Misplaced Pages

#384615

106-504: The Tesla Roadster is a battery electric sports car , based on the Lotus Elise chassis, produced by Tesla Motors (now Tesla, Inc. ) from 2008 to 2012. The Roadster was the first highway legal, serial production , all-electric car to use lithium-ion battery cells, and the first production all-electric car to travel more than 244 miles (393 km) per charge. It is also the first production car to be launched into deep space, carried by

212-527: A Falcon Heavy rocket in a test flight on February 6, 2018. Tesla sold about 2,450 Roadsters in over 30 countries, and most of the last Roadsters were sold in Europe and Asia during the fourth quarter of 2012. Tesla produced right-hand-drive Roadsters from early 2010. The Roadster qualified for government incentives in several nations. According to the U.S. EPA , the Roadster can travel 244 miles (393 km) on

318-517: A series powertrain are also called range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs), such as the Chevrolet Volt and Fisker Karma . Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are a subcategory of electric vehicles that includes battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). The electric vehicle conversions of hybrid electric vehicles and conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (aka all-combustion vehicles) belong to one of

424-536: A solar PV system on Adelaide's central bus station . Rides are zero-fare as part of Adelaide's public transport system. Proterra 's EcoRide BE35 transit bus, called the Ecoliner by Foothill Transit in West Covina, California, is a heavy-duty, fast charge, battery-electric bus. Proterra's ProDrive drive-system uses a UQM motor and regenerative braking that captures 90 percent of the available energy and returns it to

530-757: A 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport at the Wayland Invitational Drag Race in Portland, Oregon, in July 2009. He did a quarter-mile (~400 m) in dry conditions in 12.643 seconds, setting a new record in the National Electric Drag Racing Association among the SP/A3 class of vehicles. The EPA combined range (specifying distance traveled between charges) measured in February 2008 for early production Roadsters

636-467: A best-case scenario using a 240 V charger on a 90 A circuit breaker, Tesla documents a recharging rate of 56 mi (90 km) of range for each hour charging; a complete recharge from empty would require just under four hours. The slowest charging rate using a 120 V outlet on a 15 A circuit breaker would add 5 mi (8.0 km) of range for each hour charging; a complete recharge from empty would require 48 hours. In June 2006, Tesla reported

742-482: A distance of 3,100,000 kilometres (1,900,000 mi). They were made locally by Advanced Vehicle Systems. Two of these buses were used for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Beginning in the summer of 2000, Hong Kong Airport began operating a 16-passenger Mitsubishi Rosa electric shuttle bus, and in the fall of 2000, New York City began testing a 66-passenger battery-powered school bus , an all-electric version of

848-452: A duo of dark silver stripes on its hood and rear clamshell, and exclusive anthracite aluminum wheels. The Roadster is powered by a 3-phase , 4- pole , induction electric motor with a maximum output power of 248 hp (185 kW). Its maximum torque of 200 lb⋅ft (270 N⋅m) is immediately available and remains constant from 0 to 6,000 rpm; nearly instantaneous torque is a characteristic of electric motors and offers one of

954-567: A filing claiming patent infringement on imported set-top box products by Scientific Atlanta, Pioneer Corporation , Echostar Communications Corporation and SCI Systems, along with a patent infringement lawsuit against the former three companies. Pioneer and EchoStar settled with Gemstar during the course of the ITC proceedings, which ultimately led to a settlement between Gemstar and Scientific Atlanta in 2005. In 2002, Gemstar disclosed that it had not collected $ 108 million in booked revenue. The genesis of

1060-457: A legal battle over the intellectual property rights for their respective interactive program guide systems, VCR Plus+ and TV Guide On Screen, a joint venture of TV Guide and Liberty Media formed by video game veteran Bruce Davis in 1992. The deal was completed in July 2000. In 2000, SoftBook was acquired by Gemstar, who also acquired Softbook's competitor, the Rocket eBook ), and merged them into

1166-571: A low of little more than $ 1 billion in 2005, later recovering somewhat. In early 2007, Gemstar acquired Aptiv Digital, the developer of the Passport interactive program guide software used on Scientific Atlanta and Motorola set-top boxes. On July 9, 2007, Gemstar chairman Anthea Disney announced that its board of directors has "authorized the Company and its advisors to explore strategic alternatives intended to maximize shareholder value, which may include

SECTION 10

#1732858905385

1272-670: A maximum loaded weight of 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg). The concept of battery electric vehicles is to use charged batteries on board vehicles for propulsion. Battery electric cars are becoming more and more attractive with the higher oil prices and the advancement of new battery technology ( lithium-ion ) that have higher power and energy density (i.e., greater possible acceleration and more range with fewer batteries). Compared to older battery types such as lead-acid batteries. Lithium-ion batteries for example now have an energy density of 0.9–2.63 MJ/L whereas lead-acid batteries had an energy density of 0.36 MJ/L (so 2.5 to 7.3x higher). There

1378-509: A mobile adapter that enables recharging with an SAE J1772 connector. The vehicle was not provided with any DC fast-charging ability and was not retrofitted later on when the Tesla Supercharger network was established. It can be recharged with AC using: Charging times vary depending on the ESS's state-of-charge, the available voltage, and the available circuit breaker amp rating ( current ). In

