A rare look at the world beyond the Tesla visitor center.
An early Model S at the factory entrance shows a design flourish soon abandoned: a windshield that covers the whole top of the car.
It's hard not to think of shooting a science fiction movie here.
Robot Crawlers deliver a near-complete chassis.
The Tesla factory's main building is an astonishing 5.5 million square feet.
The factory is so large -- and the floor so smooth -- that beach cruiser bikes are the transport of choice.
The magnetic robot crawler awaits a delivery.
...both this car and the machines that make it.
The robot crawlers that dominate the factory run on thin magnetic tracks.
Here's where employees put the chassis through its paces.
The more than 2,000 employees of the fledgling electric car company line up for the official delivery of their first Model S sedans.
Pure gorgeousness.
All the essentials: steering wheel and giant tablet for navigation.
Nothing shabby about this car.
Employees line up in front of two of the first Model S electric sedans to go out for delivery.
Given his interest in electric cars -- and the fact that Tesla is hiring thousands in a state with 10% unemployment -- it was a given that the California Governor would show up to say a few words.
Elon Musk would be the first to admit he's no great public speaker -- and seemed ill at ease in front of an audience of thousands -- but his achievements speak for themselves.
One of the early customers is presented with a key by Elon Musk. The car keys are in the shape of a car themselves.
The very first Model S rolls off the factory floor.
Quite the mission statement at the factory entrance.
Welding machines await another client.
The Model S isn't Tesla's first car. Here are stacks of toy versions of its first two-seater sporty car, the Roadster.
These red robotic crawlers do all the heavy lifting.
It's all done behind large red eye shields.
Get used to this odd-looking machine: it's the future of car production.
The mood was nothing short of jubilant Friday at the Tesla Factory in Fremont, Calif. Despite naysayers, electric car haters and the discontinuation of its predecessor the Tesla Roadster, the Tesla Model S — Elon Musk's first crack at an electric sedan — was rolling off the factory floor and out for delivery to its first customers.
The Model S has been basking in some stellar reviews from auto experts this weekend. It isn't cheap, ultimately selling for between $57,400 and $77,400 before electric car rebates. But if you have that kind of dough, you're getting something quite special, as considered in every detail as an Apple iPad. (Indeed, the car itself bears something that looks like an iPad, only larger: a 17-inch touchscreen map display on the dashboard.)
Tesla aims to make 5,000 cars this year, 20,000 next year. The first 1,200 are the deluxe Signature Series Model S, which sell for as much as $105,400 before rebates. The company plans to offer the Model X sport-utility vehicle in early 2014.
Perhaps one of its neatest features: The car key is a miniature version of the Model S. It's like carrying a Hot Wheels in your pocket. Walk into the car with it, and you're ready to go (no need for ignition, or inserting any keys). Touch the trunk on the model, and the sedan's trunk pops open.
While we all wait for our test drives, enjoy our candid look at the factory and launch event above. And let us know in the comments: do you want one?
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