Tesla Roadster

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Tesla Roadster
Tesla Roadster
Manufacturer Tesla Motors
Also called Code name: DarkStar [1]
Production 2008–present
Assembly Lotus factory in Hethel, England
Class Roadster
Body style(s) 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 2,352 mm (92.6 in)
Length 3,946 mm (155.4 in)
Width 1,873 mm (73.7 in)
Height 1,127 mm (44.4 in)
Fuel capacity 53 kW·h (Li-ion battery)
Electric range 220 mi (350 km)
Related Lotus Elise

The Tesla Roadster is a fully electric sports car, and is the first car produced by electric car firm Tesla Motors. The car can travel 220 mi (350 km)[2] on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery pack and accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.9 seconds with the development transmission. The Roadster's efficiency is reported as 133 W·h/km (4.7 mi/kW·h), equivalent to 135 mpg–U.S. (1.74 L/100 km / 162.1 mpg–imp).[3][4][5][6][7]

Contents

[edit] History

The car was officially unveiled to the public on July 19, 2006 in Santa Monica, California, at a 350-person invitation-only event held in Barker Hangar at Santa Monica Airport.[8]

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. Lotus supplied the basic chassis development technology from its Lotus Elise, with which the Tesla engineers designed a new chassis. Barney Hatt at Lotus' design studio developed the styling with input from Tesla. Tesla's designers chose to construct the body panels using resin transfer molded carbon fiber composite to minimize weight; this choice makes the Roadster one of the least expensive cars with an entirely carbon fiber skin. The car will be assembled at the Lotus factory in Hethel, England, with drivetrain components and body components supplied to the factory by Tesla.[9][10][11]

The Roadster shares less than 10% of its components with the Lotus Elise; shared components are confined to the windshield, air bags, tires, some dashboard parts, and suspension components. The parts supply chain extends around the world; Tesla Motor's plant in Taiwan manufactures the motors and the Energy Storage Systems (ESS) was initially manufactured in Thailand during development and then moved to San Carlos, California after production started. Chassis are manufactured in Norway. SOTIRA, in St. Meloir & Pouancé France, create the RTM carbon fiber body panels. The Roadster's brakes and airbags are made by Siemens in Germany and crash testing was conducted at Siemens as well.[7][9][12][13][14][15]

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 patent which covers integration of the charging electronics with the inverter, thus reducing mass, complexity and cost. Tesla Motors then designed and built its own power electronics, motor, and other drivetrain components that incorporate this licensed technology from AC Propulsion.[16]

Several prototypes of the Tesla Roadster were produced from 2004 through 2007. Initial studies were done in two "mule" vehicles. Ten Engineering Prototypes (EP1 thru EP10) were then built and tested in late 2006 and early 2007 which lead to many minor changes. Tesla then produced seventeen Validation Prototypes (VP1 thru VP17) which were delivered beginning in March 2007. These final revisions were endurance and crash tested in preparation for series production.[17]

In January 2008 the NHTSA announced that it would grant a waiver of the advanced air bag rule noting that the Tesla Roadster already includes standard air bags; similar waivers have been granted to many other small volume manufacturers as well including Lotus, Ferrari and Bugatti.[18][19]

[edit] Production

Interior
Interior

Production delivery was originally planned for October 2007 and then delayed, in September 2007, until the first calendar quarter of 2008. Series production of the car began on March 17, 2008[20] after over two years of prototyping and testing. However, the first production Roadster, referred to as "P1", was delivered to Tesla Motors' Chairman Elon Musk on February 1, 2008. [21][22][23][24]

