Tesla has proven critiques wrong by delivering an all electric car capable of driving 240 miles on one single charge. It takes the battery about 3.5 hours to recharge from dead to full while plugged in your standard home 110 volt outlet. While one cannot use this car on a long trip across the country and in most cases across states, it certainly is a replacement for a daily driver. Most of us drive no more than 100 miles a day and if we factor in the cost of electricity to recharge its battery, it cost 1 cent a mile to drive.
The first Tesla (shown below in red) was a 2-seater delivered in 2008 and cost about $90,000.00. Of course not a car for everyone, but Tesla Motors priced it high to raise enough capital for their next model, the model S sedan (shown below in white) which sits seven people and priced at $50,000.00. Their next model will cost between $35,000.00 and $50,000.00 and be within the reach of many Americans.
For those speed freaks out there, a category I proudly belong to, this car is also for us. The roadster does 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, while the sedan clocks in at 5.6 seconds. Not surprising, considering electric motors are more powerful than gas engines, but enough to keep a corvette Z06 and a Mercedes E 350 in our rear view mirror.
Still in its infancy, Tesla is the envy of car companies all over the world who now feels threatened. Daimler recently acquired 9 percent of Tesla. While Tesla badly needs the cash, founders Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning’s biggest mistake would be to let too many car and oil companies buy enough stakes to gain control. This could mean its end as an electric car company.
While one needs to go to California for now to admire this technological marvel, rest assured it will not be long before we see them on our roads all across the country.
Since it would not be fair to talk about Tesla and not mention Fisker. Stop by again early next week for our post about Fisker.
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