Reply To: Tesla Dealer Chengdu

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Avatar photoGraham
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I finally managed to drive one Sunday past. Not a diamond encrusted one in sight and even the housing area used for the launch was not stratospherically priced. I took a few pictures and was able to have a really good look at the car. Extremely well made, excellent paint finish, well-fitted interior as you would expect for the price. Lots of bells and whistles to play with and the central “Tesla Pad” covers everything you could imagine.

Visually it looks better than the photos – sits very low and gives the impression of holding the road even when sitting still. I had no opportunity to try it on twisty toads but during the drive the steering gives a little feedback so I sense it will be fine. The disc brakes are huge; here’s why: The BIG thing was the acceleration!!!: for reasons known only to the organisers the test track was very short with a slight curve, and I suppose they were expecting lots of drivers so all I could really do was floor it and see. I think its possibly the fastest accelerating car I’ve driven and it’s quite relentless – pushing you back in your seat with no gears to worry about. I could only hold it for about 6 seconds before lifting off but could not check the speed as I was concentrating on other things as it was time to stop. My passengers could not tell me much either as they were also firmly pressed back in their seats. Extremely impressive but far too short to tell much else. I had a Ferrari 400GT a few years ago and I know it would be slower than the Tesla was; maybe comparable to a Space Shuttle?? I need to go back and try it for longer.

Internally it has lots of room including amazing boot/trunk storage in the front and rear. Also no spare wheel – Tesla say you should use sealant and a pump to get you home…. might be fun in some parts of China.. Only thing I really didn’t like was the size and shape of the back seat: way too short for larger folks like me and zero support under the back of your upper legs. I think it would be quite uncomfortable on a longer run.

Charging is going to be the big question/solution here. If you have a house then setting a station up should be easier. Bought and rented parking  spaces present a bigger challenge depending on the nature of your management office and the wuguan . The most expensive model on show was the fully kitted out P85 Model S which was almost a million yuan, but prices start just under 600k RMB. The dealer is around the back of American Garden (not been yet so don’t know exactly where) and there is another unofficial trader with a shop just off the 3rd ring road near the Wuhou road (Taipingyuan Middle 3rd road). I want one – just don’t have that kind of spending power for now, but I see it as a great solution for daily runs around town, and plugging it in every night if required, like my phone. Batteries and power train are warranted for 8 years… And if all our electricity was renewable it really is the future of motoring…. Not perfect but a really useable proposition.