Subsequent to completion of production car number one at Hethel, the company announced problems with transmission reliability. The development transmission, with first gear enabled to accelerate 0–60 mph in 4 seconds, was reported to have a life expectancy of as low as only a few thousand miles. Tesla Motors' first two transmission suppliers were unable to produce transmissions, in quantity, that could withstand the continuous torque requirements of the electric motor. In December 2007, Tesla Motors announced plans to ship the initial Roadsters with the transmissions locked into second gear to provide 0–60 mph acceleration in 5.7 seconds. The first production car was not delivered with this interim solution; P1 has both transmission gears enabled. According to the plan, the initial transmissions will be swapped out under warranty when the finalized transmission, power electronics module (PEM) and cooling system becomes available. The EPA range of the car was also restated from 245 miles (394 km) down to 221 miles (356 km). The downward revision was attributed to an error in equipment calibration at the laboratory that conducted the original test.[25][7][26]

During the first two months of production, Tesla produced a total of three Roadsters (P3/VINF002, P4/VINF004, and P5/VINF005). Production car # 1 (P1) and P2 were built prior to the start of regular series production, which began March 17th, 2008. [27]

[edit] Sales

Tesla's "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 January 15, 2008, all 650 Tesla Roadsters planned for model year 2008 had been reserved. As it is currently only available in the USA which drives on the right (RHT), only left-hand drive (LHD) is available.

For 2009 Tesla plans to deliver 1500 cars.[28] The company plans to begin sales in Europe during the third quarter of 2008, initially limited to 250 cars, at just under €100,000 each.[29] The cars will not initially go on sale in the United Kingdom, which drives on the left (LHT), as there are no plans to build a Tesla Roadster with right-hand drive (RHD).

Final pricing for the 2008 Tesla Roadster base model is US$98,000, plus a destination charge of $950. 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.[30] The price for the 2009 models has been increased to US$109,000; options ranging from colors to audio to heavy duty cables can add another $10,000[30]

[edit] Service

A Tesla Roadster (rear view)
A Tesla Roadster (rear view)

The first Tesla Motors Los Angeles, CA service center was opened on May 1, 2008 at 11163 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA.[31]

Additional 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 United States major metropolitan locations.[32] Possible locations for sales and service locations in Europe were announced in a letter to customers in May, 2008.

A Roadster purchased in the United States but more than 100 mi. from the nearest service center was originally announced as requiring an additional US$8,000 out-of-service-area fee; this fee was removed at the start of production and replaced with a policy that customers will be responsible for transporting their Roadster to a service center.[33] No "independent" mechanics are authorized or certified to perform maintenance on the drive train or electrical systems of the Roadster.[10]

There is minimal maintenance required for 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

More details are available from the manufacturer.[34]

[edit] Motor

  • Type: 3-phase, 4-pole electric motor
  • Max net power: 248 hp (185 kW)
  • Max RPM: 13,000
  • Max torque, 200 ft·lbf (270 N·m) is made from 0-6,000 rpm
  • Efficiency: 90% average, 80% at peak power

[edit] Transmission

Tesla is looking at two alternative transmission suppliers because of the failures with the Magna transmission. At the "Town Hall Meeting" with owners in December 2007, Tesla announced plans to ship the initial 2008 Roadsters with their transmissions locked into second gear limiting the performance of the car to less than what was originally stated (0-60mph in 5.7 seconds instead of the announced 4.0 seconds). Tesla will subsequently upgrade those transmissions under warranty when the final transmission is available.[7][26][35] At the "Town Hall Meeting" with owners on January 30, 2008, Tesla Motors described the planned transmission upgrade as a single-speed gearbox with a drive ratio of 8.27:1 combined with improved electronics and motor cooling that retain the acceleration from 0–60 mph in under 4 seconds and an improved motor limit of 14,000 rpm to retain the 125 mph (201 km/h) top speed.[36]

[edit] Performance

  • Acceleration time: 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 3.9 seconds. Some prototypes and initial production 2008 Roadsters were limited to 5.7 second 0–60 mph acceleration.[7]
  • 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] Battery system

More details are available from the manufacturer.[37]

