This is a big step. I have been following the development of Tesla Motors for two years, and they are finally hitting mainstream! Tesla has been achieving public recognition for their contribution to the development and public acceptance of the electric vehicle. Here, we have the world’s first electric powered sports car which can compete in terms of performance with a Chevy Corvette, Porsche, or Ferrari. Not only that, but it was engineered and manufactured in the United States. This is something I can be truly proud of.
The Tesla was designed to break the stereotype that electric cars are slow and unsightly. Unfortunately, this has traditionally been the case when one considers the Honda Insight or even hybrid-gasoline powered cars such as the Toyota Prius. The styling of these cars leave much to be desired. The Tesla beats all hybrid vehicles hands-down by eliminating the need for all petroleum for fueling. This is superior even to the much touted Chevy Volt, which still requires gasoline for daily driving and with a 50 mile projected range for battery only power. This is in stark contrast to the Tesla which offers roughly 240 miles on a single charge.
The car can be charged at home or on the road in roughly 3.5 hours. The instrument panel contains an indicator to display the current battery capacity, analogous to the typical fuel gauge. Above is an image of a Tesla Roadster being charged, with a close up of the plug. The image was supplied by a Tesla Roadster blog which contains some cool images. Below, I found what is now a very rare site – an actual image of an owner charging his electric vehicle. You can notice he actually owns two cars and the plugs are extended from a charging base to the vehicle parked in his driveway.
