Tesla Roadster 2.5 S

SPECIFICATIONS

1. With 288-hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque, the Tesla Roadster 2.5 S can hit 60-mph in just 3.7 seconds. 2. Power comes from an electric motor with energy stored in 6831 rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. 3. Tesla is planning a Model S luxury sedan with a 300-mile range and a 0-60 time of 6 seconds. 4. A joint project with Toyota and Tesla will see an electric RAV4 concept presented at the 2010 LA Auto Show.

PREVIEW

A recent poll suggested that 40% of Americans were interested in driving an electric car. If they knew what the Tesla Roadster was all about, that number would likely be 100%.

Green cars are not supposed to be like this. They’re for hairshirt wearing, bike path populating hippies who are obsessed with how few miles their produce has traveled and whether their child’s Kindergarten is LEED Certified Gold for eco-friendliness.

INTERIOR

Space inside is tight as well; if you take someone on a date in a Tesla, you will undoubtedly be getting fresh by accident when you apply the parking brake or move your upper body. If you’re a female, wearing a skirt or dress is strongly discouraged, thanks to the high doorsills and difficult entry and exit procedure – unless of course, you’re an aspiring Paris Hilton. The trunk might give you enough room for an overnight bag, but the car’s limited range means you’ll be lucky to even get away for dinner.

With an estimated range of 250 miles the Tesla isn’t a long distance car, and your mileage may vary. Keep your foot pinned to the floor and the number goes down. If you coast and allow the regenerative braking to kick in, you might see a boost. Either way, a nice long drive isn’t in the cards at this stage of electric vehicle technology. Charging takes as little as 4 hours if you use a 220 volt outlet (like your washing machine or stove uses) and a proprietary quick charger sold by Tesla but can be as high as 8 hours without one, and exponentially more with a 12 volt outlet.

UNDER THE HOOD

The Tesla, as you may have inferred, is not this. It has as much in common with other green vehicles as zero calorie cola does with an all-night cocaine binge. It makes 288-hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque and can accelerate to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. Sure, that’s not as fast as, say, a Porsche 911 Turbo or Corvette ZR1, but the quoted times for those cars are only good under perfect conditions and likely with a brutal launch technique that you would never replicate. On the other hand, the Tesla’s single gear transmission makes repeated sprints a cinch and ensures anything short of a Bugatti Veyron will end up getting shanked.

The fun doesn’t stop when the road starts to curve either. With its Lotus Elise-derived chassis and Bilstein suspension setup, the Tesla feels just like a heavier version of the Elise. Heavier, of course, being a relative term, since the Elise weighs just less than 2,000 lbs, while the Tesla, electric drivetrain and all, is about 2,700 lbs. That’s 400 lbs less than a Honda Civic Si, considered a “compact” car by the EPA.

Like all great sports cars, the Tesla is best driven under ideal conditions; glass smooth roads, sunny weather and little traffic. The weather held up, and the car performed admirably in stop-and-go situations, but if you live in an area with poor roads, the Tesla might be a bit of a chore. The same amazing suspension that puts a smile on your face while driving on a highway ramp also means that the Roadster is very stiff on all but the best pavement. Fire your chiropractor if you drive a Tesla over railway tracks, potholes or manhole covers, because the rigor mortis-like rigidity and high spring rates will re-align your spine multiple times per second with a sickening thud every time you meet an imperfection in the road.With a manual steering system and a MOMO steering wheel the size of a saucer, weaving the Tesla through the corners is a sublime experience, as you grip the wheel tight around the perfectly placed indents (at 9 and 3, with one on each side that let your thumbs point skyward, the way they should), you can slice through turns like a sportbike knowing that the massive torque will be available right awayas soon as you’re pointing straight again.

In city driving, the Tesla is quiet, comfortable and easy to maneuver. The single speed transmission and the progressive nature of the regenerative braking (as opposed to the abrupt deceleration of the MINI E) means that the brakes only need to be used to bring the car to a dead stop mere feet from a stop sign. Slow speed movements and U turns require some muscle thanks to the manual steering, but one easily adapts to this quirk. The biggest obstacle you’ll have to deal with is the mob of people who will stop you at inopportune times to ask about the car.