I want one!

[nelg]

I first read about the car on Wired News.
http://www.wired.com/news/wiredmag/0,71414-0.html?tw=wn_index_2

And here is a gallery.


http://blog.wired.com/teslacar/

 

[Frank]

Btw, they ask if you stop by every 25,000 miles or so to check the tyres and brakes. That's all the maintenance required. And they expect the battery pack to last for more than 125,000 miles.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Shit, 250 miles would be more than enough range for me and mine right now. It'd be a great work/school vehicle for us.

 

[Powderkeg]

250 mile limitation with a 3.5+ hour charge time makes the car unusable for me.

It's 273 miles from here to where I go in Houston many times a year. It would suck having to stop and spend almost as much time charging the car as I would driving it to make the full trip, all for a measly 23 miles.

 

[dnavas]

It would suck having to stop and spend almost as much time charging the car as I would driving it to make the full trip, all for a measly 23 miles.

Indeed, and 250 miles is on the EPA highway cycle, which would be rather aggressive to meet in actual Texas travel ;^/ [When the tzero toodled down from Sunnyvale to Santa Barbara on the same size pack, they had to drive with the top on and at a sedate pace....] That said, if all you need is a 10% recharge, you should be able to get that in 21 mins or so....

I'm hoping that A123 or Altair or someone like that steps up to the plate with faster rechargeable cells. But you'll still need a fast-recharge line and some serious on-board electronics. Last I knew, the AC150 maxed out at 20kw charging, and if you want 50kwh in 5 mins, you need to be able to handle a 600+kw line (which, even with a 480V input line, is some *serious* amperage as well as waste heat management, etc).

Of course, in Texas, they'll charge you an extra $10k -- they're only selling in money/pop-dense places like San Fran, LA, Chicago, Miama, and NY to start with.
Probably with good reason.

-Dave

 

[Frank]

Well, yes, of course it's not for everyone. And many people take a trip a few times each year that's longer than that. Does that make it completely unfeasible?

If we would only look at why things cannot be done, nothing ever would be done whatsoever.

I think this car (or the sedan following it) is a MUCH better alternative to hybrids for the people who would want one. And it would be terrific (if reasonably cheap, depending on the car you drive at the moment) for commuting. And, like taking a plane for longer trips and renting a car at your destination, it's just something you have to plan for.

Like, not taking everything and the kitchen sink on holiday by car if you have a small suburban.

 

[Frank]

 

[KimB]

Well, yes, of course it's not for everyone. And many people take a trip a few times each year that's longer than that. Does that make it completely unfeasible?

Well, I think the fact that it's a coupe makes it unfeasible for long roadtrips anyway

But I really do hope that this catches on here in the US. Purely electric cars can offer quite a bit in terms of overall energy efficiency.

Edit: And Di, that is one sweet-ass pic

 

[Frank]

Edit: And Di, that is one sweet-ass pic

How about a sweet-.. eh, nose pic?

Or a nice side one?

 

[RussSchultz]

From the website:

Plug your Tesla Roadster into the at-home unit, and you’ll be fully charged in three hours. Packed away in the trunk is an optional mobile-charging kit that proves very useful while away from home.

I should say so!

It would really suck to skimp on the extra $$$ and then find yourself stuck.

 

[Frank]

Has anyone said yet, that this is the fastest accelerating production car on the planet if they want it to?

 

[Skrying]

250 miles? That's pretty useless.

That's only 125 miles both ways, not that far. So you'd need a traditional vehicle for long trips when the savings of it being electric would actually pay off. You could of course charge when you get to your location............ but where from? What are you going to do during that time? I know I dont take near 3 hours to eat (waste of money), nor do I want to go some place during that time (more wasting of money).

I just dont really see its benefits right now with a 250 mile limit. Maybe once they can do something like 750~1000 I'll be interested.

 

[KimB]

Has anyone said yet, that this is the fastest accelerating production car on the planet if they want it to?

Well, that should only make sense. The power curve on electric motors is almost totally flat, giving them insane low-end torque, if they are to have any torque at all at high speeds.

 

[Frank]

Well, that should only make sense. The power curve on electric motors is almost totally flat, giving them insane low-end torque, if they are to have any torque at all at high speeds.

Yes, that's why they only use two shifts.

Edit: 0-60 mph in first gear.

 

[KimB]

That's only 125 miles both ways, not that far. So you'd need a traditional vehicle for long trips when the savings of it being electric would actually pay off.

Not at all. The savings will pay off most for the daily commute to work. Long trips are rare anyway, and for most people don't contribute a significant amount to their overall fuel usage.

Anyway, it's for this reason that I think that electric cars are going to be great for families that typically have more than one car. This way, you can use the electric car for the daily commute, and have a hybrid diesel sitting around for long trips.

Alternatively, you can always use some form of mass transit. There really isn't ever any need to drive more than about a hundred miles.

 

[KimB]

Yes, that's why they only use two shifts.

Edit: 0-60 mph in first gear.

Makes sense. You don't have to have an electric motor turn much at all for it to provide its full power, since the limitation on the power an electric motor supplies is mostly given by the electric power it consumes, which is basically constant. I'm sure there's an absolute minimum, of course, but this will allow your first gear to be much higher than a gas engine.

Then, you don't have to worry about switching gears until the motor is spinning so fast that friction kicks in (gasoline/diesel engines have more inefficiency to deal with than just frictions at high rpms, and they also have much more friction: the electric motor doesn't need to have any of the moving parts touch except for the ball bearings that keep the shaft(s) in place). And since you'll have started out at such incredibly low RPM's, it only makes sense that you can go over a wide speed range without issue (if friction isn't an issue, then changing the gearing won't change your power to the wheels one iota). It really is a testament to the ambition of this electric car design that it needs more than one gear for optimal performance.

Edit: added stuff in parentheses.

 

[Frank]

It really is a testament to the ambition of this electric car design that it needs more than one gear for optimal performance.

I agree. Extreme power!

 

[Tahir2]

250 miles is not an issue for a country like England. People could use it to commute to London from the Midlands for example... every morning. Charge it at night... with all the money you save you could buy a garage for the thing.

 

[RussSchultz]

with all the money you save you could buy a garage for the thing.

Wait 'till you see the pricetag. If they're charging $10,000US for a 'not bought near our service center' surcharge, imagine how much the car is going to cost.

 

[Frank]

Wait 'till you see the pricetag. If they're charging $10,000US for a 'not bought near our service center' surcharge, imagine how much the car is going to cost.

Ouch!