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It's a new sports car that looks like a Lotus Alise. It has a range
of 250 miles. It also has GPS navigation, air conditioning, air
bags, great sound system, and heated seats. It's totally emissions-free
because it has no internal combustion engine. Powered by a 3-phase,
4-pole AC induction motor, the Roadster can go 130 mph and does
0-60 in about 4 seconds.
The name Tesla Roadster was adapted from Nikola Tesla, the iconic
Serbian engineer who built the first AC induction motor in the 1880s.
The car's lithium-ion battery system is estimated to be twice as
efficient as a hydrogen fuel cell. The Roadster's Energy Storage
System (ESS) provides power to the entire vehicle. The Tesla Roadster
comes complete with its Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE),
a home based charging system. An optional mobile charging kit, for
recharging while away from EVSE, is available. Charging the Tesla
Roadster takes about 3.5 hours.
Tesla Motors cofounders are CEO Martin Eberhard, and Marc Tarpenning,
Vice President. Research and Development for Tesla Motors is based
at the Corporate Headquarters in San Carlos, CA. Engines are manufactured
at Tesla's facility in Taiwan, and assembly takes place at Lotus's
plant in England.
Deliveries of the Tesla Roadster are expected to begin in summer,
2007, and the concern will sell cars in the US only when they pass
the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS). The company is
preparing a sedan which may be available as early as 2008.
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