More details about Tesla's electric car

Posted Mon Aug 21 2006 3:23 AM by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

At $100,000 a piece, Tesla had no problem moving all 100 roadsters in just 3 weeks and it’s little wonder why. With a 0-60mph time of only 4 seconds and a handling package that’s designed by Lotus and based on a heavily modified Elise chassis, the Tesla is a real bargain. Allen Skolnick who owns a Ferrari recently bought a Tesla and after a test-drive commented that it:

"feels like a roller coaster ride with the torque curve. It's as fast as my Ferrari.”

The beauty of electric cars is that they deliver maximum torque instantly. In the case of the Tesla, the engine remains powerful from 0 to 13,000rpm. With a range of roughly 250 miles from a single charge of its lithium-ion batteries, the Tesla proves extremely economical to run, something you never get with a supercar. At current prices for electricity, the Tesla costs only 1 cent per mile and you can charge it up at home.

There’s so much demand for this vehicle that the interest has spurred on several auto electric car upstarts including the Venturi Fetish, which was displayed at the 2004 Paris auto show. Another 100 cars are in the pipeline and Tesla will set up 5 different service centres around the US to look after potential customers.

Electric cars are one of the latest must-haves for celebrities to be seen in. Some of the latest famous buyers include actors George Clooney and Dennis Haysbert. With so much influential backing Tesla is confident of reaching its goals of selling 500 to 600 next year and more than 2000 cars in 2008. There are even plans for a less expensive sedan version similar in size to a BMW 3-series that would target more mainstream consumers.

[Source: CarList.com]

Reader Comments

Mon Aug 21 2006 12:36 PM
DrTesla says

While it's true that the Tesla Roadster is based on Elise chassis technology, and Lotus is heavily involved in the design and manufacturing of the Roadster, there are some important distinctions between the Roadster and the Elise. The Roadster's body is 100% carbon fiber and has different dimensions and wheelbase than the Elise. Even the chassis underwent some significant modifications to adapt for the weight of the battery pack and undergo some other significant changes that Martin Eberhard described on the Tesla Motors blog a few weeks ago. The interior of the Roadster is quite different from the Elise. The body color options are quite similar to the Elise.
Sat Jun 14 2008 8:21 AM
MARIO ALEXAY says

Electrics will soon overwhelm the car market. It's about time! This is only the beginning for them and soon to be the end of the present gasoline/diesel - based automobiles.

Mess with our entrepeneurs will you ... !

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