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Tesla Roadster, originally uploaded by erdero

Appropriately, the words “slapped” is used in this title, as right now the electric car industry is very much under a microscope by the public’s eye. There are many non-believers that think an electric car has just as much possibility to make it over the long haul as a dog hanging out in the alleyway of a Chinese “all you can eat” buffet.

What is exactly is the recall for? Well, just a simple bolt on the steering seems to be the trouble for about 345 Tesla Roadster’s that have actually made it out of the factory so far. What did Tesla do to cover their rear end as any other corporation would have done? Why they blamed it on somebody else of course.

One of Tesla’s first public statements after the recall notice was that Lotus was at fault for improperly assembled steering mechanism. Lotus has gone public with their own recall for a number of Elise’s and Exige’s for a similar problem, so they certainly weren’t afraid to own up to a few improperly executed turns of the wrench.

There has been no word as to the actual danger level of the current steering situation, but Tesla has announced that they will personally be traveling to each and every one of the owners driveways to do the repair. I guess that’s the kind of service you should expect with a $100,000-plus vehicle.

One owner, whose name shall remain anonymous, was the originator of this recall after calling Tesla and complaining about their vehicles poor steering response during certain maneuvers. To rectify the situation, each of these owners who received a Tesla between the months of March 2008 and April 2009, can expect the repair, a complimentary inspection, and an upgrade to the Roadster’s software, all free of charge (well, of course).

Considering the few clientèle who have actually received one of these anomalies, folks such as George Clooney and Matt Damon. The technicians bestowed this honor could practically find themselves on a tour of the stars homes/garages or on an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

So is this going to hurt the little-electric-car-company-that-could at all? Heck no. These things happen, everybody knows that. What the future buyers of these vehicles are really waiting to see, is the longevity and cost of the battery systems over time. This is most likely the monkey on the electric car’s back that will either make or break it in the marketplace!

Source: Left Lane News