Zero to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds with a top speed of 125 mph. But this is not the whole story. Because it has no clutch pedal and a very wide, flat torque curve, the acceleration of the Tesla Roadster is much more available to enjoy: just step on the accelerator and go. No matter what speed you are driving, no matter what gear you are in, the acceleration is instantaneous.

Actual range depends on driving style and conditions. During testing of prototypes cars, Tesla Motors has seen between 170 miles per charge for very spirited driving to 267 miles per charge for city driving that makes use of the Roadster's regenerative braking. Our most recent EPA driving cycle tests, conducted November 26-30, 2007, at an EPA-certified facility, resulted in the following numbers:

• 230 mi EPA city
• 211 mi EPA highway
• 221 mi EPA combined (city/highway)

Keep in mind that Tesla Motors is in the midst of final development and testing for the Tesla Roadster. While we are confident in our most recent numbers, the final results will be dependent on the car's specifications at series production. We will update our EPA range numbers once we have fully tested a production Roadster, expected in early 2008.

When you take into account the efficiency of producing the electricity it uses, the Tesla Roadster is more than twice as efficient as the most efficient hybrid car on the road. However, unlike a hybrid, the Tesla Roadster produces zero emissions and uses no gasoline. For more information, see the Energy Efficiency page on our website.

Yes. The car will meet all the necessary Department of Transportation requirements for insurance and registration.

The Tesla Roadster has a two-speed transmission to maximize acceleration, while also allowing a reasonably high top speed. First gear gets you from 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds, while second gear takes you to 125 mph.

The gearing of the Tesla Roadster works together with the shifter and the Power Electronics Module (PEM) to provide familiar driving behavior. First gear has strong "regenerative braking" that recharges the battery during deceleration and feels like engine braking in low gear on other sports cars. Second gear has less regenerative braking, and feels like third or fourth gear on other sports cars. The Tesla Roadster needs only two gears because the motor delivers high torque over a much wider range of rpm than any gasoline engine. No reverse gear is needed; the motor runs backwards for reversing.

If you do not feel like shifting, you can drive entirely in second gear: acceleration even in second gear is remarkably fast.

Yes, you can connect your iPod to the Tesla Roadster's stereo using a mini jack available at most consumer electronics stores.

Yes, a soft top comes standard, and a color-matched carbon fiber hard top is available as an option.

Tesla Motors co-founder Martin Eberhard had always been interested in fast, fun cars, but wanted something that was very energy efficient. After finding nothing like that for sale, he was convinced there was an opportunity. Martin along with co-founder Marc Tarpenning started Tesla Motors to develop fast, fun, efficient electric cars that people would love to drive.

You can read more in our About Us section.

The car has no visible door handles because the latches are released electrically by a discrete touchpad located in the shoulder intake duct. The door only opens when "allowed" by the VMS (Vehicle Management System), the car's main computer.

The trunk has been designed to accommodate a carry-on wheeled bag or a bag of golf clubs. The trunk also features a “false floor” with sufficient room to stow the included factory soft top when not in use.

Need the numbers? The trunk is roughly oval with the following maximum approximate dimensions: Width 1428mm (56.2"), length 391mm (15.4") and depth 252mm (9.92), extending to 353mm (13.9") in the center.

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There are many: reduced dependence on foreign oil, zero emissions, and a cost of less than two cents per mile driven (using off-peak charging rates with a time-of-use meter. To calculate your exact cost-per-mile, contact your local electricity provider). Many areas also offer carpool lane access and/or special parking privileges for electric cars. Check with your local DMV for details.

You can read more about these benefits, and others, in our Why Electric? section.

Yes. EVs are the most efficient cars on the road. This means they cost less per mile to drive, use less fuel per mile, and produce less pollution per mile.

No. Most electric power generation in the United States does not use oil. Coal, hydro, nuclear, solar, and natural gas are typical sources for generating electricity. Power generation plants, even coal burning ones, are inherently more efficient and less polluting than vehicles due to economies of scale and the ability to more efficiently remove pollutants from a smaller number of much larger fixed locations.

Also, an electric car is far more efficient than a gasoline car, so the amount of pollution generated by producing the electricity to drive an EV a given distance is much less than the pollution from the gasoline to drive an internal combustion car the same distance. Whereas a combustion engine car – even those powered by hydrogen, ethanol, and biodiesel – can make use of around 20 percent of the energy that it consumes, a battery electric car like the Tesla Roadster is able to put more than 80 percent of the energy it consumes to use in moving the car down the road.

You can read more in our Energy Efficiency section.

There are numerous incentives for driving an electric car, and they vary from state to state. Incentives include single-occupancy driving in carpool lanes, free parking, and tax breaks. See our Incentives page for more information.

Electric vehicles (EVs) do not have an internal combustion engine. The batteries are recharged from the electric power grid, for example your home electric system. Hybrid vehicles have both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. In most systems the internal combustion engine is used to recharge the batteries as well as power the car directly when necessary, but the only way you get energy into the car is to put gas into the gas tank. Therefore hybrids, while more efficient than standard cars, still use petroleum products and at the current time none on the market can use energy from the power grid or "plug in."

Plug-in hybrids are the same as a hybrid with the added ability to charge the battery from the electric power grid as well as from the internal combustion engine. However, there are currently no plug-in hybrids on the market. There are hobbyist conversion kits for some models of hybrids.

Yes. The Tesla Roadster can be recharged using solar energy. If you would like to use solar energy at your home, we would be happy to refer you to a qualified installer, including SolarCity.

Like all electrical devices - toasters and washing machines included - the Tesla Roadster generates and uses electromagnetic fields. The Tesla Roadster makes use of filtering and shielding technologies to ensure that it meets all legal requirements and minimizes these fields. There are no known risks from exposure to these fields.

