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Tesla
History
Tesla Motors' first production vehicle, the Tesla Roadster, will be a performance sports car. According to the company, the cars will have a range of 250 miles (400 kilometers), acceleration from 0 to 60 MPH in 4 seconds, and a top speed of 130 MPH. Prototypes were introduced to the public in July 2006, and the first production models are planned for summer 2007. Demand was high for the first 'Signature One Hundred' Roadsters, which sold out in less than three weeks. According to a note on the company's web site, as of November 2006 the full run of the "2007 1/2" model have been sold out, constituting 220+ cars. Tesla plans to offer home roof mounted solar-photovoltaic systems that will offset power used by the home charger, allowing 50 miles (80 kilometers) of travel without burdening the power grid, and thus making the package "energy positive" for a driver whose average daily mileage is less than that. Tesla is also currently working on an unannounced sedan, codenamed "White Star", which may be introduced as early as 2009. It is being designed as an alternative to the BMW 5 Series, with an estimated price of $50,000-70,000.[1]
