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12/09/2011
REVIEW By EWAN KENNEDY
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A few months ago we reviewed a Tesla electric roadster when it passed through our home area on the Gold Coast during a 3200 kilometre road trip. It was part of an extensive journey from Melbourne to Port Douglas by Tesla Australia marketing chief Jay McCormack whose ais aim was to prove that electric cars aren’t just cute little cars aimed at city running.
We were mightily impressed by the huge acceleration provided by the big-torque electric motor - Tesla is faster from zero to 100 km/h than most Porsches and Ferraris - but didn’t have a proper chance to test Tesla’s handling. On the road in some twisty bits behind Surfers Paradise it certainly felt sure footed, but that was no place to take any car to its limit without taking unacceptable risks.
That situation was sorted out yesterday when I was invited to Queensland Raceway at Willowbank to try a red (what other colour would you choose!) Tesla on track. We were there as part of a track day organised by racing car driver Paul Stockell. Chief amongst the other cars on the track were several Lotus models as part of Stockell’s Lotus driving experience course.
The Tesla uses a modified Lotus Elise body as it’s light in weight, thus overcoming some of the problems of carting around some 400 kilograms of batteries.
On the track where the V8 Supercars had been racing only a couple of weeks previously we pushed the Tesla to its limits. Acceleration was the most obvious feature we loved. The reason the Tesla roadster is so quick off the line is the instantaneous delivery of power and the fact that peak torque is developed by the electric motor at zero revs. Which is exactly what you need when it’s time to apply full power as you leave corners.
Power delivery is not only instantaneous, but relentless and continuous in the Tesla roadster. That’s because it uses a one-speed gearbox so absolutely no time is lost in gearchanges.
Braking is excellent as well and some of the energy expended during acceleration is returned to the batteries by the regenerative brakes. However, there’s no way batteries designed for what is primarily a road car can accept a huge charge at a moments notice, so the actual recovery of energy is only in the range of eight to ten per cent.
Unlike the petrol engined cars with which we shared the track, Tesla didn’t have to be driven elsewhere to refuel. It simply took some electricity from a 32-volt outlet in the paddock area.
Fuel range looked to be about 60 to 80 kilometres of flat out driving. Not as good as that of petrol high-performance cars in the same circumstances, which could have done 100 to 140 km, but not bad for battery power.
Tesla roadster has a low centre of gravity and corners well. There’s some understeer, but trail braking helped it to get into the bend more cleanly.
Though there’s virtually no sound from the drivetrain, there’s plenty of wind and road/tyre noise, particularly as I was approaching the end of the main straight at 165 km/h. I must admit to being disappointed in the lack of sounds. I do like the aural activity when petrol engines in high-performance cars and will miss it if we go all electric in racing machines.
It’s not only Tesla that is pushing the limits of electric cars, Toyota Motorsport has just taken its prototype EV P001 around the famed Nurburgring north circuit in a sensational 7 minutes 47.79 seconds. Which shattered the only electric vehicle record of nine minutes and 13 seconds.
Toyota has long been a leader in hybrid technology, so Tesla and Toyota are collaborating in research on battery technology and manufacture, as well as working on improved electric motors and their ancillary components. |
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