Tesla Roadster

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Tesla Roadster
Image:TeslaRoadster-front.jpg
Manufacturer Tesla Motors
Also called Code name: DarkStar [2]
Production 2008-present
Assembly Lotus factory in Hethel, England
Class Roadster
Body style(s) 2 seat convertible roadster
Layout Rear Mid-engine, Rear-wheel drive
Platform Unique, developed from Lotus Elise
Engine(s) 3-phase, 4-pole AC induction motor
Transmission(s) Two-speed computer-controlled dual clutch electro-hydraulic manual gearbox (under revision)
Wheelbase 2352 mm (92.6 in)
Length 3946 mm (155.4 in)
Width 1873 mm (73.7 in) including mirrors
Height 1127 mm (44.4 in)
Fuel capacity 53 kW·h (Li-ion battery)[1]
Related Lotus Elise

The Tesla Roadster is a fully electric sports car, and is the first car to be produced by electric car firm Tesla Motors. The car will be able to travel 221 miles (356 km) on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery,[3] The Roadster's efficiency is reported as 133 Wh/km (4.7 mi/kWh)[4], equivalent to 135 mpg–U.S. (1.74 L/100 km / 162.1 mpg–imp).[5][6][7]

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Launch

The San Francisco International Auto Show, held on November 18-26, 2006, was the Tesla Roadster's first auto show.

[edit] Development

The Roadster was developed with help from Lotus Cars. The AC motor and drivetrain technology are more advanced than versions used in the GM EV1 and AC Propulsion tzero. Tesla Motors licensed AC Propulsion's Reductive Charging[8] patent which covers integration of the charging electronics with the inverter, thus reducing mass, complexity and cost.

Tesla Motors has designed and built its own power electronics, motor, and other drivetrain components that incorporate this licensed technology from AC Propulsion.[9]

Lotus supplied the basic chassis development technology from its Lotus Elise. Tesla engineers designed a new chassis with this development technology. The Roadster shares some components with the Elise, such as the windshield, air bags, tires, some dashboard parts, and suspension components.[10] The styling was by Barney Hatt at Lotus' design studio with input from Tesla. The car will be assembled at the Lotus factory in Hethel, England, with drivetrain components and body components supplied to the factory by Tesla.[11]

[edit] Production

Image:TeslaRoadster-interior.jpg
Interior

Several prototypes of the Tesla Roadster were produced during 2006 and 2007. After heavily testing several Engineering Prototypes in late 2006 and early 2007, Tesla Motors made many minor changes and produced a small run of Validation Prototypes which were delivered beginning in March, 2007. These final revisions were then endurance and crash tested in preparation for a production run with delivery originally planned for October 2007[12] and then delayed, in September 2007, until the first calendar quarter of 2008.[13]

Subsequent to completion of production car number one at Hethel, the company announced problems with transmission reliability. This number one car did not have the final transmission, and had a life expectancy of only a few thousand miles. The first two transmission suppliers were unable to produce transmissions that could withstand the continuous torque requirements of the electric motor. Although work continues to find a suitable transmission, at present no production-viable example has been produced. It is probable that difficulties sourcing a suitable transmission will delay customer shipments or require a retrofit after delivery to customers.

The brakes and airbags of the Tesla Roadster are made by Siemens[11] in Germany. The chassis of the Tesla Roadster is made in Norway. The batteries are assembled into sheets for integration into the Energy Storage System by Tesla in Thailand.[14]

In December 2007 Tesla Motors said that the company was having trouble producing a transmission able to stand up to the demands put on it by the car. Tesla discussed the possibility of the first production cars shipping with non-finalized transmissions that would later be replaced with more durable units, as an option for those customers who wanted their cars earlier. The range of the car was also downgraded from 245 miles (394 km) to something in between 220 miles (350 km) and 230 miles (370 km). The change was because of a mistake in the original test. [2]

On December 27, 2007, Tesla Motors said the following at its official website: "To help speed delivery of cars, we will begin production in 2008 with an interim transmission design. These transmissions will meet high standards for reliability and durability, but the car will not meet the original performance spec for acceleration, reaching 60 mph in 5.7 seconds instead of the promised 4 seconds. When the final transmission is ready, we will retrofit all cars, at Tesla’s expense, to meet the promised performance specifications" [3]

[edit] Sales

Tesla Motors' "Signature One Hundred" initial set of fully equipped cars sold out by late August 2006. Tesla Motors then began accepting reservation orders by September 2006 for their 2008 models with several payment options available to determine the 2008 delivery date of the vehicle. The second hundred had been reserved by October. As of July 24, 2007, over 560 Tesla Roadsters had been reserved out of planned 650 for model year 2008.[15] As it is currently only available in the USA, only left-hand drive is available.

