Overview & Reviews

While Martin Sheen and others ponder Who Killed the Electric Car? a group of Silicon Valley millionaires is trying to answer the next question: Who will resurrect the electric car? Tesla Motors is the result, a manufacturer of vehicles than run 100 percent on electricity.

The company gets its name from Nikola Tesla, the inventor of alternating current, who went toe-to-toe with Thomas Edison (and won) to prove whether AC or DC was the preferred method of transporting electricity over great distances. In the same light, Tesla Motors is trying to prove that electricity is not only capable of transporting automobiles great distances but also that electric cars can be fun to drive.

The company is the brainchild of Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning and PayPal founder Elon Musk. The founders of Google, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, are also investors. This fresh blood from Silicon Valley is further evidence that Tesla is an entirely different type of car company.

Tesla went about creating its first vehicle with the theory that nobody wanted electric cars because nobody had created an electric car worth buying. So they sought to correct the many perceived electric-car problems like range, recharging times, styling and performance. The company's first product, the Tesla Roadster, is capable of going about 250 miles between charges, which is a drastic improvement from the GM EV1's 60-90-mile range. A complete recharge is accomplished in less than 2 hours. (The EV1 took 5.) Recharging is accomplished via regenerative braking, a home recharging unit and an optional portable recharger.

As for styling and performance, Tesla chose a $100,000 sports car to enter the market as a way to establish "performance DNA" that would trickle down to less expensive models. Based on the Lotus Elise, the British-built Tesla Roadster is lightweight and svelte, capable of keeping up with other sports cars in its price bracket. Tesla promises 0-60-mph times around 4 seconds and a top speed of more than 130 mph. Throw in handling indicative of its Lotus roots and it should be obvious that the Roadster is one heck of a sports car.

Tesla announced in February 2007 that it would be making a new sport sedan known as the WhiteStar, built at a new factory in New Mexico. The company plans on producing 10,000 units each year at a cost between $50,000 and $65,000 per car. Like the Roadster, it should have a range of about 250 miles, but with battery technology improving, that number could rise.

With growing international attention, including Tesla Roadsters ferrying stars to high-profile events like the Oscars and the rising interest in alternative fuels to combat global warming, this young electric car company could soon be a big name in the automotive industry.

User Reviews:

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  Tesla model S flawed design - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By solarguy888 - September 23 - 9:01 pm

  I took delivery of my Tesla85 1 month ago and it is a highly flawed design especially the large touch screen , it would be great to know the figures on how many Tesla model s cars have been involved in accidents i will guarantee it is higher than the average what ever that may be ,needless to say I contacted Tesla with my concerns on 4 separate occassions and have heard nothing, great customer service, this car cost $130000 in Australia .It will be interesting to see in the near future whether they persist with this touch screen but if enough safety authorities get hold of this design flaw it could mean a recall what would that cost.

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  Think Twice - 2015 Tesla Model S
  By Darma Wright - September 11 - 6:21 pm

  Software glitches galore. Key "fob" is not the answer to getting into the car. Owner gets two. One never worked; the other does occasionally. Getting stranded outside the vehicle is common. Navigation also needs to be reinvented. Re-booting needed to "correct" (partially) some problems. Waking vehicle from deep sleep takes hours. Charging at home with 50 AMP connection is SLOW. Estimate an hour 38 minutes after a 50 mile drive

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  I bought P85D for speed but love the Eco aspect - 2015 Tesla Model S
  By Kim Frioli - August 24 - 6:45 am

  I love sports cars and was raised with big block classics like 1968 Chevy Chevelles, etc. I was looking for my next vehicle when my Bmw lease was up and I looked at the gamut of sports cars. However, one test drive in the Tesla on "insane mode" and I was sold. I absolutely love it. Fast (got my first speeding ticket in 10 years), sleek, quiet, comfortable and filled with great electronics, it makes me supremely happy every morning as I hop in for my commute. The fact that it saves me thousands of dollars in gas costs, has cheaper insurance rates and is 100 percent Electric is just the cherry on top. I immediately invested in Tesla stock, FYI. Thats how much I love this car.

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  Amazing Car - 2010 Tesla Roadster
  By Dan - May 10 - 11:40 pm

  The Tesla Roadster is great fun to drive. It has amazing acceleration and efficiency. Sitting at a stop light, the car uses 1 amp of electricity while everyone else is idling. To stop, the regenerative braking kicks in to recharge the batteries. This car causes a complete paradigm shift in the automotive industry.

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  GO FULLY ELECTRIC!!! - 2015 Tesla Model S
  By Derrick A. - November 21 - 1:50 am

  Take advantage of the newly introduced leasing program from Tesla. My first EV and its pretty good thus far. Of course there are exceptions such as key fob issues, finger prints on all materials are very common. eg.. door handles, interior doors and glove box. The bottom line is if you can afford it, get it! I opted for the 70D received on 09/28/15 and installed an 240/50 amp outlet facing my driveway. BYE BYE GAS STATIONS...... In time i will outline a more extensive review.

