Tesla Motors gave a presentation of their soon-to-be-released electric car the Tesla Roadster.
It was half-presentation, half Q&A session. While some of the questions were very technical, a lot of the concerns presented by the audience seemed to revolve on the batteries and range of the car.
How long do the batteries last?
The battteries are warranted for 100,000 miles. Batteries should be good for 500 zero-to-one-hundred percent cycles.
How far can the Tesla Roadster go?
The Tesla can go 200 miles (according to EPA standards for driving). This is enough for most commutes, but the Tesla Roadster is NOT a roadtrip car.
Is the car cold-startable?
The car has undergone testing in +40 degree down to -40 degree weather. It's also undergone testing on all sorts of roads as well, including ice and cobblestone. There's a HVAC system to keep the batteries at an optimuum temperture. In a -40 degree condition, it might take a few minutes for the batteries to get to the optimuum temperature.
Why aren't you sharing more parts with the Elise?
Contractual obligations prevent them from using too much of Lotus' parts. They use the same suspension system, but the aluminum chasis is Tesla's own. The cost of a car where they needed to develop everything themselves would have been prohibitive.
While I was hoping the Tesla would be a replacement car, there are a number of factors that would relegate the car to being a second vehicle -- especially when traveling long distances or with more passengers or in need of more cargo space.
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