Startup unveils first "performance electric vehicle"

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Manufacturing News, Source : The Manufacturer US
Published : 26 Jul 2006 15:16

San Calos, Calif. startup Tesla Motors has unveiled what it calls the "high-performance electric vehicle," claiming that its Tesla Roadster achieves 0-60 mph in four seconds. Tesla Motors claims equivalencies of 1 cent per mile, or 135 mpg.

Tesla unveiled the car at a "Signature One Hundred" event at Barker Hangar.

More than 350 invited guests spent the evening learning about the new sports car, speaking with Tesla Motors executives, and going for rides along the tarmac at the Santa Monica Airport. Tesla Motors took orders onsite.

The electric-powered Tesla Roadster boasts the equivalent of 135 mpg and a range of 250 miles on a single charge, a combination heretofore unseen in a mass-produced electric vehicle. Its extended range is due to its state-of-the-art lithium-ion Energy Storage System. The Tesla Roadster is capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in about four seconds.

"The Tesla Roadster delivers sports car performance without using any gasoline," said Eberhard. "This is what we hoped to achieve when we started the company three years ago, to build a car with zero emissions that people would love to drive."

Those in attendance included producer Richard Donner, former ABC/Disney exec Michael Eisner, and relentless celebrity finger-wagger Ed Begley Jr.

"High-tech, CleanTech, entertainment, automotive, you name it. It's gratifying to have others realize the significance or what Tesla Motors is doing" said Martin Eberhard, CEO of Tesla Motors.

The Tesla Roadster comes complete with its Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE), a home-based charging system that reportedly can charge the Tesla Roadster in approximately 3.5 hours, and an optional mobile charging kit is also available.

Tesla is claiming a range of 250 miles on a single charge, roughly triple the range of previous mass-produced electric vehicles. "It didn't make sense to sell a car that only goes 90 miles on a charge. You'd spend more time charging the old EVs than driving them," said Eberhard. "Lithium-ion technology, which has been proven in many different applications, has allowed us to achieve exactly what we thought it would in terms of power, range and efficiency."

The body design was led by Barney Hatt, Principal Designer at the Lotus Design Studio in England. The result is a sleek car that looks something like a stockier Corvette.

The company named itself for Serb/American inventor Nikola Tesla, whose more than 700 patents included the induction motor and alternating-current power transmission.

No word yet on price, and the car will be available in early 2007.

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