The Tesla Roadster

The Tesla Motor Company made big headlines several years ago when it announced its super sexy, two seat, all-electric sports car. They also immediately limited their market by announcing the MSRP as $100,000. Nonetheless, the auto company wanted to show the world that electric vehicles are possible, fun and pleasing to the eye. They succeeded in that endeavor.

Tesla decided to use over 5,000 lithium ion batteries like those used in laptop computers to provide the car's "fuel". Their battery pack supplies about 56 kWh of stored energy, thus giving the car nearly 250 miles range. This is significant in that it puts to rest one of the biggest arguments against the electric car, namely a limited range. Unless you are traveling cross country, this EV can satisfy all your driving needs. Even if you are making long trips, a little planning can help you recharge along the way. Electric outlets are fairly ubiquitous.

Now, what makes this car fun is that it is a convertible and capable of achieving 0 to 60 speeds in as little as four seconds! That is as fast or faster than any of the internal combustion muscle cars. Early owners of the car have testified that it truly is a blast to drive.

The bad news is that Tesla has had difficulty getting the cars produced in significant numbers. Right before production began, Tesla had to change the drivetrain and gearing, which set them back months. Then the CEO had to be let go as he was not doing enough to get these cars into customer's hands. Now Tesla is back on track and is talking about a less expensive four door family sedan. Still later, Tesla will introduce a reasonably priced ($30,000) sedan, which is what this author would be interested in purchasing.

From Teslamotors.com:

2009 Tesla Roadster Performance Specifications* Style 2-seat, open-top, rear-drive sports car Drivetrain Single speed fixed gear with electrically actuated parking lock mechanism and mechanical lubrication pump Motor 375 volt AC induction air-cooled electric motor with variable frequency drive. Output 248 peak horsepower (185kW) and 276 ft/lbs (375 nm) of torque. Redline 14,000 rpm. Chassis Resin-bonded and riveted extruded aluminum monoquoque. Four-wheel independent suspension featuring upper and lower unequal length wishbones and co-axial coil spring telescopic dampers. Brakes Hydraulically operated. Tandem master cylinder with vacuum servo and anti-lock braking system. Acceleration 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds Top Speed 125 mph (electronically limited) Range About 220 miles (based on EPA combined city/highway cycle) Battery Life Five years or 100,000 miles Battery Custom microprocessor-controlled lithium-ion battery with 6,831 individual cells. Weight 992 lbs. Full Charge About 3.5 hours using the Tesla Motors High Power Connector. * Specifications as of Summer 2008.