1484-489: A number of Gemstar's patents. A declaration of invalidity was sought for eight patents in particular. Following up in 1999, Scientific Atlanta sued Gemstar's StarSight Telecast subsidiary for patent infringement. Such disputes also involved the International Trade Commission , with Scientific Atlanta seeking a declaration of invalidity and non-infringement of two StarSight patents. Gemstar responded in 1999 with

1590-1089: A parts overlap of roughly 6% with the Lotus Elise , a 2-inch-longer wheelbase , and a slightly stiffer chassis according to Eberhard. Tesla's designers chose to construct the body panels using resin transfer molded carbon fiber composite to minimize weight; this choice makes the Roadster one of the least expensive cars with an entirely carbon fiber skin. Several prototypes of the Tesla Roadster were produced from 2004 through 2007. Initial studies were done in two development mule vehicles based on Lotus Elises equipped with all-electric drive systems. Tesla then built and tested ten engineering prototypes (EP1 through EP10) in late 2006 and early 2007, which led to many minor changes. Next, Tesla produced at least 26 validation prototypes, which were delivered beginning in March 2007. These final revisions were endurance and crash tested in preparation for series production. In August 2007, Martin Eberhard

1696-678: A period where UV competed with several other firms, including another Tulsa-based uplink firm, Southern Satellite Systems ). They began uplinking the signal from a facility in Monee, Illinois , to the Satcom-3 satellite on November 9, 1978. Soon, several other stations began to be uplinked for national distribution by UVSG, including WGN's then-sister station WPIX in New York, KTVT in Dallas, and KPLR in St. Louis. (With

1802-432: A powered variant of the cycle rickshaw . The large-scale adoption of electric two-wheelers can reduce traffic noise and road congestion but may necessitate adaptations of the existing urban infrastructure and safety regulations. Ather Energy from India has launched their BLDC motor powered Ather 450 electric scooter with Lithium Ion batteries in 2018. Also from India, AVERA – a new and renewable energy company

1908-472: A production contract with Lotus in 2007 to produce "gliders" (complete cars minus electric powertrain) for the Roadster, announced in early 2010 that Roadster production would continue until early 2012. Starting one year prior to the end of the contract, no changes to the order was allowed to give time for tooling changes at Lotus's assembly plant in the UK. Several years later in 2018, Musk would go on to say that using

2014-452: A sale of the Company." This move was seen by many analysts as an attempt on the part of Murdoch, who was a 41% shareholder in Gemstar, to raise cash for its attempt to buy Wall Street Journal parent company Dow Jones . On December 7, 2007, Gemstar signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Macrovision (later Rovi Corporation , now Xperi Inc. ) in a cash and stock deal, which based on

2120-499: A single charge of its lithium-ion battery pack. The vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 3.7 or 3.9 seconds depending on the model. It has a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h). The Roadster's efficiency, as of September 2008, was reported as 120 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (28 kW⋅h/100 mi) (2.0 L/100 km). It uses 21.7 kWh/100 mi (135 Wh /km) battery-to-wheel, and has an efficiency of 88% on average. Prototypes of

2226-435: A stake in the company, which at this point had 1,400 employees and made $ 400 million in revenue a year. On October 5, 1999, Gemstar International Group Ltd. (which was founded by Henry Yuen , Daniel Kwoh, Louise Wannier and Wilson Cho) purchased TV Guide, Inc. (formerly United Video Satellite Group until after the close of the company's 1998 purchase of TV Guide magazine); the two companies had previously been involved in

SECTION 20

#1732858905385

2332-682: A type of electric vehicle (EV) that uses energy exclusively from an on-board battery . This definition excludes hybrid electric vehicles . BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of internal combustion engines (ICEs) for propulsion. They derive all power from battery packs and thus have no internal combustion engine, fuel cell , or fuel tank . BEVs include – but are not limited to – motorcycles, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, railcars, watercraft, forklifts, buses, trucks, and cars. In 2016, there were 210 million electric bikes worldwide used daily. Cumulative global sales of highway-capable light-duty pure electric car vehicles passed

2438-520: A typical efficiency of 88% or 90%; 80% at peak power. It weighs less than 70 pounds (32 kg). Starting in September 2008 Tesla selected BorgWarner to manufacture gearboxes and began equipping all Roadsters with a single speed, fixed gear gearbox (8.2752:1 ratio) with an electrically actuated parking pawl mechanism and a mechanical lubrication pump. The company previously worked with several companies, including XTrac and Magna International , to find

2544-478: A validation prototype car at an EPA-certified location. Those tests yielded a range of 220 mi (350 km) and a plug-to-wheel efficiency of 32.1 kWh/100 mi (199 Wh/km). In August 2008, Tesla reported on testing with the new, single-speed gearbox and upgraded electronics of powertrain 1.5, which yielded an EPA range of 244 mi (393 km) and an EPA combined cycle, plug-to-wheel efficiency of 28 kWh/100 mi (174 Wh/km). In 2007,

2650-433: A weight of 2,877 lb (1,305 kg), a drag coefficient of  C d =0.35–0.36 and a rolling resistance of  C rr =0.011. Tesla began delivering the higher performance version of the Roadster in July 2009. The Roadster Sport has adjustable dampers and a new hand-wound motor, capable of 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 3.7 seconds. Scotty Pollacheck, a high-performance driver for Killacycle , drove

