Tesla Roadster News
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How do you legally have fun with a $109,000 electric sportscar that can do 0-60 in under 4 seconds, has excellent grip, and a top speed of 125 mph? That’s exactly the question facing many Tesla Roadster owners looking to test their cars - and themselves - to the limit in a safe environment. The solution? Autocross. Held on a temporary course marked by traffic cones on local race tracks, parking lots or decommissioned airfields, autocross events enable drivers to safely pit themselves against the clock in a controlled environment that encourages each driver to drive at their own skill...
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First Drive Report: 2011 Liberty E-Range Electric Range RoverIf you’re a regular visitor to this site, you’ll know that we’ve said before that making a good electric car is hard, even for large automakers like Ford, Nissan, Toyota and Chevrolet. As for turning a production gasoline or diesel car into an electric one? It’s a whole...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Musk: If You Want a Tesla Roadster, You’d Better Hurry UpCalifornian electric auto maker Tesla Motors might be in the final stages of bringing its 2012 Model S luxury sedan to market, but if you want to own one of its iconic two-seat roadsters you’ll need to order one soon. According to vivacious Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the firm is just a few months...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
CEO Musk: 2011 Tesla Roadster Electric Sports Cars Are Gone, AlmostThe Tesla Roadster hasn't been front-page news for electric cars in a while, now that several mass-market family electric cars have launched. So as Tesla moves its focus to the upcoming Model S electric sedan, production of its first electric model is beginning to wind down as planned, so supplies...
Kevin Lee -
What Would You Give Up For Higher Gas Mileage? Cash? Features? Safety?It happens every time. Gas prices go up sharply, and new car buyers suddenly decide that gas mileage is important--and shop accordingly. With gas around $4 a gallon in many parts of the country, what would you trade for higher miles per gallon? Would you pay more? Would you buy a smaller car than...
John Voelcker -
Want to Take Your Electric Car Skiing? Now You Can (Video)Forgive us for saying so, but most electric car owners live in urban or suburban areas, using their cars to get themselves and their family to work or school, or perhaps running errands throughout the day. Most days, the car will end the day with charge to spare. But what if you could use your...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
If we said you could own an electric car that offered four-fifths the fun of a 2012 Tesla Roadster 2.5 for less than a fifth the price, you might think we'd been illicitly inhaling gasoline fumes on the side. What you might not know is how close we are to the truth, and one that comes in the shape of a hugely popular sports car first revealed in 1989. That's right - you can own a first generation Mazda Miata sports EV for less than $15,000, or around 15 percent the price of a brand new Tesla Roadster. The catch? You have to build it yourself, though a new conversion kit from San Francisco...
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Concepts To Make Electric Cars Cool: VW Bulli, Nissan EsflowThe 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March brought a number of new models out of the closet. But for the green car fan, two concepts were the gems of the show: the return of the legendary Volkswagen Microbus, and an electric sports car from Nissan that just might be affordable. Bulli for the Microbus The...
George Parrott -
First Drive Report: Delta Motorsport E-4 Electric CoupeOn Monday we showed you the first pictures of the Delta E-4 Electric Coupe, an all-electric sports car designed and built by Delta Motorsport. Now it’s time to bring you our very own first person report from behind the wheel at the iconic Silverstone racetrack, home to the British Grand Prix...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Earth Day: Eager Electric-Car Advocates Meet Unaware PublicThree weeks ago, in a suburban park in Roseville, California--just outside the state capital, Sacramento--a community celebration of Earth Day served as a gathering of the greenest cars now available. Both participants and random park-goers were drawn to the cars, providing a chance for eager...
George Parrott -
The Fastest, Coolest, Sexiest Supercars Now Come With PlugsSupercars: sleek, blindingly fast, ultra-expensive objects of lust for 14-year-old boys and sober-suited executives alike. For decades, supercars were powered solely by gasoline. But now there's a new gang in town, and they've upended all the rules. The newest, coolest, most jaw-dropping supercars...
John Voelcker -
What Good Is Fast-Charging For Electric Cars If It's Closed?Vacaville, California, has the distinction of the very first public Level 3 or DC quick charging station for electric cars to be installed in the United States. It was first activated in late May 2010, and was used very soon after for a small fleet of Mitsubishi i-MIEV models to make a trip from...
