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http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg "The Roadster isn't just an excellent_EV, it's an excellent car" (blog.wired.com/cars/2009/03/driven-finally.html)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/teslaroadsterontheroad.jpgChuck Squatriglia - Wired Autopia (blog.wired.com) - March 04, 2009

I'd love to get a chance to drive one of these for 2 reasons: 1) hypermile it for finding out the 'real' range 2) drive it like bootlegger and just flat out have a ball... -- Ed.

We've been writing about the Tesla Roadster for more than a year, and Tesla Motors finally gave us the chance to drive one. For two hours. Around town. With a PR flack riding shotgun. Despite the short leash, we pushed the electric sports car hard enough to know it's quick, nimble and fun — but not as exciting as we'd hoped.

Don't get us wrong: The Roadster isn't just an excellent EV, it's an excellent car. The power is impressive, the fit and finish are top-notch, we love the instant power, and that candy-colored carbon shell is sexy as hell. Most impressive, it's a true sports car that just about anyone can hop into and drive fast.

And that's exactly the problem. The Roadster is so easy to drive it's almost, well, boring.

Still, you can't help but grin when you're behind the car's tiny Momo steering wheel. Aside from drawing more looks than a chrome Lamborghini (though that's probably a San Francisco thing), the Roadster's acceleration is addicting. It isn't the horsepower that's so impressive — though 248 horsepower in a 2,700-pound car is nothing to sneeze at — it's the torque. Stomp on the skinny aluminum accelerator and all 276 foot-pounds of it is right there, instantly. That's why we love electric motors, and it's the reason the Roadster does zero to 60 in a Porsche-worthy 3.9 seconds... http://blog.wired.com/cars/2009/03/driven-finally.html

3.9 seconds to 60 isn't merely Porsche-worthy. That's Lamborghini and Ferrari territory. That's "Hold my cognac and watch this!"

If he's bored, I think he's doing something wrong. ;)

Keep in mind that driving an electric car in such a spirited fashion will shorten the range considerably. But driving it in hypermiling mode kind of defeats the purpose of having such a capable (and expensive!) sports car. Why not just buy an NEV in the first place and save yourself about $90,000?

While $109K is definitely expensive, an NEV isn't practical even for my low speed commute -- the speed limits are too high. That's an issue for many people around the US.

I'm hoping the Ford BEV comes in at a reasonable price because in the low $20K range an electric car with highway speed capability becomes a reasonable choice. Too bad it won't have the 240mi range of the Tesla!

Too bad it won't have the 240mi range of the Tesla!

Hate to be the one to break it to ya, but that claimed 240mile range is wildly optimistic, just like claimed battery life for lap top computers, etc. Autoweek drove a Tesla for a report they did last year and managed to get a little over 90 miles on a charge.

And if you run out of juice in an all-electric vehicle, it's not like someone can bring you a five gallon can of electrons to get you home.

Hate to be the one to break it to ya, but that claimed 240mile range is wildly optimistic, just like claimed battery life for lap top computers, etc. Autoweek drove a Tesla for a report they did last year and managed to get a little over 90 miles on a charge.

And if you run out of juice in an all-electric vehicle, it's not like someone can bring you a five gallon can of electrons to get you home.

I think that was the point Jeremy Clarkson was trying to make when everyone jumped on him....

The Tesla is neat but...at the end of the day, it's just a toy.

For me it wouldn't be. At the speeds I drive and the way I drive, I'm sure that 240mi is pessimistic.

Besides, check out the range Lyle (http://gm-volt.com) was getting on fractional charges with stupid driving.

I'd love to have something like that, but maybe a bit more plush as a daily driver.

bring on the Aptera or better