Greased Lightning

The newest contender on the auto manufacturing scene promises much for the future, and if all the cars they make are as sexy as their first model, then the future bodes well for them.





Tesla Motors, headed by the big guys from PayPal, Google, and eBay, and featuring the latest in battery technology, has pre-sold over 550 of their first model, the Tesla Roadster. A lovely looking beast with a body designed by Lotus, this car goes far beyond any reasonable hopes for the electric car.
• 0 to 60 mph acceleration in 3.9 seconds (faster than the Porsche 911).
• Top speed of 130 mph.
• Only 3 hours for a full battery charge.
• Capable of traveling 250 EPA highway miles on a single charge.
• Recyclable battery pack weighing half as much as all previous auto Li-ion battery designs.
The Roadster, previously codenamed “BlackStar”, is hoped to make a fashion and status impact during its primary release. At $100,000, the car will be driven by the rich and famous, and thus will first garner the attention of the masses from a distance and identify Tesla as a legitimate and reliable car company (as opposed to other electric car promotion strategies, when the cars were made immediately available to a wide range before their reputations were established).
The sales of the Roadster will help to finance Tesla’s next project, codenamed “WhiteStar”, a more affordable sports sedan comparable to the BMW 5 series, which will sell at around $60,000, and which will be unveiled in 2009 and released in 2010. Still further in the future Tesla plans to release “BlueStar”, the model I am desperately hoping will come to the market - a smaller model with a cost of $30,000 and more improvements than its older siblings. If only my little Honda can hold out until 2012!
Check out Tesla's website and the Wikipedia entry for more pictures and data.