department. Granted they're small, but I bet they get a couple thousand people to their site daily at the very least. Probably much more.

Hell, some days I might cause a couple thousand hits to their site all by myself . Well, poking through the forums, I could believe several dozen hits anyway.

 

[AnOutsider]

I forgot about the forums... Those alone can generate huge load

 

[mwu]

A single person browsing pretty much never loads a server very much even with many page requests due to how fast a computer is and how slow things like reading, network latency, parsing of the data, etc are. It's really about how many concurrent requests there are that can load a server down. Thousands of requests per day might be nothing special, but if hundreds were grouped around a small timeframe it could be a problem if your server(s) and network aren't strong enough.

It'd be interesting to see how their traffic is grouped around peak browsing hours.

 

[GSP]

When I say EV production is slower - I'm saying the ramp up to target capacity has been very slow. Even major OEMs like Nissan & GM have ramped up slower than their own estimates. Also, the start of the delivery date has always slipped. Even though some (like Nissan) made token deliveries on target introduction month.

I was browsing the book "Jolt" yesterday, written in 2010. It lists a bunch of upcoming vehicles - all of them have now got delayed (including S, PIP, Fisker, Coda, BYD, Focus EV). Leaf & Volt ran into ramp up issues, though they managed to get a few units delivered in Dec '10.

Certainly delays have been the norm, but I think that GM delivered the first Volts on their original schedule, even if it was at the end of the promised month (Oct2010, as I recall). As for the ramp up of production to 60,000 per year, it has been exactly according to their original plan.

GSP

 

[stopcrazypp]

If 5,000 people over the course of a day causes their site to crash, they've got some work to do in that department. Granted they're small, but I bet they get a couple thousand people to their site daily at the very least. Probably much more.


*edit* their alexa graph shows they likely get around 80-100k visitors per day (using their rank and comparing to sites that I do know the traffic of).

It think 5k concurrent users might cause some database slowdown or timeout issues if the application is very database/processing heavy. But I suspect the design studio isn't really that database heavy since the users probably don't get to change much besides from a couple of options and there probably is little to no processing required for that (just some DB queries). I suspect a vast majority of Tesla Motors visitors just look at static pages, which have minimal impact on performance.

 

[EVNow]

Certainly delays have been the norm, but I think that GM delivered the first Volts on their original schedule, even if it was at the end of the promised month (Oct2010, as I recall). As for the ramp up of production to 60,000 per year, it has been exactly according to their original plan.

No - GM delievered the first car after Nissan did on 12/11/10. GM was quite slow in the beginning. If you search you will see statements by GM folks saying they are being deliberately slow (same with Nissan).

 

[Doug_G]

It think 5k concurrent users might cause some database slowdown or timeout issues if the application is very database/processing heavy. But I suspect the design studio isn't really that database heavy since the users probably don't get to change much besides from a couple of options and there probably is little to no processing required for that (just some DB queries). I suspect a vast majority of Tesla Motors visitors just look at static pages, which have minimal impact on performance.

When they launched the Model S Design Studio, coincident with the Factory Event, it was slammed very hard. It was so laggy as to be useless, because it kept timing out and failing.

 

[Norbert]

It think 5k concurrent users might cause some database slowdown or timeout issues if the application is very database/processing heavy. But I suspect the design studio isn't really that database heavy since the users probably don't get to change much besides from a couple of options and there probably is little to no processing required for that (just some DB queries). I suspect a vast majority of Tesla Motors visitors just look at static pages, which have minimal impact on performance.

Also, at first, when things are announced, they could have well-designed but only static pages, and then add anything interactive as the traffic calms down. That would address any database constraints.

 

[Robert.Boston]

It wouldn't surprise me if the initial price release is literally a list of options and prices, with the pretty pictures in the Design Studio added later.

 

[WhiteKnight]

It wouldn't surprise me if the initial price release is literally a list of options and prices, with the pretty pictures in the Design Studio added later.

George Blankenship's e-mail says:

We'll be releasing U.S. pricing for Model S shortly.

and then 2 paragraphs later says

In the next few months we will significantly enhance our Model S configurator on the web

So I think you're exactly right - pricing now - Design Studio in Winter (not the start of Winter).

 

[GSP]

No - GM delievered the first car after Nissan did on 12/11/10. GM was quite slow in the beginning. If you search you will see statements by GM folks saying they are being deliberately slow (same with Nissan).

GM's delivery on thier original schedule does not mean "before Nissan." Nissan may be another example of on schedule delivery, I don't rember what their original announced schedule was. On schedule product launches are a sign of an organization that knows what they are doing, and how to do it right. Startups struggle with this.

