Earlier, its lifeline support was ripped off when California watered down the zero-emissions mandate for electric vehicles (EVs). That triggered complete shutdown of the EV program of bigwig carmakers Toyota, Honda, Ford—and of course, GM. With it, the death of the electric car—and the hopes of weaning away every motorist from the addiction of oil—were pronounced with finality.
It was not to be.
On December 9 last year (only a month ago) San Carlos, California-based Tesla Motors delivered its 100th Roadster unit—a 100% pure electric vehicle—to the president of an internet start-up. The skunk workers at the company, led by its charismatic CEO and top financier Elon Musk, considered the event a coming-out party into the big league. Most early buyers, who include CEOs, big-name Hollywood stars and high-profile investors prefer to remain anonymous.
Tesla? The name doesn’t even register as among the top 50 car makers of the world.
No matter. The bumble bee doesn’t know it cannot fly, according to aerodynamic principles—but keeps on humming nonchalantly, nonetheless. Martin Eberhard, the founder, an inventor and serial entrepreneur, must have felt the same way five years ago when he hatched the idea of a viable electric car. He was subsequently ousted from CEO position in a corporate struggle when capitalist reality caught up with the dreamer’s dream.The finished product is a sleek sports car powered by 6,831 lithium-ion cells—the same power units in laptops and cell phones—stringed together into a battery pack. Powered by a 248-hp electric motor, the Tesla Roadster can accelerate to 60 miles per hour in 4 seconds flat, cruise at a top speed of 125 mph, and reach a 220-mile destination before recharging.
It is a sight to behold: made from space-age carbon fiber composites, equipped with state-of-the-art electronics and gadgets and given a gleaming finish. Its basic price tag of $109,000 is way beyond the wallets of most motorists—but nobody said that building an electric car comes cheap.
In fact, Eberhard got the idea of tailoring his car for the super rich, the flamboyant and moneyed moguls when he noticed that driveways having a Prius or the Honda Civic hybrid also have a Porsche or another luxury car beside it. These people buying the hybrids are not scrimping on gas. They are out to make an environmental statement; perhaps, also to atone for their gas-guzzling habits.
Whatever. The Tesla Roadster is already on the road.
For sure, there are kinks to be worked out. The powertrain is one. Recharging is another.
For the first problem, a new powertrain is coming out to replace—at no cost to the buyer—the initial one used. For the latter, Tesla is mulling a battery swap station wherein the motorist simply drives his unit onto a position like in car wash and have the battery replaced in 5 minutes—a time less than fully topping up the tank with gasoline.
Why not hybrid?
Musk explained it this way to Popular Science magazine:
“We looked closely at developing a hybrid, but we decided it’s a red herring. If you stay purely electric or purely gasoline, you’re going to make a better car. As soon as you try to split the difference, you have something that’s neither fish nor fowl. A Prius is a weak gasoline car with a little bit of electric charge. And once you’ve used up the electric charge, you have an underpowered gasoline engine or a weak electric car.”
For us the proletariat, we will have to wait for cheaper models. No, Tesla Motors does not really kowtow only to the filthy rich. It was harsh capitalism that forced them to target initially those who do not blink at burning 100K. Nearing production is a sedan priced at half that of a Roadster. And expect cheaper models down the road that should drive oil prices further lower.
The resurrection is well under way.
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