If you’ve followed my blog for some time, you’ll know that I’m a big proponent of local, sustainable, and environmentally conscious. Whenever possible, I try and incorporate those things into my life. I’ve been lauding the auto industry’s move from entirely petroleum based to hybrid to electric only. And as part of my move to JC Whitney, this has only spurred on this passion.
I was recently over on Chicago’s West side and happened to see a new member to the Chicago automotive scene. It was a Tesla dealership, right in downtown Chicago. I was able to get in contact with Tesla to find out what’s going on with them and what they see happening with electric vehicles in the next few years. The following is an exchange I had with Jeremy Siwek, a product specialist with Palo Alto based Tesla Motors.
Can you give us a quick background for anyone not already familiar with Tesla?
Tesla Motors is an American car company based in Palo Alto, CA, the heart of Silicon Valley. The auto manufacturer was created with the intention of furthering electric vehicle technology to make electric vehicles available and affordable for the mass-market. The company was founded in 2003 and began delivering cars in 2008. Tesla has delivered approximately 1,000 Roadsters in 44 States and 23 countries. They are available in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, with availability in Japan and Australia coming extremely soon.
I’ve heard a lot about the Tesla Roadster and Model S, but can you give us a run down of the specs for each and how they are different.
The Tesla Roadster is a real supercar. It accelerates from 0-60 in 3.7 seconds, with amazing handling, braking, and response. The range on a single charge is 236 miles based on EPA standards and testing. It takes only about 3.5 hours to charge the battery from empty to full. The car in can be charged in any conventional outlet, in your own garage, at a cost of about $5.
With a base price of $109,000 (exclusive of various Federal and state tax credits), the Roadster represents a huge value when compared to other cars in its performance category. Savings on maintenance and fuel expenses can easily surpass $25,000+ over a 7-8 year period (see total cost of ownership study). It is really the only supercar that can be, and should be, driven every day. The Roadster is also beautifully simple, intuitive, and fun to drive.
Model S is a gorgeous, full-size luxury sedan due to hit the market at the very end of 2011. Pricing starts at $57,400 ($49,900 w/ the Federal tax credit taken into account) and it will be offered with 160, 230, and 300 mile range options. 0-60 time should be around 5.6 seconds. Tesla is currently taking reservations on the Model S for 2012 delivery. A great resource for more information on the car is the 3-part video series found here.
If I’m not mistaken, both the Roadster and Model S have lithium ion battery technology. Is there a next generation battery on the horizon or do you think lithium ion is here to stay for a while?
6,831 lithium-ion cells are in the battery pack of the Tesla Roadster. We will also use lithium-ion technology in the Model S. Our engineers are always testing the best lithium-ion chemistries and technologies for batteries used in electric vehicles and are committed to always using the best solutions. Right now lithium-ion proves to be the best possible option that meets the requirements of reliability, energy density, steady supply availability, and cost effectiveness.
Tesla has played a huge role in the increase in interest and demand for lighter, more powerful batteries that charge quicker and last longer in both the consumer electronics market and the electric vehicle market. In fact Panasonic recently announced that it is working with Tesla to develop batteries for electric vehicles.
One very nice aspect of purchasing a Roadster or a Model S is that, when a new battery technology is released, your Tesla can take advantage of that by swapping old for new. Unlike a gas-powered car, a Tesla can actually improve with age. A battery pack that weighs half as much and puts out more energy will come, and swapping that into your ’08 Roadster five, eight, or ten years from now might result in a 2.8 second 0-60 and 350 miles of range.
One major issue I’ve heard associated with electric vehicles is the cost of battery production. Is that fact or fiction and how is Tesla addressing it?
Current battery technology is somewhat expensive, but it is not cost-prohibitive. Keep in mind that, yes, while an electric vehicle battery pack might cost a fair amount (a Roadster owner can lock in a replacement battery pack for $12,000), an EV does not require a costly gas engine, transmission, exhaust system, gas tank and fuel lines, pumps, emissions equipment, and everything else necessary to support a combustion engine. As battery technology advances and as it becomes more prevalent, the cost goes down.
