If the movie “Who Killed the Electric Car” is to be fully dramatic, then like any sad movie people pay their last respects at the funeral and grieve the forever loss of this vehicle. But, if Tesla Motors has anything to say about it, the movie is more like a horror movie (to big oil companies and other automakers), where the main character at the end, pushes back from the grave.
Not only is the Tesla Roadster pushing back from the electric car grave, but doing it in a big way. This all electric vehicle (EV) can achieve an amazing zero to 60 mph acceleration in just four seconds and drive 250 miles between charges. The Tesla Roadster was designed with the help of Lotus, is being built in Great Britain and will be available in five of the largest U. S. cities in 2007.
The EV uses lithium-ion batteries with a life of 100,000 miles. The Tesla Roadster takes a minimum of 3.5 hours to charge, which is a bit longer than the regular 5-minute range of other automobiles.
This kind of friendly competition is not a threat to the survival of electric cars, hydrogen cars, ethanol cars or any other alternative fuel automobiles as many would have you believe. Each type of alternative fuel vehicle gives the consumer more choices and helps change the mindset that cars must run on gasoline.
The cumulative threat of these types of alternative fuel vehicles is not to each other, but rather to the big oil companies. If alternative fuel vehicles are to survive and not continue to be “killed off” they need to band together for a common goal, rather than engage in infighting. Friendly competition is fine, however, and will move the nations of the world toward the goal of energy independence.
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