Delivery is estimated to begin in the first quarter of 2008.

In September 2007 Tesla Motors sent a letter to buyers saying that delivery of the first 50 Tesla Roadsters was being delayed until the first quarter of 2008. [4], [5]

[edit] Pricing

Final pricing for the 2008 Tesla Roadster base model is US$98,000, plus a destination charge of $950.[16] The majority of the first 200 Roadsters ordered by October 2006 came fully loaded with all optional equipment at a cost of about US$100,000.

[edit] Service

Image:TeslaRoadster-rear.jpg
A Tesla Roadster (rear view)

Service centers for the Tesla Roadster are planned for the following United States metropolitan areas:

Tesla Motors has stated that it will build additional service centers over the next few years to support sales of its next vehicle, the sports sedan currently codenamed the Tesla WhiteStar. "To do 10,000 units for WhiteStar, we need to be in a lot more places," said Darryl Siry, vice president of Marketing.

Planning is underway for an additional 15 service centers in major metropolitan locations.[17] There are currently no planned service center locations outside of the United States.

A Roadster purchased in the United States but not near one of those cities will require an additional US$8,000 out-of-service-area fee on the price of the vehicle plus additional transportation fees paid when the vehicle is serviced. Furthermore, there are no "independent" mechanics who are authorized or certified to perform maintenance to the drive train or electrical systems of the Roadster.[9]

There is minimal maintenance required of an electric vehicle. There are no oil changes, and brake maintenance is minor due to regenerative braking. Transmission, brake and cooling system fluids will need to be changed in a manner similar to gasoline-powered cars.

[edit] Specifications

For more details from the manufacturer, see: http://www.teslamotors.com/performance/perf_specs.php

[edit] Motor

  • Type: 3-phase, 4-pole electric motor
  • Max net power: 248 hp (185 kW)
  • Max rpm: 13,000
  • Efficiency: 90% average, 80% at peak power

[edit] Transmission

  • Magna two-speed electrically actuated sequential manual with final drive
  • Constant mesh gears and inertia lock key type synchromesh
  • No clutch pedal
  • Tesla is looking at two alternative transmission suppliers because of the failures with the Magna transmission.

[edit] Performance

  • Acceleration time: 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) in under 4 seconds for prototypes 5.7 seconds for initial production candidate. [6]
  • Top speed: electronically limited at 125 mph (201 km/h)
  • Range: 221 miles (356 km) on the EPA combined cycle
  • Weight and distribution: about 2,700 lb (1,220 kg), centered in front of the rear axle
  • Rear wheel drive
[edit] Temporary transmissions with reduced performance

Tesla plans to ship some cars with a transmission that will limit the performance of the car to less than what was originally stated. Those cars which ship with these transmissions will have the transmissions replaced at a later date at no cost to the customer when the final transmission is available. [7]

[edit] Battery system

For more details from the manufacturer, see their paper The Tesla Roadster Battery System

  • Cell type: lithium ion, 18650 form-factor (18mm diameter by 65mm length). Most laptop computer batteries already use this type of lithium-ion cell.[18]
  • Cell count: 6,831[19]
  • Full-charge time: 3½ hours.[9]
  • Estimated life: over 100,000 miles (160,000 km). [9]
  • Electric energy: about 53 kW·h
  • Total mass: between 900 and 1000 lb (400-450 kg)
  • The pack is designed to prevent catastrophic cell failures from propagating to adjacent cells, even when the cooling system is off.
  • Tesla Motors plans to sell the battery system to TH!NK and possibly others through its Tesla Energy Group division.[20][21]

[edit] Fuel efficiency

For more details from the manufacturer, see their white papers and presentation

On the EPA highway cycle, the Roadster's efficiency is "135 mpg [U.S.] equivalent, per the conversion rate used by the EPA"[4] which converts to 133 Wh/km (4.66 mi/kW·h) battery-to-wheel or 155 Wh/km (4.00 mi/kW·h) station-to-wheel.

