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Zero to 60 in four seconds. The Tesla Roadster is 100% electric. It looks H-O-T hot. "Burn rubber not gasoline." More info from Wired here. It's quiet, too, spooky cool.
An onboard computer provides traction control, keeping the car from burning rubber. The result: 0 to 60 in about four seconds. And, since the motor is not limited by the complexity of pistons moving up and down, it can spin much faster. Porsche's top-of-the-line model -- the $440,000 Carrera GT -- maxes out at 8,400 rpm; the Tesla Roadster has a ceiling of 13,500, enabling it to go 70 mph in first gear. (It has two gears, plus reverse.)The Tesla was mentioned in a Fox Trot cartoon. (You'll have to select Wed Aug 2 to view the right one.)
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cars
8 comments:
Not to bang my own hybrid drum, but I assume that 100% electric car has to be plugged in. I don't think you can get the same smug satisfaction of not harming the environment as much from a plug-in electric car than you can from a hybrid, whose electric motor recharges itself as you brake and coast when you drive.
Much of our electricity is generated through means that pollute the environment, so while you are not using gasoline in a plug-in car, you are not exactly saving the little squirrels and trees and such either.
When our electricity is generated through cleaner means (though, Lewis Black does point out that we'll never adopt solar energy on a large scale because the sun disappears every day and doesn't tell us where it goes) then I'll be more excited about the plug-in cars.
Of course, if you're only interested in alternate fuels for the cool factor, then you are most likely drawn to this particular model, as it offers alternative fuel in a turbo-charged package, performance not normally associated with alternative fuel vehicles.
Um, or was I just supposed to say, "Cool"?
I'm waitign for the one that runs on soy.
There are already cars that run on mostly corn. Do a search for E-85.
Actually, if I had point, it would be this: If they want people to buy cars that use less gasoline, then making them fast and pretty is a good idea.
Fender skirts on hybrids are not a big selling poitn.
The electric car I worked on in college was fast like this...and had a cool paint job :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_Lightning
We won the "first race" at the Cleveland airport...fun times.
Dude, that was cool! I saw a guy on The Daily Show who wrote a book called "Who Killed the Electric Car?" that I'm gonna look for.
He said that he leased an electric car made for Californians, and they made him give it back and they crushed them!
Nice stats, but doesn't quite compare with the new Porsche 911. Check out that HP and top speed! Egads!
No doubt about it though, electricity (especially if you are using batteries, and due to the lack of take up of nuclear powerplants) are far from an eco-conscious solution.
I want a car that runs on pollution.
I have never really liked the looks of the 911 series, but that one is pretty hot, I admit.
Runs on pollution, I like that.
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