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The legacy of the Roadster won't be its practicality, it'll be that it divorced the terms "electric car" and "golf cart" in a way that something like the ZENN (

The legacy of the Roadster won't be its practicality, it'll be that it divorced the terms "electric car" and "golf cart" in a way that something like the ZENN (or the old EVO) never could. If all it ever did was to keep people from thinking about zero-to-sixty times in weeks (downhill and with a following gale force wind), then the car has done its job. It's proven the concept well enough to generate some excitement around storage technologies -- and now we wait for the next generation. (Well, I do -- electrochemical research is not my forte.)

wisty 15y ago
There's two ways to disrupt a market - starting at the top, and starting at the bottom. Electric cars can't disrupt from the bottom, because the regulatory burden is likely to be too high. Cut too many costs, and the car will be banned. Starting at the top means that rich idiots who want to pretend to save the earth can buy it, and you can then look at moving down. OK, there's electric motorbikes at the bottom, and three wheeled cars classed as motorbikes, but they will struggle to bridge the legislative gap between cars and motorbikes.
- krschultz 15y ago
  Why do they have to be idiots to buy it? Anyone who buys a BMW or Porsche or any other car in that price range is looking at more than just the ability to get from point A to point B. The Tesla Roadster is plain fun to drive, and it is a conversation piece in the way $120,000 Porsche is not. I was at a racetrack recently where the Tesla Roadster was parked between a bunch cars worth far more money, but everyone was interested in the Tesla because it was unique. Most of them are under no illusions that they are saving the planet, and most people realize it is not cheaper than buying another car. But it's a toy, I'm sure you have some hobby where you spend money on things for fun. That doesn't make you an idiot.
  - wisty 15y ago
    Fair enough. I think spending ~$100k on a car is stupid, but that may be biased by the fact that I can't afford to. And it's a lot less stupid than similar cars - lots of acceleration (I'm guessing), and it's a real eye catcher.

wisty 15y ago

There's two ways to disrupt a market - starting at the top, and starting at the bottom. Electric cars can't disrupt from the bottom, because the regulatory burden is likely to be too high. Cut too many costs, and the car will be banned. Starting at the top means that rich idiots who want to pretend to save the earth can buy it, and you can then look at moving down. OK, there's electric motorbikes at the bottom, and three wheeled cars classed as motorbikes, but they will struggle to bridge the legislative gap between cars and motorbikes.

krschultz 15y ago
Why do they have to be idiots to buy it? Anyone who buys a BMW or Porsche or any other car in that price range is looking at more than just the ability to get from point A to point B. The Tesla Roadster is plain fun to drive, and it is a conversation piece in the way $120,000 Porsche is not. I was at a racetrack recently where the Tesla Roadster was parked between a bunch cars worth far more money, but everyone was interested in the Tesla because it was unique. Most of them are under no illusions that they are saving the planet, and most people realize it is not cheaper than buying another car. But it's a toy, I'm sure you have some hobby where you spend money on things for fun. That doesn't make you an idiot.
- wisty 15y ago
  Fair enough. I think spending ~$100k on a car is stupid, but that may be biased by the fact that I can't afford to. And it's a lot less stupid than similar cars - lots of acceleration (I'm guessing), and it's a real eye catcher.