I confess I am kind of a ‘garage girl’ – I grew up handing wrenches to my dad under one of his many perfectly tuned cars. Later as a teenager, I worked at an Amoco Station and hung out with the mechanics on Main Street, near my hometown. That was the place where all the loud, fast, cool cars full of leaded fuel would go to race, (sorry Anoka – they still have a ‘No Cruising’ law because of us). Those days are long gone, it has been 15 years since I sipped a beer in a greasy garage choking on exhaust fumes. Yes, I have traded in my wild and woolly ways for quieter, more responsible and reliable transportation these days. Knowing a little about cars, I have been very patiently waiting, for the car that has it all, speed, handling, good looks, and of course all electric power - no 40 mile per charge hybrid for this recovering motorhead. For my next car I am going to the top of the line–Tesla. I have not been this excited about a car since my first ride with a cute boy in a hot rod, and that is longer ago than I would like to admit… (Yes kids – leaded fuel). 
Tesla Motors is America’s (if not the Earth’s) best all electric car company and they are gaining a reputation from their first model, the Tesla Roadster. The Roadster is the ultimate new generation of American sports car; it does 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, and will cruise 244 miles on one full battery charge. No other electric vehicle, or EV, has been able to touch that performance. Did I mention it’s sexy?
Now if this sporty model is not quite your speed or your price, (the Roadster will set you back a cool $109,000.00), then sit tight because the fledgling automaker has announced its second generation of EV’s – The Model S. Almost as fast and just as cool, but with a lot more room and a smaller price tag. Make that a more than 50% smaller price tag. The new ‘S’ starts at $49,900 and will be available in 2011.
The Model S four door sedan will run for 300 miles on a full charge, it recharges in 45 minutes, only costing you $4. The best part, it will still spank most gas guzzlers with 0-60 in 5.6 seconds – maxing out at 120 mph. All while doing it quietly—almost respectful of its surroundings. Don’t forget that there is virtually no maintenance on an EV, tires and wiper fluid is about all you need. One of the coolest features about this car is the 17 inch infotainment touchscreen that is the control center of the vehicle. Check it out in the video above.
I am not the only one in love with Tesla, many eco-conscious celebrities have Roadsters in their garages, like Matt Damon pictured above. Others include David Letterman, Bono, Leonardo DiCaprio, Anthony Keidis, George Clooney, the founders of Google – Sergey Brin and Larry Page and my hometown favorite Horst Rechelbacher, (I took the picture below of his Roadster at the St Paul Green Expo this April – I heard he has two more on order). Here is some other recent Tesla press coverage.
So why did it take a rocket builder to make this car? Elon Musk is the founder and CEO of Tesla Motors and also the founder of Space X, a space exploration technology company that plans to colonize Mars. Tesla may be small now but Musk has the attention of the big boys. GM’s Vice Chairman Bob Lutz had this to say about Tesla, “All the geniuses here at General Motors kept saying lithium-ion technology is ten years away, and Toyota agrees with us—and boom, along comes Tesla. So I said, ‘How come some teeny little California start-up run by guys who know nothing about the car business can do this, and we can’t? ‘” I guess even with all that bail out money, it couldn’t buy GM a clue, 40 miles per charge – please.
Better Place’s Shai Agassi who is partnered with Renault Nissan for his EVs is also aware of Tesla’s position in the EV market, “Elon made the best car in the world, which is fantastic. But we’re going to make the cheapest. Cheap wins.” He goes on to say, “You can’t solve the world’s climate problem with two hundred and fifty expensive cars – you need seventy million a year.” For now the rivalry is respectful and both have valid points. I feel that the competition is good for all carmakers, it means they are forging a new generation of EV’s and creating awareness and soon demand. Both Agassi and Musk are driven, proud and fiercely ambitious. Rightly so, they have great vision and noble missions – and a lot of investors to keep happy. They are both striving toward a common goal – to make the planet better and make a smooth transition away from oil. And that makes me happy.
My dad still drives his 1953 Chevy Pick-up truck to Anoka for a car show every Saturday night in the summer, but he can’t wait for me to get my Tesla Model S.
Tesla Motors
Tesla Motors designs and sells high performance, super efficient electric cars. Tesla Motors cars join style, acceleration, and handling with advanced technologies that make them the quickest and the most energy-efficient cars on the planet.
- Organization Type: Profit
- Website: teslamotors.com
- Founder(s):Elon Musk
- Founded: 2003
- Location:San Carlos, CA
- See complete company list here
Source: teslamotors.com
Contributor Profile: Justine
Justine is passionate about curing social injustice and global environmental issues. She has traveled extensively in Central America and the Caribbean, and is especially interested in the emergence of the Ecotourism industry.
Twitter: @justine72
You might also like
|
|
|
|
|
