Changing Perceptions
We needed to change perceptions of electric vehicles in a big way. To make electric cars a viable alternative, we set out to build one that was gorgeous and thrilling to drive.
Our first car, the Tesla Roadster, isn‘t a plan, pipedream or prototype; this car exists and is for sale now. It‘s a no-compromise driver‘s car that can accelerate faster than a Porsche 911 and hit a top speed of nearly twice what the law permits. With a range of more than 200 miles on a single charge, you can use it all day long and not worry you‘ll run out of juice. Just plug it in at night the same way you drop your cell phone into its charger, and sleep well, without guilt.
Just the Beginning
While the Tesla Roadster‘s sticker price is in a league with other
high-performance sports cars with similar specs, we recognize it‘s out of reach
for a lot of people. We consciously chose to develop a high-end sports car as
our first car in order to develop the “performance DNA” from which we could
create other electric vehicles. Our next model will leverage the Tesla
Roadster‘s technology, resulting in a less expensive sports sedan that we can
sell at higher volume.
I don’t want a sports car and definitely won’t be spending $90,000 on a car of any sort, but I hope they can get a lower cost sedan or wagon on the road in the next few years.