Tesla also reported the battery-to-wheel efficiency as 110 Wh/km (5.65 mi/kW·h) on an unspecified driving cycle (either a constant 60 mph (97 km/h) or SAE J1634 test[22]) and states a charging efficiency of 86%. This results in an overall station-to-wheel efficiency of 128 Wh/km (4.85 mi/kW·h).[23]

The Roadster's motor efficiency is 90% on average and 80% at peak power.[24] For comparison, an internal combustion engine produces 6000 to 9000 Wh of output energy from each gallon of gasoline input[citation needed]. The state of tune and seasonal variations in gasoline formulation account for the output range.

Because the Roadster does not actually use gasoline, equivalent petroleum fuel efficiency (mpg, l/100 km) can be calculated in several ways:

  • A number comparable to the typical Monroney stickers' "station-to-wheel" fuel efficiency can be calculated based on the DOE's energy content for a U.S. gallon of gasoline of 33705 Wh/gal:[25]
<math>\frac{33705 \begin{matrix}\frac{\mathrm{Wh}}{\mathrm{gal}}\end{matrix}}{ 133 \begin{matrix}\frac {\mathrm{Wh}}{\mathrm{km}}\end{matrix} \times \begin{matrix}\frac {1.6 \mathrm{km}}{\mathrm{mi}}\end{matrix}} \times 86% = \mathbf{ 135 \mathrm{mpg}\; = 1.74 \begin{matrix}\frac{l}{100 \mathrm{km}}\end{matrix}}</math>
  • For CAFE regulatory purposes, the DOE's full petroleum-equivalency equation[25] combines primary energy efficiencies for the USA electric grid and the crude oil to gas station path with a "fuel content factor" to quantify conservation and scarcity of fuels in the USA. This combination yields a factor of 82,049 Wh/gal in the above equation and a regulatory fuel efficiency of 329 mpg (0.72 l/100 km).
  • To compare the full-cycle energy-equivalency of gasoline with electricity from the USA grid, the factor of 12,307 Wh/ U.S. gal[25] removes the "fuel content factor" = 1/0.15 and the above equation yields an equivalent efficiency of 49 mpg (U.S.) (4.77 l/100 km). For full-cycle comparisons, the "station-to-wheel" sticker value from a gasoline-fueled vehicle must be multiplied by the "well-to-station" efficiency; the DOE regulation specifies a "well-to-station" efficiency of 0.83 for gasoline.[25] The average American car's 28 mpg (U.S.) (8.4 l/100 km), for example, converts to a full-cycle energy-equivalent of 23.2 mpg (U.S.) (10.1 l/100 km).
  • To compare the full-cycle energy-equivalency of gasoline with electricity generated by newer, 58% efficiency CCGT power plants,[26] the factor of 21,763 Wh/gal[25] in the above equation yields a fuel efficiency of 87 mpg (U.S.) (2.70 l/100 km).
  • When recharged using non-fossil fuel electricity sources such as hydroelectric, solar power, wind or nuclear, the equivalent efficiency can be remarkably higher as fossil fuel is not used in refueling.
  • Monetary cost offers another way to find an equivalent fuel efficiency. Tesla Motors reports an energy cost of approximately US$0.01/mile using PG&E's E-9 night-time incentive charging, or about US$0.03/mile using the retail price of US$0.12/kW·h. Comparison with a gasoline price of US$3.00/ U.S. gallon, for instance, results in an equivalent of 300 mpg (U.S.) (0.78 l/100 km) using E-9 or 100 mpg (U.S.) (2.35 l/100 km) using retail pricing. For more cost comparison details, please refer to the battery electric vehicle article.

[edit] Reviews

In a November 27 2006 review of the Tesla Roadster in Slate, Paul Boutin wrote, "A week ago, I went for a spin in the fastest, most fun car I've ever ridden in—and that includes the Aston Martin I tried to buy once. I was so excited, in fact, that I decided to take a few days to calm down before writing about it. Well, my waiting period is over, I'm thinking rationally, and I'm still unbelievably stoked about the Tesla." [8]

In a July 8, 2007 review of the Tesla Roadster, Jay Leno wrote, "If you like sports cars and you want to be green, this is the only way to go. The Tesla is a car that you can live with, drive and enjoy as a sports car. I had a brief drive in the car and it was quite impressive. This is an electric car that is fun to drive." [9]

