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The Tesla Roadster

Techtree Test Labs, Feb 09, 2008 1207 hrs IST

100% electric -- with all the frills and thrills!

A new player in the market, Tesla Motors focuses on high-performance electric vehicles. Their debut model is the Tesla Roadster, first seen at the San Francisco International Auto Show in 2006. The Roadster was designed with help from British car manufacturer Lotus. It's essentially that, a roadster -- a two-seat, open-top design. Under the hood is a 3-phase, 4-pole, 248 hp electric motor.

The power source is a high-capacity lithium-ion battery that takes around 3.5 hours to be fully charged. A single charge keeps the car going for 221 miles. The car can do 0 to 96 kmph in under 4 seconds; top speed is rated at 200 kmph.

Tesla Motors claims, "The Tesla Roadster produces one-tenth of the pollution and is six times as efficient as the best sports car." Expected to be priced at $98,000 (Rs. 38 lakh), it will head to production in March 2008.