Driving at the speed of green

Driving at the speed of green

Want an easy way to blow through a hundred thousand dollars in one go? If so, this is the podcast for you. Starting early next year, you will be able to buy the Tesla Roadster, a electric sports car powered by a nine hundred fifty pound array of lithium ion cells similar to those found in laptop battery packs.

The Roadster promises to be the energy-conscious consumer’s dream car. According to the creators, the Tesla boasts an efficiency rating equivalent to a staggering one hundred thirty five miles per gallon. The Tesla is not just another electric car, however: it is designed as a full sports car, capable of rocketing from zero to sixty in less than four seconds. There is a price; the Tesla weighs over two and a half thousand pounds, and the price tag starts out at about a hundred thousand dollars and tops out at nearly a hundred and ten. However, according to a test drive report, the engineers behind the Tesla have managed to keep the Tesla’s weight under control while driving. Also, the Tesla seems to be marketed towards the green-conscious celebrity, to whom the high price is not as much of a problem. The company has plans to introduce cheaper versions for the greater consumer market within the next two to three years.

Perhaps the best thing about the Tesla is the competition it is inspiring in its competitors. GM and Toyota are speeding up production of their own super efficient electric cars in response, both of which seem to be aimed at the larger consumer market rather than the expensive sports car market the Tesla is catering to.

Expensive or not, it is good to see that we are finally getting to the point where efficient electric vehicles are entering the market. It just remains to see if the market is ready for them.