Johan Sörliden from Linköping owns a Tesla Roadster, which is a co-operation between sportscar manufacturer Lola and some dedicated engineers from Silicon Valley, USA.         

A total of 2400 cars has been produced (since 2008) to the end of 2011 when the production came to an end. This is concept cars, showing that electric cars is not slow and boring. Hmm, still not convinced…

Jimmy Lorentzon, who drives an Tesla Roadster Sport (owned by Hans Olov Nilsson) informs me that about 6 cars is registred in Sweden and that a car bought from the Scandinavian agent will cost something between 1,1-1,5 miljons SEK (E 120 000-163 000). After about seven years (or 600 000 km) the batteries ought to be replaced by new ones to  a cost about 300 000 SEK (€ 33 000). With that information I went more curious about all this.

The figures for the power in this case shouldn´t really be in HP´s or even in kW´s. The break-away torque is much more interesting (380-420 Nm, 0- 5 500 rpm). The Roadster Sport has about 288 horsepowers with a weight of about 1 330 kg´s incl. driver. I estimated a time on the eigth mile to the mid 8´s and about 125 km/h in top speed. It ended up with low 8´s and 140 km/h. So something was wrong in my thoughts…

Looking under the “trunk” there was only the batterypack to be seen. No sign of the watermelon-big engine. After all of my stupid questions, Jimmy asks me if a want to go for a ride. Well, why not ? After “sliding” down on the passenger side, we are moving away silent and totally vibrationfree. The ride is very comfortable and we can talk without interference. When we are out from the racetrack, without any notice, Jimmy “put the pedal to the metal” (or maybe turning the throttlepotentimeter clockwise  ).
 

Speedgroup editor and EDRS work group member Carl-Erik Kihlman

The accleration are stunning, even for me that have once expierienced a backseatride in the two-seat dragster. After more than 200 meters, still accelerating, I think that a crossroad is approaching very fast, but the breaks are also increadable, including the electric motor  reversed. Normally the car is driven with only one pedal, positioning the breaks through the electric engine, depending how fast or slow you release the “throttle”-pedal. We turn around and this sequense is repeated once again. No tire burning, no gear switches, just a feeling of riding in a spaceship without any sound and thrown out into the air…

I´m impressed! I must admit that. I do not like the lack of sound, smell and the vibrations received from a Hi Perf V8, but if this is the future, it wont be boring. Johan tells me that it could be even more specified for dragracing, because of the short distance. Fewer batteries with more “explosive” power would increase weight and performance. Probably would another rear axle gear ratio also improve both on the eight and quartermile, but then maybe too much power will make the tires spinn (starting the anti-spinn system to work). The standard cars is equipped with  a electronic speed limiter att 210 km/h, but I do not think it would be impossible to reach that speed in good conditions.

There is a possibility that there was a world record beaten in Lindesberg that weekend in August . Jimmy drove the orange Tesla Roadster Sport on 8,09 sec on the 1/8 mile. As far as we know , it´s the fastest time ever , for this class.