George Parrott -
Tesla Motors, [NSDQ:TSLA] the company behind the Roadster electric vehicle, might look for additional funding from equity sales to help pay for development of its third electric car — the sport utility vehicle styled Model X — according to the company’s CEO Elon Musk. The company is working on another electric car model that’s geared toward car buyers interested in an SUV or a minivan. Details about the Model X have been scarce — one of the few facts known about it is that it will use the same power train as the Model S — and the car should be unveiled at...
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Tesla Morphs into GAP With Branded Clothes for KidsHere’s a question. Would you put your kids in branded clothes for a $109,000 sports car? If you answered yes, then we think that’s the answer Silicon-Valley electric car firm Tesla Motors is hoping for after it has quietly launched a new line of clothing aimed specifically at those way...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
The Price of Conformity: Tesla’s $750 J1772 Charge AdaptorAs those who purchased Betamax when everyone else was choosing VHS will tell you, being at the cutting edge of technology is sometimes very, very expensive. The latest victims of “early-adopter light-wallet syndrome” aren’t buying a new video collection though: they’re...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Tesla V Top Gear: Top Gear’s Track Record With Electric CarsIt’s been two weeks since Californian electric automaker filed papers against the BBC’s Top Gear for libel in relation to a segment the popular entertainment show did on Tesla’s all-electric Roadster back in 2008. By now you’re probably familiar with the details of the case...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
First Private Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Open In TexasNRG Energy has opened its first eVgo direct-current electric vehicle charging station in Dallas, Texas, as part of a privately funded 70-station network in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the company announced. The chargers are designed to be “fast-chargers,” which use a 480-volt direct...
VentureBeat's GreenBeat -
It’s Official: DBM Energy’s Electric Car Battery Is RealRemember the controversial 2010 Audi A2 converted by German battery firm DBM Energy? The car hit the headlines last year when it apparently travelled 375 miles on a single charge. Powered by the latest battery technology, the car’s creators even claimed a 6 minute recharge time. But before...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Just a year ago, seeing the 'RAV4, Powered by Tesla' startup greeting would have been almost unthinkable. Yet last May, Toyota and Tesla inked a deal that took the industry by surprise—and left a lot of observers scratching their heads. And nearly eleven months since that deal—and nine months since it was announced that Tesla would be powering an all-new RAV4 EV, last July—the agreement makes a lot more sense. Through one of the first projects in this agreement, Tesla was to provide the battery, motor system, and all the core powertrain components; Toyota would integrate the...
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Tesla Electric Roadster Triumphs in Monte Carlo For Second Year RunningThere’s something quite fun about winning a competition two years in a row, especially if you’re preoccupied with impending court cases. So when its sexy two seat all-electric Roadster sport romped home in first place at the Fifth Monte Carlo Alternative Energy Rally Tesla’s board...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Top Gear Producer Says Tesla's Libel Suit Is BogusElectric vehicle manufacturer Tesla says BBC TV show Top Gear falsely stated that the Tesla Roadster could only travel 55 miles before needing to recharge, according to Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman. Wilman said the team behind Top Gear, a show that touts the latest and greatest cars...
VentureBeat's GreenBeat -
Tesla Sues Top Gear For Libel Against All-Electric RoadsterAbout two years ago BBC’s Top Gear aired a test drive of the then relatively new Tesla Roadster. While this was seen as a major boon for Tesla, the light shone on its all-electric sports car by the popular show was somewhat less than flattering. In fact, it was rather downbeat. What makes the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Electric Cars: How the 2011 Nissan Leaf & 2011 Chevy Volt DifferNot all electric cars are the same. Buyers can now choose between "pure" battery electric vehicles and a car with a combination power train termed either a range-extended electric vehicle, which uses a gasoline engine to generate electricity to run the car, or a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) that adds...
George Parrott -
Tesla Triumphs with Ten Million Miles Travelled Since LaunchTen million miles. That’s the achievement being celebrated by Tesla Motors after its customers have clocked up 10 million miles of low emissions, all-electric driving since the Tesla launched its two seat sportscar in 2008. Since delivering its first Roadster in 2008, Tesla has sold over 1500...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield