Silicon Valley startup unveils sexy electric car

Who Pimped the Electric Car?

As gas prices rise and vehicle emissions nudge the planet toward chaos, a Silicon Valley startup is hyping the electric Tesla Roadster -- which goes from 0 to 60 in four seconds, has a top speed of 135 miles per hour, and costs over $80,000 (built-in satellite navigation technology and iPod dock included). "Most electric cars were designed by and for people who fundamentally don't think we should drive," Tesla Motors CEO Martin Eberhard recently wrote on the company blog. "We at Tesla Motors love cars." Financed in part by big guns from Google, eBay, and PayPal, the two-seater Roadster can go up to 250 miles on its 240-horsepower electric motor before its lithium-ion batteries need recharging. The Roadster will be available in L.A. and San Francisco this year, and in Chicago, New York, and Miami by the end of next year. For those of us on more modest budgets, Tesla Motors hopes to launch a cheaper electric family sedan within three years.

straight to the source: The Washington Post, Mike Musgrove, 22 Jul 2006

straight to the source: CBS News, John Blackstone, 22 Jul 2006

straight to the source: Marketplace, Dan Neil, 20 Jul 2006

see also, in Grist: A conversation with the makers of Who Killed the Electric Car?

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Comments: (4 comments)

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Greased Lightning!

OK, guess you won't be able to get that old classic out of your heads either once you see the pic of the new Tesla... of course, this escapes my HTML talents, so you'll have to click on the Marketplace link, or go to Tesla's website to see all the snazzy colors it comes in. Personally, I prefer racing green.

My guilty secret.... I like to drive. Oftentimes above the speed limit. Oftentimes (gasp!) at a speed not considered to be optimal for fuel efficiency. So sue me. This car looks fun. If I can have my fun without the guilt, well, it's the best thing since organic chocolate!

Clearly I need a raise.

by kmp at 2:29 PM on 24 Jul 2006

I'm with you kmp

although, I hate to drive, I have been thinking lately that what we need is an electric car that can burn rubber. Electric motors can put out a lot of energy in a real short period of time (that is the equation for power). One way to get everyone driving them would be to make all kinds of them. The bottom line is that they would not use oil.

You could pull up to a Hummer, squeak a little tire for him to smell and quietly hit the speed limit in a few seconds while he tries to accelerate his four tons of steel into the intersection.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 8:04 PM on 24 Jul 2006

Electric Motorcycles

I like the concept of electric motorcycles. More pick-up than an ICE and less noise. It would be so nice if stealth were cool.

by ffletcher at 10:27 PM on 24 Jul 2006

global warming

It was said in the "Come fry with us"article that scientist are not say that there is such a thing as global warming. That is not true.Many if not most scientist know that there is global warming and have been tracking it for more than a decade.The current administration is responsible for not acknowledging that there is a phenomenon such as global warming.The bush administration muzzles it's scientist throughout the many levels of government and threatens them with expulsion if they give out quotes.Many scientist with the EPA have quite in frustration with the administrations threats and inaction on this very serious subject. Scientist are muzzled in other areas such as reporting on damages done and wanting to be done in the mining and timbering industries,not to mention the oil industry,but we know how mr. bush feels about his pet industries or should I say his piggybank people. So don't blame scientist for inaction when it is business as usual with the politicians in this country and that is all the way from the top to the bottom.

Why not ask why!?

by usandthem at 10:29 AM on 25 Jul 2006

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