  Tesla S sedan (top); Tesla Roadster. Click image to enlarge |
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Follow CanadianDriver on TwitterBy Jim Kerr; photos courtesy Tesla Motors
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What will drive the future? Will it be hybrid vehicles? Fuel cell cars? Electric cars? No individual or car company has a crystal ball that will show them which technologies will lead the way. GM is betting big on their Volt electric car. Honda thinks hybrids and improved small conventional engines will be the answer for the next decade or two. BMW, Ford and many other companies have been working on fuel cell cars.
Daimler AG, manufacturer of Mercedes and Smart automobiles is placing their latest investments into the electric car. On May 19, Daimler AG acquired nearly 10 percent of Tesla Motors Inc. Haven’t heard of Tesla? You will!
Tesla is the only company that builds highway-capable electric cars, and only electric cars. Based in California’s Silicon Valley, they are building the Tesla Roadster, which is currently on sale in the United States and will be available in Canada in the fall of 2009. The Tesla Roadster price starts at $140,000, which may seem high, but for a limited production supercar those prices are often near the bottom of the price range.
Did I say supercar? You bet. With 0 to 60 mph acceleration in about 3.9 seconds, this car is a rocket ship, and it tops out at a computer-limited 125 mph, all without using any gasoline. Now some may say that any car with a top speed of only 125 mph can’t be a supercar, but in reality, where on earth could you or want to drive faster than that except on a race track? The Tesla Roadster is a road-going production electric car with exceptional performance, handling (much of it built in cooperation with Lotus) and a range of over 350 kilometres.
To accomplish this feat, Tesla engineers took nothing for granted when designing the car. The motor is small – about the size of a large watermelon – and weighs a little over 53 kilograms but puts out 248 horsepower at 5000 to 8000 rpm. Maximum motor speed is 14,000 rpm! It is also efficient, with 92 per cent efficiency average and 85 per cent efficient at peak power. There is no shortage of torque either: 276-foot pound torque from 0 to 4,500 rpm, which is what gives the Tesla roadster such awesome acceleration.
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at 11:07 am
Why am I skeptical? A claim of 0-100kph in under 4seconds from 200+bhp seems ambitious for a vehicle whose power plant weighs in at 450kg. I can’t think of any gasoline powered high performance lightweight car which could achieve that sort of performance from that much power. Not even a feather-weight Lotus. And, of course, there is the age-old question of where and how the electrical power for that battery will be generated. We don’t get something for nothing, folks. Walking, bikes, public transit must become our mantra, cars will become a treat to use on special occasions. Or for those who really do have no other option.
at 12:04 pm
You can’t think of any gasoline powered car which could achieve that sort of performance from the specs given because its an apples to oranges comparison.
The < 4s 0-100km/h claim from a 248hp/276ft-lb car weighing 2700 lbs is possible for a few reasons: (1) the car has a one-speed transmission so no shift time is required, (2) peak torque is available at zero rpm as opposed to gasoline engines having zero torque at zero rpm and (3) converting very little battery energy to heat at 92% efficiency (as opposed to combustion engine’s 15%) means more power to the ground.
at 2:01 pm
They have sold nearly 500 of these cars and yes it does accelerate in the 4 second range. The car will charge in as little as 3.5 hours but needs a 240V 70A connection to do so. At 120v it would take up to 30 hours to charge a completely dead battery.
at 3:02 pm
Great, energy problem solved, if only I had $100,000. Maybe if this thing cost $18,000 we’d actually be able to afford it. There’s also the problem of generating more electricity, so we had better start building more nuclear plants.
at 4:21 pm
The same thing was said about airbags, ABS, HID lights, adaptive cruise, cameras in cell phones, etc. Only rich people will be able to afford the high price tag of new, untested and unproven technologies for the sake of being the first to have it. Once the R&D costs have been recovered in overpriced cars like the Tesla, you’ll see the fruits of that labour start to trickle down to cheaper offerings for the rest of us as production costs come down. Looks like you’ll just have to wait before something like the Tesla is within the reach of you and I.
As for the source of energy Zack, you’re right about the increased electricity, but I guess if a clean coal plant, hydroelectric, or nuclear plant can produce 1kW more efficiently than a small gasoline engine (which I’m sure it can) I would suppose the net consumption of raw energy would be drastically reduced. Isn’t *anything* at this point better than burning gasoline & diesel to get around??
at 11:04 pm
Even a “dirty” power source is more efficient and cleaner than a whole whack of internal combustion engines. It’s a larger, more efficient plant, where emissions can be monitored and maintained in one place–rather than maintenance being left to drivers (many of whom are–let’s face it–indifferent to the maintenance of their vehicle as long as it “goes”).
at 9:28 am
I have test-driven the Roadster, and have one on order (as well as a Model S). The driving experience is absolutely extraordinary! Those who doubt the performance, prepare to be pleasantly shocked. Yes, it is expensive now, but so was Henry Ford’s first car– the “Gentlemen’s Roadster”. I live in BC, where 67% of the power is already renewable hydro, so I will be cutting my driving energy, emissions, and CO2 footprint by over 90% in a few months. The future beckons!
at 8:38 am
In my opinion, the only reason why Electric cars have not made it onto the “scene” are the oil companies. I’ve raced 1/10 R/C Electric cars for many years and can say electric car technology has come a LONG way… youtube “R/C Speed record car” and you’ll find one that has done close to 200mph … 1/10 scale !! My r/c electric with the brushless system and LiPo battery will out accelerate the nitro ones any day and pull out of a corner faster with better weight distribution… sign me up for a full scale!!!
Cheers,
Wil