Tesla Roadster News
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Yesterday we covered the new green production cars at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, now underway in snowy Switzerland. Today, we get to cover the cooler, sexier side of the show: concept cars! So, here's our roundup of notable green and advanced-technology concept cars at Geneva. Audi A1 e-tron concept It seems safe to consider Audi's conversion complete. The company whose U.S. head called buyers of electric cars "idiots" only a year ago has launched the third model in its series of e-tron electric-car concepts at Geneva, all of them headed for low-volume production. Their latest e-Tron is...
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Lease Your Tesla Roadster Now, Only $1,658 Per Month
Have you ever dreamed of owning Tesla Roadster, but simply could not muster together enough money for the $109,000 electric supercar? Well, Tesla has the answer. Now you can lease one for only $1,658 a month. Sounds like a bargain, but there's a catch. Tesla has just opened up a leasing...
Eric Loveday -
Electric-Car Dealerships Struggle, But Why Such Surprise?
A recent article in the Oakland Tribune highlights the high failure rate of independent car dealerships selling only electric vehicles. Frankly, we're not at all surprised. We worried readers might find a subtext that the slew of EV-only dealerships that have closed--in Berkeley, Concord, Davis...
John Voelcker -
Don't Have A Spare $109K? Now You Can Lease a Tesla Roadster
When the auto market fell apart last year, the era of cheap car leases came to an abrupt end. And only recently have manufacturers tiptoed cautiously back into offering lease payments for some models, rather than selling them outright. The latest maker to join the lease parade is Tesla Motors...
John Voelcker -
BREAKING: Tesla Employees Killed in Plane Crash Identified
UPDATE (February 18): The three Tesla Motors employees killed yesterday in the crash of a small airplane at the Palo Alto Airport have now been identified, according to local news reports. They were: Doug Bourn, a senior electric engineer and the presumed pilot of the plane; Andrew Ingram, an...
John Voelcker -
Audi To Sell e-Tron Electric Coupes, Hopes Name Has Quattro Clout
After the rapturous reception for three successive models of its e-Tron electric coupe concept at the Frankfurt, Los Angeles, and Detroit auto shows, Audi announced it would build and sell a small number of the electric supercars. Now we know a few more details of Audi's plans. And it seems Audi...
John Voelcker -
The Tesla Roadster may be going out of production in 2012, but Tesla drivers--and electric vehicle drivers in general--are nothing if not resourceful. First, in December, the company managed a cross-country road trip, driving a Roadster from Los Angeles to Detroit. Now, we find that a Colorado Tesla driver took advantage of an almost-hidden electric plug in the Denver International Airport parking garage to recharge his (her?) Roadster during what we assume was a trip out of town in late January. Early adopters are expected to adapt their lives to the limited range of their electric vehicles...
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If Tesla Roadster Production Ends in 2012, Show Us The Money
Whenever we're asked whether electric-car startup Tesla Motors will make it, we respond with our own question: What's the last carmaker started from scratch in the U.S. by entrepreneurs that's still with us, and when did it launch? The answer is Chrysler, and the year was 1924. In other words...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Roadster Production to End in 2011, New Version Expected in 2013
According to a report from Wired's Autopia site, the Tesla Roadster that we are familiar with will come to the end of its production run in 2011. A new version of the Roadster will appear in 2013. Autopia came across the information while perusing through the filings made by Tesla with the...
Eric Loveday -
2010 Tesla Roadster Sport Offers More Punch
For About $25K Extra You Can Get To 60 MPH Quicker
Jonathan McGrew -
AC Propulsion and AutoPort, Inc. Partner to Develop Electric Vehicle for US Postal Service Feasibility Study
AC Propulsion, source of the technologies and/or components and systems for the Tesla Roadster and Mini-e, has now partnered with AutoPort, Inc. to develop an electric vehicle for a US Postal Service (USPS) feasibility study. Among many capabilities, AutoPort specializes in fleet conversions, so...
Jason Hendler -
Raging Grannies Protest Tesla's Possible Use of Toxic Dump Site For Future Model S Plant
A group of concerned activists is raising questions about one potential location for Tesla's future Model S assembly plant. The Raging Grannies spent last Saturday in front of the Tesla dealership in Menlo Park, California, asking why the electric vehicle company might build their future plant...
