The Tesla Roadster: Electric Sports Car
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 07.21.06
130mph. 13,500 RPM. 0-60mph in about four seconds. H-O-T! Meet the Tesla Roadster, the car that hopes to elevate plug-in electrics to lustworthy status. Judging from car-guru Jalopnik's first impressions, we feel it should have no difficulty in doing so. Not only does it have a design pedigree from famed UK sports car company Lotus, the engine, though quiet, promises to push you back into your seat. Even better, the battery technology seems to be relatively painless, something that will go a long way in pushing electric mainstream. In a measely 3.5 hour charge (into a standard outlet), the Roadster will take you 250 miles...more than long enough for most of us and farther than you could go on a tank of gas in your typical gas-guzzling sports car.
Of course, when you want to compete with Porsche and Lamborgini, there is certainly going to be $$$ involved. However, the damage isn't as bad as some might expect. Depending on who you listen to, the Roadster should be going for $80-100,000. Looks like most of us might need to wait at least a couple years - that is when Telsa plans to come out with a plug-in electric sedan for about half the price of the Roadster. However, if you have the cash, the Roadster could turn into a relative sports car bargain once you take it on the road. According to the company, it should only cost approximately $.01/mile in energy costs. Compare that to conventional gasoline engines...well, let's just say gas is a bit more expensive (not to mention the obvious environmental costs). Look for the Tesla Roadster to hit the US sometime "early" next year. ::via Hugg
For more: ::Tesla Motors: Affordable Electric Cars are Coming, ::Tesla Roadster: The Electric Car that Redefines "Power" (Part 1), ::Tesla Roadster: New Power to the People (Part 2)
Is robbing banks considered environmentally sound if i use the funds to purchase one of these?
Is a "standard outlet" a U.S.- typical 120 Volt 60 Hertz outlet?
If you install a 240 Volt 60 Hertz outlet at your home, would it charge twice as fast?
How about some sort of big battery array or capacitor that charges up when the car isn't plugged-in and then discharges into the car when you plug it in? Would that charge it faster?
What would be great is if you could charge a car as fast as you can fill a gas tank. I think the battery technology itself is what holds this back, not the "pump", right?
What an incredible car. If you want to learn more about it's green credentials, check out the energy analysis they posted on their website.
http://www.teslamotors.com/learn_more/white_papers.php
It details the well to wheel efficiency of different kinds of energy including gasoline, hybrid, hydrogen, and compressed natural gas. Battery EV comes out the winner in energy efficiency and total emissions.
Why is it that when it comes to really environmentally friendly cars (unlike the Prius, which in my opinion is not much progress at all) we always hear it's going to happen "in a year or two?" It's so damn frustrating...
yeah i think karma would understand, as long as the bank was someone like chase.
yes.
This coupled with wind-solar-etc. will probably have a greater affect on the enviorment then anything that I've read in this blog. As long as the price can drop so that the average commuter can afford it, which is should over time.
IMHO, this is *exactly* how to develop new technology -- toys for Rich Folks. Hopefully, the developers will sell enough of these (I'd buy one, if I had a spare 100K burning a hole in my pocket!) to fund development of a "real" product.
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editor note: They are already working on a more mainstream sedan model! I'm really excited about it. This small car company could grow really fast in the next few years and force all the big players to react.
A small company can't compete by making gasoline engines, but EVs are a whole different game (they're actually much simpler to make mechanically, and technology companies can compete).
The white paper is a must read.
They're also working on a sedan. I'm starting to save my pennies.
There is an error - other reports have said the 3.5 hour charge time is with a 220V 70 amp outlet, not something you'd normally find in your garage or anywhere except a dedicated charging station. That's about 54kwh of juice - which would take over 32 hours to get from a standard US 110V 15 amp outlet.
Good eyes! According to the Tesla Motors website, the 3.5 hour charging time us with the included connection system (which they recommend an electrician to install). However, it does also include a mobile charging kit that allows you to plug straight into any "standard" 110V or 220V outlet.
I'm kind of new at this, but let's say that the electricity came from coal..
what would be the net emmisions when compared to a tank of gas?
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editor note: You can find out about that here. It's a very interesting read, I recommend it.
I'm really pysched, screw the hydrogen combustion BMW. I want a telsa, I'm sure I can get that kind of money. Just have to wait.
Now for more solar electricity. Have to fund that too. Okay why is being a Treehugger and being Green so difficult. No one ever said life would be easy?
Chase is not a good bank; Karma wise to steal from. I run in road races, I've done a lot in my time. The only road race to set up recycling for beer cans and water bottles, ect. Is the 2006 JPMorgan Chase Corporate challenge. This doesn't mean its the only one in the world but it is very progressive. So please knock off some other Tree Killing, pathetic lieing bank.
