As Martin Eberhard told ABG, one of the inspirations for creating the Tesla Roadster was the AC Propulsion TZero. He wanted a TZero but AC Propulsion wouldn't build him one so he and his partners got Tesla going. The TZero has been around for several years and is very much a development concept. It's a minimalist two-seater designed to demonstrate what an electric vehicle can do. At some point the History Channel matched up a TZero against a Dodge Viper at a dragstrip. The result over the quarter mile should come as a surprise to no one as the high torque electric motor accelerates the TZero to victory over the 500hp Viper. Over a longer distance the Viper would run away from the TZero but an electric car can definitely get out of its own way. Video after the jump.
[Source: Chrysler Weblog]
[Source: Chrysler Weblog]
