The history of the automobile is a long road that's littered with the forgotten hulks of dream cars that were too good to be true, after all, so when an upstart company called Tesla announced in 2006 that it was going to produce the world's first all-electric sports car, I was less than confident that it would ever see the light of day.
Thankfully, the company wasn't waiting for my approval to hit the road. Tesla has now delivered about 1000 Roadsters so far, is making big plans for an all-electric family sedan to follow, has taken over Toyota's NUMMI plant in California and now has seven dealers across the U.S. As for my opinion on the company's veracity, I stand firmly corrected, and jumped eagerly at the chance to meet one.
Tesla's Roadster looks the part of a serious sports car. The car itself is tiny and dart-like. The chassis and design began life shared with the Lotus Elise, but the two cars are barely kissing cousins at this point. The Tesla shares only its dash panel and some suspension components with the Elise. A mid-year styling upgrade for 2010 gives the Tesla an even stronger identity. The carbon-fiber body panels are smoother, and it's angular where the Elise is organic.
Projector-style headlamps are matched by a similar motif at the rear.
The wheelbase has been stretched two inches in the interest of making the Roadster more livable, and the deep "hood" vents lead to cooling fans for the battery pack and motor.
Lift the rear cover, and where the engine of a mid-engined car would be, there's a big black box that contains the power electronics module and batteries. The battery packs are cooled by flowing antifreeze, to keep them efficient. The watermelon-sized motor produces 288 horsepower and spins up to 14,000 rpm. Translated through the single-gear transmission--like a fixed-gear bicycle, the Roadster's road speed is determined entirely by engine speed--that's about 126mph. Tesla claims an optimum range of about 245 miles, but this
will vary depending on how the car's driven. There's no reverse
gear; the motor itself just runs backwards, up to 15 mph. A 70-amp home charging system is the fastest way to re-juice the batteries, requiring about three hours to reach a full charge. 50-amp and 110-volt adapters are also included.
The cozy cabin requires a bit of contortion to climb into over the wide sill, and once inside you're knee-high to a Miata. This car's a two-seater, of course, like any "proper" sports car. The driver and passenger sit dead-center in the wheelbase. The Tesla feels sparse, but not unfinished; a narrow console includes pushbuttons for transmission control, an emergency brake and the standard seat-heater
buttons. There's a vehicle-information touch-screen low on the
console, and an in-dash navigation system and backup camera are available. The toylike steering wheel brings go-karts and race cars to mind, as does the negligible cargo space.
Any doubts about the Tesla's status as a true sports car are dispelled the moment you nail the accelerator. Holy--! The Tesla just GOES, in an eyeball-flattening rush of electronic whirring. There's no engine noise, of course, but the motor churning away right behind the passenger cabin hints at a great deal of power. Watching the Tesla Roadster launch is fascinating. There's no revving engine to alert onlookers to what's about to happen. Zing! The Roadster is just gone, with nary a chirp of the tires. Zero to sixty comes up in about four seconds. An aggressive traction control system modulates the motor's torque when the tires are about to break loose, preventing slip without an uncomfortable decrease in power.
On the road, there's not much in the way of sound deadening, but the electric motor makes a lot less noise than the average V8. Tire noise and that powerful whir from the motor comprise the soundtrack. Double wishbones and coil springs comprise the suspension at both ends, and the Roadster Sport features an adjustable sport suspension as standard equipment. The Tesla Roadster porpoises on uneven pavement, but the ride is somewhat less punishing than that of the average sports car.
The motor and battery are mounted where the engine would be on a mid-engined car, so the Tesla is very balanced. It's as comfortable as any extreme sports car, and around town is similarly usable.
An aggressive regenerative function allows the engine to charge the batteries during deceleration, and has the added advantage of providing nearly all of the necessary braking power. The Tesla practically stops itself when you lift off of the accelerator. Should more positive braking be needed, anti-lock brakes are standard.
The Tesla Roadster is available in two models. The Roadster Sport adds an adjustable suspension, special seventeen-inch wheels and a hand-wound motor. Pricing starts at $109,000 for the standard Roadster, and the Roadster Sport comes in at $128,500. Both models are eligible for a $7500 federal tax credit, which softens the blow slightly. Of course, since the Tesla is currently the only game in town when it comes to realistic two-seat electric powered convertibles with stunning performance, price comparisons are somewhat meaningless.
All specs are for the 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport
Length: 155.1 in.
Width: 72.9 in.
Height: 44.5 in.
Wheelbase: 92.6 in.
Curb weight: 2723 lb.
Base price: $128,500
Motor: 375-volt AC induction air-cooled electric motor
Drivetrain: single-speed fixed-gear transmission, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 288 @ 4400-6000
Torque: 295 @ 0-5100
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