It’s interesting to note that low-frequency electromagnetic radiation from power lines was a big scare about 15 years ago, but numerous, rigorous studies have shown that there is no correlation between power line EMF and ailments attributed to them.

Tesla Motors will service your car at our Tesla Stores. We plan to open the first Tesla Stores in our five key markets (metropolitan San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Miami), each offering direct sales and support for buyers and owners. Our first two stores will open in early 2008.

We don't recommend it. Because of the car's unique electric drivetrain, the best service comes from specially trained Tesla Motors service personnel.

Far, far less than gasoline-powered cars. Most cars require service every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. The Tesla Roadster has no motor oil or oil filters to change, no smog equipment to check, no air filters to replace, no power steering fluids to refill. We are still finalizing our service plans but expect to ask our customers to bring in their cars every 12,000 miles/12 months.

Just call us. For customers who live within 60 miles of a Tesla Store, we will offer free pick-up and drop-off service. Customers beyond that distance will pay a nominal dispatching fee.

A roadside assistance program is included with the car during the warranty period. If you experience car trouble, simply call a toll-free number for assistance.

That depends on how far the battery has been discharged and what source is being used to charge the batteries. A full charge using the Home Charging Station (included in the price of the Tesla Roadster) can be achieved in as little as 3.5 hours.

However, an electric car is a bit like a cell phone: it does not matter how long it takes to charge as long as a charge lasts all day. You plug it in when you get home, and unplug it when you leave in the morning.

Unlike EVs of the past, the Tesla Roadster has a built-in battery charging system that can basically plug into any outlet. The car ships with a particularly easy-to-use Home Charging Station that is installed in your garage by a qualified electrician. There is also an optional mobile charging kit that allows you to charge from any available electrical outlet (110V or 220V) wherever you happen to be.

The same way the at-home unit works, with the added benefits of in-trunk portability and the flexibility to accommodate more outlet configurations and/or AC currents. It consists of two parts: an intelligent cable, and a selection of “pigtails” for different outlet sizes and voltages.

This depends on the billing method of your particular electricity provider. In general, there is a trend towards "time of use" pricing. This means that it will be cheaper to charge at night, when the demand on the electricity grid is lowest.

Our charge system will be listed by a NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory), such as UL or CSA, and incorporates a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) very similar to the plugs in most bathrooms and kitchens. Before every charge, computers in both the car and the charge system make sure the car is parked and all electrical systems are working perfectly. We've even added additional safety features to shut down charge if the cord is tugged or smoke is detected.

The plug on the Home Charging Station (formerly known as the EVSE) only becomes live when it is properly connected to a car and the connection is deemed safe. In addition, the contacts in the connector are protected by insulating towers around the sockets on the plug end and dead-front pins on the receptacle side. These towers meet the Underwriters Laboratories finger probe test.

Tesla Motors car batteries are both recyclable and replaceable. We care about the environment and know you do, too. We are working to have our car batteries safely recycled, and have even built the cost of recycling into the purchase price of the car. Simply visit a Tesla Store to recycle your old battery, and purchase and install a new one on the same day.

The Tesla Roadster uses Li-ion cells - the same kind of batteries used in most consumer-electronics devices, such as laptops, cell phones, and camcorders. Only a few more of them.

That particular cell stops working, but the driver would not notice any changes in performance, because it is just one battery among many. In fact, the Tesla Motors design can withstand multiple battery cell failures with no perceptible effect on performance.

All Lithium Ion batteries are classified by the federal government as non-hazardous waste and are safe for disposal in the normal municipal waste stream. These batteries, however, do contain recyclable materials that make recycling a good idea.

Yes, the Energy Storage System (ESS) has a heater that will keep the batteries warm in a cold climate.

The standard cable for the Home Charging Station will be 12 ft. An optional 20 ft cable will also be available. The NEC (National Electrical Code) limits the length to 25 ft. The main mobile charge cable will be 18 ft with the adapter cable being an additional 2 ft.

At Tesla Motors we take safety very seriously. Check out our white paper to see how safety is designed in to the battery pack (Energy Storage System, ESS). For an overview of the safety features of the Tesla Roadster, visit our safety page.

We constantly review new technologies for our vehicles. Right now, Li-ion offers the best performance and value.

Delivery dates for the 2009 Roadster, available exclusively in the United States, are estimated at 15 months from your confirmed reservation date. 

For our Signature Edition, available exclusively in Europe, deliveries will begin Spring 2009.

The 2009 Roadster available to US residents has an estimated base price of $109,000.

The Signature Edition 2009 Roadster  available to European residents has a estimated fully loaded price of 99,000 Euros.

We periodically host off-site events where the public can see the car and meet Tesla Motors staff. Visit the Events page to locate activities we have scheduled in your area.

Components and subsystems for the car come from a variety of sources all over the world. Final assembly for the Tesla Roadster is in the U.K.

Tesla Motors is an American car company with a U.K. subsidiary. The car is engineered, designed, and developed by Tesla Motors. Our corporate headquarters is in San Carlos, Calif, and all of our funding came from the United States.

Lotus Cars is assembling the Tesla Roadster under contract to Tesla Motors. Tesla Motors has also hired Lotus Engineering for certain design and engineering tasks.

Lotus is the acknowledged leader worldwide for efficient assembly of sports cars at modest volumes.

Tesla licensed AC Propulsion's Reductive Charging(tm) patent, which integrates the charging electronics into the inverter in a way that reduces mass and complexity. Tesla has designed and builds its own power electronics, motor, and other drivetrain components that incorporate this licensed technology from AC Propulsion.