December 4th, 2007
How fast can it go? How soon will it arrive?
The Tesla, expected to arrive next year
You can’t drive a Tesla yourself, but you can get the vicarious thrill of riding along with CNET’s Brian Cooley. Zero to 60 in four seconds, a top speed somewhere north of 120, this car can get you into a lot of trouble. Here’s a link to the video.
The Tesla Company itself is having some speed issues. Located in Silicon Valley the firm recently fired their founder and hired a new CEO. Perhaps because of two delays in delivery of the long-awaited all-electric car.
There’s another car of interest to Green Tech fans, and it’s due to arrive on time, but you may still have to wait. Finally Mercedes is bringing the SmartCar sedan to the U.S. It’s been in Europe for years and was introduced in Canada in 2003. But the Mercedes folks figured Amwericans wouldn’t ride in the tiny two-person car. Perhaps the smell of $4 per gallon gasoline has changed all that. The Smart Car is finally going to ber available to Yanks next month. But if you haven’t already ordered, there’s a waiting list. Mercedes says it has already received thirty thousand despots for the car. And that’s far more than their production capacity for 2008.
While the pols in Washington may not be able to comprehend the need for more efficient mileage from American cars, it appears consumers in U.S. understand the purpose of higher mileage vehicles. The Smart Car is supposed to get 40 miles per galloon on the highway.
Only eight-feet long, it’ll park nose to curb, playing havoc with traditional metered parking spaces. As you might expect 20% of the Smart Car orders have come from California where so many people spend so much of their time on freeways and where gasoline prices run higher than the national average.
Not only is the Smart Car pre-ordered, the forums on it are pre-ordained to be belligerent and outspoken.
A newsman since 1969, Harry Fuller has worked for CBS, ABC, CNBC Europe, CNET and was founding news director at TechTV. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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