Drove a Tesla...

[cd4477]

Now I like my 330 a lot. I have driven a couple 335's and they are great too, and never an M3. However yesterday I got the opportunity to take a Tesla around Chicago and down lakeshore for a bit... Unbelievable. 1 Speed, 0-60 in less than 4 seconds... Good handling, small interior, lot's of carbon fiber. It was like a golf cart on a steroid overdose. Would I buy one if I had the money? ehhh.

[2kaccordocoupe]

Nice, I would consider it when the price drops and the technology is upto snuff.

[CirrusSR22]

I believe it. The characteristics of an electric motor are superior to a gas engine in almost every way. Batteries have been the only downfall.

[maswastage]

Didn't the tesla take about 16 hours to recharge? And have range of about 200 miles? It's a great concept vehicle, but like you said, I wouldn't want to own one.

[GB///M3]

Tesla's are nice if you wanna go backwards (with the evolution of cars that is). With a gas car you go until you are low on gas, stop and fill up and keep going. WIth an electric car you dont have to fill up with gas, but when the batteries are dead it takes a long time to recharge. For short trips its good cause you go home and charge it...but what about long trips? Where you gonna charge it???

I think the future is with hydrogen cars...

[E92-Lighting]

pretty impressive speeds

[Epik]

I like this one.


white cf tesla roadster

[Spec 1]

/\ Nice. I'd love to get the chance to drive one.
OP, how were the sounds? Was it odd to not have a revving engine around?

[bavarian19]

nice review

[Scorpion]

Nice, saw a yellow one at a car show a while back, pretty nice looking. I'd roll one lol.

[6MT M3]

Originally Posted by Donnie-Bay

Tesla's are nice if you wanna go backwards (with the evolution of cars that is). With a gas car you go until you are low on gas, stop and fill up and keep going. WIth an electric car you dont have to fill up with gas, but when the batteries are dead it takes a long time to recharge. For short trips its good cause you go home and charge it...but what about long trips? Where you gonna charge it???

I think the future is with hydrogen cars...

+1 on hydrogen

[lib]

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/01...-exit-in-2011/

If you want a Tesla Roadster, you better sign up now. Tesla Motors plans to stop building the car in 2011.

Buried deep inside the Securities and Exchange Commission paperwork Tesla filed ahead of its IPO is the announcement that production of the two-seater and its souped up Roadster Sport sibling (pictured) will stop next year, and a replacement won’t hit the road until 2013 at the earliest.

Why? Because it doesn’t have anyone to build it.

“We do not plan to sell our current generation Tesla Roadster after 2011 due to planned tooling changes at a supplier for the Tesla Roadster,” the company wrote in the filing.” The Roadster is built by Lotus, so presumably Tesla is talking about changes at the British automaker’s factory in Hethel, England, but we can’t confirm that because Tesla spokesman Ricardo Reyes declined to comment.

Tesla plans to replace the Roadster, but not “until at least one year after the launch of the Model S, which is not expected to be in production until 2012.” The company just closed a $465 million loan with the Department of Energy to finance construction of the Model S sedan, and it is focusing most of its time and resources on that car.

Stopping production of the Roadster could could present a problem, because it means Tesla won’t have any cars to sell — and no revenue coming in.

“As a result, we anticipate that we may generate limited, if any, revenue from selling electric vehicles after 2011 until the launch of the planned model S,” the company says in the SEC filing. That may not be a problem if S production starts on plan and goes off without a hitch, but if Tesla hits any snags, things could get ugly fast — a point it concedes in the filing.

“The launch of the Model S could be delayed for a number of reasons and any such delays may be significant and would extend the period in which we would generate limited, if any, revenues from sales of our electric vehicles.”

The move amounts to killing the car that made Tesla famous for the sake of the Model S. Tesla better hope everything goes according to plan, or it surely will regret that decision.

[b0bab0i]

I'd rather get an Exige for 1/2 the price.

[Optherion]

Many years ago in college I had a chance to check out a hydrogen powered 427 Shelby Cobra. It was fucking insane. haha.

Card made 0 emissions and gives off water. Adjusting different mixtures the car would make about 270 HP on hydrogen and when it was needed, could make 600 hp

Anyone interested should check it out. This was back in 2002 by the way!!

http://www.clean-air.org/Hydrogen%20...en%20Cobra.htm

[ChrisV]

Originally Posted by maswastage

Didn't the tesla take about 16 hours to recharge? And have range of about 200 miles? It's a great concept vehicle, but like you said, I wouldn't want to own one.

90+% of people drive less than 30 miles per day. if I had one for commuting, I could drive for a month before needing a recharge.

I was looking into the Chevy Volt, with a 40 mile range, and a gas engine that then keeps the batteries charged for driving for another 300 miles or so. But even then, I could commute in it on electricity, charging it once a week, and spend about $4 a month in electricity to keep it charged and possibly have the gas in the tank turn to varnish due to never getting used.

The Tesla is a second car, and as such, has ZERO need to be a long distance tourer. Same goes for the new Tesla Model S sedan. At a 200 mile range, I could recharge it once a month and be able to use it for 99% of my driving. The version with the 300 mile range, I could even drive up to my in-laws in Hartford CT, recharge it ther overnight, and be ready to drive back the next day, recharge at home, and still be ready for another month of commuting.

There are almost 200 million drivers in the US. Even if the Tesla was perfect for only 1% of them, that's still 2 million drivers. At 100k cars per year, it would take 20 years to make enough to sell to just that 2%, so there is definitely a business case for making them. Just because it isn't 100% perfect for 100% of YOUR driving doesn't make it a failure. MOST cars aren't 100% perfect for 100% of the tasks that people put cars to. For example, my Range Rover isn't a very good sports car, but my sports car can't tow a travel trailer.

[anthony @ eas]

Originally Posted by CirrusSR22

I believe it. The characteristics of an electric motor are superior to a gas engine in almost every way. Batteries have been the only downfall.

+1

There is still some things about a petrol engine that can't be replaced - mostly the sound. But electric motors make 100% torque at 1rpm - very cool.

[ChrisV]

Originally Posted by anthony @ eas

There is still some things about a petrol engine that can't be replaced - mostly the sound. .

Well, to be honest, petrol engines can make sounds ranging from a weedwhacker to an F1 engine to a rumbling big block V8 to near silence in a luxury car. Electric cars will simply add another individual sound to the pantheon of known sounds of motive power.

[mexicanmike]

EV1!!!! What the Tesla should cost, Im 6'5 300, and I fit in the EV1. Car was badass. If it was still around, it would be my DD. The tesla is an amazing car and I considered it instead of the M. Practical on gas, looks sporty, but ultimately it couldn't come close to a M in performance. Get the roadster down to 50k, give it HOV status, and I am all in. Till 2011, ill stick with me Ghey prius.

[graider]

this works for people who live in the city though, more like a city car to me. I wouldn't mind something like a honda fit plugin. great great city car.

[Kev]

There's a Tesla showroom couple blocks down where I live. I guess I'll have to make a trip over there to take a look myself. The concept is cool but it doesn't work for urban dwellers who live in apartments or condos.