The Tesla Roadster

[zlozlozlo]

I've watched a hundred Tesla Roaster vids, and in quite a few of them people ask "Is it on?" I'm still waiting for someone to reply "Oh it's SO ON."

[countryboytony20]

Haha it sounds like a Golf cart

[JUKIO01]

id rather buy an audi r8 with 100,000 dollars

[Yunginspirit]

@JUKIO01 - I bet you can't even afford a pair of skates! LOL!

: )

[emforty2]

even at 109K they sold all they can produce the new "S" model is half that price and the next generation probably even lower. while Tesla grows GM shrinks

who has the right products on the market ?

if you have a good product on a timely manner that people want THEY WILL COME

too bad GM crushed its future with the EV-1 they were 20 years ahead of Tesla

two companies one a winner one a loser

[idontcare80]

Good riddance to GM, all they ever built from the late 70s onward was total junk. You can bet that they would have worked their "planned obsolescence" scheme into the production EVs, just like they did with the rest of their junk.

[elitesm92]

You don't know the real story about the EV-1. Watch the movie "Who killed the electric car?" and you will learn that the oil companies bribed GM to take all the EV-1's back from the leases and crush them because they were afraid of the new technology. In reality, the EV-1 was a fantastic car, it was the oil companies that killed it.

[Lantho650]

@emforty2 ok, let me check tesla stock........ya same as it was a year ago.

[DRSmetal]

Very cool! What people seem to forget: Everything starts out expensive. Flat screen televisions were very expensive early in the millennium, DVD players were like $500 in the late 90's and I remember too. Eventually like everything else--it will come down in price.

[VerystrangeMaster]

Why didn't they go to the track or something ? I didn't see it perform.

[explorer47422]

I love it :D, all comes down to being (at least the new model s is) more efficient and environmentally friendly than any other car despite handling or price or whatever. Could be dangerous tho, no sound, those people at 3:05 couldnt hear it coming!

[kingzlister]

and this type of car not have an alternator to help charge the bettary?

[KitPeaceKeeper]

Do you have any idea how an alternator works?

[niteryder50]

chuck a match into your petrol tank and you whole car will go boom. there is way more to explode in a petrol car.

[elkpointquader]

yea and how often does your car explode? what a stupid point

[dire67]

It's great to see someone trying to make a difference, no matter what anyone says.

This cars achile's heal is the battery. We need to figure out a way to replace it. It weighs 990lbs and only has a life span of around 2 years. Replacement costs about $95K, making it very expensive to own.

Not to fret, though, it's just a matter of time before I find funding for MY idea. I have a solution, but no money... Sad, ain't it?

[niswel]

i'd rather pay $40 000 more, than sponsor the oil companies, in their quest to destroy the planet for big money...

[bedlambikes]

I'd be miserable if my life started as an beautiful Elise and turned into this sack of shit.

[frankdahlin]

Have you driven it or even seen it in real life? It is a great beautiful car!

[bedlambikes]

No - I haven't. However, I spent a lot of time at the wheel of the Elise which I am a HUGE fan of. The Tesla is pretty nice, but it defeats the logic of which an Elise is built upon. Ultra light weight instead of ultra high displacement. IF the Tesla was priced similiar to an Elise, I'd probably have a different outlook on it. But in the end I feel the Elise is better looking and it IS quicker, better handling, better looking and over $40,000 LESS expensive!

[elchengs4]

It's not just a modified elise.... and it's new technology.

[Gwynne66]

How is it "not just a modified Elise"? They took the Elise chassis, put an electric drivetrain in it, slapped custom body panels on it and hey presto, a Tesla.

[Gwynne66]

I got to babysit an Elise for a week and had the opportunity to put about 300 miles on it. It is sublime. I haven't drive a Tesla but I saw the Top Gear lads chucking one around their track and the way the thing wallows through bends is more like a Mercury Marquis than a Lotus... a disgrace.

