In Photos: Tesla S Factory Pickup Experience (Fremont)

Factory pickups are rather routine in the automotive world. Unless that car happens to be made by Tesla. The upstart electric car-maker offers its buyers a slice of history–setting foot upon the first all-electric automobile manufacturing in the country. And then, after touring the 5.5 million square foot plant, silently cruising back to highway 880 in Silicon Valley at the wheel of their groundbreaking Tesla S Sedan.

I had a chance to witness the customer pickup experience firsthand over the weekend in Fremont. I watched as a (thrilled) family took possession of a racy red Tesla S 60 (kWh) in the customer staging garage.

After a one hour training session, we headed to the plant for a tour. It’s worth noting that Tesla scored the biggest Groupon of all-time: buying the former $1 billion NUMMI plant for only $41 million.

Already a convert, I came away from the day wanting uber entrepreneur Elon Musk and his team to succeed more than ever. That we are witnessing a car this innovative–designed and manufactured domestically no less–reaching the hands of everyday luxury car buyers with such high quality build, and such sterling performance is simply nothing short of remarkable.

No doubt range anxiety is real. The Tesla is not made for every situation, for every buyer. Range on the top end Performance S model with an 85 kWh battery is 265 miles.

Yes, this is an expensive car. At least, on first blush. Compare it to competitors likely to be cross-shopped, such as the Audi A7, the BMW 6-series, and Mercedes S range, and you quickly realize to the contrary: the Tesla S, with all its R&D and incredible sophistication, is a downright bargain by sports luxury sedan standards.

As a Prius owner I’ve always had keen interest in Tesla. I first got up close and personal with it at the Detroit Car show last year. Even in that early floor show model, it felt as if Tesla had done it “right.”

Prior to my hybrid (and married) days, I strung myself out like so many a bachelor on high performance, wallet incinerating stuff: 1999 Nissan 300zx Twin Turbo (marvelous, but temperamental), a 1999 BMW 323i (excellent build), a 2001 Jaguar XKR convertible (horrible), a 2002 Porsche 911 (why did I ever sell it?!) and a used 2001 Audi A6 2.7T (every service interval resulted in a $1,200 repair bill). The Tesla feels every bit the contemporary (and then some) when compared to all those cars. Of course, it has the most magical of tricks up its sleeve: zero emissions. Amazingly, it does so without sacrificing the driving experience. Musk has double dipped. And we’re all beneficiaries.

STARK INSIDER: Factoids

5.5 million square feet: Size of Tesla Fremont factory–of which about 1/3rd is in use, with the remainder used as storage

$12,000 to $16,000: Cost of replacement batteries

$62,400 USD: Base price of Tesla Model S (after Federal tax credits)

4.2 seconds: 0-60 rating of Performance 85 model

4,750: # of Model S cars sold–about 250 more than the February target

Then there’s the New York Times.

No doubt range anxiety is real. Many buyers would rather not plan trips based on the need for charging (I admit that’s why I’m partial to hybrids like the Prius and Volt, at least until there are more Superchargers online). Fair enough. The Tesla is not made for every situation, for every buyer. Range on the top end Performance S model with an 85 kWh battery is 265 miles. Batteries don’t like the cold. And there’s few Superchargers located across the United States–9 are live today in Connecticut, Delaware and California, with 100 planned for 2015. Playing to our fears, of course, is the oldest trick in the traditional media playbook. It’s shameful. Writers who begin with the end in mind, are surely not applying the 7 Habits of Highly Successful People in a way that author Stephen Covey envisioned.

So when you pickup your shiny, new Tesla from the Fremont factory, you’re getting a fair amount of back-story as a bonus. It’s an iconic car. Perhaps less so for the fact that’s it’s all aluminum, and all electric, and more so because it polarizes and engages politicians, the community, and environmentalists alike.

MYTH BUSTERS: Tesla Edition

You’re not only taking home a new electric car, you’re taking home a piece of American history.

All that to say, here are some photos below documenting the Tesla customer pickup experience.

If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area and have bought a Tesla (many do it online without the need for a back-and-forth waltz with an in-person sales rep) then it’s part and parcel of the experience, and I highly recommend making the visit to pick up your new car.

One thing you won’t see below: photos from the factory floor.

Cameras are not allowed. What you see here is only half the story. There’s untold innovation, human ingenuity on the other side of these walls. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to have our on-air host Loni pay a visit with permission to shoot a Stark Insider TV segment there with Elon Musk.