2756-516: Is 3.9 seconds for the Standard model and 3.7 seconds for the 2010 V2.5 Sport, which Motor Trend confirmed in the first independent, instrumented testing of the V2.5 Sport model. The magazine also recorded a 0-to- 1 ⁄ 4 -mile (0.00 to 0.40 km) time of 12.6 seconds at 165.1 km/h (102.6 mph). Tesla said the top speed is electronically limited to 125 mph (201 km/h). Tesla claims it has

2862-399: Is being considered for merging .›   As the Roadster does not use gasoline, petroleum efficiency (MPG, L/100 km) cannot be measured directly but instead is calculated using one of several equivalent methods: Battery electric vehicle A battery electric vehicle ( BEV ), pure electric vehicle , only-electric vehicle , fully electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle is

2968-465: Is consumed. A country with a high share of renewable energy in its electricity mix will have a low C.I. In the European Union, in 2013, the carbon intensity had a strong geographic variability but in most of the member states, electric vehicles were "greener" than conventional ones. On average, electric cars saved 50–60% of CO 2 emissions compared to diesel and gasoline fuelled engines. Moreover,

3074-467: Is going to launch two models of electric scooters at the end of 2018, with Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery technology. India is the world’s biggest market for bicycles at 22 million units per year. By 2024, electric two-wheelers will be a $ 2 billion market with over 3 million units being sold in India. The Indian government is launching schemes and incentives to promote the adoption of electric vehicles in

3180-425: Is needed. This DC power is supplied by the battery pack, and the controller regulates the power to the motor, supplying either variable pulse width DC or variable frequency variable amplitude AC, depending on the motor type. The controller also handles regenerative braking , whereby electrical power is gathered as the vehicle slows down and this power recharges the battery. In addition to power and motor management,

3286-516: Is referred to as a battery pack , which is a group of multiple battery modules and cells. For example, the Tesla Model S battery pack has up to 7,104 cells, split into 16 modules with 6 groups of 74 cells in each. Each cell has a nominal voltage of 3–4 volts , depending on its chemical composition. Electric cars have traditionally used series wound DC motors, a form of brushed DC electric motor . Separately excited and permanent magnet are just two of

Tesla Roadster (first generation) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3392-517: Is still a long way to go if comparing it to petroleum-based fuels and biofuels, however (gasoline having an energy density of 34.2 MJ/L -38x to 12.92x higher- and ethanol having an energy of 24 MJ/L -26x to 9.12x higher-). This is partially offset by higher conversion efficiency of electric motors – BEVs travel roughly 3x further than similar-size internal combustion vehicles per MJ of stored energy. BEVs include automobiles , light trucks , and neighborhood electric vehicles . Battery electric trains in

3498-597: Is used to power the Mountain View Community Shuttles. This technology was supported by the California Energy Commission, and the shuttle program is being supported by Google. Thunder Sky (based in Hong Kong) builds lithium-ion batteries used in submarines and has three models of electric buses, the 10/21 passenger EV-6700 with a range of 280 km (170 mi) under 20 mins quick-charge,

3604-455: The 130XE or 600XL , running from a 16 KB EPROM chip) via a 2400 baud data stream on an audio subcarrier of WGN by United Video. At the time, local cable television was still massively spreading across the nation from 3,070 systems in 1981 to 4,300 systems in 1991. Each day's programming lineup was transmitted from phone lines to its Chicago Teleport base (with an estimate 2,400 characters per second and an estimate 10 hours to relay) before

3710-661: The Blue Bird TC/2000 . A similar bus was operated in Napa Valley, California , for 14 months ending in April 2004. The 2008 Beijing Olympics used a fleet of 50 electric buses, which have a range of 130 km (81 mi) with the air conditioning on. They use lithium-ion batteries , and consume about 1 kW⋅h/mi (0.62 kW⋅h/km; 2.2 MJ/km). The buses were designed by the Beijing Institute of Technology and built by

3816-485: The Global Green 2006 product design award for the design of the Tesla Roadster, presented by Mikhail Gorbachev , and he received the 2007 Index Design award for the design of the Tesla Roadster. Before Tesla had developed the Roadster's proprietary powertrain, they borrowed a tzero for use as a development mule and converted the vehicle from lead–acid AGM batteries to lithium-ion cells , which substantially increased

3922-556: The Lotus Elise including the windshield, airbags, some dashboard parts, and suspension components. The Roadster's single-speed gearbox was made in Detroit by BorgWarner . Brakes and airbags were made by Siemens in Germany , and some crash testing was conducted at Siemens as well. 30–40% of components were sourced from Taiwan . For Roadsters bound for customers in North America, the glider

4028-588: The United States , the first battery-electric, fast-charge bus has been in operation in Pomona, California , since September 2010 at Foothill Transit . The Proterra EcoRide BE35 uses lithium-titanate batteries and is able to fast-charge in less than 10 minutes. In 2012, heavy-duty trucks and buses contributed 7% of global warming emissions in California. In 2014, the first production model all-electric school bus

4134-483: The advanced (two-stage) air bag rule noting that the Roadster includes standard air bags . Similar waivers were granted to other small volume manufacturers, including Lotus , Ferrari , and Bugatti . Tesla delivered its first production car in February 2008 to Musk. Tesla announced in early August 2009 that Roadster sales had resulted in overall corporate profitability for the month of July 2009, earning US$ 1 million on revenue of US$ 20 million . Tesla, which signed