I'd rather put a small diesel engine in a regular Elise and run bio-fuel than drive this electric monstrosity.

GM built a prototype - the EcoSpeedster. It got 115mpg.

[frankdahlin]

TopGear is a "comedy show": BBC admit it did not run out of power! - It was all a setup of "what could have happend". And the topgear milage - how close to the factory official milage do you think a gas car run on that track?

[Gwynne66]

What does any of that have to do with what I said?

[frankdahlin]

You refferer to the Topgear test when compairing.

[Gwynne66]

Sure, but only to the handling characteristics - which were appalling. The thing waddled around their track like a little fat man with a bad knee.

As I said, if I really wanted an eco-friendly, fuel-efficient car, I'd buy a regular Lotus Elise and put a small-displacement diesel engine in it.

You could keep the handling characterics for which Lotus is justly famous and I bet you could get well in excess of 90mpg.

[horsycos88]

A range of 402 km and a top speed of 209 km/h is more than enough for me.If I'll ever have the money 4 this car I would definetly buy it.

[preske]

it really is a great car. Too bad it costs so much, so no average person will be able to buy it. The only ones who will buy it are either rich people who want to have everything, or celebrities who will just use it as a PR-stunt.

I really like to see a normal car with this tech. A good looking car, if possible. Not like the pukefest, known as a Prius.

[mayr12]

The idea of Tesla Motors is to market the higher end product first in order to gain capital and recognition. They will then offer progressively more affordable models as the car catches on. It's a reverse marketing strategy that has every chance of working as long as they don't sell out to Detroit.

[reanimate280]

inst it ironic that people who can afford this thing can afford to buy gasoline no matter what it costs and probably owns a few cars and ehhhh hemmmm maybe a hummer or somthin of that nature.this car is a slap in the face to average person paying over 4 bucks a gallon driving to work everyday.and christ the prick in the second half of this video needs an attitude adjustment.this car is not a revolution its a gimmick.when electric cars can be produced like the model T was then its a revolution

[gloomyoutlook]

Well that's capitalism. mayr explained it perfectly really.

[quelorepario]

"The same batteries being used in cellphones and laptops"? Hehe, I hope Dell didn't make the batteries... :P

[testerchjklw]

AFAIK burning batteries in Dells was produced by Sony.

[quelorepario]

That is right ;)

[DMtactical]

Burning batteries shouldn't be a concern anyways, it hardly ever happens, and gas burns a lot more readily anyways, so batteries are almost safer in that aspect.

[quelorepario]

Actually Tesla Motors has many countermeasures to prevent stupid hazards as the one Sony had,

That's the reason it is not only "almost" but "much safer" than fuel tanks

[zcm007attack]

@quelorepario Not the exact same batteries. Just the same TYPE of battery, only larger. This type of battery would be something like NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) batteries.

[quelorepario]

@zcm007attack I don't deal with "would be". The Tesla ESS (Energy Storage System) uses 6,831 cells of Li-ion batteries. The cells are the type 18650, which are exactly the ones used in laptops.

[LokiDWolf]

As of now they're also looking into applying solar energy. It'll be a separate package but if you got it you'll be charging the car while it drives! You'll never have to depend on anything outside of charging and of course, the sun. I'm so happy they made this car. Now if only other manufacturers would follow suit instead of holding out waiting on the market. The technology has been here! But they don't think the demand is. Then when it was mandatory everyone all of a sudden had it. Hmmm.

[cunt444]

hahahaha leitheum go's BOOOM fast fuck that

[infidelguy]

They don't go boom fast. Jeez.. In any rate.. Lithium Ion will be passe' within the next few years anyway. Many new Lithium Polymers are now being developed.

[ImYourLastResort]

ya wally

[LordSephiros]

Wait, he said it'll charge fully from an empty to full in 3 and a half hours. I thought it was 8 hours?

[CamaroTBI]

lol Id have that thing floored all day long! 2 hour charge time? maybe 30 minutes when I get a hold of it!

