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Ellie Zolfagharifard
Senior Reporter
Lean, green, electric machine
It was billed as the silver bullet of the electric car industry. An elegant sports car that could reach 0-60mph in stomach-churning 3.7 seconds and cost in the region of £3.50 to charge.
But since it entered the UK market, the Tesla Roadster has received mixed reviews. Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are both fans, yet full-time electric car sceptic Jeremy Clarkson claims the sleek Roadster Sport is ‘as much use as a bag of muddy spinach.’
So when The Engineer was given the opportunity to test drive the Roadster Sport, we jumped at the chance to take it for a spin around the streets of Kensington and find out exactly why the car had caused so much controversy. Coincidentally, the car we borrowed was vibrant green - pretty much the colour of fresh spinach.
Ellie puts the Tesla through its paces outside Engineer Towers
With no Congestion Charge and free parking, the benefits of driving an electric vehicle in London are increasing. But these aren’t the reasons that you would fork out £101,900 for the Roadster Sport.
That would be for the smooth torque, the 211 mile range, the light-weight carbon fibre body and, most of all, for the electrifying acceleration you get when you press your foot to the pedal to reach a maximum speed of 125 mph.
The Sport weighs around 1,200kg, and you feel that weight while cornering. A third of that mass is made up by the 6831 lithium-ion batteries in the back of the car, all of which need to be constantly cooled.
The handling is also affected by the choice of tyres which are low-rolling-resistance, giving less grip and a harder ride. But all of this seems to matter less, when you think of the 288hp performance - astonishing from the motor the size of a grapefruit.
You would almost forget you’re driving an electric car if it wasn’t for the eerie silence during cruises. At high speeds, the noise of the tyres and the sound of the Sport cutting though the wind are the only audible warning to cyclists, pedestrians and cars.
Its ‘zero-emission’ credentials are another divisive point. Unfortunately, charging a Tesla Roadster from a 13-amp plug takes around 16 hours. And unless you’re getting that electricity from a renewable source, the Tesla can never truly be ‘zero-emissions’.
But it’s a step in the right direction. With time and refinement, Tesla will improve their design, ready for an infrastructure that can provide a greener source of electricity. Overall, the Tesla represents an electrifying concept that could one day open the door for truly zero-emissions cars. You see, Jeremy, the thing about muddy spinach is that you can wash it.
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Readers' comments (35)
Jonathan Douglas | 22 Oct 2010 2:12 pm
Sorry if I'm boring everyone on this, but admirable though this Tesla machine is, is there anyone out there who would own one as their only car ?? Brad and Leonardo no doubt have several cars each. Outside of City Centres, electric cars are still only likely to be second cars, and that rather defeats the green credentials.
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Helen | 22 Oct 2010 2:26 pm
Which of the streets in Kensington allow speeds of 125mph? Or even 0-60mph?
I agree with Jonathan; a range of 211 miles wouldn't get me from my house to my parents' house. What price a second car.
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e. charles sterling | 22 Oct 2010 2:27 pm
Keep in mind that to make these batteries there is a manufacturing process that feeds the pollution issue. The quantity of batteries makes it questionable about the benefits of running a production vehicle on batteries. Put the vehicle in a Downtown environment and the cost of recharge will likely double.
Overall, nice idea for those who can afford the price tag.
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Paul Bridgeman | 22 Oct 2010 2:29 pm
and of course there were no emissions when manufacturing or shipping this car.
Untill we truly get to grips with what 'Zero' emissions actually means, we should merely state that there are no emissions at point of use.
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Anonymous | 22 Oct 2010 2:53 pm
I can't believe how negative some people are. Yes it does cause polution in the manufacturing process and in recharging.
No, you can't drive at 125 MPH anywhere but that is completely besides the point. The final solution to a problem never comes with the first itteration, its something called progress!
The world would be a much better place if people were more positive and looked at things objectively!
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Fred Perry | 22 Oct 2010 3:00 pm
It's a step in the right direction. More beneficial for London would be taxis and buses using the concept
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Andrew Taylor | 22 Oct 2010 3:16 pm
I agree with Fred Perry's remark. The current (no pun intended) electric cars are toys and will not entice main stream motorists to replace their petrol and diesel cars. Making electrically driven taxis and buses would be a start but a"green" replacement for a small van would give the electric vehicle market far more credibility.
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Jim Parisien | 22 Oct 2010 3:24 pm
Don't throw the Baby out with the bath water folks. Electric cars are not a perfect solution, but they are a step in the right direction. Sure, batteries, shipping, etc JUST like gas cars still come with a price, they are not perfect. But they are an improvement and electric cars are cheaper per kilometer than gas cars. If widely adopted they would also reduce or dependency on the not so friendly Middle East. Further, were more people to buy them, prices would drop dramatically. Even now you can trade off top speed and acceleration for more distance. So if you don't need 125mph max or 0-60 in 3.7 seconds then you can get much larger distances on one charge.
The Tesla design simply makes a point that looks, speed, and acceleration are possible with electric cars, although perhaps not the best trade off if you want range. We need to loose the negative "all or nothing" mantra, and embrace improvements as they come. This change towards greenER solutions will only ever work as an evolution , not a one step revolutionary solution. The smaller incremental inconveniences of the evolution path are better than the significant problems we will face waiting for the perfect non-existent miracle revolutionary solution. So lets all be adults, deal with the compromise, and begin to empower ourselves towards a better future.
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Anonymous | 22 Oct 2010 3:28 pm
Agree with the point made on progress, the whole point of this company is not to have us all running around in 2 seater sports cars. The stated objective has always been that this initial high priced model will build up the company to pay for development of a more affordable mass market vehicle. By investing in this people with high net worth are sponsoring one area of automotive scientific development.
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Helen | 22 Oct 2010 3:38 pm
@Anon
My quip about 125 mph wasn't aimed at the car, but at the journalist who described the feeling of "the electrifying acceleration you get when you press your foot to the pedal to reach a maximum speed of 125 mph" having told us she was driving in Kensington.
Did you read the article?
My other point related to real world requirements for vehicles - until electric cars meet all of these, they won't become mainstream, however good for the environment they are. We have become used to the level of mobility we currently enjoy and are not going to give it up. A two day trip, including recharge, to travel what currently takes 3-4 hours is not a trade-off anyone will accept.
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