4240-405: The brushless DC electric motor . Once electric power is supplied to the motor (from the controller), the magnetic field interaction inside the motor will turn the drive shaft and ultimately the vehicle's wheels. EV battery storage is a key element for the global energy transition which is dependent on more electricity storage right now. As energy availability is the most important factor for

4346-464: The 1890s. Battery vehicle milk floats expanded in 1931, and by 1967, gave Britain the largest electric vehicle fleet in the world. Hybrid electric vehicles use both electric motors and internal combustion engines, and are not considered pure or all-electric vehicles. Hybrid electric vehicles whose batteries can be charged externally are called plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and run as BEVs during their charge-depleting mode. PHEVs with

Tesla Roadster (first generation) - Misplaced Pages Continue

4452-647: The 20th century, the majority of the world's battery electric road vehicles were British milk floats . The 21st century saw the massive development of BYD electric trucks. In March 2012, Smith Electric Vehicles announced the release of the Newton Step-Van, an all-electric, zero-emission vehicle built on the versatile Newton platform that features a walk-in body produced by Indiana-based Utilimaster . BYD supplies DHL with electric distribution fleet of commercial BYD T3 . Although electric cars often give good acceleration and have generally acceptable top speed,

4558-564: The EPG's lineup was beamed to a satellite and distributed to cable companies and systems throughout the nation. The cable viewer at home would see a computer-generated, scrolling listings screen, featuring audio simulcasts of either a local radio station or a satellite-delivered music channel (used in later years on some systems). By viewership, cable subscribers with EPG grew from 5,300,000 viewers in 1986 to 7,000,000 viewers in 1987. The Electronic Program Guide, or simply EPG, had several updates ensued over

4664-444: The ESS both when the car is running and when the car is turned off if the pack retains more than a 90% charge. The coolant pump draws 146 watts. The cooling and battery management system keeps the temperatures and voltages within specific limits. A full recharge to 53 kWh requires about 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours using the "High Power Wall Connector", which supplies 70-amp, 240-volt electricity. Tesla said in February 2009 that

4770-522: The ESS had expected life span of seven years/100,000 mi (160,000 km), and began selling pre-purchase battery replacements for about one third of the battery's price today, with the replacement to be delivered after seven years. Tesla says the ESS retains 70% capacity after five years and 50,000 mi (80,000 km) of driving, assuming 10,000 mi (16,000 km) driven each year. A July 2013 study found that after 100,000 mi (160,000 km), Roadster batteries still had 80%–85% capacity and

4876-619: The EV-2009 city buses, and the 43 passenger EV-2008 highway bus, which has a range of 300 km (190 mi) under quick-charge (20 mins to 80 percent), and 350 km (220 mi) under full charge (25 mins). The buses will also be built in the United States and Finland. Tindo is an all-electric bus from Adelaide, Australia . The Tindo (aboriginal word for sun) is made by Designline International in New Zealand and gets its electricity from

4982-651: The Gemstar eBook Group and released an e-reader called the RCA eBook Reader. Gemstar had inherited much of its patent portfolio through its 1997 acquisition of StarSight Telecast, which had previously litigated against companies such as General Instrument and Scientific Atlanta . StarSight Telecast had reportedly settled its ongoing disputes with Scientific Atlanta in 1997, entering into a licensing arrangement and marketing relationship, accepting an initial licensing payment. The company eventually prevailed in its licensing dispute with General Instrument in 1999, although an injunction

5088-524: The Jinghua Coach. The batteries are replaced with fully charged ones at the recharging station to allow 24-hour operation of the buses. In France , the electric bus phenomenon is in development, but some buses are already operating in numerous cities. PVI, a medium-sized company located in the Paris region, is one of the leaders of the market with its brand Gepebus (offering Oreos 2X and Oreos 4X ). In

5194-594: The Lotus Elise as a base for the Roadster was a poor strategy because the Elise was incompatible with the intended AC Propulsion technology and was modified so extensively only 7% of the Elise remained in common with the final production Roadster. Tesla's cumulative production of the Roadster reached 1,000 cars in January 2010. The Roadster is considered an American car though many carry a Vehicle Identification Number beginning with

5300-630: The Mexico City ePrix takes place on a road course, a modified version of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Special-purpose vehicles come in a wide range of types, ranging from relatively common ones such as golf carts , things like electric golf trolleys , milk floats , all-terrain vehicles , neighborhood electric vehicles , and a wide range of other devices. Certain manufacturers specialize in electric-powered "in plant" work machines. Three-wheeled vehicles include electric rickshaws ,

5406-506: The Roadster Sport, the first derivative of Tesla's proprietary, patented powertrain. The car accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 3.7 seconds, compared to 3.9 seconds for the standard Roadster. Changes for the 2010 model-year cars included: All of these features, except for the motor, were available either as standard or as add-on option for the non-sport model. Beginning mid-March 2010, Tesla, in an effort to show off

SECTION 50

#1732858905385

5512-460: The Roadster in January 2012. Subsequent to completion of the first production car, the company announced problems with transmission reliability. The development transmission, with first gear enabled to accelerate 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 4 seconds, was reported to have a life expectancy of as low as only a few thousand miles. Tesla's first two transmission suppliers were unable to produce transmissions, in quantity, that could withstand

