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.

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Tesla Model S

SPECIFICATIONS

1. Pricing starts at $71,070 but quickly climbs over $100,000 with options you’ll probably want. 2. Output ranges from 302 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque on the base car to 416 hp and 443 lb-ft on the “P85” model. 3. The Model S is rated to drive up to 265 miles with the 85 kWh battery. 4. The Model S scored top marks in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s crash tests.

PREVIEW

Ask any owner about their Model S and they’ll probably have a hard time coming up with reasons to complain about it. Even people who bought early models known to come with quality defects don’t seem to mind. How is that possible?

Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk has achieved something trickier than convincing YouTube viewers to forego flinging angry comments at everyone. He’s managed to successfully market a very expensive electric car better than corporate giants like Nissan ever could. In some ways, his process was simple. Musk made electric cars fun. 

The Model S is available in a wide range of configurations including the choice between two battery packs; one with 60 kilowatt hours and the other with 85. Both are considerably bigger than other electric cars. For example, Nissan uses a 24 kWh pack in the Leaf. But the bulky energy storage system is built into something Tesla refers to as a “skateboard” chassis.

Stop by one of the company’s stores, and you’ll see a bare version of the platform on display. Its name presents a clear description. There are four wheels, suspension components and a long, wide, flat metal housing to join them. The battery pack hides inside the structure.

It also houses all of the drivetrain components, of which there are relatively few. An electric motor powers the back wheels. The result is a remarkably smooth and stable ride with absolutely thrilling acceleration.

INTERIOR

By now you’ve probably already heard about the car’s best interior feature. If not, here goes. It’s a gargantuan touch screen that controls almost everything in the car.

The panoramic glass roof (should you choose that option), climate control, phone operation and Internet radio; it’s all accessible through something that feels more like a large tablet computer than an “infotainment system.”

 

It’s responsive, too. There is almost no detectable lag between screens, and the image quality is stunning. Admittedly, using a computer system for some things can be a little disconcerting at first, but you’ll soon grow to love everything about it. In fact, the biggest downside lies in having to use systems in other cars. They feel finicky and slow by comparison.

When you’ve finished playing with the car’s main attraction, there’s an entire cabin to take in. But there really isn’t much about it to discuss. There’s a bin between the front seats big enough to hold a brief case or hand bag, a place to rest your right elbow while driving, and a steering wheel. The usual audio and cruise control buttons are present, but for such a high tech car, there isn’t very much going on. It’s refreshing.

The digital gauge cluster is of equally high resolution and responds as promptly as the touch panel. Speed, remaining range and other information relevant to the driver is on display.

UNDER THE HOOD

The car ranges from 302 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque for the 60 kWh battery to 362 hp and 440 lb-ft with the 85 kWh. That climbs even farther to 416 hp and 443 lb-ft if you buy the P85, which comes with a high-performance drive inverter. Sprinting from 0-60 mph takes 5.9, 5.4, or just 4.2 seconds depending on which one you choose.

Even without that, the tester was $117,020 after factoring in a $7,500 federal tax credit. Options like the “subzero weather package” ($750) that add heated rear seats, wiper blade defrosters and washer nozzle heaters aren’t necessary everywhere. Point is, the base price doesn’t mean much.

Instant torque sent to the rear wheels makes this thing a treat to drive. It rockets from stops and corners are equally exhilarating. Regenerative brakes return energy to the battery pack like any other electric car, except they seem more pronounced in this case. In fact, the left pedal is only required for emergency braking or coming to a complete stop. That part takes some acclimation.

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