At $100,000 the Tesla Roadster isn’t aimed at people looking to save money on gas. Rather, it targets affluent early adopters — individuals looking for something environmentally responsible, fun, and rare. But Tesla knows to really capitalize on the potential of electric cars it will have to offer something much cheaper. If founder Elon Musk gets his way, the company could be building a $30,000 car in the near future.
Musk told Newsweek his company should be able to build such a vehicle “either directly or in partnership with a major auto company” in four years. In the meantime, Tesla is expected to find middle ground with the launch of its ‘Model S’ sedan.
A low-cost all-electric car isn’t the only milestone Musk has planned. He said he also expected to offer a car with a 305-mile range in around three years — running strictly on battery power.
Another feature that would surely help make the case of electric cars is a high-speed charging system that Musk says would enable owners to get an 80 percent charge in 45 minutes. He used the example of a trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco: “You can drive 200 miles, stop for lunch … and continue the remaining 200 miles to San Francisco.”
The rapid charge system would apparently use some kind of on-board generator, although Musk did not elaborate on the details.
With ever-improving battery technologies, Musk said he’s optimistic electric cars will be the dominant form of automobile in 30 years. He said in that time, he expects all new cars will be electric. “I don’t mean hybrid. I mean pure electric,” he said.
