Tesla EV Roadster first review
The Tesla EV Roadster is debuting as we speak in California, and AutoblogGreen editor Sebastian Blanco is there covering it, so we'll have all the info, pics and even video up later tonight. In the meantime, Wired has published an article on the Tesla EV Roadster penned by Joshua Davis, the first journalist to ride in Martin Eberhard's all-electric labor of love. The article reveals a few new details about the Tesla Roadster, like the fact that it's powered by 6,831 lithium-ion batteries just like the one powering your laptop. Eberhard states quite clearly that computer engineers making advances in battery efficiency will drive the technology of tomorrow's electric vehicles, and he'll be right there ready to reap the benefits of Silicon Valley's R&D in the coming years.
Davis also dug up that Tesla Motors is working on a sedan to accompany the Tesla Roaster as early as 2008. Codenamed White Star (the Roadster's codename was Dark Star). The size and shape of a sedan means that the White Star's range would be far below the Roadster's 250-mile range using current battery technology, but Eberhard believes that by the time it's ready batteries "will be ready to deliver."
The article's a great read and depicts Eberhard as a modern day Preston Tucker. With only six hours left before we see what's under that sheet, we'll soon find out if the Tesla EV Roadster delivers the goods.
Thanks Devon and Craig for the tip!
[Source: Wired]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Chad Gallion 8:51PM (7/19/2006)
http://blog.wired.com/teslacar/
Wired got the pictures early. Pretty cool stuff. I wonder if you can hook the batteries into your laptop if its battery dies.
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TechRightGuy 9:05PM (7/19/2006)
Hmmm...hauntingly familiar...Lotus Elise anyone?
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Cervus 9:07PM (7/19/2006)
One of the problems I can see with electric cars: They're too quiet. Pedestrians won't be looking for them. There needs to be some kind of sound, even if it's an artificial V8 growl, when the vehicle starts moving.
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greg 9:10PM (7/19/2006)
Hmmm. It seems strange that they (and I include the Wired writers in this) are playing down the Lotus connection so much. This is obviously an Elise with some new body panels and (an admittedly very impressive) new powertrain. The interior looks almost stock.
It's also unclear from the article whether Lotus will be handling production assembly or just built the prototype car(s).
Regardless, this is very cool and it makes sense to use the Lotus ("simplify and add lightness") platform as a starting point. Most cars are porkers now (a new GTI is over 3000lbs), while the stock Elise is roughly 1900 lbs in U.S. trim.
OK, I'm going to go check my couch cushions to see if I can scrounge the $80K I'll need to buy one!
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kevin 10:23PM (7/19/2006)
I keep reading this crap about electric cars being to quiet, but if people teach their kids to look both ways before crossing then it should not be a problem
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Tim 10:46PM (7/19/2006)
Actually, a silent electric car the size of the Elise could be quite dangerous.
Cell-phone-using-latte-drinking clueless SUV drivers can barely see a noisy Elise as it is. Take away the sound and it becomes invisible!
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Sam Gonzalez 10:48PM (7/19/2006)
lotus with a bigger motor cool. Amount of coal needed to burn in order to charge the motor not cool.
Its a step in the right direction, I'll give them that. Couple years out of law school once the range is better and our electricity sources are cleaner (one can only hope) and I'll consider it as a serious purchase.
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Tim 10:50PM (7/19/2006)
$40,000 worth of gas in an Elise can go a long way.
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greg 12:11AM (7/20/2006)
Sam,
I think one of the ideas is that eventually some/most/all of the electricity for charging could come from cleaner sources (like nuclear, for example).
So.. A gasoline or diesel engine will always require fossil fuels, but electric cars can at least in theory be cleaner.
This whole topic, of course, is a big can of worms. Still it's interesting to see someone at least trying.
What always gets me about the people who whine about Priuses (priuii?) not getting the MPG claimed by Toyota is that the technology is just a few years old. Again, at least there are alternatives coming off of assembly lines. We may end up somewhere else (e.g., fuel cells) but the way is being paved.
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Ken Love 12:13AM (7/20/2006)
If one laptop battery can cause a bonfire in a frontyard. Think of the wennie roast to be had with 6831.
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greg 12:18AM (7/20/2006)
Re: the 'silence' issue. Perhaps there needs to be a regulation that requires a little whirlygig on the accessory flywheel that generates a bit of noise mechanically.
Just as we're all required to have brake lights so the people behind us know when we're decelerating, maybe there needs to be something that alerts people to the presence of the car when in motion.
