# I Got To Touch a Tesla Car! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 14, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-to-touch-a-tesla-car/536117 "2010-04-14T20:32:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-to-touch-a-tesla-car/536117/1 "2010-04-14T20:32:42Z")
I was at a show in Boston, and got to (finally) see and touch the car. It is a bit small, but the fit and finish was very nice. The price is a bit high ($112,000)-but presumably that will come down. My question: is the carbon fiber body a big part of the price? Can this material be mass-produced? Is this a vehicle that could be made to sell for say, $40,000 when in mass production? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-to-touch-a-tesla-car/536117/2 "2010-04-15T02:53:13Z")
> [@](#): > > I Got To Touch a Tesla Car! I bet it made you feel tingly all over. ---
**Author:** ![Discipline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Discipline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Discipline)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-to-touch-a-tesla-car/536117/3 "2010-04-15T03:26:45Z")
The batteries are the big part of the price. The underlying car is a Lotus Elise, which has a base MSRP of $47,250 and has most of its body panels made of a similar composite. The front clam-shell on the Elise will run you (or your insurance) about $7k to replace. So to answer your question, yeah, but not because of the carbon fiber. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-to-touch-a-tesla-car/536117/4 "2010-04-15T04:41:11Z")
I rubbed my junk on one at the Detroit Auto show. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-to-touch-a-tesla-car/536117/5 "2010-04-15T12:25:17Z")
> [@](#): > > I rubbed my junk on one at the Detroit Auto show. They let you bring a Chinese Boat to a Car Show? ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-to-touch-a-tesla-car/536117/6 "2010-04-16T09:20:10Z")
I saw one drive by me in the parking lot at my optometrist. I couldn’t hear it as it went by. Are they that rare? We get a fair amount of exotic cars in this town though. ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-to-touch-a-tesla-car/536117/7 "2010-04-16T18:30:43Z")
The new model, the [Tesla S](http://www.teslamotors.com/models/), will sell for just under $50,000, though the price goes up if you want the extended-mileage battery. Tesla is taking orders now for delivery in 2012.