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http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg In the end, even with the huge incentives, I decided that saving for my kids’ college was more important, but I did walk away knowing that the future of electric cars looks bright. (http://coolweather.dreamhosters.com/general/tesla-roadster-the-future-of-electric-cars-looks-bright.html)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Tesla.jpgJohn Basso - DREAMHOSTERS (http://coolweather.dreamhosters.com) - April 19, 2010

Through an odd set of coincidences my dream car was eligible for huge tax rebates so I “had” to take a look. The Tesla Roadster is an all electric car produced by a small company in California called Tesla Motors. It is one of the first production scale electric cars available in the U.S. It is expensive by everyone’s standards but so is a Porsche, or any other high-end sports car.

Given that I own two hybrids you would think that I feel pretty good about my carbon footprint concerning transportation but it would be better to have one less car, take the bus more or better yet own some sort of electric car that doesn’t burn gas at all.

I guess nobody ever thought electric cars would materialize or be considered luxury, so when the State of Colorado wrote the rebate tax code they probably didn’t expect people making claims for an electric car in the amount of a $42,000 credit! Add $7,500 from the federal government and you could see why I was more than a little interested... http://coolweather.dreamhosters.com/general/tesla-roadster-the-future-of-electric-cars-looks-bright.html

Hi Reid:

___With that large of a tax credit in Colorado, is that why you signed up for the LEAF as well? I would have thought the States Tax Credit would have had a limit?
After a couple of minutes my sales rep copilot suggested that I let the car drop down to 20 MPH and then punch it. It didn’t take much convincing because no matter who you are that is the very first thought that runs through your head when you sit in a car like this. The moment before I took her up on the suggestion I made a pact with myself to play it cool and not make a big fuss when the car accelerated. At least that was the plan; which lasted for less than 2 seconds. I didn’t even get the pedal to the floor when I blurted out “Holy *$% that’s fast!”
___For a guy that owns a hybrid or is considering a no-gasoline lifestyle, why would he want to floor it? Sounds like an accident waiting to happen more than anything else?

___While I am a huge proponent of electric cars, driving responsibility still resides with the individual behind the wheel and this story was anything but responsible with the gushing non-sense about the performance. If the guy wants performance like that, maybe he should be riding a 600cc Sport bike? With the ability to hit 60 in under 4-seconds, at least he could still pull at least 50 mpg from it on a daily basis. The Zero S’ next iteration maybe just do the 60 dance in 4-seconds which will give the cowboys a reason to cheer???

___Rambling on about nothing at 05:30 AM in the morning again :)

___Good Luck

___Wayne