Tesla Roadster Sport Introduced

Tesla Roadster Sport

By Thami Masemola
January 11, 2009 8:33 PM
Filed Under: American, Electric Vehicle, Tesla Motors

The Tesla Roadster Sport will be introduced to the public in June after orders for the electric sports car opened today. Starting at $128,500 in the US and €112,000 (excluding VAT) in Europe, the Tesla Roadster Sport features improved suspension with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars. The driver can adjust the suspension to their own liking.

Performance times for the car are said to be 3.7 seconds for the 0 to 60 mph dash while the engine revs at up to 14,000rpm. The car delivers zero emissions from its all-electric powertrain, placing the environment high up on its list of priorities. Tesla has delivered over 150 examples of the Roadster, but with a waiting list of over 1,100 many could move over to the Roadster S.

"This car can beat nearly anything in its price class - yet it is twice as efficient as compact hybrid sedans," said senior vice president of global sales, service and marketing Michael van der Sande. "If you refuse to compromise on performance or the environment, the Roadster Sport is your only option."

Tesla Motor is current working to add a second all-electric, zero-emissions model to the range by the end of 2011. Currently known as Model S, it's a four-door five-seater luxury sedan.

Source: businesswire.com

Press Release (Click to expand)

Tesla Motors Introduces Roadster Sport

Next-Generation Sports Car Has 15% More Peak Power and Delivers 0-60 Mph in 3.7 Seconds

Tesla Motors Inc. began taking orders today for the Roadster Sport, a high-performance sports car based on the world's leading all-electric, zero-emission vehicle.

The Roadster Sport does 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, compared with 3.9 seconds for the standard Roadster. It comes with a hand-wound stator and increased winding density for lower resistance and higher peak torque. In addition to Yokohama's Ultra High Performance tires, the Roadster Sport has improved suspension with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars that will be tuned to the driver's preference.

The Roadster Sport starts at $128,500 in the United States and €112,000 (excluding VAT) in Europe. Deliveries begin in late June.

"This car can beat nearly anything in its price class - yet it is twice as efficient as compact hybrid sedans," said Michael van der Sande, Tesla's senior vice president of global sales, service and marketing. "If you refuse to compromise on performance or the environment, the Roadster Sport is your only option."

The Roadster Sport is the first derivative of Tesla's proprietary, patented powertrain. San Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla plans to begin producing the all-electric, zero-emission Model S five-passenger sedan in 2011.

Tesla has delivered more than 150 Roadsters to customers, and about 1,100 people are on the waiting list. Customers who haven't taken delivery may upgrade to the Roadster Sport.

"The Roadster Sport embodies Tesla's spirit of continuous improvement," said CEO, Chairman and Product Architect Elon Musk. "The Roadster has been a great success, but no one at this company remains satisfied with the status quo."

About Tesla Motors

Tesla Motors develops and manufactures all-electric, zero-emission vehicles with exceptional design, performance and efficiency. The Roadster, which conforms to all U.S. and E.U. safety and durability standards, is the only highway-capable production electric car for sale in the United States and Europe. With a 0 to 60 mph acceleration of 3.9 seconds and a 14,000 rpm redline, the Roadster delivers super car performance with far more energy efficiency than compact hybrids. Tesla also plans to begin manufacturing a four-door, five-passenger, all-electric, zero-emission luxury sedan in 2011.

email print digg facebook fark reddit delicious myspace

Comments

WildMaverick1200

January 11, 2009 9:18 PM

Hope it doesn't fail like the one tested in Top Gear

skychao

January 12, 2009 12:14 AM

actually tesla replied to that test by top gear saying it was all staged and the tesla didnt fall below 20% power. Also, they said top gear was never without a car because they fully charge in 3-4 hours. and the brake failure was actually a blown fuse that they fixed in a couple of minutes. so top gear never actually experienced the problems they said they did

skychao

January 12, 2009 12:18 AM

here are the 2 sources i found the information from

http://jalopnik.com/5112828/tesla-issues-response-to-top-gear-review

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/25/clarkson-fires-back-over-top-gear-tesla-controversy/

_M7_

January 11, 2009 9:29 PM

ohhh no...too much $$$ for an Scalectric XD

Tuner_Mad

January 11, 2009 10:25 PM

Pricey for an r/c car, but looks good.

Still, I'll take an Elise, or even an Exige over this anyday.

dbehmoaras

January 12, 2009 4:22 AM

yea but you gotta love the innovation in this car

tbrodie

January 11, 2009 11:05 PM

None of the five magazines who reviewed the car in early 2007 had any problems with the car. (Could it be top gear?) ;^)

Kudos to Tesla for building this car and changing people's concept of an EV. It's a lot more attractive than any other environmentally sound personal transportation. (I guess I just don't think the Prius is a looker.)

How many years do you think it will be before anyone else has something like this? Dodge's Circuit EV won't be here for a l-o-n-g time (assuming of course, their holding firm will get off of some of its billions and invest in the company).

Let's face it, this kind of performance is not going to be coming to market for under $30K.

It's one thing to tease with a concept and announce a project in a press release; but who is shipping EV cars today? (Let's exclude the e-Mini which is a lease-ony vehicle in which BMW is most likely building each one at a loss.)

joelynn

January 12, 2009 11:26 AM

Top Gear is very biased against environmentally friendly cars... it's a fun show but it isn't really informative about cars people might actually be able to buy- just Paganis, Bugattis and Lamborghinis...

View Comment Rules