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  Great Car - Wish I could afford a second! - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By josh_b - October 28 - 2:21 am

  Hi everyone, Like you I was skeptical at first that an EV could be as enjoyable to drive as one with an ICE and as green as described. I can now say that after 14,000 trouble free kilometeres and no issues, my S has been all of the above and more. I have hauled four people and their equipment around all day, driven all over southern Ontario without issue or anxiety and saved countless tanks of gas from being burned. (I drive a lot.) Its great to see technology, but moreso great to see technology implemented smartly. (Not just for its own sake.) The car is reliable and a joy to drive!

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  Great car - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By dannj1 - September 29 - 8:47 am

  I own one an am blown away by it. It is truly an amazing game changing car. This car actually has better performance than a Maserati and it just feels fast. Front seats are comfortable, back seats from my passengers, they have plenty of room. I went with the P85 so I did go a tad overboard, BUT I would put it on par with a Porsche Panamera, BUT with no gas, The interior is sleek, had many compliments on the exterior. When you close the doors its "beefy", very well built. So far, no issues, have 7800 miles on it

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  Ill never go back to ICE after having a Tesla - 2016 Tesla Model S
  By Peter - April 10 - 8:44 am

  Ive had my Model S60 for three months now and its great. I have the smallest battery pack and its still plenty of range. The one time I went beyond its range I was able to quickly charge up with the free superchargers. You might knock it for the weight and size but the pickup is crazy for a car this size and the weight is all down low in the battery pack. The Autopilot is amazing for Bay Area freeway congestion. The only small knock is the lack of door storage. I have seen the Model X does much better here and I suspect in time they will add this to the S. I rented one on Turo for a long weekend and it really helped me decide to go for it.

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  Worst Car I Have Ever Owned - 2015 Tesla Model S
  By GA - February 4 - 3:55 pm

  I rue the day I believed the hype and ordered this vehicle. It has been a problem since day one, and not a week goes by that something doesnt go wrong. The resale market doesnt exist without a huge write-off, far worse than any other vehicle Ive owned. I have had 3 batteries replaced, my charging unit has been repaired multiple times and the list goes on and on. I live in a condo, and when the faulty battery died, Tesla did not send a repairman but told me to get AAA out to jump the car (as it turns out, the battery was incapable of holding a charge). When AAA arrived, since there is no WiFi in the basement garage, Tesla could not troubleshoot the issue. The repairman initially couldnt locate the battery to jump it, and had to walk upstairs multiple times to get a cell signal so he could call Tesla for further instructions. I missed an entire morning of meetings due to the faulty battery issue. Even with multiple problems with my car, Tesla has never provided me with a loaner car, and I have missed countless meetings, had to carpool with friends, etc. due to the ongoing problems with my vehicle The Navigation system insists on such neat tricks as guiding me to drive onto a freeway off ramp when trying to enter the freeway. In addition, daily it suggests I make left turns onto streets with No Left Turn posted signs and when I make the legal right turn, it instructs me back to continue to make illegal left turns. I have never had a more dangerous GPS system in any car. For a car that is supposed to be so technologically advanced, why cant it tell me which tire has low air pressure, and what the pressure is? I have this feature on every rental car, including low cost vehicles. Other cars have automatic high beams, the Tesla does not. I do not have lane change warning sounds, front beeps should I get too close to an unseen obstacle while parking, etc., etc. I have 5,000 contacts in my smartphone, but that is too many for my Tesla to upload so I cannot place phone calls from the car computer directly, but have to use my smartphone instead. Why is there no cargo storage in the car doors, or behind the seats for the back seat passengers? Why does the A/C work so poorly? Why are there no lighted make-up mirrors in the visors? Why does the car computer tell me I have a 230 mile range but Ive never been able to get more than 140 actual miles from a charge? My radio reception is much worse for local stations than in any car Ive ever owned. By far. If anyone wants to take the car off my hands, Ill give you a great deal.

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  60 KWH Spring Suspension - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By smccphillip - December 26 - 4:29 am

  This is an initial quality review as we have only 1000 miles since we picked up the car last week. The car has been flawless since we picked up in White Plains on June 4th and has exceed all my memories from the test drive. Our wait was 2.5 months from the time of reservation. Ive formerly owned drivers cars like the Redline Saturn Sky an 530Xi 5-series sedan. The Tesla feels even more refined than the 5-series and handles corners on rails like the Sky. Its cargo room approaches a large SUV all while getting nearly 100mpg. I believe our vehicle is one of the first without air suspension, and in my opinion there is no noticeable downside to ride and handling of the coils springs.