Before combustion-engined cars became mainstream, electric vehicles ruled the world. Although they had terrible battery tech, they were convenient – something vehicles powered by internal combustion engines (ICE) only managed to become after the electric starter was invented. That said, we probably already had a barn find with these early BEVs, but never with modern ones until Gruber Motors disclosed the first one we've ever heard about.
This barn find would be more appropriately called container find because it was made in a port in China. A buyer there ordered three Roadsters, shipped them home, and abandoned the vehicles there in 2010. In other words, three brand-new Roadsters are just waiting for a new buyer there. The person who found them paid the hefty storage charges and is now willing to make a profit. Gruber Motors is helping this seller find customers interested in these historic sports cars. However, the most crucial question at this point is: what is left of these Roadsters?
In the pictures Gruber Motors disclosed, all three seem to be in pristine condition when it comes to appearance. What is a real concern is the electronics and, most of all, the battery pack state. Gruber Motors said it is not sure if the ESS pack Service Plugs were pulled before shipment. If that was the case, the battery pack was disconnected, which increases the chances that it is also in a good state. The problem is that a battery pack does not degrade solely after being used: it also ages.
Photo: Gruber Motors
This is something Tesla clarified in the fine print when it disclosed that its batteries only lost 12% charge capacity after 200,000 miles. The company said that in its Impact Report 2022 and failed to recognize that this does not mean much, as I explained in a previous story. One of the main points is that old batteries lose capacity, and those in these Roadsters are 13.
Apart from that, the electric sports cars were stored close to the sea. Although their bodies are made of carbon fiber, electronic components, connectors, and several other steel parts may have had issues. Hoses and tires are probably in a poor state because, like batteries, they also do not deal well with getting old.
Photo: Gruber Motors
The cars will be shipped back to the US by mid-May if the seller does not manage to find new buyers until then. So far, they already received an offer of $50,000 for each Roadster, for a total of $150,000. The red unit apparently is attracting more attention, with a prospective buyer offering $70,000 only for it. The seller prefers to sell all three as a set but may also choose to sell them separately. Considering Gruber Motors is scheduled to check them when they get back to the US, more bidders will probably wait for the company's assessment to discover how much they are really worth.
What makes these cars collectible so far is just the feeling that they are brand new. Everything else is ordinary, especially the VIN: 1107, 1120, and 1146. Tesla produced around 2,500 units from 2008 until 2012. That said, these units are right in the middle, without the appeal of early or late cars. Gruber Motors disclosed that each Roadster has "unopened boxes in the trunk (assuming brand new charge cables), and a large box external to the car (assuming hard top with carrying case)."
Photo: Gruber Motors
It will become more common to find electric cars that did not leave ports or that were delivered and were forgotten somewhere for whatever reason. If we were talking about ICE vehicles, it would be just a matter of replacing a few components, washing the car with care, and putting it to work again. When it comes to BEVs, that's way more complex, particularly due to the battery pack.
If this component is dead, the BEV will only be collectible if it belongs to a rare edition, was brand new like these Roadsters, or something like that. If they are ordinary vehicles, they will probably become donor cars or junkyard material because it will not pay off to replace the battery pack.
Photo: Gruber Motors
In that sense, this first modern BEV "barn find" will be educational. What will you be able to expect in similar cases? Are these cars worth keeping, or are they just expensive paperweights? Are their computers still able to receive over-the-air updates, or has the hardware just decided to retire?
The review Gruber Motors may perform in a few days will answer these questions and eventually bring some new ones to the table that did not cross my mind right now. More than the outcomes, this finding is precious for the opportunity it gives us to answer an old doubt most car enthusiasts have: will BEVs ever be collectible? Gruber Motors should clarify that for us in a few days.
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