[gtface]

Originally Posted by NSXType-R

Hardly. Unless you were able to create the electricity in a green way, it wouldn't be green at all. Coal fired plants create most of the energy, in the US, at least.

Not that I'm against alternative fuels, but making it an electric car doesn't mean it automatically an environmentally viable alternative.

Also, how would you be able to dispose of all of the batteries when you can't service the car anymore?

Besides, if you wanted the car to be environmental, you wouldn't make it a sports car. The sports car aspect of it makes it more appealing, but that's not how you get more mileage out of it. But I do understand it from a marketing point of view.

Tesla has answers to all of these criticisms. First, a Tesla powered by electricity that is generated from coal still produces less emissions than any production car in the US (including hybrids). Second, Tesla claims that they will recycle all of the batteries for free when they need to be replaced (after 125,000 miles or more). Third, as others have pointed out, this car is still very lightweight. It is significantly heavier than an Elise but lighter than corvettes, most ferarris, etc. It is very quick and a pretty decent performance bargain. Also, driving this car aggressively results in much less efficiency loss than driving a gas-powered car aggressively, so you don't have to feel like you're wasting fuel when you floor the accelerator. There are other advantages as well.