5618-700: The Roadster's battery-to-wheel motor efficiency was reported as 88% to 90% on average and 80% at peak power. For comparison, internal combustion engines have a tank-to-wheel efficiency of about 15%. Taking a more complete picture including the cost of energy drawn from its source, Tesla reports that their technology, assuming electricity generated from natural gas-burning power plants, has a high well-to-wheel efficiency of 1.14 km per mega joule , compared to 0.202 km/MJ for gasoline-powered sports cars, 0.478 km/MJ for gasoline-powered commuter cars, 0.556 km/MJ for hybrid cars , and 0.348 km/MJ for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles . ‹The template How-to

5724-475: The Roadster's battery-to-wheel efficiency as 110 Wh/km (17.7 kWh/100 mi) on an unspecified driving cycle—either a constant 60 mph (97 km/h)) or SAE J1634 test—and stated a charging efficiency of 86% for an overall plug-to-wheel efficiency of 128 Wh/km (20.5 kWh/100 mi). In March 2007, Tesla reported the Roadster's efficiency on the EPA highway cycle as "135 mpg [U.S.] equivalent, per

5830-497: The Roadster's design and engineering documents, as well as diagnostic software. After Martin Eberhard sold NuvoMedia to TV Guide , he wanted a sports car, but could not find one to his liking. His battery experience with the Rocket eBook inspired him to develop an electric car. During his search, Eberhard test drove the tzero , a concept car from the small automaker AC Propulsion . Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning , who had also driven

5936-541: The TerraVolt energy storage system, which in turn increases the total distance the bus can drive by 31–35 percent. It can travel 30–40 miles (48–64 km) on a single charge, is up to 600 percent more fuel-efficient than a typical diesel or CNG bus, and produces 44 percent less carbon than CNG. Proterra buses have had several problems, most notably in Philadelphia where the entire fleet was removed from service. For most of

6042-632: The ability for Rovi to enforce its patents both in the United Kingdom and with operators around the world. Rovi Corporation appealed against the decision for two of the three patents and continued to pursue Virgin Media for infringement of intellectual property. However, on March 29, 2011, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales upheld the original decision. Virgin Media has successfully defended claims by Rovi and Patent 11 has been revoked. Rovi has been ordered by

6148-448: The acceleration from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in under 4 seconds and an improved motor limit of 14,000 rpm to retain the 125 mph (201 km/h) top speed. In the interior the gear selector is similar to a push-button automatic with buttons labeled P, R, N and D. Some earlier models have a gear lever similar to that in cars with manual transmission. The Roadster's 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) acceleration time

6254-468: The biggest performance differences from internal combustion engines. The motor is air-cooled and does not need a liquid cooling system. The Sport model introduced during the Jan 2009 Detroit Auto Show includes a motor with a higher density, hand-wound stator that produces a maximum of 288 hp (215 kW). Both motors are designed for rotational speeds of up to 14,000 rpm, and the regular motor delivers

6360-578: The car was also restated downward from 245 to 221 mi (394 to 356 km). The downward revision was attributed to an error in equipment calibration at the laboratory that conducted the original test. Tesla produced a special edition of 15 Final Edition Roadsters to close the production cycle of the electric car. The 15 special-edition cars were sold in each of the three sales regions, North America, Europe and Asia, and five units were allocated to each. The Final Edition Roadster did not have any performance modifications, but featured sporting atomic red paint,

6466-847: The car were officially revealed to the public on July 19, 2006, in Santa Monica, California , at a 350-person invitation-only event held in Barker Hangar at Santa Monica Airport . It was featured in Time in December 2006 as the recipient of the magazine's "Best Inventions 2006—Transportation Invention" award. The first Tesla Roadster was delivered in February 2008 to Tesla co-founder, chairman and product architect Elon Musk . The company produced 500 similar vehicles through June 2009. In July 2009, Tesla began production of its 2010 model-year Roadster—the first major product upgrade. Simultaneously, Tesla began producing

SECTION 60

#1732858905385

6572-468: The charge. A Roadster drove around the world (although flying as cargo over oceans) in 2012, and repeated it in 80 days with other electric cars in 2016. Simon Hackett and Emilis Prelgauskas broke the distance record for an electric vehicle, driving 501 km (311 mi) from Alice Springs to Marla , South Australia, in Simon's Tesla Roadster. The car had about 4.8 km (3.0 mi) of range left when

6678-507: The closing price for the Macrovision stock on December 6, 2007, was valued at approximately $ 2.8 billion. The deal closed on May 2, 2008. On November 27, 2009, Virgin Media succeeded in a patent dispute brought against it by Gemstar-TV Guide. The London High Court found that Virgin Media had infringed on patents EP 0969662, EP 1377049 and EP 1613066, but also found them to be invalid and moved to revoke them. The ruling called into question

6784-659: The companies were also simultaneously in ongoing litigation and negotiations to resolve their disputes. As Scientific Atlanta had always compensated the company in the past, Gemstar, Yuen and Leung had reasonable evidence that the uncollected revenue would eventually be collected. When the amount accrued to a much larger sum of over $ 100 million, the company disclosed the information in a quarterly conference call with media and investors. During this time period, News Corporation purchased shares in Gemstar that were owned by Liberty Media (a multimedia company owned by John Malone ), giving News Corporation owner Rupert Murdoch control of

6890-433: The company starting in 2004, including investing US$ 7.5 million (~$ 11.6 million in 2023), overseeing Roadster product design from the beginning, and greatly expanding Tesla's long-term strategic sales goals by using the sports car to fund the development of mainstream vehicles. Musk became Tesla's chairman of the board in April 2004 and helped recruit J. B. Straubel as chief technology officer in March 2004. Musk received

