Tesla Road Test  

Chris from "Revenge Of the Electric Car" has a report on his experiences driving a Tesla Roadster around - First week with a Tesla.

My first electric car, twelve years ago, turned me from a car-hater into a car-lover, and the Tesla only heats this up more. The Roadster is faster then anything on the road, including the young guy in a fuel cell SUV who improbably challenged me to a Saturday night race on Hollywood Blvd. Yes he was joking.

The Roadster is definitely a sports car - low to the ground, tight handling, and quick. You’ve got to pay attention to avoid SUVs, spine crunching pot holes, and drivers who let their cars drift into you as they stare.

One thing easy to avoid is the gas station. The flashing charger port on the car (insert phallic symbol here) makes the Star Wars light sabre look dull. And early results suggest a range of 175 to 200 miles, although I’ve never gotten close to running out of power. Specs are 4 hours for a “complete charge” but I’ve been getting what I need in about 45 minutes. Night time grid charging is cheapest (”$1 a gallon”) and the whole process will be even greener come the end of January when our roof (finally) gets solar panels.

The last two weeks have flown by in a second. Highlights have included giving the visionary LA Councilman Eric Garcetti a ride. Eric cameoed in Who Killed the Electric Car and has driven EVs for years so I let him drive it himself. His verdict: Awesome.

I’ve also had a bunch of great interviews including Croatian TV (Yes, Nicola Tesla would be proud.), and French journalists doing a story about “Revenge of the Electric Car.” Midlife crisis be damned, I’d rather have this Tesla than any Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus or Porsche. Those cars are just as expensive and far far more polluting. Complaints? None. I just wish everyone could have this experience for themselves and more plug-in cars start filling the roads everywhere.