www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, June 2, 2010 · 18 The Tesla Roadster, the world's first electric supercar has come to Canada with deliveries made in May to customers in B.C. and Ontario. Tesla will be opening its first sales centre, service and parts hub in Toronto later in 2010. Tesla hits the road in Canada Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine Tesla Motors, producer of the Roadster, the only electric highway-capable high performance vehicle, delivered the first Roadsters to Canada recently. Customers from Toronto to British Columbia took delivery of their Roadsters in May. New owners Vincent and Maggie Argiro rave about their first few days with their Roadster, "It is both a personal and collective statement of optimism for a better future, as well as fun and actually practical transportation." Tesla is revolutionizing the customer experience with its house-call approach to service. Tesla's pioneering mobile service technicians, the Tesla Rangers, travel to customers' homes and perform annual inspections, firmware upgrades and other services. Customers can enjoy service from their home or office wherever they live. The Roadster Sport consumes no gasoline. With an acceleration of 0-100km in less than four seconds, it is the only car that delivers supercar performance guilt-free, with zero tailpipe emissions and a carbon footprint dramatically lower than any comparable sports car. To charge the Roadster, owners simply plug it in to any conventional outlet. A full charge provides over 380 kms of driving range. It is the only sports car in the world that can be charged with solar, hydro or wind energy. The Roadster requires less routine maintenance than conventional cars. It does not need regular oil changes or exhaust system work. Roadsters have no spark plugs, pistons, hoses, belts or clutches to replace. Tesla hosted a public test drive event in Waterloo, Ontario during the last weekend of May and announced that, later this year, they will open their first Canadian store in downtown Toronto. Tesla Canada will be a sales centre as well as a service and parts hub all under one roof. Volkswagen Group takes majority shareholding in Italdesign Giugiaro The Volkswagen Group and Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. (IDG), Turin, are to intensify their successful cooperation, putting it on a new footing. The Volkswagen Group will take a 90.1 per cent stake in IDG, including the brand name rights and patents. The shares are being acquired by AUDI's Italian subsidiary Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. The remaining shares will stay in the possession of the present owner family Giugiaro. The Volkswagen Group has enjoyed successful cooperation with IDG for many decades. Giugiaro made a name for himself not only with the Golf I, but also with concepts for important models such as the first Volkswagen Passat, Scirocco or the Audi 80. A comprehensive development framework agreement was concluded in 2008. Volkswagen and IDG are also collaborating closely on ongoing projects such as the planned Volkswagen Up! model family. Implementation of the agreement is also subject to the standard approval by the relevant authorities. IDG was founded in Turin by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani in 1968. Both founders are considered pioneers of modern Italian automobile design. Italdesign has also acquired a reputation worldwide as a highly competent development center. Today, the company generates sales of over (Euro) 100 million and has a workforce of some 800 employees.