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Tesla Motors invited us to visit its Santa Monica showroom last Friday for a quick sample of the latest Tesla Roadster, which we’ve dubbed v1.5 because of its new single-speed transmission. While Tesla went through some teething issues with its early two-gear transmission, this one is identical to the “problem solved” production version now being delivered to customers. Mid-mounted in the chassis is a 248-hp electric motor hooked up to the new single-speed fixed-gear Borg-Warner transmission.
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The Tesla Roadster is actually built on a Lotus Elise platform. Originating in England, the bare extruded aluminum chassis is shipped to Tesla’s brand-new assembly facility in San Jose, California. Upon arrival, it is mated with an electric motor (shaded in gray and located between the rear wheels in the above image), 6,831 individual microprocessor-controlled liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery cells (in purple), some seriously sophisticated electronics (in green), and all of the other go-fast components needed to make a proper sports car. With all 992 pounds of batteries hidden under the custom carbon fiber body panels, the Tesla Roadster weighs about 2,700 pounds.
This is where it gets interesting. Unlike a typical internal combustion engine, the torque from an electric motor is 100 percent available from a dead start. So, while the combustion team needs to get rolling (or drop their clutch) to get in the “power band,” the Tesla Roadster is already there. The torque curve is flat too – not dropping significantly until about 9,000 rpm ("redline" on the Tesla is 14,000 rpm). At highway speeds you hit the pedal and your head goes back. It only seems to lose the rush of uninterrupted power above 80 mph or so, when the falling torque curve meets the increasing wall of aerodynamic drag.
While the pure electric car sends chills down the rigid spines of traditional gasoline-belching purists, we are happy to report that there is no need to pop tranquilizers anymore. Our short reintroduction to the sporty production Tesla Roadster reveals that the electric car does indeed goose our enthusiast glands, and we can’t wait to get our hands on one for an extended First Drive.
