Car blogs

By Scott Doggett, Contributor


If Tesla's Roadster and Chrysler's Dodge EV Concept provide a glimpse of the future, sports cars made after the internal combustion engine exits production might outperform their predecessors.


At a glance, the Tesla and the Dodge could be variants of one another, the Roadster being the convertible version, the Dodge the hardtop. Both of the zero-emissions vehicles are based on Lotus platforms, the Tesla on the Elise and the Dodge on the Europa S.


Spinning the rear wheels of both cars are electric motors receiving power from lithium-ion battery packs. The battery pack in either car can be fully charged in less than four hours.


After that, the pair differ significantly. For starters, the Roadster is in production. As of today, 70 have been delivered to customers, according to Jeremy Snyder, general manager of Tesla's Los Angeles showroom.


The Silicon Valley company is completing final assembly of the vehicle at the rate of 10 a week, Snyder said. That rate will double in early 2009, he said, adding that more than 1,200 people have placed deposits on one. Recent recipients include George Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger.



The Dodge may never enter production. Chrysler has made three EV concepts--an electric-powered Chrysler Town & Country van, Jeep Wrangler and the Dodge--and Chrysler insists that one of them will enter production in 2010. But the automaker isn't saying which one quite yet. 


The Tesla was designed to be an electric vehicle from the ground up. Not so with any of the Chryslers.


The Roadster is based on the Elise platform, but the chassis is completely different, having had its exterior sheet metal replaced by a carbon-fiber composite and a styling that is unique to the Tesla. The chassis is built around a longer, stronger version of the Elise's aluminum frame.
Continue reading...

Tags: Batteries, Chrysler, Dodge, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Plug-ins and Electric, Tesla, Chrysler, Dodge EV Concept, Electric Vehicles, plug-in electric vehicles, Tesla Roadster, Zero Emissions

---

Tesla Roadster Versus Chrysler's Dodge EV Concept: Plenty to Like About Both was originally published by Green Car Advisor. Read the full story by clicking here.