In terms of electric vehicle infrastructure (EVI) and smart grids, can people actually make money by using their car as mobile electrical storage? Is that a reality today or how far off is it really?
Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, the smart grid, and V2G (Vehicle to Grid) are all part of an ongoing discussion to optimize energy efficiency. Where EVs are the future, EVI is by some thought to be the salvation of the automotive industry. We are, however, a far way off from a large scale system where electric cars can both pull from and give back to the electric grid.
What we do already see with our customers is some who use solar arrays or wind power to sell electricity back to the utility company during the day, when peak hour rates are high, only to use electricity from the grid at night while the off-peak rates are extremely low and when they are home from work (and charging their car). It is not too difficult to come out ahead on your bill in this manner. What we have seen, from hundreds of thousands of miles of Roadster charging, is that our owners charge their vehicles almost exclusively at off-peak hours. Essentially, with no changes to the grid whatsoever, even an extremely large number of electric car owners can be easily supported by our existing infrastructure and our existing electrical supply capability.
Do you find that “traditional” automotive customers are accepting of totally electric vehicles? What’s the one thing people miss the most when driving electric?
Yes. The drive experience is absolutely amazing. The convenience of ‘filling up’ at home and never going to a gas station again is huge. The convenience of no regular maintenance such as oil changes, belts, spark plugs, filters, etc., is one of the reasons people love living with an electric vehicle. Tesla cars require only a once-a-year checkup. A $50,000 Tesla is the equivalent of a $35,000 gas vehicle if you take into account maintenance and fuel savings over a 7-8 year period. Add into that the amount of time you save by never going to a gas station again or taking the time to have your oil changed, and it’s amazing the push for EV’s isn’t even bigger.
We find that people love the power, response, and extremely connected drive experience that you get with an electric vehicle, and because Tesla took an uncompromised approach to design and performance when building our electric car, drivers have no reason to feel like they are missing out on anything.
What do you see as the biggest impediment to major adoption of electric vehicles in the US?
Our biggest hurdle is the misperception of range, or what we call range anxiety. Even though, realistically, most people almost never drive more than 236 miles in a single day (especially in a Roadster-style sports car), as soon as the thought of a potential limitation hits, it becomes a barrier. The fact is that the cars can and do road trip, and it will continue to become easier and easier as charge times come down and charging infrastructure across the country, and world, grows.
We have had many Roadster owners drive across the country, and Tesla recently completed a road trip from LA to Detroit for the Detroit Auto Show. There are far more outlets than gas stations, and filling up is as easy as plugging in. With an empty-to-full charge running from $3.50 to ~$6.00 depending on where you are in the country, hotels, restaurants, malls, etc., are more than happy to let you charge for free if it means you’re going to be staying there for a few hours. Model S will have a quick charge capability, giving it about 85% of its 300 mile range in around 45 minutes. If you absolutely must make the trip as quickly as possible, but are not flying, the savings on fuel and maintenance more than cover the cost of a rental car even a few times a year, assuming the EV is your only vehicle.
With many more plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) and electric vehicles (EV) coming to market (Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, Toyota Prius, etc.), how do you see Tesla competing in a increasingly competitive market segment?
You really can’t compare the Tesla Roadster, or even the Model S, to most of these other vehicles. Although they share the category of EV (and PHEV, if that can be seen as a substitute), the battery range and speed is not comparable. When you look at design, performance, and price point, the Roadster’s competition is a Porsche, Maserati, Ferrari, or other high performance car. With that, Tesla will always differentiate itself through its technology, quality, and performance. The range-per-charge, battery maintenance systems, and drive experience will continue to be vastly different from that of the competition.
If people are interested in learning more about Tesla, what’s the best avenue for them to connect with Tesla?
www.TeslaMotors.com
Is there anything under wraps over at Tesla that you can share or give us a preview of?
Sorry… [editor's note: Aw shucks!]
I’d like to thank Jeremy and Tesla for taking the time to answer these questions. A note to readers, I’m in the process of securing a test drive and I’ll report back on how that goes shortly.
And lastly, you may have noticed the title of this post is “electric vehicles” in Chicago and not “electic cars” in Chicago. Stay tuned. I have a bunch of electric related test drives and demos in the works, so stay tuned.