2009 Tesla Roadster - Review

By Eric Loveday

Eric Loveday

Author BIO

Eric Loveday is a car enthusiast with a love for everything automotive. He purchased a 1970 Chevelle at age 16, quickly outgrew its dated engineering... More

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2009 Tesla Roadster

A Tesla Roadster has no pretensions of being a bargain car.  With a six digit price tag, high class clientele, and a look at me exterior, the Tesla Roadster screams money and draws onlookers from both near and far.

And money is what you will need to get charging options for the Tesla Roadster that should come standard with the car.  Tesla touts its quick charging ability stating that the vehicle can be fully recharged in as little as 3 hours.  The cost for a charging system from Tesla with this capability, $3,000.  Previously, this optional charging system came as standard equipment, now you must pay extra.

So you are unwilling to pay $3,000 to charge your Tesla in as little as 3 hours, you could simply plug it into a standard wall outlet with the 120 volt plug included with the car and charge your Tesla in only 37 hours.  Maybe that's too leisurely for you and you want to opt for the 240 volt system which charges the Roadster in 10 hours, cost $1,500.

Price may not be an issue for most Tesla Roadster buyers, but a 3 hour charge is a bold statement made by Tesla and is unobtainable without optional equipment.  Add additional thousand to the costs to install the 70 amp wiring system in you garage and you get a capable Tesla Roadster that can recharge in 3 hours for around $120,000.  Add in forged wheels, optional and only $2,300 more and your Roadster is fully equipped and ready to go.

Source:  Car and Driver May 2009