Tesla Roadster heads to Asia

The Roadster, which runs on electricity and can be fully or partially recharged from renewables such as solar power or wind energy, will spend about two weeks in India. The car will take center stage at a variety of VIP and public events.

The Roadster is expected to arrive in India the week of May 17 and will be at Ambience Mall in Gurgaon, in suburban Delhi. The country’s multinational business hub prides itself on the fact that every household has available electric power connections.

In Jaipur, the car will be hosted by His Royal Highness Sawai Bhawani Singh Bahadur, the last maharaja of Jaipur — considered Rajasthan’s most significant political, cultural and religious figure.

“It will be a huge honor to meet His Royal Highness, said Tesla technician Luke McClure, who drove the Roadster more than 3,000 miles throughout Europe and will log an additional 19,000 or more miles in Asia and North America before returning to his native England.

“In more ways than one, Tesla is pushing the boundaries and blazing a new path for Electric Vehicles. India is going to be an adventure every day — for me and thousands of people following me online.”

Odyssey of Pioneers

Delhi is the seventh major stop in the “Odyssey of Pioneers,” the first round-the-world tour by a zero-emission GT car. The 22,000-mile voyage, sponsored by Tesla Motors and Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer, includes displays, owner appreciation gatherings, and VIP events in 15 cities and more than 150 towns on three continents.

Future stops include Japan, where Tesla recently began selling electric cars, and the United States. The tour concludes in Paris in October.

Last week, the Roadster made history as the first car without Russian components to receive official clearance to park in Moscow’s Red Square – a hallowed venue considered the epicenter of Moscow and Russia itself.

Before that, the Tesla Roadster paid homage to its namesake in Budapest, where Nikola Tesla came up with the design for his revolutionary alternating-current induction motor in 1882. The Roadster – the only electric car for sale in Europe or North America — uses an AC induction motor descended from the scientist’s original vision.

Throughout Slovenia, Russia, India and elsewhere, the Roadster recharges from conventional outlets using existing infrastructure. The Roadster has charged from standard outlets at hotels, a solar panel array in Italy and even at a barn in rural Switzerland, demonstrating the versatility and ease of charging. Fans are following the Odyssey online and watching weekly video updates on YouTube and Facebook.

Tesla is the world’s only automaker selling highway-capable electric vehicles – the only company offering performance with a clean conscience. Tesla sells cars directly to clients, both online and out of showrooms and galleries in Europe and North America. Tesla has delivered more than 1,000 electric cars to customers in at least 23 countries worldwide. Advertising Age magazine recently named Tesla one of the year’s "hottest brands."

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