Tesla Roadster now available in right hand drive
Residing in Australia, we always live in hope. Hope that the "next big thing" in cars will be made in right-hand-drive, so we don't have to miss out. Already we've learned that Ferrari's Enzo successor has had any RHD plans nixed by Fezza CEO Amadeo Felisa. However the only highway capable electric vehicle for sale worldwide, the Tesla Roadster, has been launched in London in right-hand-drive format.
The Tesla Roadster, a purely electric vehicle, plugs into a conventional power point, makes 215kw and can go from 0-100km/h in under four seconds.
Having proven itself in the recent Global Green Challenge, with Australian Simon Hackett at the wheel, the Roadster's long-distance credentials are without question. What is in question is whether we will see the car on our roads. The RHD launch comes just after Tesla announced plans to cease production of the Roadster in 2011.
That means that whatever little production of the RHD model will most probably be snapped up by markets closer to the manufacturer before making it to Australia. Requests from the UK alone have been the reason the alternate format has been launched.
"The right-hand-drive model is our response to growing demand from high-performance car buyers in the UK who are also interested in their impact on the environment." said Cristiano Carlutti, Tesla's Vice President for European Sales and Operations. "Tesla is dramatically expanding its retail footprint in Europe, we look forward to building our community of owners and fans throughout the continent."
The good news in all of this is that future Teslas will undoubtably make it here, meaning we can look forward to experiencing the instant torque rush that Tesla's cars are now famous for.
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