Three Brand New, Original Tesla Roadsters Have Been Found in a Storage Container

By Kevin Armstrong
Three original Tesla Roadsters were found with 0 miles in a storage container
Three original Tesla Roadsters were found with 0 miles in a storage container
GruberMotors (Edited by NATA)

In a remarkable discovery, three untouched Tesla Roadsters from 2010 have emerged from their long slumber in a Chinese port, offering a glimpse into the pivotal role they played in sparking the electric vehicle (EV) revolution and Tesla's astounding success. More than just pristine collectibles, these Roadsters stand as enduring symbols of a watershed moment in the automotive industry and Tesla's ambitious journey.

These three US-spec left-hand drive Roadsters, two Very Orange models and one Radiant Red, Sport model, have been sitting unspoiled and hidden away in sea containers since their purchase in 2010. Now, they're ready to be revived and enjoyed by eager Tesla fans and collectors.

Elon Musk Tweets About the Remarkable Find

The discovery caught the eye of Elon Musk. He acknowledged this fantastic discovery, tweeting, "These are increasingly rare." His endorsement of the find highlights the significance of these vehicles, both as a part of Tesla's history and as rare collectibles for enthusiasts.

Some Tesla fans have been asking Musk to purchase and display the cars at Tesla factories. But if you're a Tesla aficionado looking to own a piece of EV history, this is your chance! The current owner is accepting bids for this unique set of Roadsters, with a preference to sell them together. However, they're open to splitting them up for the right price.

Roadster Specs

These Roadsters look brand new, inside and out, however the batteries still need to be tested
These Roadsters look brand new, inside and out, however the batteries still need to be tested
GruberMotors (Edited by NATA)

The Tesla Roadster had a 53 kWh battery, which offered a range of about 245 miles (395 km). Its electric motor only produced 248 horsepower, but due to its extremely light chasis, it reached 60 mph in about 3.7 seconds.

The Role of the Roadster in the EV Revolution and Tesla's Meteoric Rise

The Tesla Roadster played a crucial role in the company's history, funding the creation of the Model S and sparking the EV revolution. Launched in 2008, the Roadster was Tesla's first production vehicle and the world's first high-performance electric sports car. Its success proved that electric vehicles could be cool, sexy, and fast, breaking the mold of gas-guzzling automobiles and paving the way for Tesla's future models.

With the Roadsters' impressive performance and the legacy they represent, they're sure to be a prized addition to any collection. So don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of Tesla history that genuinely transformed the automotive industry. The Gruber Motor Company has already received five bids, with the highest being $200,000 for all three. Email your bid to ev@gruber.com and get ready to cruise in a vintage Tesla Roadster integral to the EV revolution.

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Tesla Introduces Hands-Free Frunk Opening in Update 2024.32.3

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

In Tesla’s upcoming update, 2024.32.3, Tesla has added hands-free support for opening the vehicle’s frunk. This follows the Spring Update (2024.14), which added Hands-Free Trunk support for certain vehicles.

When hands-free trunk support was added earlier this year, it was supported on vehicles that include an ultra wideband chip, which includes the refresh Model S, new Model X, and the 2024 Model 3. Due to the hardware requirement, these will be the same vehicles that support the new Hands-Free Frunk feature. Legacy vehicles without UWB will unfortunately not support either feature due to the hardware requirement. UWB enables far more accurate tracking of the phone key, allowing Tesla to pinpoint its exact location relative to the vehicle.

The Cybertruck interestingly also includes an ultra wideband chip, however, it didn’t include the automatic opening of the gate earlier this year. However, we expect the Cybertruck to also receive the hands-free frunk opening in this 2024.32.3 update or relatively soon afterward.

Update: The Cybertruck is receiving hands-free frunk support in the 2024.32 update as well.

Hands-Free Frunk

The Hands-Free Frunk works similarly to the trunk feature – with an iPhone 11+ and a recent version of the app, you’ll be able to stand in front of your vehicle, and the Frunk will unlatch after sounding a chime. On some vehicles, the frunk will immediately open after being unlatched, however, you’ll need to manually close it.

This new feature isn’t enabled by default – you’ll need to go to Settings > Locks > Hands-Free Frunk to enable it.

At this time, Tesla doesn’t support UWB on Android devices, though both the Hands-Free Trunk and Hands-Free Frunk support will come to Android users in a future app update, according to Tesla.

Exclude Home

With the addition of the hands-free frunk opening, Tesla has also added a new option. You can now choose to disable the automatic opening when your vehicle is located at home to prevent you from accidentally opening. This will apply to the automatic frunk and trunk. In addition, in the Model X, you’ll also be able to disable the self-presenting doors at home. This is a great addition as many people have kept the hands-free feature disabled due to it awkwardly opening in the garage.

In the 2024.32.3 update, Tesla also mentions that they’ve improved the detection of the phone key, which should make the feature more reliable and faster when approaching the vehicle from the front or rear.

Tesla’s Referral Program Launches in Europe

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Following its recent launch in the United States and Canada, Tesla has launched their referral program in several European countries as well.

The program is available in Germany, Norway, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and possibly others. The program is almost the same as the one available today in North America, with rewards for each referral and a discount for those referred. The cap in Europe is also ten per year.

This program comes right on the heels of a 0% financing offer for the Model Y in Sweden and France. While referrals aren't currently available in Sweden, the 0% financing still is.

European Referrals

The European Referral program accounts for country and local currency, where applicable.

Country

Referral Discount

Referral Award

UK

£1,000

£500

Germany, France, Netherlands

€1,000

€500

Norway

kr11,500

kr5,750

The referral reward program is comparable to the one available in North America. After exchange rates, there is only an approximately 10% difference between the available rewards in the US and EU.

Other Countries

We expect this program to start rolling out to other European countries over the next few days or weeks, as Tesla continues to expand its referral program.

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