Jul 10, 2008 9:51 pm US/Central
'Green' Electric Car Unveiled At Field Museum
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
When you almost have to take out a loan to fill up your gas tank these days, a vehicle that runs on nothing seems to make a lot of sense. CBS 2's Mike Parker reports it's not cheap, but that's not stopping some people from lining up to buy it.
The Tesla is a brand new high-powered sports car named after the electrical pioneer, Nicola Tesla. Batteries are included.
A California-based company makes these totally electric vehicles, using 6,831 lithium ion cells to power them. The range is 220 miles till the next charge.
The two models that came to Chicago tonight may be red or silver, but they're also very 'green.'
"We really want to push all the car manufacturers in Detroit to move to this technology and realize there are other options," said Colette Niazmand, Tesla executive.
Among the folks who gathered for an unveiling at the Field Museum tonight were some folks who have been on the waiting list for one of the $109,000, battery-powered beasts for over a year.
"It's just the fact that maybe we're not going to be dependent on the oil and maybe this'll be the start of new types of cars in the U.S. here," said customer Tom Wisniewski.
"This is the first sports car I've ever purchased and the reason I bought it is because it's battery-operated," said customer Stefano Durdic. "It's something I believe in and something I care about."
The company claims that the car goes from zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds, and that its top speed is 120 miles an hour.
In 2010, the company plans to introduce a totally electric, five-passenger sedan. It will have the same range and will cost about $60,000.
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