Who Revived the Electric Car?

Earlier this year, Chris Paine wrote and directed a documentary called Who Killed the Electric Car? which chronicled the brief rise and rapid demise of this country’s first attempt at mass producing an electric vehicle. In July, California-based Tesla Motors unveiled their ultra high-performance Tesla Roadster. Capable of hitting 0-60 in 4 seconds, going up to 250 miles on a single charge, and averaging just $2.50 to ‘fill up’, this is no ordinary sports car. Of course this comes at a price, roughly $90,000 to be exact. More

Named for world famous inventor and father of modern electricity, the Tesla Roadster is designed to rival both the Porsche and Prius in performance and efficiency. The car’s lithium-ion batteries currently are the most efficient method for storing electricity, are landfill safe and will perform for an estimated 100,000 miles. Compared to traditional gasoline powered cars and alternative fuel vehicles, the Tesla Roadster exhibits superior well-to-wheel energy efficiency and emissions. And while the majority of the electricity needed to power the Roadster currently comes from natural gas, many utilities use coal, nuclear, and renewable sources such as wind, solar and biomass.

Bankrolled by PayPal founder Elon Musk, Tesla Motors wants nothing less than to revolutionize the auto industry by providing a viable, low-cost alternative to what Musk calls the “mine-and-burn hydrocarbon” transportation economy.

In addition, Tesla Motors is hoping the Roadster’s combination of a premium price tag and advanced technology (not to mention its stylish design) will generate enough consumer interest and momentum to allow the company to engineer additional models at higher volumes and put this technology within the price range of average consumers.