  • Cell type: lithium ion, 18650 form-factor (18mm diameter by 65 mm length). Most laptop computer batteries already use this type of lithium-ion cell.[38]
  • Cell count: 6,831 cells arranged into 11 modules connected in series; each module contains 9 "bricks" connected in series; each "brick" contains 69 cells connected in parallel (11S 9S 69P).[17][39][40]
  • Full-charge time: 3½ hours.[10]
  • Estimated life: over 100,000 miles (160,000 km). [10]
  • 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 had planned to sell the battery system to TH!NK and possibly others through its Tesla Energy Group division. That plan was put on hold by interim CEO Michael Marks in September 2007.[41][42][43]

[edit] Fuel efficiency

More details are available from the manufacturer.[44]

Tesla Motors, in June 2006, reported the Roadster's battery-to-wheel efficiency as 110 W·h/km (5.65 mi/kW·h) on an unspecified driving cycle (either a constant 60 mph (97 km/h) or SAE J1634 test) and stated a charging efficiency of 86%. This results in an overall plug-to-wheel efficiency of 128 W·h/km (4.85 mi/kW·h).[45][46]

The Roadster's efficiency on the EPA highway cycle was reported in March 2007 as "135 mpg [U.S.] equivalent, per the conversion rate used by the EPA" which converts to 133 W·h/km (4.66 mi/kW·h) battery-to-wheel or 155 W·h/km (4.00 mi/kW·h) plug-to-wheel.[3]

Dynamometer testing in August, 2007 of a Validation Prototype on the EPA combined cycle yielded a range of 221 mi (356 km) using 149 W·h/km (4.17 mi/kW·h) battery-to-wheel and 209 Wh/km (2.98 mi/kW·h) plug-to-wheel.[10][47]

The Roadster's motor efficiency is 90% on average and 80% at peak power. For comparison, internal combustion engines have an efficiency of about 20%.[48][49]

[edit] Petroleum-equivalent fuel efficiency

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

  • For CAFE regulatory purposes, the DOE's full petroleum-equivalency equation[50] combines the primary energy efficiencies of the USA electric grid and the well-to-pump path with a "fuel content factor" that quantifies 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 244 mpg–U.S. (0.96 L/100 km / 293.1 mpg–imp).
  • Recharging with electricity from the USA grid, the factor changes to 12,307 W·h/ U.S. gal[50] to remove the "fuel content factor" = 1/0.15 and the above equation yields a full-cycle energy-equivalency of 37 mpg–U.S. (6.36 L/100 km / 44.4 mpg–imp). For full-cycle comparisons, the sticker or "pump-to-wheel" value from a gasoline-fueled vehicle must be multiplied by the fuel's "well-to-pump" efficiency; the DOE regulation specifies a "well-to-pump" efficiency of 83% for gasoline.[50] The Prius' sticker 46 mpg–U.S. (5.11 L/100 km / 55.2 mpg–imp), for example, converts to a full-cycle energy-equivalent of 38.2 mpg–U.S. (6.16 L/100 km / 45.9 mpg–imp).[50]
  • Recharging with electricity generated by newer, 58% efficiency CCGT power plants,[51] changes the factor to 21,763 Wh/gal[50] in the above equation and yields a fuel efficiency of 65 mpg–U.S. (3.62 L/100 km / 78.1 mpg–imp). Recharging with 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.[52]
  • 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$3.50/ U.S. gallon, for instance, results in an equivalent of 350 mpg–U.S. (0.67 L/100 km / 420.4 mpg–imp) using E-9 or 117 mpg–U.S. (2.01 L/100 km / 140.5 mpg–imp) using retail pricing.
See also: electric car#Comparison to internal combustion vehicles

[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." [53]

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." [54]

