Tesla Roadster - The most fun you can have without fuel [Jay Leno reviews plug in electric car]

timesonline.co.uk ^ | July 8, 2007 | Jay Leno

[sittnick]

Wow these things are great! I like the way they run off of solar power and free up all that gas. Hey, wait a minute, you have to charge the batteries using coal or oil-fired power plants. Hmmmm nevermind

Some of us live near nuke plants.

For the rest . . . hey it may use coal, natural gas, or oil generated electricity (two of these three do NOT come from the mid east). However, because of increased eficiency it only uses 5 cents worth per gallon equivalent.

[R. Scott]

248bhp? Not bad. If anyone has a hundred grand they don’t need, please let me know.

[ancient_geezer]

I’m sure going to be miss the majestic roar of a 350 small block chevy.

A poker card in the wheel spokes works good. Kids these days jess don' know nut'in ;O)

[TWohlford]

“A poker card in the wheel spokes works good. Kids these days jess don’ know nut’in ;O)”

Yeah, that’s if you wanna sound like a small block Chevy (or “Chebby” in many neighborhoods in the USA).

Those of us who wanted a big-block Hemi sound uses a semi-inflated balloon instead.

[Issaquahking]

The car isn't as quite as great as the man, but is futuristic.

If you did Nikola Tesla would have been proud of you for using nuclear generated power. By the way, Nikola was a great immigrant, even prouder still to become a U.S. citizen.

*His father, a Greek clergyman-orator; his mother, Georgina Mandic, a Serbian inventress of household thingamajigs. "Her fingers were still nimble enough to tie three knots in an eyelash" when she was past 60. Dr. Tesla migrated to the U. S. in 1884 to work for Thomas Alva Edison, whom he soon quit. His naturalization papers he keeps in a safety box, his scientific medals and degrees in old trunks and cupboards.

[ancient_geezer]

Dem balloons provide a great simulation of a blowout when they bust too. A 2fer!!!!

[nicollo]

Nobody would come on the Tonight Show if they weren’t loyal to Gore? Poor Johnny Carson, he’s spinning in his grave...Jay, man up or lose every last bit of integrity you ever had

Oh, come on. There's NO conspiracy here. Jay just loves cars. Any cars. He has an amazing collection, and he doesn't limit himself to the usuals. His fascination for "alternative fuel" cars is just that, a fascination:

The 100-Year-Old Electric Car

As you can see from the article he doesn't just collect, he knows his stuff.

Here's Leno in the 1909 Baker electric:

Btw, a 1909 Baker victoria (open) was one of the first 4 automobiles purchased for the White House.

[ishabibble]

Just so happens, I love classic car junkies! I don’t understand it, I don’t know anything about any cars, but there is something so true and vital about people at car shows. Car shows, NASCAR, and rodeo, that is where you can find this feeling. You won’t find it at Wimbledon or the Americas Cup. It’s a red-blooded, red meat feeling.

Jay Leno may love his cars, but he is a fence sitter, no doubt. IMHO.

[nicollo]

Trust me, Jay does not mix automobiles and politics. He just loves cars and bikes. He also knows his history. Don’t fret over this one.

Btw, car shows ARE awesome. Just people loving their cars. I hit up my area’s first major show last month and we had a ball. My favorites were: ‘49 Hudson Commodore, ‘65 Corvair Monza, and a 1918 Packard 1-1/2 ton truck (original condition).

[ishabibble]

I like Buicks. All Buicks, only Buicks. There is something so strong about them.

[Recovering Hermit]

Beats the pants off those rice burners with the fart cans on the exhaust pipe any day of the week :P

I actually saw FIVE of these "tricked-out" rice-burners tooling down the road the other day, all in a row.

They all appeared to be the same make/model (don't know what, though), just different colors.

The kids in them were trying their best to look like thugs, the rap music was thumping, etc.

It was really pathetic.

[The Duke]

That’s one nice little golf cart! :)

[Hot Tabasco]

when you do refuel, it’s the equivalent of five cents a gallon, or something similar.

Cool! So when I run out of power I just plug it in and wait the 24 hours or so till the recharge completes......

I have a '95 Honda Del Sol that looks strikingly similar to this. Not as fast but definitely more reliable and I can "recharge" and pay within 5 minutes and get about 37 MPG on the highway...... I'm so overdrawn in my carbon-credits right now that I might just as well keep spending them.......

[puppypusher]

It must be nice having money like Jay Leno. I don’t know about you but I,a working stiff will not be able to afford an electrical vehicle for use during my work week and then have a sports car on the weekend.

The price of these electrical vehicle is outrageous.The only other vehicle I would be able to afford would be a bicycle.Especially if the Dummy-craps get back into power.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Big power plants are much more efficient than automobile engines. The overall efficiency of plug-in electric cars is significantly better than for gas or even diesel cars.

As Leno says, the Tesla will be a rich man’s toy. I’m looking forward to the Chevy Volt — I think a plug-in hybrid is a better solution than a pure electric vehicle — and the Volt is supposed to be reasonably priced.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

I should have added to my #35 that you (U.S.) have plenty of coal — the more you power your cars with it, the less you have to buy from the middle east, or from us (Canada).

[gcruse]

I remember the Dynaflow transmissions Buicks had. You started out in high [direct drive] and never felt any shifting as you got to highway speed.

And my 1965 Riviera, which got 9 mpg in town and 13 on the highway.

[Chode]

SlickWillie put an end to that notion years ago... iirc it was with his Riati deals

[ishabibble]

My brother’s first car was a ‘65 Riviera:))

Then he bought a gorgeous Toronado...midnight blue. I used to see the mechanic driving it around all the time!

[gcruse]

LOL