When Going Green Means Going REALLY FAST!

by Terry Gault

My wife, Robin, asked me, “What do you want to do for your 50th birthday?”  I figured, “Hey – this is my 50th.  It’s a milestone number.  I am going to go for it and ask for what I really want.”

“I want to drive a Tesla.”

I have been a fan essentially since the car was first announced.  I have read about it in Wired (which I read religiously), Business 2.0 (which I read religiously until it sadly folded), and Fortune magazine.  Robin drives a Prius.  I am committed to a smaller footprint … but I also LOVE fast cars.  My brother is a mechanic who specializes in muscle cars.  I once owned a cherry ’66 Ford Falcon Futura Sport Coupe with a 289 V-8.

Yeah, that’s me parked in the Marin Headlands in 1989.

So, this seemed like a dream car … all electric … zero emissions … 2 door roadster … suspension by Lotus … 0-60 in 3.7 seconds.  MY KIND OF CAR!!!

When we arrived for our scheduled test drive, Mike Falcone greeted me.  Mike looked to be in his early 30’s.  Very friendly, cool, formerly managed an Apple store.  When I revealed my history with muscle cars, when I told him my brother recently owned a 1969 Pontiac Firebird with a 400 V8, Mike revealed that he owned a 1969 Pontiac GTO with a 400 V8.  It was clear that we were kindred spirits.

He showed us the car, the battery pack, the “trunk” that was designed to hold a bag of golf clubs (and no more).  He spoke about the carbon fiber frame and body.  He showed us where they prepare cars for delivery and where they drop the electric motor into the frame and body assembled by Lotus.  It was fascinating to tour the manufacturing facility of a car manufacturer practically in our own back yard – Menlo Park …. Silicon Valley.  (Yeah, take THAT Detroit!)

But it was all prelude to a dream – the test drive itself.

Mike finally pulled the car out of the showroom and around the block to the parking lot where Robin and I could take it for a drive.  (Yes, unattended.)  He asked if I wanted to go along for the ride.  I said, "Sure."  When he pulled out onto El Camino Real to drive the car one block to the parking lot entrance, he floored it.

Do you know the feeling you get when you are on a roller coaster … you climb the hill, you can feel the gears ratcheting your car up the climb, then you pass over the  crest and the car begins to plummet straight down and every cell in your body is screaming, “You’re going to DIE!!!” and the only thing that makes you feel any better, that makes any sense at all is to scream your lungs out?  That’s what it felt like.

WHAT A RUSH!!!   I loved it!  I have never driven a car with such torque and immediate power.

Since it is electric and the motor can rev up to 14,000 RPM’s, there is ONLY one gear. (Now, that’s user friendly!)  It tops out at 125 miles per hour and will go 244 miles on a charge.  Unless the car is in park or neutral, the motor is engaged the whole time.  So, when you let off the gas the resistance from the wheels / motor slow down the car. That energy is recaptured and charges the battery, much like braking and coasting in the Prius recharges the battery.  The only time you need to hit the brakes is when you come to a complete, dead stop.  So, the brakes get very little wear and tear.

This is a great car for commuting … assuming you don’t need to schlep any gear, only one passenger.  Since the car has very little moving parts, it will last almost forever.  Maintenance?  Oh, yeah.  Don’t forget to fill the windshield washer fluid once in awhile.

Mike and the staff at Tesla were all terrific – friendly, well-informed, enthusiastic, helpful, no pressure.  They clearly understand the importance of good presentation.  They intuited that people would embrace an electric car IF it looked super sexy, was fun to drive, and was blisteringly fast.  They nailed it.

I am excited to drive their next car, the Model S, a 4 door sedan slated to arrive in 2011, priced at $50K.  Compare that to the total cost of ownership to a loaded Prius – about $30K.  This car will cost you much LESS over the total life of the car.

So, here’s 2 videos you may enjoy:

1.    First, my video of my test drive.

2.    Followed by a video of Jay Leno speaking with one of the backers and Product Architect of the Tesla, Elon Musk.  Musk was one of the co-founders of PayPal.  In September 2009, Musk’s SpaceX's Falcon 1 rocket became the first privately funded vehicle to put a satellite into Earth orbit.  This is a guy who dreams big dreams.

Enjoy the ride!

photo: JoaoMaximo