The Tesla Roadster

The Tesla Roadster (Copyright © 2006 Tesla Motors, Inc)

SAN CARLOS, California Republic -- There's been a great disturbance in the force, and not merely the electromotive force. Silicon Valley startup Tesla Motors, Inc., has created an automobile that can only be described as highly disturbing. Here's what their website has to say:

The Tesla Roadster’s specs illustrate what it does (0 to 60 in about 4 seconds) — as well as what it doesn’t (zero emissions, zero motor oil). With one moving part in the motor, no clutch, and two gears, it’s not only a joy to drive, but to own as well. There is no motor oil to change; no filters, belts, or spark plugs to replace; no oxygen sensors to mistrust before an emissions test — in fact, no emissions test required ever. Other than inspection, the only service we recommend for the first 100,000 miles is brake and tire service.

The Tesla Roadster delivers peak torque at zero rpm, enabling disturbing acceleration rivaling that of a Lamborghini Murciélago:

How powerful is the acceleration? A quick story to illustrate. A favorite trick here at Tesla Motors is to invite a passenger along and ask him to turn on the radio. At the precise moment we ask, we accelerate. Our passenger simply can’t sit forward enough to reach the dials. But who needs music when you’re experiencing such a symphony of motion.

Ouch.

The Tesla Roadster is named after the Serbian-American genius Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) who pioneered the use of polyphase alternating current systems. Tesla, who has more than 1,200 patents to his name, invented the induction motor, Tesla coil, radio, wireless remote control and wireless lighting.

The car that bears his name is powered by a 3-phase, 4-pole electric motor with a peak output of 248hp (185kW) at 13,500 rpm. This also allows it to perform regenerative braking: when the brakes are applied, the motor becomes a generator and charges the batteries, thus recovering part of the kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost. It is powered by an array of lithium-ion batteries (not from Sony) and achieves full charge in 3.5 hours, sufficient for 250 miles of driving. Standard equipment includes a mobile charging unit (for the car, not your phone) and iPod interface. Disturbing indeed.

Unlike Thomas Edison who left a legacy in the form of General Electric and the many other companies that bear the Edison name, Nikola Tesla died forgotten and penniless at age 86. Shortly after his death in 1943, the US Supreme Court ruled that his patent had precedence over that of Guglielmo Marconi, effectively recognizing Tesla as the primary inventor of the radio.

It is indeed fitting that the Tesla Roadster was unveiled in 2006, the year UNESCO has declared to be the Year of Nikola Tesla, in celebration of the 150^th anniversary of his birth. Tesla Motors justly concludes:

We‘re confident that if he were alive today, Nikola Tesla would look over our car and nod his head with both understanding and approval.