The BBC is being sued by the makers of the electric sports car, the Tesla Roadster, over claims a ra

reply to post by Raist

Electric is fine as long as you are not expecting track style driving for extended periods of time. I guess you could take one to a drag strip, but going fast in a straight line is only fun a few times in a row.

well i would imagine the point to electric cars would be to cut down on emissions only, the vast majority of emissions do not come from racing, they come from normal road trips, shopping/going to work/picking the kids up.

i have always imagined electric cars being perfect for this if you live in a city and do not have to travel 50+ miles a day. if they can get the price down they would be perfect for most people.

there are only two reasons why this does not happen, price and oil companies. one can be worked on the other will never change.

reply to post by lifeform11


Racing occurs someplace on the planet every day. Races can last for many hours and in some cases days.

You would be surprised at the amount of exhaust pouring out in races. Most cars that are racing do not have the same set ups as the average car. Even many sports car owners modify the cars enough that they put out more pollution. Check out most serious car forums some time and see the number of cars out there that are daily driven race cars putting out double the pollution of the average car.

My point was that they list this thing as a sports car. If it is a sports car it should act like one.

Raist

reply to post by Raist


lol yeah i agree, but my point was it does not need to act like a racing car, we just need something to start replacing petrol cars.
but it will never happen.

reply to post by lifeform11


you cannot seriously believe 20 cars going around a track puts out more pollution than 2 million people driving around doing their daily business?

reply to post by Raist


There is more pollution created by the fans than the actual race cars. And that is not including solid waste not properly disposed, ie: bags, cans, bottles, etc.

NASCAR consume approx 200,000 lbs of fuel / year...the average American uses 1,720 lbs / year (282 gallons @ 6.1lbs / gallon).

The average NASCAR race has 150,000 attendance...so in one day that would be (1720/365)*150,000 = 706,849 lbs of fuel.

The attendands of ONE race use 3.5 times the amount of fuel that NASCAR uses ALL year. To compare the pollution rates is laughable. I am comparing the lbs of fuel to provide a benchmark, as it is very difficult to compare this different of vehicles in any other way.

This can be repeated for pretty much every single race type. With rally and baja being about the worst (furthest travel distance to venue) and the Dakar being probably the best (most watch via TV vs attendance), on a per attendant average. On a total average, Formula 1 is probably the worst (highest attendance / event).

I have a TESLA, and have no issues.


Cheers
J

reply to post by lifeform11


It IS a sportscar. It's a sporstcar using alternate technology. I also have Lotuses, which run on gas, and get quite good gas mileage due to their weight. Dont paint pictures with broad strokes.

It is a goofy camparison. My car gets about 245 miles to a tank in normal cruising, BUT.... I only get 4 miles to the tank on the track. GET THIS: 4 miles to the tank on the drag strip. I average about 17.5 mpg cruising, about 10 mpg in town, and .25 mpg on the drag strip. So ALL of this comparing anything to different conditions is by no means a comparison to make for the true performance of the vehicle.

Sport - a : to amuse oneself

Lets get the root meaning of sport first...

A car that is made to amuse yourself or others is a sport car..

Driving grandma to the doctors going 45mph is what this car would be
great for (or to and from short trips to work stores ect..)

The sport part gets taken out when the X FACTOR ie. using it like a sports car
is taken out of the equation.

Sure you can amuse yourself with it for 30 minutes.

My final verdict: Publicity Stunt for tesla AND Top Gear..
Win win situation for the people who are selling their products..

Originally posted by LeaderOfProgress
It is a goofy camparison. My car gets about 245 miles to a tank in normal cruising, BUT.... I only get 4 miles to the tank on the track. GET THIS: 4 miles to the tank on the drag strip. I average about 17.5 mpg cruising, about 10 mpg in town, and .25 mpg on the drag strip. So ALL of this comparing anything to different conditions is by no means a comparison to make for the true performance of the vehicle.

Your missing the quota though.. You can refill your tank at the drag strip in 2 min.

You would have to charge the tesla for 16 hours!

That is a HUGE performance comparison...

Your missing the quota though.. You can refill your tank at the drag strip in 2 min.

You would have to charge the tesla for 16 hours!

That is a HUGE performance comparison...

Not really.

Originally posted by SigmundFRAUD

Your missing the quota though.. You can refill your tank at the drag strip in 2 min.

You would have to charge the tesla for 16 hours!

That is a HUGE performance comparison...

Not really.

It cost me 60 dollars to fill up, the roadster charges in 3.5 to 4 hours, so that is bout 25 dollars an hour just to sit somewhere and wait for it to charge. So tell me, how exactly am I missing the point? Don't get me wrong I am all about my gas guzzling sports car but I have mad respect for what the Tesla Corporation has done with the sports car world.

Charging rate of 56 miles range per hour at max power

The High Power Wall Connector is the fastest way to charge the Roadster and great for installation in a garage or outdoor parking area. Completely recharge – from empty to full – in less than 4 hours. This is the most “intelligent” connector making it ideal for long-term storage. Any certified electrician can install this unit.

reply to post by peck420


I understand that I was talking about while the race was going that the cars involved push out more than the average car in the same time frame.

Not all rally races cost a great amount of fuel for fans. Many times they actually block off sections of road ways in small towns as the cars race through there as well. However, I understand what you are saying. I was not bashing racing at all, just in case you thought that, I actually enjoy the rally sport myself and race cars in general.

My point though is that race cars do not run catalytic converters (at least none I know of). And in many cases people who modify cars run either a high flow cat or a straight pipe. Anyone who understand engines and power know that the cat robs you of power because of the restrictions involved.

I can fully understand getting an electric car for everyday driving. However, if it is listed as a sports car it sure better be able to act like one. That would include being able to take track abuse or even spirited weekend driving.

Would I drive one for normal use if I could afford it? Sure I would.
Would I drive one for the use of a real sports car? Not a chance.

Raist

Point is, the TESLA isn't a car for someone who is worried about commuter issues.