Robert Scardino -
Only four electric vehicles really matter at the Detroit Auto Show: the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the 2012 Nissan Leaf, and the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, plus the current 2010 Tesla Roadster. They're on sale, or destined for volume production. The rest fall into two categories: low-volume prototypes from makers like BMW and Volvo, and a horrifying mix of low-speed and neighborhood electric vehicles and outright science projects. But there's little to help showgoers understand the differences among these categories in the 2010 Detroit Auto Show's main-floor "Electric Avenue" area. That's...
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Tesla Motors to Showcase Roadster VIN 1000 and Model S Concept at NAIAS.
Tesla Motors will be showcasing a major milestone in their production history at the North American International Auto Show. Tesla Roadster VIN 1,000 will be making it's debut at Cobo Hall, signifying Tesla Motors' impressive feat of producing / selling 1,000 highway capable electric vehicles...
Jason Hendler -
Audi E-tron Torque Numbers Recalculated, New Output 501.5 lb.-ft
Previous reports of the highly anticipated Audi E-tron electric vehicle have definitely raised some questions about the claimed torque rating of 3,319 lb-ft. Though the number is a true calculation, it does not follow industry standards for torque ratings. Adjusted to industry standards, the...
Eric Loveday -
Your Dream of Driving a Tesla Roadster Sport Could Become a Reality
To many, the chance to drive a Tesla Roadster Sport may only be a dream. Its high price and lack of usefulness as your primary, only car may put it out of reach to us ordinary folk. Dreaming about driving a Tesla Roadster and having the unique chance to actually pilot one are two entirely...
Eric Loveday -
All-Electric Roadtrip From LA to Detroit? No Problem, Says Tesla
As we've noted elsewhere, we write a lot about Tesla. We certainly give them more ink...errr, electrons?...than their share of the sports car market, since they're just delivered their 900th Roadster. Not that they're not wildly fun to drive, mind you. But despite early engineering difficulties...
John Voelcker -
Want To Drive a 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport? Enter Our Writing Contest!
We tested a 2009 Tesla Roadster last spring. Without a doubt, it's one of the most fun and breathtaking performance cars around. And the new-for-2010 Roadster Sport model is even quicker. Zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, anyone? Now you too can have your very own chance to drive a 2010 Tesla Roadster...
John Voelcker -
We're gearing up for the Los Angeles Auto Show here at GreenCarReports, and the press releases are flying across the desk. Most of them don't apply to green car buyers and fans, but here's one worth watching. At the show, Capstone Turbine Corp. will unveil its CMT-380 concept, an extended-range electric supercar. Here's the kicker: The CMT-380 extends the 80-mile range of its lithium-ion battery pack by up to 500 miles with an onboard generator turned by...a turbine engine. The powertrain uses the same extended-range electric car concept as the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. Technically, neither car is...
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All-Electric Rolls-Royce Phantom To Awe 2012 London Olympics?
We almost never mention the 2010 Rolls-Royce Phantom here on GreenCarReports.com. That's because--at three tons, with 453 horsepower from its 6.7-liter V-12 engine, and an EPA rating of 13 mpg city / 19 mpg highway--it's [ahem] just not that green. Well, Rolls-Royce is looking ahead. Not only into...
John Voelcker -
Introducing The ECOS Harbinger-An Electric Supercar For Under $90,000
ECOS is known for the electric retrofitting of old Volkswagens - for around $12,500, you can have your Beetle converted into highway capable electric commuter. But capitalizing on the availability of off-the-shelf componentry and the relative simplicity of EV powertrains, ECOS is hoping to...
Jon Vandervelde -
New Nickel-Lithium Battery Has Ultra-High Energy Density
Researchers at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) have succeeded in making the world’s first Ni-Li battery, a formulation that holds more than 3.5 times the energy of Li-ion batteries and doesn’t run the risk of catching fire. By including a...
Jon Vandervelde -
Tesla Roadster Channels Taxi Cab In France
If you own a car as unique as the Tesla Roadster, why not advertise your business with it? That's what one Monaco resident did with this electric sports car clad in the standard issue yellow and black. The owner, who runs a New York City cab company which uses mostly hybrid vehicles, recently put...
Robert Scardino -
Tesla Roadster Sets New World Record With 313 Mile Journey
The Global Green Car Challenge took place this week in Australia. Participants in numerous categories faced off for supremacy. One vehicle, the Tesla Roadster, set a new world record in the battery powered production vehicle class. Driver Simon Hackett and co-driver Emilis Prelgauskas set out...
Eric Loveday