So that is the Tesla Roadster, a new electric car in the US. It can supposedly travel from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just over 3 seconds and and up to or more than 200 miles on one charge. I would assume that if you are continuously driving it in the fashion many people who would buy a car like that would (FAST!), it probably will not be as efficient as 200+ miles per charge. Anyway, it apparently has zero emissions, which is something that caught my interest. Unfortunately, at $100,000 USD, something tells me I won't be getting one anytime soon!
For those of us stuck with regular old gas guzzlers, I think some tips for saving gas, and saving money, are in order.
- Use your car less: The most obvious tip for saving gas. Walk (or bike) as much as possible. Participate in car pools or take public transportation. Combine your trips and plan them more efficiently so that you aren't riding back and forth across town.
- Accelerate gently and less often: Lose the lead foot. The harder you accelerate, the more gas your car guzzles. Consider coasting as much as possible to stop signs and red lights, and turn your cruise control on when you can.
- Don't let your tires become under-inflated: Under inflated tires can create a drag that reduces your fuel economy.
- Use low viscosity engine oil: This will reduce friction in the engine and cause lower fuel consumption. Make sure to change the oil regularly, also.
- Reduce wind resistance: Take that bike rack off of the top of your car and try to avoid tying anything to the roof. This causes resistance and drag.
- Slow down: By dropping your speed from 65 to 55mph, you can increase your gas mileage by 10-15%. Fuel economy starts to drop steadily once you start going over 60mph.
- Turn on your air conditioning: I don't mean consistently drive with your air running, but if you are driving over 40mph, it is more efficient to use your air conditioning than it is to drive with your windows open. This is because the windows being open can cause drag, which will reduce the efficiency.
18 Responses
1
Biofuels Blog
July 1st, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Man, that is a great looking sports car. Zero to 60 in 3 seconds... wow! Thanks for the gas tips too, great post.
2
cars sell
September 10th, 2008 at 5:04 am
Interesting article. But I think I would still be scared to use electric cars for I always travel on roads that are a little bit of isolated or something. Don't want to run out of fuel or electricity in the middle of nowhere. But I am still looking forward for hybrids, though the price of oil is going down a bit, I think the environment needs a little less pollution.
3
Alan Diaz
October 8th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Oh man that is a slick car. I would LOVE to own one. There is a rumor of them producing sub $30K "budget" models soon!
4
Air Conditioner Repair
November 25th, 2008 at 9:23 am
One hundred grand for a car, wow that is expensive. It sure would be great to be able to afford one, because the zero emissions and the fuel efficiency is like a dream car.
5
Paul Contris
December 4th, 2008 at 11:49 am
There will be a slew of electric cars introduced in 2010, starting with the Chevrolet Volt. I imagine the Tesla price will plummet. The market for electric cars will really start in earnest then.
6
Electric Vehicles
December 9th, 2008 at 6:04 am
As a flagship product, the Roadster is awesome. But ultimately where Tesla, and every other electric vehicle manufacturer, will prove itself is with it's mid-range sedan, like the model S and its future cousins. Most people are simply not going to buy a $100k electric car. The market widens considerably if that price can be dropped to $40k or less for a useful and safe electric sedan.
7
Stefanie
December 15th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Let's hope so, Paul. There was a market for them in the 90s, but it was eliminated in favor of supporting oil companies.
Electric, the Roadster would definitely be the elite of the elite in electric cars. I do think the market would open way up if somebody created an affordable, 4-door family sized electric car.
8
Wheelywheel
February 11th, 2009 at 12:23 am
I think tesla is doing a great job on that. Electric cars are good cars especially for the environment.
9
Ron HID
March 12th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Man, that is a great looking sports car. Zero to 60 in 3 seconds... wow! Thanks for the gas tips too, great post
10
ShellMedia
March 19th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Yeah, this thing actually looks pretty nice. Better looking than most of the hybrid vehicles I've seen.
11
diymyride
March 26th, 2009 at 4:14 am
Those are great tips for saving gas. But I have to say that the Tesla Roadster really got my attention when it was released in the US. 0 to 60 miles per hour in just over 3 seconds? That's pretty impressive.
12
Stefanie
April 9th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
I agree with you all, that it is an impressive car, but I would hope so at that price!!!
13
window regulator
May 12th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
The Tesla Roadster is an awesome car indeed! It has the speed of a supercar and the power consumption of an electric car. It set the benchmark for the designs of electric sportscars.
14
car sports
June 15th, 2009 at 5:04 am
Interesting article. But I think I would still be scared to use electric cars for I always travel on roads that are a little bit of isolated or something
15
Leasing Cars
July 21st, 2009 at 6:05 am
Oh man that is a slick car. I would LOVE to own one. There is a rumor of them producing sub $30K "budget" models soon! Great article!
16
Hannah-Post ads for free
July 23rd, 2009 at 2:37 am
There will be a slew of electric cars introduced in 2010, starting with the Chevrolet Volt. I imagine the Tesla price will plummet. The market for electric cars will really start in earnest then.
17
Mouli Cohen
July 28th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Tesla may have a product which falls in the high end part of the electric vehicle market, but I think they've done an important thing in making a "green" vehicle come off almost like a muscle car. Americans love "sexy" cars, and in the past this meant big engines, gas guzzlers, and the like. And while the price tag on the Tesla roadster might be something that turns off a lot of people (especially in a recession), it's important that the company has taken this marketing strategy.
18
cartzlink
July 30th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
The Tesla Roadster is an awesome car indeed! It has the speed of a supercar and the power consumption of an electric car. It set the benchmark for the designs of electric sportscars.