Tesla Motors is opening its first car store with the launch of the Tesla Roadster, the latest fully-electric vehicle available in the US.
The Roadster is being marketed as one of the first alternative-fuel vehicles produced with the capabilities of a sports car.
A two seater, the Roadster can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 60 mph) in just over three seconds and travel over 320km (200 miles) on one charge.
Tesla Chairman Elon Musk says the Roadster's performance doesn't come at the cost of the environment, however, and has no greenhouse gas emissions. "The Tesla Roadster is designed to beat a gasoline sports car like a Porsche or a Ferrari in a head-to-head showdown, but it has more than twice the energy efficiency of a Prius," he said in a testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
The Roadster's electric motor is powered by a bank of 6,831 rechargeable lithium-ion cells slightly larger than AA batteries.
Unlike previous generation nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal-hydride batteries, lithium-ion batteries have no "memory" and have one of the best energy-to-weight ratios, with less electrical leakage over time.
Although the Roadster's performance comes at a price—with the base model starting at $US100,000 ($A106,000)—Mr Musk says the vehicle is already in demand.
"We've sold over a thousand cars—by sold I mean people put down a substantial deposit on the car. That's over a thousand just domestic.
"Last week, we started selling in Europe. We had our debut at the Monaco car show and so far reaction has been excellent," he said in an interview with Reuters.
With Reuters
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