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Summary:

Electric car maker Tesla Motors officially handed off the first ten of its Model S electric cars at a launch event at its factory in Fremont, Calif. on Friday. Here’s our photos from the event.

Driving off

Driving off

Electric car maker Tesla Motors officially handed off the first ten of its Model S electric cars at a launch event at its factory in Fremont, Calif. on Friday. Workers filled a corner of the factory and surrounded a line of the cars as the first customers accepted their keys and were driven off with their cars. Early customers that picked up their cars included DBL Investors Partner Nancy Pfund and DFJ Partner Tim Draper. Here’s out photos of the event:

 
Images from the slideshow
  1. 1 / 20
    Line of the first Model S cars
     
  2. 2 / 20
    Tesla's line of Model S cars
     
  3. 3 / 20
    Line of Model S cars
     
  4. 4 / 20
    George Blankenship, MCd the event
     
  5. 5 / 20
    George Blankenship: I have 3 words for you: We made it!
     
  6. 6 / 20
    Governor Jerry Brown
     
  7. 7 / 20
    Tesla CTO JB Straubel
     
  8. 8 / 20
    Tesla head designer Franz Von Holzhausen
     
  9. 9 / 20
    Tesla CEO Elon Musk
     
  10. 10 / 20
    Model S driving off to Chicago
     
  11. 11 / 20
    Tesla CFO driving off a Model S
     
  12. 12 / 20
    The first customer gets his keys
     
  13. 13 / 20
    The first Model S customer is driven off
     
  14. 14 / 20
    Tesla investor Nancy Pfund gets her keys
     
  15. 15 / 20
    Tesla investor Nancy Pfund gets keys
     
  16. 16 / 20
    Tesla investor Nancy Pfund
     
  17. 17 / 20
    Tim Draper gets his keys
     
  18. 18 / 20
    Driving off
     
  19. 19 / 20
    Driving off
     
  20. 20 / 20
    Driving off
     
  1. SVobserver Friday, June 22 2012

    “First Model S customer” is eBay founder Jeff Skoll…

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    1. Katie Fehrenbacher Friday, June 22 2012

      Is not. It’s steve jurvetson.

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  2. sinithwar Saturday, June 23 2012

    Now if only we could make electric cars affordable for teenagers, the bigs car consumers.

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  3. Kent Beuchert Saturday, June 23 2012

    Tesla has produced a fine, albeit quite expensive car. Their goal is to usher in the electric age of autos, but to do that requires a MUCH less expensive battery (the 300 mile Tesla battery pack rings up at $44,000). And this type of battery will not outlast the vehicle. And expect a 20% drop in range at the 5 year mark. Neither Tesla nor anyone else can produce a capable (i.e. not a Leaf) and also affordable electric. THAT
    task is totally in the hands of the battery inventors. It is THEY, not Elon Musk, who will make an affordable EV possible.
    And they are close, very close. I feel sorry for these early adopters who are getting raped, price-wise.

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    1. Rich Saturday, June 23 2012

      The early adopters are getting raped? Nobody forced them to buy the present cars, and I’m not convinced a large reduction in battery prices is as close as you seem to think.

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    2. Steve K Monday, June 25 2012

      Cars at this price and performance level are status symbols. Just as if someone had a BMW 6 series. By putting an electric car in the class of luxury performance sport sedans, instead of little commuter boxes, Tesla has opened some doors and eyes. Nothing about this class of car is practical, it isn’t meant to be.

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    3. Howard Wednesday, June 27 2012

      You are ONLY half correct we could make long range LONG LIFE EVs from 2005 building on 1997 technology using NiMH but GM and CHEVRON put the battery in a patent prison. Though the rights are now owned by BASF, CHEVRON still retains a veto denying large density NiMH.

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