Motor Trend gave a generally favorable review, stating that, it was "undeniably, unbelievably efficient" and would be "profoundly humbling to just about any rumbling Ferrari or Porsche that makes the mistake of pulling up next to a silent, 105-mpg Tesla Roadster at a stoplight."; however, they detected a "nasty drivetrain buck" during the test drive.[55] AutoWeek reported that while "the roadster has had a few transmission troubles [...] Tesla Roadster buyers will enjoy their energy-efficient mounts. We know we did."[56] Road and Track said "The Tesla feels composed and competent at speed with great turn-in and transitioning response", though they recommended against it as a "primary grocery-getter".[57]

[edit] Awards

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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  2. ^ Rogers, John. "Tesla rolls out its long-awaited electric sports car", Associated Press, 2008-05-02. Retrieved on 2008-05-02. (English) 
  3. ^ a b Elon Musk (2007-03-07). "Musk Testimony" (Microsoft Word). . United States Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  4. ^ Tesla Motors. "Tesla Motors Corporate Backgrounder" (html). Press release. Retrieved on 2006-12-05. “...the Tesla Roadster is capable of 135 mpg equivalent...”
  5. ^ Edmunds.com Inside Line (2006-07-21). Tesla Roadster: Lotus Helps Create Sporty 135 MPG Electric Car (html) (English). Retrieved on 2006-12-05. “...achieves the equivalent of 135 mpg.”
  6. ^ Neil, Dan. "A roadster that's electric", Marketplace Public Radio, 2006-07-20. Retrieved on 2006-09-18. (English) 
  7. ^ a b c d e Ze’ev Drori, Tesla Motors President and CEO (2007-12-27). A Letter to Customers from Ze’ev Drori. Tesla Motors. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
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  9. ^ a b Michael Shnayerson. "Quiet Thunder", Vanity Fair, 2007-05. Retrieved on 2007-04-24. 
  10. ^ a b c d e Tesla Motors FAQs (HTML). Tesla Motors (2006-12-20). Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
  11. ^ Barrie Dickinson, Tesla Motors Director of Body Engineering (2007-02-15). Cut From a Different Cloth. Tesla Motors. Retrieved on 2008-02-15.
  12. ^ Sam Abuelsamid. "AutoblogGreen Q&A: Tesla Motors CEO Martin Eberhard pt.1" (html). Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
  13. ^ Elizabeth Corcoran. "Can Silicon Valley Reinvent The Car?", Forbes, 2007-03-17. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. 
  14. ^ Jay Leno's Garage 2008 Tesla Roadster (March 2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-11.
  15. ^ JOHN D. STOLL, NORIHIKO SHIROUZU and NEAL E. BOUDETTE. "Detroit Sets Bold Goal: Exporting U.S. Cars", The Wall Street Journal, 2008-04-08. Retrieved on 2008-06-10. ""Tesla Motors, a Northern California start-up developing an electric car, recently decided to scrap plans to build its $20,000-plus batteries in Thailand. Instead, it will assemble the components in the U.S. because of currency values."" 
  16. ^ "Reductive Charging, AC Propulsion's Reductive Charger Integrated Charging for the Electric Vehicle". AC Propulsion. Retrieved on 2007-03-07.
  17. ^ a b Martin Eberhard, Tesla Motors CEO (2007-08-07). The Future of Cars is Electric. Tesla Motors. “Video available from Google Video. Slide 90 shows that "The ESS consists of 6831 individual cells that are electrically connected into parallel groups of 69 cells." (11S 9S 69P)”
  18. ^ NHTSA (2008-01-28). "Docket No. NHTSA–2008–0013. Tesla Motors, Inc.; Grant of Application for a Temporary Exemption From Advanced Air Bag Requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208" (PDF). . U.S. GPO
  19. ^ Ken Thomas (2008-01-28). Tesla Sports Car Gets Air Bag Waiver. Associated Press. Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
  20. ^ We have begun regular production of the Tesla Roadster. Tesla Motors (March 17, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  21. ^ Lawrence Ulrich. "All Amped Up", New York Times, 2007-04-20. Retrieved on 2007-04-24. 
