First Impression: Tesla Roadster

Electric Cars are nothing new.  They have been around since the early 1900s.  Early gas-powered cars had a mechanical crank to start the engine.  Many drivers broke their wrists when trying to start their engines.  Electric cars did not need a hand crank to start.  For this reason, electric cars were popular among women.  Many men saw electric cars as chick cars and ignored them.  When the gas engine gained an electric starter, electric cars lost.   Now with high gas prices and people becoming more aware of the environment, automotive companies have started developing electric cars.

In 2008, Tesla Motors came out with the Tesla Roadster.  It is an electric car based on the Lotus Elise.  I first saw this car at Cars in Coffee in Houston in December of 2010.  It looks exactly like the car it is based on.  There were Lotus Elises there and   When it drove past me, it made no sounds.  Since an electric car has no exhaust of combustion, it makes no sounds when moving.  I saw it again at the January edition of Cars and Coffee.  I met the guy who owned this car and he enjoyed driving it.  I think the Tesla Roadster is a great start for the electric car renaissance.  

The Tesla Roadster is powered by 6,831 lithium ion batteries and a three-phase, four-pole electric motor that generates 248 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque.  Because it is an electric car, it reaches its maximum torque instantly. Tesla went with a one speed transmission.  A two speed transmission was tested for the car, but it constantly broke.  It goes from 0 to 60 mph is 3.9, which is quicker than the Elise it is based on.  It is electronically limited to 125 mph.  Under normal driving conditions, it can go over 240 miles on one charge.  Using a 240V outlet, the batteries recharge in 3.5 hours.  The cost for a Tesla Roadster starts at $109,000.

Top Gear and Motorweek reviewed the car and both reviews can be seen on Youtube.  Jay Leno featured a Tesla Roadster on his website, www.jaylenosgarage.com.  It was also featured in "Big Ideas for a Small Planet" as an alternative to gas powered vehicle.

Final thoughts:  It is a great electric car.  It gets better mileage on one charge than some carts get on one tank of gas.  It is quick of the line and can go faster than a Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, and a Chevrolet Volt.  With the added weight from the battery, it lost the handling that the Lotus Elise is known for.  But the electric car still has room to improve and will only get better as battery technology improves.  But with a selling price over $100,000, you must have a place to plug the car in or you are wasting your money.

CarJunkie
Photo taken from a camera phone

Tesla to Extend its Lineup with an All-Electric SUV by 2014

Lately, the folks over at Tesla have been very busy developing the upcoming Model S sedan and, together with Toyota, the all-electric version of the RAV4 compact SUV. But there’s more, as according to an LA Times report, the California-based automaker is also working on a small SUV of its own, currently named Model X.

Scheduled to go on sale by 2014, the new crossover model is said to offer more cabin space compared to similarly sized SUVs thanks to the electric powertrain, which, unlike an internal combustion engine and conventional transmission, needs less space.

Tesla hasn’t released any other information, but it’s quite possible that the Model X will follow in the footsteps of the Roadster and Model S. That means customers can expect good handling characteristics, multiple battery pack options to suit specific autonomy needs and a versatile interior. Last but not least, Tesla’s SUV should also qualify for some kind of federal tax credit.