Revenge 239
is that I can show up to an event like Global Green or
Conservation International in a hot sports car and actually
get a better reaction than if I drove a Prius. The Roadster
has twice the energy efficiency of that gas hog.”^243
While the second Roadster was delivered to Elon’s
friend, the former CEO, Martin Eberhard, had to wait
for the third Roadster. Eberhard had actually ordered the
second Roadster, but it was delayed, so the third Roadster
delivered would be his. His car was silver colored with two
orange racing stripes.
Before Eberhard’s Roadster was delivered, Tesla test-
drove it on the highway. The technician who drove the car
collided with a truck, thus the Roadster had to be towed
back for reparation.^196 A total of 75 parts were replaced
before it finally could be delivered to Eberhard. “For my
part, I am a free man,” Eberhard said. “I will probably spend
the next six months thinking about my next venture. I
still care about the things that concerned me five years
ago, so I will look for another opportunity to contribute
to solving the dual problems of global warming and oil
dependency.”^201
As the Roadster had been delayed by one and a half
years, the question was if the customers still liked the car?
But the furious customers calmed down. Most customers
believed in Tesla, so only about 30 out of 1 000 customers
asked if they could get their deposits back. “Nearly three
years after ordering the car, and a year and a half after
its initially promised delivery date, it arrived,” a customer
said. “It was worth waiting for. I would love if Elon Musk