Tesla delivers 250th Roadster, accelerates production

Tesla Motors on Saturday delivered its 250th Roadster electric sports car to Dr. Rob Wilder of Encinitas, Calif. In a company newsletter released late Wednesday, CEO Elon Musk also indicated Tesla has accelerated production to 20 cars per week, up from 15 just over a month ago. The upstart automaker expects to hit a rate of 30 units per week by summer, at which point it will become profitable.



Dr. Wilder, Lucky No. 250, is CEO of WilderShares LLC and manager of the WilderHill Clean Energy Index. Wilder previously made a point of spending no more than $13,000 on a car, often opting for a used set of wheels.

"I took a big, big gulp and sent in my check - and although this car may not seem like a bargain, I can now say it's a great value. This is exactly the type of car I'd design for myself."

The $109,000 Roadster is more expensive than all of Wilder's previous cars put together. That said, it offers some pretty competitive performance for the price point, highlighted by a zero to 60 mph time of 3.9 seconds. Wilder said he plans to charge the car via his home's array of solar panels.

The company has a backlog of over 1000 orders, which are expected to be completed by October. With a new store opening in Chicago -- plus plans for retail locations in London, Munich, Washington, Miami, Seattle, and Manhattan -- demand is likely to continue to outstrip production. Earlier this month, Tesla also announced sales to Canadian customers will begin in the fourth quarter.

As previously reported, Tesla plans to unveil its Model S sedan prototype next week. The vehicle is expected to go into production in late 2011. It will have a base price of $57,400, plus a tax credit of $7,500, dropping the total to $49,900.