First lithium-ion battery-powered super car shakes up the auto industry.Tesla Motors’ Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning shared their mana‘o at the third Focus Green lecture sponsored by Everett Dowling at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s McCoy Studio Theater on March 11.
When sports car enthusiasts think of the latest car, they visualize speed and looks, not energy efficiency or zero-pollution criteria—“a gutsy move at a great risk,” said Dowling of the two Silicon Valley engineers who modified the hybrid-electric car.
Tesla Motors’ prototype “Roadster” is touted as the first electric vehicle (EV) that will bring profound changes to the complacent American auto industry… and spur competition.
In homage to Serbian-American Nicola Tesla (1856–1943), inventor of alternating current and the AC electric car, engineers Eberhard and Tarpenning developed a “pure” EV that is mechanically simpler and more durable than gasoline-powered cars.
Among the choices of fuel production for transportation, Eberhard and Tarpenning looked closely at biodiesel, hydrogen fuel cell and conventional gasoline-powered combustion engine vehicles. They raised three questions: 1) What is the net resource consumption per mile? 2) What is the net CO2 emissions per mile? 3) What is the net reduction of petroleum usage?
The lithium-ion battery proved best with the “do more with less” axiom. A conventional HEV—hybrid electric vehicle—such as Toyota Prius, can draw on either battery power or a gasoline engine, depending on speed.
Eberhard contends that in Maui, where typical commuter distances aren’t great, an overnight plugged-in charge gets “220 miles per charge.” No gasoline consumption; zero emissions of CO2.
The sporty Tesla Roadster “is powered by 6,831 rechargeable lithium-ion batteries—the same cells that run a laptop computer. Fuel efficiency: 1 to 2 cents per mile. Top speed: more than 130 mph.” (Wired, Issue 14.08, August 2006).
Dispelling the media myth of battery “explosion,” Eberhard explained how these catacombed stacked cells have cooling channels, so they don’t overheat. Also, they “age gracefully,” said Tarpenning. “Expect 100,000 miles battery life.”
Image or “sex appeal” is always an issue. Compared to the earlier EVs—slow, cramped and Spartan—“the Roadster has the elegance of a Lotus,” enthused Eberhard. With the giddiness of a sports car driver, he demonstrated the thrill of driving a car without a clutch: “just step on the accelerator pedal and vroooom.”
Sexy cars and the future sedan (slated for production in 2010) will gratify “people who care about their carbon footprint and also love cars,” Eberhard said. EVs harness the batteries’ electrical energy by converting it to kinetic energy: zero to 60 mph acceleration in four seconds, due to “wheel-to-wheel efficiency,” he explained.
To a cheering green audience, Eberhard mentioned his political activism: “I spoke before the U.S. Senate to promote production of lithium-ion battery packs in the U.S.” He added, “Currently, they are produced in China, Korea and Japan.”
“Hawai‘i now uses oil to produce electricity,” said Eberhard. “While we consume less oil in Hawai‘i per capita compared to the Mainland, Hawai‘i has a unique opportunity: imagine sending tourists home with a vision of sustainability…With abundant wave energy, wind and solar power, Maui could produce power in any form.” Hawai‘i could become a “green projects tourist destination,” he said.
Rental cars should be electric, according to Eberhard. He described his scheme simply: drivers would plug into a charger drawing from the solar energy stored in rooftop panels. This charge of energy would be sufficient for a day’s use.
At first, corporate investors were hesitant to invest in production. Admittedly, said Eberhard, “the supply chain for production is complex,” involving multi-national industries. “Working transmissions are holding up production,” he said.
Nonetheless, Tesla’s “five-seater sedan,” due out in 2010, will be in time to compete with the GM Volt. Fortunately, this car will cost half the “Roadster”—currently selling at $98,000!
“What impact can a pricey sports car have?” In answer, U.S. auto manufacturers have stopped fighting the zero-emissions standards to speed up production of clean, energy-efficient, non-polluting vehicles. The worldwide race among auto manufacturers to develop low-carbon energy in time to stop global warming has begun.