I had the rare chance to take a spin around Tesla's test track - here's what it was like
Welcome to Tesla's factory in Fremont. It's on the opposite side of the San Francisco Bay from Fog City. Tesla bought it from GM after the carmaker went bankrupt in 2009.
And here's the test track, seen from high above.
It's very close to the factory, so Tesla can easily take vehicles there.
It isn't much to look at up close. Essentially, the 35-acre site, which Tesla purchased after buying the factory, is a working test area. It's not set up for racing by any stretch.
So why am I here? It's to meet Jeff Hickethier, a quality inspector who drives Teslas on the the track all day long.
Read all about Jeff's cool job here.
That's a Model S P100D Jeff's standing in front of — Tesla's top of the line performance sedan, capable of a 0-60 mph run in under three seconds.
I'm no stranger to tracking cars — here I am at a Ford track in Utah, sampling the pleasures of a Shelby GT350 Mustang — but Jeff will be doing the driving.
And we're off!
As tracks go, Tesla's is pretty basic: straightaway, banked loop, straightaway, banked loop. Repeat as required. As you can see, the track is also well-loved. Nothing too fancy.
The banked loops are the coolest part — and also a tad terrifying, because the track is so small. Tesla has the Brooklyn Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster of test tracks.
Read all about the charms and dangers of the Cyclone here.
Let's go around for another loop!
Jeff wasn't really hammering the Model S through the curves — it was a customer vehicle undergoing testing, after all — but he wasn't holding back, either.
In all, we racked up a half-dozen laps and conducted a speed run to sample to Model S's neck-snapping acceleration.
Jeff's was having fun, but also doing his job. He uses the track to ensure that Teslas leave the factory free from anything that might impinge on safety or come off as a driving flaw to an owner.
He also clearly enjoys his "office." Sure, it isn't quite Fiorano. But it's Tesla's track, and it has its own special mojo.
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