  22. ^ Michael E. Marks, CEO, Tesla Motors (2007-09-25). Tesla Roadster Club Member Letter September 25, 2007. Tesla Motors. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
  23. ^ Tesla Motors Completes all Regulatory Approvals and Sets Schedule to Begin Production. Tesla Motors (2008-01-23).
  24. ^ Zak Edson, Tesla Motors Sr. Manager Member Services (2008-02-06). "Re: P1 Arriving Now! :)".
  25. ^ Robert Scoble (2008-02-19). Ride in first production Tesla with Elon Musk. Retrieved on 2008-02-26. “2:58 into video Elon Musk says "This particular car [P1] actually has two speeds"”
  26. ^ a b Daryl Siry, Tesla Motors Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Service (2007-12-12). Re: My Town Hall Notes. Retrieved on 2008-02-12.
  27. ^ Tesla Production Slower Than Expected, Greentech Media, May 16, 2008
  28. ^ Tesla rolls out its long-awaited electric sports car
  29. ^ Tesla to sell electric cars in Europe
  30. ^ a b Tesla Motors. Join Our Wait List. Retrieved on 2008-02-12.
  31. ^ Sam Abuelsamid (2008-05-02). First Tesla store opens in Santa Monica, now we just need some cars.
  32. ^ David Pogue. "Solving the Car Propulsion Problem", New York Times, 2007-04-05. 
  33. ^ Tesla Motors (2008-05-15). Program Update. Tesla Motors.
  34. ^ http://www.teslamotors.com/performance/perf_specs.php http://www.teslamotors.com/performance/perf_specs.php
  35. ^ Neff, John (2007-12-19). Tesla clarifies report of "temporary transmissions".
  36. ^ "Town Hall Meeting" with owners on January 30, 2008
  37. ^ The Tesla Roadster Battery System
  38. ^ 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> 
  39. ^ Andrew Simpson, Telsa Motors (March 23, 2008). Response to the CARB ZEV Expert Panel Position on Lithium-Ion Full-Performance Battery Electric Vehicles (PDF) (EN). Tesla Motors.
  40. ^ 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."”
  41. ^ 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) 
  42. ^ Sebastian Blanco. "EDTA Conference: Tesla Motors ready to license battery tech to other companies" (html). Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
  43. ^ Michael Kanellos (2007-10-16). Tesla delays its battery business, but test drives begin. News.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
  44. ^ white papers and presentation
  45. ^ 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.”
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  47. ^ Andrew Simpson, Tesla Motors Vehicle Systems Engineer (2007-09-24). "Where the Rubber Meets the Road". Retrieved on 2008-02-22. “Mr. Simpson confirmed via email that "We do not quote station-to-wheel efficiency, but we do quote plug-to-wheel efficiency which includes all energy use downstream of the charging plug. For the most-recent 221 mi (356 km) range test, our plug-to-wheel efficiency was 336 Wh/mi."”
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  49. ^ US EPA. Advanced Technologies and Energy Efficiency. Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
  50. ^ a b c d e f U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) (2000-07-12). "Federal Register Vol. 64 No. 113" (PDF). . U.S. GPO Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
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  52. ^ http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/evtech.shtml. Retrieved on May 28, 2008.
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  58. ^ INDEX Award 2007.
  59. ^ Best Product Design of 2007, Ecodesign.
  60. ^ Best Cars 2006: New car that best lived up to the Hype.
  61. ^ TIME Best Inventions 2006
  62. ^ Ward, Logan (November 2006). BREAKTHROUGH AWARDS 2006: Innovators Martin Eberhard and Team. Popular Mechanics. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
  63. ^ Tesla Motors (2006-10-17). "Tesla Motors Receives 'Environmental Leadership' Award from Global Green USA". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
  64. ^ Awards. Global Green USA. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
  65. ^ CarDomain Car Blog: People's Choice!

[edit] External links

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