9:26 AM
First Drive
This story about the Tesla Roadster is different, because after years of hype, anticipation and the almost-inevitable delays in production, CAR Online has finally driven one at length, on British roads and in near-production trim. This is a car burdened by expectation; some created by its billing as the world’s first truly green supercar and the first electric car you can use every day, some created by its astronomical price. Question is, does the Tesla Roadster live up to the hype?
Forget the green stuff for a moment: how does the Tesla Roadster drive?
It’s extraordinary: the Tesla is hugely, comically fast, and somehow manages to feel even faster than its claimed, supercar-standard sub-four second 0-60mph time. The electric motor makes its torque constantly, instantly available, the single gear means you don’t have to change down or wait for kickdown, and the huge thrust is generated with nothing more than a Star-Trek whirr.
The Tesla eventually runs out of steam – or whatever it is electric cars run out of – at around 125mph, but it will still generate a solid shove in the back at 90mph. It's pretty spell-binding stuff...
This story about the Tesla Roadster is different, because after years of hype, anticipation and the almost-inevitable delays in production, CAR Online has finally driven one at length, on British roads and in near-production trim. This is a car burdened by expectation; some created by its billing as the world’s first truly green supercar and the first electric car you can use every day, some created by its astronomical price. Question is, does the Tesla Roadster live up to the hype?
Forget the green stuff for a moment: how does the Tesla Roadster drive?
It’s extraordinary: the Tesla is hugely, comically fast, and somehow manages to feel even faster than its claimed, supercar-standard sub-four second 0-60mph time. The electric motor makes its torque constantly, instantly available, the single gear means you don’t have to change down or wait for kickdown, and the huge thrust is generated with nothing more than a Star-Trek whirr.
The Tesla eventually runs out of steam – or whatever it is electric cars run out of – at around 125mph, but it will still generate a solid shove in the back at 90mph. It's pretty spell-binding stuff...