On schedule doesn't necessarily mean lightning fast. Automobile development takes time. Tesla's Roadster and Model S also took about the same time to develop. No different than every gas car.

GSP

 

[EVNow]

GM's delivery on thier original schedule does not mean "before Nissan."

I was just responding to your Oct'10 estimate.

 

[Robert.Boston]

Tesla Motors to Begin Customer Deliveries of Model S on June 22nd World's First Premium Electric Sedan Ahead of Schedule PALO ALTO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 05/22/12 -- Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA) will begin delivering Model S, the world's first premium electric sedan, to customers on June 22nd, 2012. Several customers will receive their cars that day at an invitation-only event at the Tesla Factory in Fremont, California. In its Q1 financial results communicated earlier this month, Tesla announced Model S would begin deliveries ahead of the July timeframe originally communicated. "In 2006 our plan was to build an electric sports car followed by an affordable electric sedan, and reduce our dependence on oil," said Elon Musk, Tesla Motors CEO and Chief Product Architect. "Delivering Model S is a key part of that plan and represents Tesla's transition to a mass-production automaker and the most compelling car company of the 21st century." Model S is the first premium sedan designed from the ground up to take full advantage of electric vehicle architecture. A revolutionary powertrain sits under the floorboard of Model S, creating an ultra-low center of gravity. Paired with an aluminum body engineered for superior handling, Tesla has created a vehicle that will raise the bar for vehicle handling and efficiency while meeting the highest standards for safety. Without an internal combustion engine or transmission tunnel, the interior of Model S has more cargo space than any other sedan and includes a second trunk under the hood. Model S seats five adults and two children in optional rear facing seats and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 4.4 seconds. The interior features a 17" in-dash touchscreen with internet capabilities, allowing for streaming radio, web browsing and navigation. With the most energy-dense battery pack in the industry and best-in-class aerodynamics, Model S has the longest range of any electric car in the world. Model S comes with three battery pack options to fit the unique needs of different drivers. Tesla will be publishing regular updates about the event on June 22nd, as described in this company blog post. Model S test-drive events will begin rolling out to select North American cities in July. Tesla will be ramping up production throughout 2012 and plans to deliver 5,000 vehicles by year end. Reservations for the premium electric sedan currently exceed 10,000. Customers can reserve a Model S at one of Tesla's retail stores or online. About Tesla Tesla's goal is to accelerate the world's transition to electric mobility. Palo Alto, California based Tesla designs and manufactures EVs and EV powertrain components for partners such as Toyota and Daimler. Tesla has delivered more than 2,250 Roadsters to customers worldwide. Model S, the first premium sedan to be built from the ground up as an electric vehicle, begins deliveries in June 2012. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release, including statements regarding the initial delivery date of Model S, Model S safety, Model S test drives and Model S production in 2012, are "forward-looking statements" that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations, and as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those projected. Various important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including the risks and uncertainties identified under the sections captioned "Risk Factors" and "MD&A" in Tesla's Form 10-Q filed on May 10, 2012. Tesla disclaims any obligation to update information contained in these forward-looking statements. Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to Newsvine Press Contact Shanna Hendriks Tesla Motors 650-681-5179 Source: Tesla Motors, Inc.

Tesla Motors 3500 Deer Creek Road , Palo Alto, CA 94304 Service provided by Shareholder.com

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Thanks, Robert.

Cherry picking the blog post link out of that:

The countdown is on... It's time to deliver Model S! | Blog | Tesla Motors

 

[Zorba]

Holy cow, this is very exciting

For US reservation holders, that is.

 

[onlinespending]

Tesla Motors to Begin Customer Deliveries of Model S on June 22nd World's First Premium Electric Sedan Ahead of Schedule PALO ALTO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 05/22/12 -- Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA) will begin delivering Model S, the world's first premium electric sedan, to customers on June 22nd, 2012. Several customers will receive their cars that day at an invitation-only event at the Tesla Factory in Fremont, California. In its Q1 financial results communicated earlier this month, Tesla announced Model S would begin deliveries ahead of the July timeframe originally communicated.

Probably not the best thread for this, but thanks for sharing. Certainly seems as if they're going to actually invite some customers (presumably non-founders) to an event on 6/22. That's good stuff.

 

[AnOutsider]

Homepage pic updated to match the news:

 

[smorgasbord]

Homepage pic updated to match the news

And links to a new blog article: http://www.teslamotors.com/node/18774