6996-553: The company. Yuen was replaced as chief executive officer in October 2002 by Jeff Shell , an employee of Murdoch's who had been running the Fox Cable Networks Group . Following continuing losses in the hundred million dollar range, including charges related to shareholder litigation, Gemstar's market capitalization fell. From a high of $ 20 billion in 2000, during a period of high valuations of high-tech stocks, it had fallen to

7102-490: The controller performs various safety checks such as anomaly detection, functional safety tests and failure diagnostics. Most electric vehicles today use an electric battery , consisting of electrochemical cells with external connections in order to provide power to the vehicle. Battery technology for EVs has developed from early lead-acid batteries used in the late 19th century to the 2010s, to lithium-ion batteries which are found in most EVs today. The overall battery

7208-469: The conversion rate used by the EPA" or 133 Wh/km (21.5 kWh/100 mi) battery-to-wheel and 155 Wh/km (24.9 kWh/100 mi) plug-to-wheel. The official U.S. window sticker of the 2009 Tesla Roadster showed an EPA rated energy consumption of 32 kWh/100 mi in city and 33 kWh/100 mi on the highway, equivalent to 105 mpg city and 102 mpg highway. The EPA rating for on board energy efficiency for electric vehicles before 2010

7314-554: The country, and is aiming to be a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles within the next five years. China has experienced an explosive growth of sales of non-assisted e-bikes including the scooter type, with annual sales jumping from 56,000 units in 1998 to over 21 million in 2008, and reaching an estimated 120 million e-bikes on the road in early 2010. China is the world's leading manufacturer of e-bikes, with 22.2 million units produced in 2009. An increasing variety of personal transporters are being manufactured, including

7420-511: The de-carbonisation process is constantly reducing the GHG emissions due to the use of electric vehicles. In the European Union, on average, between 2009 and 2013 there was a reduction in the electricity carbon intensity of 17%. In a life-cycle assessment perspective, considering the GHG necessary to build the battery and its end-of-life, the GHG savings are 10–13% lower. Gemstar-TV Guide International In 1978, United Video Satellite Group, Inc.

7526-503: The drive was completed. Tesla refers to the Roadster's battery pack as the Energy Storage System or ESS. The 992-pound (450 kg) ESS contains 6,831 lithium ion cells arranged into 11 "sheets" connected in series; each sheet contains 9 "bricks" connected in series; each "brick" contains 69 cells connected in parallel (11S 9S 69P). The cells are of the 18650 form factor commonly found in laptop batteries. Sources disagree on

7632-419: The electricity is generated. Electric cars are having a major impact in the auto industry given advantages in city pollution , less dependence on oil and combustion, and scarcity and expected rise in gasoline prices. World governments are pledging billions to fund development of electric vehicles and their components. Formula E is a fully electric international single-seater championship. The series

7738-481: The electricity used to power them may do so in its generation. The two factors driving the emissions of battery electric vehicles are the carbon intensity of the electricity used to recharge the Electric Vehicle (commonly expressed in grams of CO 2 per kWh) and the consumption of the specific vehicle (in kilometers/kWh). The carbon intensity of electricity varies depending on the source of electricity where it

7844-572: The end of 2011. Tesla stopped taking orders for the Roadster in the U.S. market in August 2011. Featuring new options and enhanced components, the 2012 Tesla Roadster was sold in limited numbers only in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Tesla's U.S. exemption for not having advanced (two-stage) passenger airbags expired for cars made after the end of 2011 so the last Roadsters could not be sold in the American market. Fifteen Final Edition Roadsters were produced to close

7950-411: The exact type of Li-Ion cells—GreenCar says lithium cobalt oxide (LiCo), while researchers at DTU / INESC Porto state lithium manganese oxide (LMO). LiCo has higher reaction energy during thermal runaway than LMO. The pack is designed to prevent catastrophic cell failures from propagating to adjacent cells (thermal runaway), even when the cooling system is off. Coolant is pumped continuously through

8056-488: The extensive redevelopment of the vehicle, Tesla Motors no longer licenses any proprietary technology from AC Propulsion. The Roadster's powertrain is unique. On July 11, 2005, Tesla and British sports car maker Lotus entered an agreement about products and services based on the Lotus Elise , where Lotus provided advice on designing and developing a vehicle as well as producing partly assembled vehicles, and amended in 2009, helped with basic chassis development. The Roadster has

8162-670: The form of BEMUs (battery electric multiple units) are operated commercially in Japan . They are charged via pantographs , either when driving on electrified railway lines or during stops at specially equipped train stations. They use battery power for propulsion when driving on railway lines that are not electrified, and have successfully replaced diesel multiple units on some such lines. Other countries have also tested or ordered such vehicles. Chattanooga, Tennessee , operates nine zero-fare electric buses, which have been in operation since 1992 and have carried 11.3 million passengers and covered

8268-450: The gear-shift requirements of the high torque, high rpm electric motor. In December 2007, Tesla announced plans to ship the initial Roadsters with the transmissions locked into second gear, providing 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) acceleration in 5.7 seconds and allowing customers to swap out transmissions under warranty when the finalized transmission, power electronics module (PEM), and cooling system became available. The EPA range of

8374-447: The letter "S", which is the designation for the United Kingdom. Some, however, carry a number starting with "5" appropriate to the US. Parts were sourced from around the world. The body panels came from French supplier Sotira. These were sent from France to Hethel , U.K., where Tesla contracted with Lotus to build the Roadster's unique chassis. The Roadster shares roughly 7% of its components with

