By KEN GIBSON
Motoring Editor/The Sun
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I’VE just driven the electric dream green machine the world’s been waiting for.
Forget about milk floats and little city cars, the Tesla is a sexy two-seat roadster that makes no emissions and has the performance of a supercar.
The Tesla is so sexy Hollywood heart-throb George Clooney will be one of the first to take delivery of one.
Rear-ly exciting ... back of Tesla
That is likely to be the only thing George and I ever have in common as I recently had one delivered — unfortunately, only for a day.
Sadly, the Tesla will set you back more than £78,000 for the privilege of being an electric motoring pioneer, which puts it out of the reach of mere mortals.
Think of the Tesla as America’s green answer to a Porsche 911 and you’ll start to get the picture of this amazing car.
If the styling looks familiar, you’ll be right.
It is a re-bodied Lotus Elise that has been heavily engineered to take lithium-ion batteries and a new automatic drive train.
I predict it will become the must-have supercar for the world’s trend-setting elite wanting to show off their green credentials.
Having spent a day at the wheel of the Tesla in London I can tell you it’s the ultimate fun car for nipping in and out of city traffic.
Head turner ... Ken eyes c-charge marking
The Tesla’s looks turn heads and when people realise it’s silent you can see them asking, “What’s that?”
The silence is bizarre at first — only a little clicking noise when you turn the “ignition” key lets you know it has started.
But touch the accelerator and the Tesla’s performance is electrifying.
Nought to 62mph takes four seconds — damn quick wherever the power comes from — and the 124mph top speed is more than enough to cost you your licence.
Motoring along ... Ken in Tesla
It’s also the easiest supercar in the world to drive, with just one forward gear.
All you do is push the lever into drive and you’re off as smooth as silk.
The Tesla is a hoot to drive. It corners as if it’s on rails and the steering is responsive and precise, if not as raw as a standard Elise.
Classy ... interior
I wish I could say it was as easy to get in and out of, you need to be a contortionist. But I bet Clooney does it with style.
It will also improve your arm muscles because the steering is not power-assisted so parking is a pain.
Where the Tesla excels is the range it can travel. Most electric cars have a maximum of around 50 miles on a full charge, but the Tesla will do 220, the equivalent of 160mpg, thanks to its state-of-the-art batteries and a 248bhp motor.
You’ll need a 70amp connection for a “fast” recharge that will still take around four hours. Use a standard plug and it will take 16 hours.
Tesla bosses are confident battery technology is progressing so fast that recharge times will fall.
They are also confident that with government support — Gordon Brown has already pledged the UK’s backing — that recharging posts will become a feature on streets in every major city in the UK within a few years.
British buyers will get a high-spec Special Edition with leather seats, carbon fibre trim, adjustable suspension, customised alloy wheels and a nice music system.
These things don’t get close to justifying a price tag of nearly £80,000 but that’s the price you pay for the electric revolution.
At least you won’t be fleeced for a congestion charge because electric cars are exempt, which is why I couldn’t help but smile as I pulled up to London’s C-charge road markings.
Pulsating ... light in the filler cap shows the car is recharging
Tesla sales boss Darryl Siry believes there will be more than enough rich motoring enthusiasts who want to drive the latest green technology.
He says: “This is the first electric car that combines great design, great performance and no C02 emissions. It’s the shape of things to come and a car that will have historical significance.
“It will signal a real change over the next decade to the electrification of the motor car.”
Siry expects the UK and Germany to be the destination of most of the 250 Teslas headed to Europe in the first year of production, which guarantees exclusivity.
The Californian firm are already close to finishing a four-door electric family car that will also come to Europe.
I was given a sneak preview of pictures of the car and it looks a bit like an Aston Martin and with prices expected to start at around £32,250 at today’s exchange rates.
It could make an even bigger impact than the Tesla when it goes on sale late in 2010.
And with politicians jumping on the electric bandwagon, you get the feeling motorists could be plugging in to electric in a big way in the very near future.
I Just Drove the Tesla
sorry ssr's full no other riders allowed
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