(I asked Darryl Siry, Tesla's VP of marketing, why the high price. "If it were easy to design a good EV [electric vehicle] at a low price, we'd be doing it," he replied. "So would everyone else, for that matter. Any new technology usually has a high initial cost that then goes down over time. The 100% electric drivetrain and large battery pack is part of what drives the price to the current price.")
One of these cars was on display at TED, and it is indeed a rockin'-looking car. It goes from zero to 60 miles per hour in four seconds. Top speed is 130 miles per hour. It has, Tesla, says, "better acceleration than a Lamborghini Murcielago and twice the mile-per-gallon equivalent of popular hybrids."
The 900 pounds of lithium-ion batteries (the same type that's in your laptop) recharge in 7 hours when plugged into a standard power outlet, or twice as fast if you install a 220-volt outlet in your garage. There's no engine under the hood (only fans), only two gears (and one of them is optional), no gas tank, no clutch and no engine noise at all. "Under hard acceleration there is a very nice sound not unlike a turbine," says Mr. Siry. "In normal cruising you hear mostly tires, the road and wind (or music, if you prefer).""
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