The Tesla roadster… Wow!
Posted on September 20, 2007
Filed Under All, Green Tech, New Life, Photos, Technology, Weblogging |
Here’s the red Tesla Roadster prototype that I rode in this afternoon thanks to Rob Coish and the crew at Tesla Motors with pilot Ernest Villanueva at the wheel. The car’s Ferrari-beating 0-to-60 in 4 seconds acceleration is not only real, but you can punch it at any speed and get the same boost. Amazing car, especially considering the rotor - the engine’s only moving part - weighs all of 70 pounds.
There was lots of stuff we were asked not to photograph - including the motor and transmission assemblies - but those parts are well-described on the Tesla web site.
Tesla’s ESS - Energy Storage System - manages several thousand Li-Ion batteries that give the car its 200(+) mile-range and equivalent of 135 MPG as well as the amazing torque. The ESS integrates with the VMS - Vehicle Management System - to produce the driving experience. The car’s PEM - Power Electronics Module - is tightly integrated with the motor, producing up to 185 kW of motor output. We had a lot of fun… stay tuned for podcast… top photo by George Dalke…
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3 Responses to “The Tesla roadster… Wow!”
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If they weren’t made in England they’d be only $20,000.
And that’s just the prototype. Imagine what it’ll be like 10 years down the road after the early adopters have bought a few and helped work out the kinks.
Good to know I’ll have a green way to cope with my mid-life crisis, even if I have to move to America to drive it
I’m hoping the Tesla will lead some big-scale enterprise to see the wisdom in Li-Ion (or newer, better batteries) coupled to a high-performance, 70-lb. motor… if every car used Tesla technology (and we solved Solar or other altrnate energy source) a second Industrial Revolution could well be under way… and this a green revolution…