Originally Posted by
gtface
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.
Where are the "recycled" battery going to go? And what's the environmental footprint of the production for Li-ion battery? The problem with the current "green car" love child, the Prius, was that the battery travels the world before it gets made into a car and sit on your driveway.
University of Toronto Formula SAE Alumni 2003-2007
Formula Student Championship 2003, 2005, 2006
www.fsae.utoronto.ca