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First Tesla Model S Delivered, Test Drive Program Announced

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The first Tesla Model S has been delivered. Wait, what? That was supposed to begin on June 22nd. Well, the first customer deliveries are scheduled to, but not the first deliveries overall. Green Car Reports says that the Model S number one has been delivered to Tesla board member and investor Steve Jurvetson. He reportedly called dibs on the first one back in 2010, after filling out a check right there on the spot. Founder Elon Musk is relegated to number two. Either way, we’re a bit jealous.

The car is a production, fully-homologated and California registered Model S. The homologation process has been completed, and the Model S has passed all required government testing. So far, everything is going swimmingly (we’ve always wanted to use that word….) for Tesla. As the first production model, Jurvetson’s Model S has the license plate “TSLA S1.”

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Like the rest of the first Model S deliveries, it is a top-spec Signature model. Signature is a limited edition run, and each one comes with the top-shelf 320-mile battery pack. Following the first deliveries on June 22nd, Tesla will kick off the launch in a big way via a “5,000 Test Drives in 45 Days” initiative. The first series starts on June 23rd and 24th at the Tesla Factory in Fremont, California. Called the “Get Amped Model S Tour” people (reservation holders get first billing) will get to drive the car on a seven to eight minute test drive course.

It was created by designer Franz von Holzhausen, and includes “freeway driving, long sweepers, tight turns, smooth and rough roads, and general urban driving.” Sounds like a blast. The second tour is scheduled to begin the following weekend in the Los Angeles area. More details about the various North American events will be forthcoming. There is a focus on California, given it is Tesla’s home state and has an EV-friendly nature. Coinciding with this announcement was the Inside Tesla post this past Tuesday. It again focused on the manufacturing process, in particular the gleaming Body Center. We’ve included Tesla’s video below so you can check out the process in action.

Inside Tesla 6.05.12 – Body Center from Tesla Motors on Vimeo.