In this WebRidesTV interview, we met up with J. B. Straubel CTO of Tesla Motors. Straubel introduced Tesla's first automotive model offering, the Tesla Roadster to us in his interview. Tesla Motors is a brand new startup company committed to mass producing electric vehicles for mainstream society, arguably a first in the automotive industry. The Roadster has become the de-facto benchmark for electric vehicles everywhere; boasting 0-60 times in less than 4 seconds, an overall range of 220 miles on a single charge, and has a full recharge time of only 3.5 hours. Using the latest technology in regenerative breaking, Lithium Ion batteries, and efficient building materials, the Roadster is fast, light, and amazingly powerful for an electric car. The newest batteries utilized in the Roadster are purported to last over 100,000 miles, or 5 years; whichever comes first. This is a significant departure from previous generation electric cars, which had batteries that usually didn't last even half as long.
The Roadster does not sacrifice efficiency for power however. A strong torque curve that is apparent throughout the entire RPM range gives the Tesla Roadster unmatched acceleration, and for safety the top speed was actually limited to 125mph! With RPM's soaring to nearly 14,000 RPM, the Roadster screams down the highway with ease, yet still only costs the driver the equivalent of two cents per gallon. The Roadster is as beautiful as it is powerful, featuring a premium luxury interior with leather bucket seats and a full navigation and stereo package. The body itself was actually designed by Lotus, the maker of the Elise.
Smooth graceful lines and a low aggressive stance give the Roadster a race-car feel seldom seen in the world of electric cars. The body itself looks like a mix tape of the worlds sexiest super cars, borrowing design elements from the Corvette, Murcielago, Elise, and Ford GT. Muscular rear fenders and a sloping removable hard top give some edginess to the otherwise flowing lines of the best looking electric car on the planet. Finally, the Tesla Roadster offers a unique twist on versatility. Instead of a large orifice for filling gas, a lighted port for the electric plug is mounted where normally you'd expect to be filling up. With an initial cost of almost 100,000 dollars, it remains to be seen how successful the Tesla will be outside the demographic of the rich and famous.