A playing card in the wheel spokes would probably do the trick. *grin*
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dakota 1:02AM (7/20/2006)
Oh please, it's not like the Prius's running around are using dual pipes out the back either. When driving around anways, what cars do you hear with your windows up, the A/C on and the radio on? NONE. Maybe people should keep their ear out of the phone and pay attention to the road.
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Colin M. 1:53AM (7/20/2006)
This is pretty exciting, to think that we could drastically reduce the need for oil and not sacrifice style or performance. One thing I'm concerned about though: My laptop is three years old, and the battery 1) barely holds a charge and 2) is expensive to replace. How will that factor in with almost 7,000 very similar batteries per car?
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taipeileviathan 2:40AM (7/20/2006)
i dunno...
first off, eberhard's the man, and if i had 80 grand burning a hole in what would be a very big pocket i'd definitely pick one of these up, but re: the silence issue.
firstly, engine noises aren't useful per se in alerting other drivers, they're useful for alerting pedestrians.
secondly... eberhard claims that ppl will miss the sound of engines like ppl might have missed the sound of horses' hooves. i think his argument there is a bit sophist... correct me if i'm wrong, but i highly doubt there's been much literature written about the sound of hooves coming from a specific breed of horse or another. there probably has never been trainers or breeders who "engineer" their horses to sound a certain way. when people discuss the soul of horses, i highly doubt the sound of its hooves plays into their discussion. but with car enthusiasts, engine noises are much more than just sources of nostalgia. car companies spent muchos dineros crafting the sounds that emit from tailpipes, and people most definitely relate that end result w/ the "soul" of a car...
... in other words, as much as i'd love to have this car and support the cause, i'd have to say... a silent car really seems like a soulless car to me.
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taipeileviathan 2:48AM (7/20/2006)
... which is not to say that the noise coming from the car has to sound like an ICE. i personally think tesla would do well to hire a sound engineer from off george lucas' ranch or something and develop a noise that would become an integral part of the car's identity, its soul. something to let us know how hard the car's working. i mean, a big ICE at low revs sounds like a sleeping giant, and at high revs it sounds like a furious titan stomping away... you can't tell me that's not part of the fun. the roadster's sound could be of little boys singing german drinking songs at varying octaves for all i care, but there needs to be some kind of aural clue into the personality of the car at any given time from the moment you push that start button in the dash to when you plug up at home.
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&& 3:40AM (7/20/2006)
About the silence issue...Priuses are incredibly quiet when under 25 mph and operating solely on battery power, and that hasn't caused much controversy, has it?
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Dave 11:43AM (7/20/2006)
"Actually, a silent electric car the size of the Elise could be quite dangerous. "
A silent electric car the size of the Elise would be the ultimate spy vs. spy vehicle... are you listening "Q"?
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Riker 12:37PM (7/20/2006)
&&,
Prii (is that how you pluralize 'Prius'?) are not exactly the type of car one buys to inspire the emotional response that enthusiasts get when they wind out a throaty V8...
Or were you talking about the pedestrian issue? In that case I totally agree with you in that there should not be an issue associated with the lack of sound.
All motoring passions aside, engine sound is a byproduct of transportation, not an essential component of it; it has always been the responsibility of the driver not to run into pedestrians... there is that whole 'right of way' thing.
Shared responsibility and awareness on the parts of drivers and of pedestrians was the way the traffic system was devised, and as long as we collectively stick with our part of the deal, things will be okay.
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Non-Bizarro Adam 1:25PM (7/20/2006)
HAHAHA, little boys singing German drinking songs!! I laughed so hard vegetable soup came out of my nose. Do you know how uncomfortable it is to have a carrot pass through your nasal cavity?
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Fabulo 1:30PM (7/20/2006)
Fantastic idea to start with the "halo" car. It'll debunk the myth of EV cars being pokey. This one is fast and sexy.
Acceleration/speed is just a matter of tuning. Electric motors scale very well. Give them more juice, you'll squeeze more power out of it (actually, more torque, which is what matters)
When the sedan comes out, it certainly will be a different compromise. More geared toward range than acceleration.
The roadster achieves 250 miles on one charge (one tone down, speak a little faster) on the EPA highway cycle.
Is that the one where the car runs at 48 mph, constant speed, on a treadmill, and where the mileage (here, sorry, no gas mileage) is adjusted by a coefficient according to weight, class, and made up drag?
So yeah. Real life, we'll see how long you can run on one charge. Even half the quoted amount is probalby optimistic.
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