The one good thing which seems to be coming out of the astronomic prices of gasoline and diesel, is the introduction of electric and solar cars.  Companies like Tesla, Aptera, and Toyota are dead serious in making excellent electric cars which will give gasoline cars a good run for their money.  If you have been following my recent postings here, you know what I’m talking about.

Tesla Motors, Inc. is a Silicon Valley automobile startup company focused on the production of high performance, consumer-oriented battery electric vehicles.  The first Tesla store opened in Los Angeles, CA on April 2008.  Before I forget, let me add that two of Tesla backers are Sergey Brin and Larry Page cofounders of Google Inc.

Despite Tesla Motors’ well deserved reputation as a high-end car manufacturer, it’s still very much a startup—the company’s $150 million in funding pales in comparison to coffers held by large automobile companies like Ferrari. As a result, Tesla has strived to create a atmosphere of style and sophistication at its showrooms without breaking the bank.

Tesla Motors’ first production vehicle, the Tesla Roadster, is an all-electric sports car.  The company and reviewers state that the Tesla Roadster accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds.   It has a top speed of 125 mph (limited for safety) and can go 220 miles on a 3.5 hour charge.  If you have a heavy wallet, you can add sweet extras like a painted carbon fiber top for $3,200 or a premium leather interior for $1,800. The cost of powering the vehicle is estimated at $0.02 per mile.

Prototypes were introduced to the public in July 2006 and featured on the cover of Time Magazine in December 2006 as the recipient of the magazine’s “Best Inventions 2006—Transportation Invention” award.

Demand has been high for the first “Signature One Hundred” set of fully equipped Roadsters, which sold out in less than three weeks, and the second hundred sold out by October, 2007.  As of May 2 2008, more than 600 Tesla Roadsters have been reserved and 400 more are on the waiting list. The first production model was delivered to Elon Musk, Chairman of the Board, on February 2008 and were in general production by March 17, 2008.

A solar car is on the design table.  Tesla plans to offer home roof mounted solar-photovoltaic systems that will offset power used by the home charger, allowing 50 miles (80 km) of travel per day without burdening the power grid.

Tesla is also currently working on a sedan, known as the Model S, which will be introduced as a 2010 model. It’s being designed as an alternative to cars such as the BMW Series and the Audi A6, with an estimated price of $60,000.

Future plans include a more affordable third model. The development and production of this future model, code-named “BlueStar”, will be funded by profits from the Model S sedan. According to Tesla, if everything goes according to plans, the BlueStar will be released in 2012 with a price tag of around $30,000.

Purchasing a Tesla Roadster is an involved and lengthy process. To reserve a car, first you’ll need to make a $5,000 deposit, which is mostly just to show you’re serious. To actually get a place on the 1,100 person long waiting list, you’ll need to cough up another $55,000—making a grand total of $60,000.

Of the 1,100 people on the waiting list, 600 are for the 2008 model, which has a base cost of $98,000.  The remainder of the list is for the 2009 model, which has been upped to a $109,000 base value, mostly to account for the weakened dollar.

Tesla is currently telling customers that the waiting list is one year long, but production is only just ramping up so that time frame may change. By the end of July there will be around 12 cars on the road, most of which are owned by company board members and investors.

For the time being, cars are being assembled at a rate of about 4 a week, with expectations that the company will be able to finish 40 a week early next year.

Paying more than 100 “grands” for a car is a lot of money for mainstream customers; which means that for the time being, the Tesla Roadster will be a niche vehicle for opulent customers.  However, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel with the introduction of the “BlueStar” which is expected be released in 2012 at  around $30,000.  If you’re interested in this baby, start fattening the piggy bank on your bed table.

For more information on the 2008 electric Tesla Roadster, kindly click here.  The photo gallery will knock your socks off.  Good Day!

It’s encouraging to see how some innovative automobile manufacturers are replacing fossil fuels with ethanol, electricity and solar energy to run their vehicles. Such is the case of Toyota Motor Corp.

A recent Nikkei story revealed that Toyota is planning to offer solar panels on its popular Prius hybrid vehicle. The solar panel option will be available on the next generation high-end Prius model when it receives a redesign in 2009. Toyota Motor Corp. will then will become the first major automaker to use solar power for a vehicle, according to the article published on July 7th.

The paper said Toyota would equip solar panels manufactured by Kyocera Corp. on the roof of the high-end version of the Prius when it redesigns the gasoline-electric hybrid car early next year, and the power generated by the panels would be used for the air conditioning system.

If this manufacturing scheme works, I’m sure other major car manufacturers will follow suit. When they do, it will be music to Al Gore’s ears.

I’m so happy to read all over the Internet the different approaches companies are taking to dodge the mortal blows of high gasoline prices. Wind power and solar power seem to be on the top of the list of alternative energy resources.

Thanks to Toyota, electric cars are back on the spotlight. Some of them are plug-in hybrids, which means that they use both gasoline and electricity to run. Others are 100 percent electric.

The electric car that captured my attention is the Aptera Typ-1 (photographed above), manufactured by Aptera Motors based in Carlsbad, California. The Aptera Typ-1 is an all-electric, two-seater, three-wheeled car whose streamlined shape might look at home in a Jetsons cartoon. Each street-legal vehicle has an approximate price tag of less than $30,000.

The electric version of the three-wheeler would drive 120 miles per charge, while a hybrid version due for release near the end of 2009 is meant to achieve 300 miles per gallon. The vehicles are supposed to accelerate to 60 miles per hour within 10 seconds and recharge from a 110-volt outlet. If all goes well the company plans on a four-wheeled model capable of sitting up to five people hitting the streets in the not-so-distant future.

This concept car of the future has a unique design. The prototype features high-tech touches such as rear and side cameras instead of rear-view side mirrors to further reduce wind drag. There’s a solar panel on the roof to provide a bit of extra power.

Google is investing $2.75 million into electric-vehicle maker Aptera and battery start-up ActaCell. The announcement, which follows Google’s request for proposals from companies with electric car technologies, came Tuesday during the Plug-In 2008 conference in San Jose, California.

Having the backup of a company with deep pockets like Google is a sure bet that this classy electric car will hit the California street by year’s end. By then the car of the future will surely be here! Way to go Google!