Telsa has promised lots and so far delivered little.

Tesla*

all these cars talk about having a gas engine to recharge the batteries, but how long will it take? how much gas will it use? will it take an hour of running on the gas engine to recharge them? 5 minutes? 30 seconds? a full tank of gas? what?

What is the expected life span of the battery? Cost? 40 mile range on battery carrying how many people? One? The questions goes on. There has been no major break through in electrical technology so why all the hype? IS this just some oppertunity for people to get their names in the news? Or political BS? Why should I buy a $50K car when I could buy a Haonda Fit, Ford Focus, Chevy Aveo, etc and save $35K and save on gas at even $5 per gal?

It sucks being such a stand out. Making the cars now that the major makers can’t seem to make more than one of for the next auto show, that’ll barely run most of the time.

I really wish Tesla had kept their cards closer to their chest. They could have delivered the Whitestar a couple of years ago while still working on the roadster. Though more exciting, it would not have been as disappointing to deliver the sedan first and the sports car a few years later. At least tat way Tesla would be building mindshare with customers. Roll out the sports car at the same time as they deliver the next car down the price scale.

One does not get to see a new car company rise from scratch often. That not withstanding, Lexus hung it out for a couple of years with only the LS until more products were available. It was a big showy start, but more effective in the long run.

Should have started with the Whitestar first with the Roadster teasing in background until it was actually ready.

As for the 40 mile range, you commute to and from work running on batteries. I have little doubt that range will be effected but not by that much with four or five average sized adults in the car. I doubt they would have engineered a car that couldn’t handle 1000lbs of human and only go 20 miles on a charge.

“What about the when the battery is used up, Huh? What then pulled off on the road dead?” You have the gas-powered generator to provide the power and recharge the battery. While you will be able to charge the car in a socket, you don’t have to. I don’t know yet how far you would have to drive to fully recharge the battery, but you will still get hither and yon same as always. You’re SOL if you run out of gas, period. But here you take a lot longer to use that gas.

“Why would I buy that if I could buy a cheaper car and save gas?”
My question: Why would you buy a cheaper car to save gas if you can buy this one and save more gas? If you can foot the bill, pay it if you want it. Same thing applies to everything on the market.

“Who fast it is? Range at what speed?”

Tesla claimed that the Roadster would reach speeds of around 125-155 mph. I’d wager on 155 or a bit higher. It is a sports car after all. The Whitestar would likely be good for around 125mph or so. As technology and competition improve, electric and Series Hybrids will be as fast or faster than traditional gas-powered by 2020.

Funny thing about Electric motors, they are very efficient. Speed and Range are not entirely mutually exclusive. Go faster, go a shorter distance or go slower, go further. I would think that they would rate ranges based on usage at highway speeds. However, while it would take less time run the battery down at higher speeds, the distance covered would be roughly equal in most cases. This unlike a gasoline powered car whose gross inefficiency (The typical ICE is only 30-40% efficient) whose energy usage increases radically cutting range enormously, means range is cut if the engine is used very ineffectively (stop-n-go traffic, driving slowly for extended periods, excessive speed, prolonged idling, poor engine design execution, and/or maintenance, and so on)

In most electric model racing, a perfect microcosm of electric technology as it stands today, range is measured as a function of time and not distance. One model may run 20 minutes and another for only 5 minutes, on the same type/”size” battery . In most cases, the model running four times longer is also going 1/4 as fast.

I have little doubt the same dynamic applies to full-sized cars. Range will not mean much. How long it takes you to get there will.

This is only the beginning started believe it or else, back in the 1960s. Gas was real cheap back then, no one cared about fuel efficiency. I look on in wonderment, but as some have pointed out, results have been fleeting at best. That will likely change in the next few years.

ummm, they can’t even get the roadste out the door, and they are talking about more models? That’s kinda funny. Prediction: out of business in 12 mo.

youre both ****knuckles

Blakkarr, yea but they need to mate anything electric engine to a nice durable transmission to withstand the torque. I think that’s where the problem is.

My batteries in my Electric vehicle are 9 years old now and test 100 percent of their rated capacity. It travels 60-70 miles on a single charge and will haul up to 1000 lbs of weight. So, it doesn’t use ANY gasoline and has been totally reliable to drive daily. It charges up for about 75 cents of electricity. Battery electrics do have a place in the transportation population…just not for everybody. Like a Mustang GT is not for everybody. I like it for its many reasons, and am a buyer for a plug in hybrid whenever it comes out from a production car company. Hope they make it.

Veda,

I’m sure they’ll figure it out. I would think a better clutch design or a gentler acceleration curve as opposed to just smashing down full force. Setting the motor to operate more like a gasoline engine will be better, easier, and cheaper than having to develop some super tranny.

Then there is just putting the motors in the wheel and just bypass the whole axle and tranny issue altogether.

^ Electronic everything and have the motors in the wheels would be the ultimate setup indeed.

Motors in wheels = unsprung weight, every suspension engineers worst nightmare.

I stop on red but I leave on amber
Danger paves my way
I’m gonna make it my friend
Gonna make it today

Gonna get the dust from my heels,
Down the highway I go
Gonna get the stars from my brow
Playing in a rock ‘n’ roll show

It’s electric,
It’s electric,
It’s electric,
It’s electric,

Two things.

First SwerveEarly,

I agree, but take notes from Monster truck engineers and you will find that firmer damping and more aggressively progressive springs should go a long way to fixing this problem.

Even so one could attach the motors directly to the out-drives, drive shafts, whatever, to avoid this problem but you end up occupying a lot of space of the farm that could be used for other things, not the least of which includes occupant space, storage, and other mechanicals (generators, batteries – at least until paper batteries are ready to go., fuel and so on.)

Other options are to reduce unsprung weight by attaching the spring to the motor in one way or another. A neat trick but doable.

Second… an admission (I was wrong)

The Tesla roadster, still has outstanding acceleration but is only capable of around 125mph. Not bad for the two-speed tranny, however.

Compare this to the Lotus Elise, on which it is based, with less power, more gears but is capable of similar 0-60 and 150mph. The Tesla would need more gears (a third would be good) Or what I mentioned above, putting the motors in the wheels.

I had calculated that the motors would not have to be that fast to achieve 200mph, only around 4500rpm, as opposed to the Tesla’s single 8500rpm motor, on 26in diameter tires. This would be 20in wheels with typical touring tires to fit. The slower motors have a lower Amp draw and so two should not effect range or run time much.

Who started talking about these “fat virgins” ?

Tesla is really Promisla….still waiting for the product.