[edit] Awards

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Telsa_Blog_Where_the_Rubber_Meets_the_Road
  2. ^ Martin Eberhard (2007-01-24). Vintage Oil and Other Hare-Brained Ideas. Tesla Motors blog. Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
  3. ^ Ze’ev Drori, Tesla Motors President and Ceo (2007-12-27). A Letter to Customers from Ze’ev Drori. Tesla Motors Blog. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  4. ^ a b Elon Musk (2007-03-07). "Musk Testimony" (Microsoft Word). United States Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  5. ^ Tesla Motors. "Tesla Motors Corporate Backgrounder" (html). Press release. Retrieved on 2006-12-05. “...the Tesla Roadster is capable of 135 mpg equivalent...”
  6. ^ Edmunds.com Inside Line (July 21 2006). Tesla Roadster: Lotus Helps Create Sporty 135 MPG Electric Car (html) (English). Retrieved on 2006-12-05. “...achieves the equivalent of 135 mpg.”
  7. ^ Neil, Dan. "A roadster that's electric", Marketplace Public Radio, July 20 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-18. (English) 
  8. ^ "Reductive™ Charging, AC Propulsion's Reductive Charger Integrated Charging for the Electric Vehicle". AC Propulsion. Retrieved on 2007-03-07.
  9. ^ a b c d Tesla Motors FAQs (HTML). Tesla Motors (2006-12-20). Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
  10. ^ Sam Abuelsamid. "AutoblogGreen Q&A: Tesla Motors CEO Martin Eberhard pt.1" (html). Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
  11. ^ a b Michael Shnayerson. "Quiet Thunder", Vanity Fair, 2007-05. Retrieved on 2007-04-24. 
  12. ^ Lawrence Ulrich. "All Amped Up", New York Times, 2007-04-20. Retrieved on 2007-04-24. 
  13. ^ Michael E. Marks, CEO, Tesla Motors (2007-09-25). Tesla Roadster Club Member Letter September 25, 2007. Tesla Motors. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
  14. ^ Elizabeth Corcoran. "Can Silicon Valley Reinvent The Car?", Forbes, 2007-03-17. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. 
  15. ^ [1]. "Tesla Exceeds 560 Reservations for 2008 Electric Roadster" (HTML), AutoblogGreen, 2007-07-24. Retrieved on 2007-07-24. (English) 
  16. ^ Customize
  17. ^ David Pogue. "Solving the Car Propulsion Problem", New York Times, 2007-04-05. 
  18. ^ Lerner, Preston (April 2007), "Can 6,831 Laptop Batteries Change the World?", Popular Science: 68-73, 104, 107, <http://www.time4.com/time4/microsites/popsci/futureofcars/tesla_p1.html>
  19. ^ Sam Davis (12 2006). Roadster Gets 250 Miles Per Charge. “Battery packs consist of 11 identical groups of 621 lithium-ion cells (called sheets) connected in series and parallel. Each cell is 18 mm in diameter and 650 mm long with a nominal 3.6 V and a 2.2 A·h rating. Each sheet produces 32.4 V (nominal). One sheet supplies voltage for the car's accessories, such as lights and power windows. The remaining 10 sheets provide 324 V for the motor."”
  20. ^ Matt Nauman. "Tesla Motors to sell batteries in $43 million deal with Think" (html), San Jose Mecury News, 2007-05-22. Retrieved on 2007-06-19. (EN) 
  21. ^ Sebastian Blanco. "EDTA Conference: Tesla Motors ready to license battery tech to other companies" (html). Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
  22. ^ Idaho National Laboratory. "EVAmerica Baseline Performance Testing for 1997 General Motors EV1 with PbA Batteries" (pdf). Retrieved on 2007-03-05. “Footnote 8 in Tesla Motor's white paper refers to this INL study for the equivalent efficiency number from GM EV1 testing but does not specify the driving cycle.”
  23. ^ Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning (2006-10-06). "The 21st century Electric Car" (PDF). Tesla Motors. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
  24. ^ Tesla Motors. "Tesla Motors - Technical Specs" (html) (English). Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  25. ^ a b c d e U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) (2000-07-12). "Federal Register Vol. 64 No. 113" (PDF). U.S. GPO. Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
  26. ^ "Advanced Natural Gas Turbine Hailed as Top Power Project of 2003", DOE, 2003-12-30. Retrieved on 2007-03-14. (English) 
  27. ^ INDEX Award 2007.
  28. ^ Best Product Design of 2007, Ecodesign.
  29. ^ Best Cars 2006: New car that best lived up to the Hype.
  30. ^ http://www.time.com/time/2006/techguide/bestinventions/
  31. ^ http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4212847.html
  32. ^ http://www.teslamotors.com/media/press_room.php?id=190
  33. ^ http://blog.cardomain.com/blog/2006/11/peoples_choice.html

[edit] External links

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