So, after finding out via facebook that he happened to be in Cannes for the film festival, I was quick to send him a message with my phone number so we could make contact as I knew I was in for something out of the ordinary! Soon after, I had him on the phone and we arranged to meet at the Hotel Carlon (on la causette) for a drink...
From looking at his Facebook, I had soon learned he is now working for a company that many people may still not know about. Tesla motors is a car company that is specialising in electric cars and are revolutioning the way people think about the green solution. Rudi and his collegue, Craig, came to Cannes to meet with some film industry types in order to help spread the word about the car and give some test drives to potential buyers.
To help you understand a little more about the cars, I have copied a short extract from the Tesla motors website...
"The first time you drive the Tesla Roadster, prepare to be surprised. You're at freeway speed in seconds without even thinking about it. There is no clutch pedal to contend with and no race-car driving techniques to perform. Just the touch of your foot and you're off, without any of the sluggishness of an automatic.
How powerful is the acceleration? A quick story to illustrate. A favorite trick here at Tesla Motors is to invite a passenger along and ask him to turn on the radio. At the precise moment we ask, we accelerate. Our passenger simply can't sit forward enough to reach the dials. But who needs music when you're experiencing such a symphony of motion.
Rest assured that this responsiveness works at all speeds, as noticeable when you're inching your way through parking lots as when flying along freeways.
The Tesla Roadster delivers full availability of performance every moment you are in the car, even while at a stoplight. Its peak torque begins at 0 rpm and stays powerful at 14,000 rpm.
This is the precise opposite of what you experience with a gasoline engine, which has very little torque at a low rpm and only reaches peak torque in a narrow rpm range. This forces you to make frequent gear changes to maintain optimal torque. With the Tesla Roadster, you get great acceleration and the highest energy efficiency at the same time. All while requiring no special driving skills to enjoy it. This makes the Tesla Roadster six times as efficient as the best sports cars while producing one-tenth of the pollution."
For the past couple of days, I have been fortunate enough to help Rudi and Craig with the logisitics of getting the Telsa Roadster down the main drag of Cannes (whilst getting more enough photos taken by the crowds), clean the car, rock up to the nightclubs of Cannes and obtain instant entry because the valet love the car and generally enjoy the Cannes Film Festival from a completely different prespective that what I would have done so if Rudi didnt happen to give me a call!
For me, the definite highlights included seeing the reaction of passers by who cant believe the car is electric, including owners of Ferraris, Porsches & McLarens (in case you were not aware already, there was no sign of any global economic crisis in Cannes). Attending lavious parties in villas atop the hills surrounding Cannes, driving an Audi Q7 quattro 4.4lt twin turbo (in all black) through the main drag and enjoying every minute of it, indulging in the insanley priced food and beverages at the Hotel Carlon (€34 hamburgers) - thanks Craig - and being able to pretend I was far more important than I really was...
Whilst my knowlege of the Telsa was almost inexistent prior to this weekend, I now have a new found appreciation for this car company. Not only are they leading the way in enviromental motoring, they have also developed a very, very fast and good looking car! Now, where did I put that €100 000???
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