RSS
Home
Tesla Motors – All Electric Car
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Tesla Roadster
Tesla Motors is selling an all-electric car. It is different from a hybrid electric in that it does not have a gasoline engine to provide power in case you run out of electricity from the battery. But it does have a rather large battery that gives it a range of 220 miles on a single charge.
There are advantages and disadvantages to having an all electric car. The disadvantage is the need to find a place to recharge. It takes up to 3.5 hours to recharge the battery. The car has a 53 Kwh battery. This is expensive. The car goes for about $109,000.
The advantages however, are numerous:
- The car delivers outstanding performance. Electric motors have tremendous torque compared to gasoline engines. This is true in almost all motor speeds. The best torque is obtained at slow speeds so the car has great acceleration. Only one gear, just step on the accelerator! This car will do 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. That’s the same performance as a Lamborghini for a lot less money.
- The cost of the electricity for the car is about $4.60 (@8.7 cents per Kwh) for a full charge. For 220 miles, that’s about 2 cents per mile. If you charge off-peak, you may pay as little as 1 cent per mile. That compares with about 50 cents per mile (premium fuel / rough estimate) for a Lamborghini. A more basic car getting 25 mpg would cost 16 cents per mile.
- Other than the battery, weighing about 990 lbs., the other components of the drive train are very light. The motor is a little over 100 pounds.
- It is environmentally clean; no pollution. If your electric power comes from solar, wind, or nuclear, you are not adding any carbon to the atmosphere.
- It’s a very quiet car.
This is leading-edge technology. It is expensive, but for someone looking for a cool, high performance car this should definitely be considered. Less expensive all-electric cars should follow this trailblazer as battery technology continues to improve. Drive up in one of these and you will definitely be the topic of conversation.
