Tesla
Tesla Roadster
Regular production of the 2008 Tesla Roadster started on 17 March
2008 at the Lotus plant in Hethel, marking an historical milestone for
Tesla Motors and a watershed in the development of clean, zero-emissions
vehicles.
First unveiled as a prototype on July 19th, 2006, the Tesla Roadster
generated an extraordinary response from people everywhere who were
inspired by the vision that beautiful, high performance cars could
generate zero-emissions and burn no oil.
Now, this vision has become a reality as Tesla Motors begins
production of this electric vehicle. The 2008 model year was already
sold out at the start of production and Tesla is currently taking
reservations for the 2009 model year Tesla Roadster. Over 900 Tesla
Roadsters have been reserved in total (March 2008).
In March 2010 Tesla confirmed that their agreement with Lotus for the
supply of electric Roadster rolling chassis will now be extended beyond
the original planned cut-off date of March 2011. The original deal was
for a total of 1.700 units, but this has been increased to 2.400, with
production now expected to end in December 2011. With thi shigher volume
Tesla should be able to produce the Roadster untill 2012. The next
generaion of the Roadster is expected to be a bigger car. It is not sure
if this will also have Lotus roots.
There are also plans for a next model, a five passenger sports sedan,
the Tesla Model S. Deliveries are planne dto start in 2012.
Tesla Model S
Tesla Roadster
Tesla Roadster
Tesla Roadster Specifications
| Style |
2-seat, open-top, rear-drive roadster |
| Drivetrain |
Electric motor with 2-speed
electrically-actuated-manual-shift transmission with
integral differential |
| Motor |
3-phase, 4-pole electric motor, 248hp peak
(185kW), redline 13,000 rpm, regenerative "engine braking"
|
| Chassis |
Bonded extruded aluminum with 4-wheel
wishbone suspension
|
| Brakes |
4-wheel disc brakes with ABS |
| Acceleration |
0 to 60 in under 4 seconds |
| Top Speed |
125 mph |
| Range |
About 220 miles
(based on EPA combined city/highway cycle) |
| Battery Life |
Useful battery, 100,000 miles |
| Energy Storage System |
Custom microprocessor-controlled lithium-ion
battery pack
|
| Full Charge |
About 3.5 hours |
Tesla Roadster Technical Data
|
| Motor |
| Type designation |
3-phase, 4-pole electric motor |
| Max net power |
185kW |
| Max rpm |
13,000 |
| Efficiency |
90% average, 80% at peak power |
| Torque |
|
|
| Transmission |
| Type: 2 speed
electrically actuated manual
transmission with final drive; constant
mesh gears and inertia lock key type
synchromesh |
| Gear |
Ratio |
Overall |
| First |
4.20 : 1 |
14.3 : 1 |
| Second |
2.17 : 1 |
7.4 : 1 |
| Final Drive |
3.41 : 1 |
|
| Reverse |
reverse
direction of motor |
|
|
| Front Suspension |
Type: independent; upper and lower wishbone;
co-axial coil spring/telescopic damper unit;
anti-roll bar |
| Rear Suspension |
Type: independent; upper and lower wishbone;
co-axial coil spring/telescopic damper |
| Brakes |
| Type: Cross-drilled 300 mm front and
310 mm rear discs with curved vane
ventilation; AP Racing Two piston
Aluminum fixed front calipers; Brembo
Single piston sliding rear calipers
|
| Operation: Vacuum pump driven Servo
assisted with 4 wheel ABS system
|
|
| Wheels |
| Type |
Forged Light alloy |
| Size - front |
5.5J x 16 |
| Size - rear |
7.5J x 17 |
|
Tires
|
| Type |
Yokohama Neova AD07 LTS |
| Size - front |
175/55 R16 |
| Size - rear |
225/45 R17 |
|
| Dimensions |
| Overall length (in. / mm) |
155.4 / 3946 |
| Overall width - incl. mirrors (in. /
mm) |
73.7 / 1873 |
| Overall height (at curb weight) (in.
/ mm) |
44.4 / 1127 |
| Wheelbase (in. / mm) |
92.6 / 2352 |
| Track - front (in. / mm) |
57.6 / 1464 |
| Track - rear (in. / mm) |
59.0 / 1499 |
| Curb weight |
Around 2690 pounds (subject to
complete safety and durability testing)
|
| Leg Room (in./mm) |
42.0 / 1067 |
| Front Head Room (in./mm) |
36.7 / 932 |
| Front Shoulder Room (in./mm) |
26.0 / 660 |
|
|
Standard Interior features |
- Heated sport seats with inflatable
lumbar support
- Three-spoke leather-wrapped sport
steering wheel
- Smooth leather seats and trim in black,
dark gray, light gray, or beige
- Blaupunkt stereo sound system with
single-disc CD player, iPod interface, and
MP3 playback
- Cruise Control
- Homelink universal transmitter to
operate compatible garage, gate, and home
lighting/home security systems
- Power windows and locks
- Air conditioning
- Single retractable cup holder
|
| Standard Exterior Features |
- Double-insulated black soft top
- Proprietary halogen low- and high-beam
headlamp assemblies
- LED tail lights
- Forged uni-directional seven-spoke
wheels in silver finish: 16" front, 17" rear
- Locking wheel lugs
- Tire Inflator/sealant
- Cold weather ESS heater for cold weather
charging to -20 degrees Celsius
- Home-based charging system with integral
safety features for 3.5 hour full re-charge
|
| Standard Safety and Security Features |
- Four-sensor, four-channel Anti-lock
Braking Systems (ABS)
- Traction control
- Tire pressure monitoring system
- Front and rear crumple zones
- Driver and passenger front airbags
- Rigid occupant safety cell
- Side impact door beams
- Seatbelt pretensioners
- Integrated headrests
- Vehicle theft-deterrent and engine
immobilizer system
- PIN for security in operating the
vehicle
- Valet mode to restrict speed,
acceleration, and distance
|
| Factory-installed options and accessories |
- Premium leather seats available in nine
colors with embroidered Tesla Motors logo
- Microfiber, non-leather seats in black
- Bluetooth cellular phone integration
- Satellite radio with 170 channels of
digital sound
- Seven-speaker premium sound system tuned
for Tesla Roadster cockpit
- Touch-screen navigation system with
voice guidance
- Matching body-colored carbon fiber
hardtop with full headliner
- Metallic and premium paint
- Tesla Motors custom floor mats
- Mobile charging system
|
|
|
About Tesla Motors
Tesla Motors develops and manufactures electric vehicles, conforming to all
U.S. safety, environmental and durability standards. The Tesla Roadster
is the only highway capable production electric car of any kind for sale
in the United States (March 2008).
With a 0 to 60 mph acceleration of 3.9 seconds, the Tesla Roadster is unique in providing super car
performance at twice the energy efficiency of the best hybrids. The
first car was bought by collector and TV personality Jay Leno. For more information, visit
.
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