[megaloute]

Damn, I heard about this car a few months ago but I'm still amazed at the specs of this car.

I cannot be used for long distance but still, engineers may overcome this problem at last.

The other thing is that we, at last, see an electric car that doesn't ressemble a golf cab ;-)

It looks serious for once

[Blood0fHeroes]

--"I cannot be used for long distance but still, engineers may overcome this problem at last."--

try about 220 miles a charge, or the equivalent of 130 ish miles per gallon

[DreadRaptor85]

Give me that car!

[madwolfq8]

a car without exhaust sound ???? Never lol

[vegaspimp]

I love to see that heap of laptop batteries drive 200+ miles, day in day out. If ipods explode, can you imagine what a exploding Tesla would do to your house?

[agm2004]

this vehicle has a lot more money put into it then ipods.

[HooverphonicChodedog]

It would probably start a gasoline fire and then give me carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, it would roll over.

[JACK23352335]

That car is far from a heap,hell gm ev1's drove for years without any problems, different battery, but they were fine until gm crushed them all.

If you could drive the car you have today,but it was electric and did 300 miles per charge, and charged overnight in 1 hr, or 20 minute charge to get you another 100 miles,like at lunch, would you do it? Nothing would be different except it was electric, would you, and the price is the same as well.

[voodoodmk]

All of you must watch the film : "Who killed the electric car" only after you can comment...

[ZeppelinPie792]

I highly recommend that film to anybody.

[vinceAV8R]

horrible quality

[hondica]

But where the f*** is VTEC?!?

[SCOTSDOC]

I have been watching electric vehicles for years........I am doubtful they will be permitted  in Canada......Why?? Lithium Batteries are classed as dangerous in a crash.

[gecko1986]

not as dangerous as gas..

[grafli]

@gecko1986

have you ever seen a Crash at 63Km/h against a wall?

[TamiyaDude]

lithium batteries can explode and catch on fire when they get too hot or crushed..

[Nichen]

Check out the Tesla Roadster crash test on YouTube. It´s proven to be very safe.

[AmirGTR]

a nice designed fast electric car...finally!

[Bogt]

really good vid on the electric drive experience. But whoever designed that route should be hanged. And it seemed to me the guy behind the wheel only talked about stuff that can also be found on other cars. :-(

[msquayle]

this car is way sick. if i ever get this much money, i'm gettin it. this car would save me at least 1500 a year on gas alone. plus do it in style! :D

[Nichen]

The Tesla is the fuckin best car in the world right now, pardon my french

[JUKIO01]

tesla is not very effecient.

[tribluered]

Can't afford $100K, how about $30-40K for a Real Electric Car? Lionev Sedan, SUV or Truck. Max tested range 456 miles, with high end battery core.

[stopcrazypp]

It would be nice if they had more cars out to test, so those prices/specs can be verified. Yet, most pp won't pay $30-40k for Hyundai, & they're underpowered. $100k may seem expensive, but it's actually worth its price for its market. I feel that strategy is better; sell a high quality product at a high price & drive downwards. That way u build rep & give EVs a premium feel, so pp willing to pay 20k battery premium. Most EVs so far seem cheap in quality & not worth its price.

[tribluered]

They can go 400+ miles. Some people were paying 42K for the Rav4EV and only got 100+ miles. I am certain that there are people out there that are willing to pay 30-40K to get 400+ miles in an EV.

[stopcrazypp]

That's if they can verify the range. & my point was though selling a 100k sports car EV doesn't seem to be pushing the EV into the mainstream, it actually is a doing a better job than any EV so far. Look at which car got the press! & pp buying the rav4evs are already EV fans; mainstream pp don't care for it. Though the lionev looks to be an excellent deal on an EV, I have seen too many vaporware EV companies. I hope they can really deliver a $40k 400+ mile EV.

[tribluered]

Yeah, I hope they can deliver those cars. Unless they screw up, I will try to spread some information about them.