8480-604: The lower specific energy of production batteries available in 2015 compared with carbon-based fuels means that electric cars need batteries that are a fairly large fraction of the vehicle mass but still often give a relatively low range between charges. Recharging can also take significant lengths of time. For journeys within a single battery charge, rather than long journeys, electric cars are practical forms of transportation and can be recharged overnight. Electric cars can significantly reduce city pollution by having zero emissions . Vehicle greenhouse gas savings depend on how

8586-499: The manufacturing cycle of Tesla's first electric car. For a time, Tesla offered an optional upgrade to existing Roadsters, the Roadster 3.0. It offered a new battery pack with cells from LG Chem increasing capacity by 50% to 70 kWh, a new aero kit designed to reduce drag, and new tires with lower rolling resistance . The upgrade was offered between September 2015 and late 2016 at a cost of US$ 29,000 (equivalent to $ 36,817 in 2023). In November 2023, Tesla open-sourced some of

8692-629: The next few years, which would later culminate in a rebrand as the Prevue Guide in April 1988 (and a further one to the Prevue Channel in 1993); by this time, the Atari-based guide had been replaced with an Amiga -based system, while some systems retained the Atari-based guide into as late as 1996. Prevue ultimately proved to be more of a money-maker than WGN and the other superstations were, leading to UVSG going public in 1993. Two years later, TCI bought

8798-498: The one million unit milestone in September 2016. As of October 2020 , the world's top selling all-electric car in history is the Tesla Model 3 , with an estimated 645,000 sales, followed by the Nissan Leaf with over 500,000 sales as of September 2020 . During the 1880s, Gustave Trouvé , Thomas Parker and Andreas Flocken built experimental electric cars, but the first practical battery electric vehicles appeared during

8904-419: The one-wheeled self-balancing unicycles , self-balancing scooters , electric kick scooters , and electric skateboards . Several battery electric ships operate throughout the world, some for business. Electric ferries are being operated and constructed. The motor controller receives a signal from potentiometers linked to the accelerator pedal, and it uses this signal to determine how much electric power

9010-399: The only significant factor is mileage (not temperature). Tesla announced plans to sell the battery system to TH!NK and possibly others through its Tesla Energy Group division. The TH!NK plans were put on hold by interim CEO Michael Marks in September 2007. TH!NK now obtains its lithium-ion batteries from Enerdel. The Roadster uses a proprietary AC charging connector, although Tesla sells

9116-403: The original ABC Radio Networks , and through subsequent mergers and divestitures is now a part of the current Westwood One under Cumulus Media . The sale of SMN also ultimately led to the development of SpaceCom , a separate company which handled satellite data transmission, including data for pagers . Another side venture formed from the idea of carrying something over their main signal

9222-511: The practicality of its electric cars, sent one of its Roadsters around the world. Starting at the Geneva International Motor Show , the Roadster completed its journey upon its arrival in Paris on September 28, 2010. In July 2010, Tesla introduced the "Roadster 2.5" update including: Tesla produced the Roadster until January 2012, when its supply of gliders ran out, as its contract with Lotus Cars for 2,500 gliders expired at

9328-523: The range, reduced weight, and boosted 0 to 60 mph performance. Tesla licensed AC Propulsion's EV power system design and reductive charging patent, which covers integration of the charging electronics with the inverter , thus reducing mass, complexity, and cost. Tesla, however, was dissatisfied with how the motor and transmission worked in the chassis. Tesla then designed and built its own power electronics, motor, and other drivetrain components that incorporated this licensed technology from AC Propulsion. Given

9434-399: The right automatic transmission , but a two-gear solution proved to be too challenging. This led to substantial delays in production. At the "Town Hall Meeting" with owners in December 2007, Tesla announced plans to ship the initial 2008 Roadsters with their interim Magna two-speed direct shift manual transmissions locked into second gear, limiting the performance of the car to less than what

9540-503: The rise of satellite, this meant that microwave transmission of distant stations was now outmoded, with UVSG selling their microwave systems by 1980.) A side venture was the Satellite Music Network , formed in 1981; the concept came about when UV employee Al Stem pointed out that the satellite bandwidth used for their superstation uplinks still left considerable amounts of bandwidth open for other usage. In less than three years,

9646-429: The service had more than 300 affiliates. SMN was sold to Capital Cities/ABC Inc. for a stock deal worth approximately $ 55 million on January 10, 1989; Capital Cities/ABC had purchased a minority stake in the company in the days prior. By the time of the purchase, SMN boasted over 1,050 affiliates for nine distinct formats throughout the United States. The deal closed at the end of July, with SMN's operations folded into

9752-432: The two categories. In China, plug-in electric vehicles, together with hybrid electric vehicles are called new energy vehicles (NEVs). However, in the United States, neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) are battery electric vehicles that are legally limited to roads with posted speed limits no higher than 45 miles per hour (72 km/h), are usually built to have a top speed of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), and have

9858-401: The types of DC motors available. More recent electric vehicles have made use of a variety of AC motor types, as these are simpler to build and have no brushes that can wear out. These are usually induction motors or brushless AC electric motors which use permanent magnets. There are several variations of the permanent magnet motor which offer simpler drive schemes and/or lower cost including

