Tesla Roadster: The Future of Electric Sports Cars Unveiled in AUTOhebdo's Review

2023-08-14 18:56:22

In February 2010, our motorsport media AUTOhebdo tried the enigmatic Tesla Roadster. Thirteen years later, verdict?

Electric cars, means of transport of the future or heretical prophecy? Far from the moralizing discourse polluting our environment, Tesla proves that you can drive fast, well and for a long time in a 100% electric car.

Let’s put our cards on the table from the outset in order to spare us too much hypocrisy: anyone who has €100,000 to invest in a Tesla roadster doesn’t care to know that for the same price, he can drive a Porsche or an Aston Martin . This is a statistical fact, not a journalistic rant. Driving “electric” remains today a personal approach far from all rational contingencies. This independence of spirit is refreshing in a society where everything has to be thought out, calculated and justified. The times we are living in are truly blessed as we will witness an endless number of changes in the years to come. We have the choice to join it now or to reproduce a scheme similar to that of those who, 120 years ago, never believed that the Automobile could one day be more practical, economical and efficient than the Horse.

It is no coincidence that the Californian firm today borrows the surname of Nikola Tesla, a genius scientist of Serbian origin (1856-1943), to whom we owe a fantastic list of discoveries dealing with energy and its conversion. The symbol is all the stronger as Tesla sought to develop, at the end of its life, an automobile operating with vacuum energy (!), necessarily inexhaustible and free, to guarantee freedom of movement to all human beings from this planet. The interruption of its work is unknown, some advocating the idea that Nikola Tesla’s project was chimerical, others that the political and economic interests of the oil industry were not dethroned. Both theories are valid…

Still, one can legitimately wonder what engineers have spent their time on for a century and the appearance of the first electric vehicles. Progress has been negligible, and we will endure the yoke of oil for a long time to come. Energy storage remains the fundamental constraint of this technical scheme, so that the few existing city cars on the market painfully cap at 100 km / h and 100 km of autonomy. The millions of dollars spent each year by manufacturers will advance the schmilblick, and specialists agree that the technology is progressing by 8% per year in terms of improved weight and performance.

Tesla nevertheless seems to have a head start on the competition, its little roadster already proving to be reasonably autonomous and brimming with pep. But the real problem with electric cars is their overall design. They have to be designed from A to Z as such, with all that implies for the integration of batteries, thermal constraints, etc., and not be a vulgar do-it-yourself from an already existing thermal vehicle. Tesla is aware of this and is working on the development of a family sedan, the Model S, whose range will be 300 miles (480 km) and whose marketing is expected for 2011. A much sportier GT 2+2 will follow finally by 2013-2014.

While waiting for these big events, it is with unfeigned impatience that we find the cute little Tesla Roadster. From encounters to trial gallops, we note with amazement that the American continues to evolve and improve. The Sport model tested in these pages introduces many changes, starting with a single-speed transmission, a manually adjustable chassis (springs and anti-roll bars), more gripping Yokohama tires and an instantaneous power increase of 30 kW, up to 215 kW (292 hp). The “Signature 250” finish is enhanced with more luxurious equipment (7 HP sound system, Alcantara seats, metallic paint), a few touches of carbon and forged rims. The customer advantage amounts to more than €16,000, but unfortunately the 250 copies reserved for the European market have already been sold.

The Tesla Roadster is a nice convertible whose relationship with the Lotus Elise would not escape a blind man. And yet. As you approach the beast, you realize that the proportions are not the same between the beauties of California and Norfolk. The Tesla is longer (+161mm), wider (+153mm) and taller (+7mm) than the Lotus, but only a trained eye will tell the difference. The American firm insists on the low DNA sharing with the Elise with only 7% of common components. The installation on board the Tesla reveals its own personality: the traditional gear lever has disappeared in favor of four buttons inserted into an aluminum console. A small control screen allows you to view the state of form of the 6,831 cells of the Lithium-Ion battery housed in your back. The carbon inserts are optional (6900 € HT), but they give an undeniable sporty cachet to the whole.

The ignition is on and the Roadster Sport moves noiselessly and effortlessly. What a relief to move through the crowded streets of Monaco without unnecessary stress. We appreciate from the first moments this relaxing driving in a place where supercars travel an average of 15 km per day. The interest in the Tesla finds its full meaning here. Admittedly, its radius of action suffers from the comparison with a coupe whose tank absorbs 90 liters of unleaded 98, so what? Who can truly claim to travel more than 300 km daily in GT? No Monegasque a priori. At worst, rediscovering travel in stages, as in the time of stagecoaches, can turn out to be very romantic. Paris – Nice in three days, by small roads, here is a beautiful odyssey.

We leave Monaco for the heights and the Col de la Madone in particular. The muscular revivals of the 375 Volt electric motor with a power of 215 kW awaken the senses and convince you that few GTs can brag about such ease. A quick action on the control screen makes it possible to abandon the electronic “Range” management (promoted autonomy) in favor of the “Performance” mode. From this moment, the microprocessors managing the activity of the battery authorize to extort the maximum power. The 400 Nm available from 1 to 5100 rpm catapult you to 100 km/h in 3″8. The demonstration is all the more flamboyant as the discreet rattle of the electric motor suggests that the exercise is painless. We experience an unsuspected driving pleasure which nevertheless requires us to review our way of driving. The engine brake is so powerful for recharging the batteries that it becomes almost unnecessary to brake. In bends or during rare hard braking, the 450 kg of battery can be recalled at your whim, and flirting with the extreme turns out not to be an immediately obvious exercise. Luckily, the Tesla enjoys a very healthy road behavior falling into understeer when the mismatched tire mounts (16″ at the front, 17″ at the rear) admits its limits. The Sport chassis is no stranger to this ease of driving, body movements being better contained than with the original suspension.

On board, the instrument cluster gives direct time consumption information in kW, while the progression of the engine speed defines the speed: 4,000 rpm at 55 km/h, 8,000 at 110, 14,000 at 200 , etc. Child’s play.

The hours pass and the stress of the beginnings about the collapse of autonomy has vanished. You have already covered nearly 150 km in the mountains, and the on-board computer guarantees a reserve of 200 additional km. Suffice to say that a romantic trip between Paris and Deauville will not be an agonizing challenge. The only imperative to enjoy such a nice radius of action is the strict respect of the recharging times. Their duration can vary from 3.5 to 12 hours depending on the amperage of the dedicated electrical outlet. The other side of the coin is a ridiculous operating cost of around 7 € when a GT will swallow a big fifty to cover the same distance. An argument ultimately not so futile for the one who will invest 100,000 € in a Tesla.

Conclusion

tomorrows that sing

Tesla’s little roadster proves that, apart from the problem of extended charging times, an electric vehicle can be a real sports machine. We are only there at the beginning of a technology which turns out to be fabulous in terms of entertainment and performance.

Technical sheet

Asynchronous electric motor (rear position).

Power: 214 kW/288 hp at 5133 rpm

Torque: 400 Nm from 1 to 5100 rpm

Gearbox: 1-speed reducer

Chassis: Extruded aluminum monocoque

Tires: 175/55R16 front, 225/45R17 rear

Batterie : Lithium-Ion, 375 Volts, 53 kWh

Autonomy: approx. 380km

Transmission: To the rear wheels

Dimensions : 3946 x 1873 x 1127 mm

Poids : 1238 kg