I've looked at a lot of energy diagrams and efficiencies of various energy forms. The current top end effiency combustion engine pales in comparision to Coal Power Plants.
Batteries are also very efficient I believe above 90%. So what I'm saying is just converting potential-theoritical energy to actual. This vehicle should rock!
Anyone know how much the batteries in an EV run? A 240 mile range is great, but I bet plenty of people would prefer a cheaper car with less range. Ideally when you bought an EV, additional range (more batteries) would be an option.
I think it's ironic in a way that Nikola Tesla wanted free things on everything he discovered.This car does impress me I grant u but,so does a Ferrari will I get 1 soon, probably not.
Graydon:
A study done by California actually found that even if everyone in the state drove an electric car, and even if all the electricity in the state came from coal plants. There would still be a 50% reduction in emissions, then if we just left things the way they are now.
FlatGreg,
I heard that the batteries on the Tesla and the Wrightspeed X1 (even faster) cost upwards of $40,000. Part of the reason why it costs so much, and why we need more mass production of these better batteries.
You can get far cheaper batteries, but the weight and bulk go up alot, and the range and lifespan drops significantly.
I'm considering converting a car to electric someday, and I'm going to pony up the cash for the best batteries I can get, because in the end, the car will be more efficient, and last longer.
Additional info about the batteries. . . Tesla say the Li-ion cells currently cost about $20,000 per car. Costs are dropping steadily, and they estimate a full replacement cost (after 5 years or 100,000 miles) of about $12,000. Also, the cells don't simply die after 100,000 miles. Tesla consider it time to replace them when they've degraded to 80% of capacity, but you can continue running them longer if the reduced range doesn't bother you. The ceramic bearings in the motor are also rated for 100,000 miles, so you'll at least need to get those changed out.
I have a idea for your car charging system-install a drive system for an altenator to charge the batteries. This is done now on gas burning vehicles why not electric vehicle?
On MSNBC with Alex Witt on Saturday, SEP 30 9:45am eastern, Lou Ann Hammond, CEO of carlist.com, said the Tesla electric roadster only gets 150 miles per charge.
I first thought Lou Ann misspoke, but Alex Witt challenged her on the fact that 150 miles per charge wouldn't take you very far and Lou Ann didn't correct the 150 miles per charge number to the correct 250 miles per charge that is correctly reported on carlist.com
http://www.carlist.com/wabc_radio/180806/180806.html
"John Batchelor and Lou Ann Hammond talk to Tesla Motor's CEO and founder, Martin Eberhard.
Tesla will display their $100,000 electric vehicle at the 56th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
The Tesla Roadster boasts the equivalent of 135 mpg and a range of 250 miles on a single charge. The first "Signature One Hundred" vehicles, that go 0-60 in 4 seconds, sold out in three weeks. "
On the Tesla website, 250 miles per charge is listed as a frequently asked question:
http://www.teslamotors.com/learn_more/faqs.php
"Range depends on driving style and conditions. On the EPA highway driving cycle we expect 250 miles on a charge."
Why was this reported incorrectly? Will a correction be made?
Anybody know of a car using a123system M nano batteries?
These beauties are 5 times stronger and lighter then ion and are non-toxic, non-flammable and last 5 times as long.
Anybody?
How about a universal standard "rack" of batteries that could be easily exchanged at a "battery station" for a fresh set. Slide the depleted rack out, slide a fresh rack in. The charging would scheduled on a "revolving" basis, so there would always be an available set of charged batteries. Certain vehicles might use more than one rack of batteries (more power or distance).
QUOTE: How about a universal standard "rack" of batteries that could be easily exchanged at a "battery station" for a fresh set. Slide the depleted rack out, slide a fresh rack in. The charging would scheduled on a "revolving" basis, so there would always be an available set of charged batteries. Certain vehicles might use more than one rack of batteries (more power or distance). : END QUOTE
AWESOME IDEA! would be even quicker than gassing up, but the "universal battery racks" would have to be tested and approved by each station. probably based on a battery rack rental system or trade in type of thing (they are expensive).
someone mentioned using an alrternator to recharge, this would only slow the vihicle down by adding friction, like trying to drive a fan with the electricity from a wind turbine, which is driven by the fan. youd eventually use up all your electricity in efficiency loss. however, REGENERATIVE BREAKING would be great, as long as the system doesnt weigh too much.
as electric cars become popular, batteries will be the new important tech, and once they are taken that seriously, they will improve tenfold. in the future you will hear things like "i just upgraded my battery system and now my car goes 40% faster". Now that is incentive. more power will come from chemistry rather than bigger engines.
What a sweet ride! I never thought I'd see a plug-in electric that I could pull up to a club in and take home any gold digger there! $100k is pricey, but if I had the money its still cheaper than most exotic sports cars, and unlike them it would actually reliable and require little maintenance.
i dont like these cars !!!!