Tesla Motors Kicks Off "Roadster Road Trip" From LA to Detroit

LOS ANGELES--Tesla Motors is embarking on a 2,700-mile road trip in the all-electric Tesla Roadster – a historic journey to raise awareness about alternative-fuel cars and greet customers nationwide.

Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla customers and employees will gather at Tesla’s Los Angeles store at 10 a.m. Thursday, leaving an hour later in an “Arctic white” 2010 Roadster Sport. They’ll be joined by Roadster owners from Southern California, Tesla’s largest regional market. Their first stop is the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana at about noon.

Tesla employees – including engineers, lawyers, recruiters and salespeople – will make dozens of stops nationwide for test drives, tech talks, customer-appreciation events and media opportunities. Tesla, which is aggressively recruiting mechanical and electrical engineers, is also swinging through college towns in Arizona, Texas and Illinois. The car will arrive in Detroit in advance of the North American International Auto Show, which starts Jan. 11.

Media opportunities include:

Los Angeles, 10 a.m., Dec. 17: Road Trip Launch – Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen drives the first leg of the trip starting from the Tesla store at 11163 Santa Monica Blvd., West Los Angeles, Calif.

Palm Springs, Calif., 3 p.m., Dec. 17: Tesla Test Drives – Sales representatives will host test drives for prospective customers at The Parker Palm Springs, 4200 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, Calif.

Phoenix, Ariz., 2 p.m., Dec. 18: Women in Engineering – Tesla test engineer Laurel Fullerton will meet students at her alma mater, Xavier College Preparatory, to discuss opportunities for women in technology, 4710 North 5th St., Phoenix, Ariz.

Tucson, Ariz., 8:30 a.m. to noon, Dec. 19: Clean Cities – The city of Tucson and Clean Cities will celebrate Mayor Walkup’s official proclamation of Tucson an EV-friendly community with Tesla.

San Antonio, Texas, 5 p.m., Dec. 23: Tech Talk – Roadster Program Director Barrie Dickinson will host a tech talk with the Alamo City Area Electric Vehicle Club at The Republic House, 12333 West Ave., San Antonio, Texas.

Cresson, Texas, 3 p.m., Dec. 27: Roadster Rally – Jason Mendez, manager of powertrain manufacturing engineering and one of the company’s earliest employees, will take a few laps at MotorSport Ranch, 9012 Performance Court, Cresson, Texas.

Plano, Texas, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Dec. 28: Charge While You Charge – Tesla will host test drives and meet customers at Shops at Legacy, 5700 Legacy Drive, Plano, Texas.

The entire road trip route is here: http://www.teslamotors.com/roadtrip/.

For more events along the route, follow us on Twitter and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=teslamotors&init=quick#/teslamotors

About Tesla Motors

Based in California’s Silicon Valley, Tesla is the world’s only automaker producing and selling highway-capable electric vehicles. Tesla, which has delivered about 900 cars to customers, sells vehicles online and operates showrooms and galleries in California’s Silicon Valley and Los Angeles, Colorado, New York, Seattle, South Florida, London, Munich and Monaco.

The all-electric Tesla Roadster Sport accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, outpacing almost all gasoline-powered sports cars but producing zero tailpipe emissions. It’s eligible for substantial tax incentives throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. The Roadster does not need regular oil changes or exhaust system work. Roadsters have no spark plugs, pistons, radiators, alternators or clutches to replace. Tesla recommends a standard service and diagnostic inspection once a year – and Tesla can perform service with convenient “house calls” at customers’ homes or offices.