Electric Tesla Roadster Unveiled

California-based electric vehicle startup Tesla Motors has unveiled its first product, the Tesla Roadster, and the specs are impressive. Tesla claims the Roadster will reach a top speed of over 130 mph and accelerate from zero to 60 mph in a supercar-like four seconds. More significantly, Tesla puts the two-seater's single charge range at up to 250 miles, a number that comes closer to the typical range of a gasoline-powered car than most of the electric vehicles we've seen. Making this kind of driving distance possible is the Roadster's Energy Storage System (ESS), comprised of 6,831 lithium-ion battery cells and a network of microprocessors to ensure they all maintain proper charge balance and temperature. With an included home-based charging system, Tesla says charging the Roadster will take about three and a half hours.

The Roadster's electric motor makes a maximum of 248 horsepower and 180 lbs-ft of torque. The maximum operating speed of 13,500 rpm allows for a transmission with only two forward gears plus reverse. Research and development for the Roadster took place at Telsa's headquarters in San Carlos, California, thanks to venture capital from some big-name Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. English sports car manufacturer Lotus is playing a large role as well: the Lotus Design Studio penned the sleek design, and final assembly will take place at the company's facility in England. Deliveries of the Tesla Roadster are expected to begin next summer, first in California, followed by Chicago, and later New York and Miami. No word yet on price, but we've heard reports in the $100,000 range.