9964-480: The tzero, tried to convince the company to put the car into production, but when they declined, they decided to establish Tesla Motors in Delaware on July 1, 2003, to pursue the idea commercially. South African-born entrepreneur Elon Musk would also test drive a tzero and encouraged AC Propulsion to put the car into production, instead the company connected Musk with Eberhard and Tarpenning. Musk took an active role within

10070-432: The uncollected revenue stemmed from expired licensing agreements, mainly with cable set-top box manufacturer Scientific Atlanta. Yuen and Gemstar chief financial officer Elsie Leung had been booking the revenue for over a year, as they believed Generally Accepted Accounting Practices allowed them to do this as Scientific Atlanta was continuing to add the company's interactive program guide software to its set-top boxes;

10176-418: The vitality of an economy the mobile storage infrastructure of EV batteries can be seen as one of the most meaningful infrastructure projects facilitating the energy transition to a fully sustainable economy based on renewables. A meta-study graphically showing the importance of electricity storage depicts the technology in context. Electric vehicles produce no greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in operation, but

10282-417: Was 231 mi (372 km) city, 224 mi (360 km) highway, and 227 mi (365 km) combined (city/highway). In August 2008, additional testing with the newer Powertrain 1.5 resulted in an EPA combined range of 393 km (244 mi). The vehicle set a new distance record when it completed the 241-mile (388 km) Rallye Monte Carlo d'Energies Alternatives with 36 mi (58 km) left on

10388-610: Was conceived in 2012, and the inaugural championship started in Beijing on 13 September 2014. The series is sanctioned by the FIA. Alejandro Agag is the current CEO of Formula E. The Formula E championship is currently contested by ten teams with two drivers each (after the withdrawal of Team Trulli, there are temporarily only nine teams competing). Racing generally takes place on temporary city-center street circuits which are approximately 2 to 3.4 kilometres (1.2 to 2.1 mi) long. Currently, only

10494-575: Was delivered to the Kings Canyon Unified School District in California's San Joaquin Valley . The bus was one of four the district ordered. This battery-electric school bus, which has four sodium nickel batteries, is the first modern electric school bus approved for student transportation by any state. In 2016, including the light heavy-duty vehicles, there were roughly 1.5 million heavy-duty vehicles in California. The same technology

10600-443: Was denied on the basis that General Instrument had not infringed the relevant patents in any commercial products. Gemstar's initial agreement with Scientific Atlanta expired in 1999, leading to various legal proceedings. Already in December 1998, Scientific Atlanta had filed a legal action alleging that Gemstar had violated federal antitrust laws and had misused its patents, seeking damages and judgements of non-infringement related to

10706-691: Was expressed as kilowatt-hour per 100 miles (kWh/100 mi). Since November 2010, with the introduction of the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt , EPA began using a new metric, miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (MPGe). The Roadster was never officially rated by the EPA in MPGe. In August 2007, Tesla dynamometer testing of a validation prototype on the EPA combined cycle yielded a range of 221 mi (356 km) using 23.9 kWh/100 mi (149 Wh/km) battery-to-wheel and 33.6 kWh/100 mi (209 Wh/km) plug-to-wheel. In February 2008, Tesla reported improved plug-to-wheel efficiency after testing

10812-957: Was founded in Tulsa, OK . United Video itself dated back to 1965, founded by Gene Schneider, and was originally a cable company in the Tulsa area, originally under the names of GenCo and then LVO Cable (during a period when they were owned by LVO Corporation, an oil company). The name United Video came from an acquisition in 1970: a small, microwave-based TV relay operation serving the Illinois towns of Ottawa , Streator and Pontiac with TV signals from Chicago . The microwave business expanded to serve other cable companies and regions, including Iowa, Louisiana, and Oklahoma itself, carrying distant stations to rural communities. Thanks to their experience in distributing Chicago's WGN-TV via microwave, they were chosen to distribute WGN's signal nationwide via satellite uplink (after

10918-468: Was originally stated (0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 5.7 seconds instead of the announced 4.0 seconds). Tesla also announced it would upgrade those transmissions under warranty when the final transmission became available. At the "Town Hall Meeting" with owners on January 30, 2008, Tesla Motors described the planned transmission upgrade as a single-speed gearbox with a drive ratio of 8.27:1 combined with improved electronics and motor cooling that retain

11024-450: Was replaced by an interim CEO, Michael Marks. Marks accepted the temporary position while a recruitment was undertaken. In December 2007, Ze'ev Drori became the CEO and president of Tesla. In October 2008, Musk succeeded Drori as CEO. Drori left the company in December. In January 2008, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it would grant Tesla a waiver of

11130-577: Was sent to Tesla's facility in Menlo Park, California for final assembly, and for Roadsters bound for customers in Europe or elsewhere outside of North America, the glider was sent to a facility at Wymondham near Hethel for final assembly. At these locations, Tesla employees installed the powertrain, which consisted of the battery pack, power electronics module, gearbox and motor. Tesla ordered 2,500 gliders from Lotus, which ceased production in December 2011 when their contract expired. Tesla ended production of

11236-484: Was the Electronic Program Guide , also created in 1981. A simplistic setup, UVSG sent raw program listings data for national cable networks, as well as for regional and local broadcast stations , disseminated from a central computer in Tulsa and transmitted to each EPG installation (a computer supplied by United Video based in a local cable headend; the computer itself would typically be an Atari model, like

#384615