MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND YOUTH OF REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MOLDOVA

THEME : Tesla Roadster

Made by st. gr.IME – 081 Seracuta Stefan

Checked up by Ababii Mariana

The Tesla Roadster is an all-electric sports car produced by the electric car firm Tesla Motors and is the
first car produced by the company.

The Roadster can travel 244 miles (393 km) on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery pack and
accelerate from 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 3.9 seconds. The Roadster's efficiency, as of September 2008,
was reported as 120 mpgge. It uses 135 W·h/km (4.60 mi/kW·h), battery-to-wheel, and has an efficiency
of 90% on average.

The Roadster was developed with design help from Lotus Cars, who supplied the basic chassis
development technology from the Lotus Elise. First unveiled to the public on 19 July 2006, series
production of the car began on 17 March 2008.

History
The car was officially unveiled to the public on July 19, 2006, in Santa Monica, California, at a 350-
person invitation-only event held in Barker Hangar at Santa Monica Airport.

The San Francisco International Auto Show, held on November 18–26, 2006, was the Tesla Roadster's
first auto show.

Development
The Roadster was developed by Tesla Motors with design help from Lotus Cars in certain areas. Lotus
supplied the basic chassis development technology from its Lotus Elise, with which the Tesla engineers
designed a new chassis. Barney Hatt at Lotus's design studio developed the styling with input from Tesla.
Tesla's designers chose to construct the body panels using resin transfer molded carbon fiber composite to
minimize weight; this choice makes the Roadster one of the least expensive cars with an entirely carbon
fiber skin.

The AC motor and drivetrain technology are more advanced than versions used in the GM EV1 and AC
Propulsion tzero. Tesla Motors licensed AC Propulsion's EV Power System design and Reductive
Charging patent which covers integration of the charging electronics with the inverter, thus reducing
mass, complexity, and cost. Tesla Motors then designed and built its own power electronics, motor, and
other drivetrain components that incorporate this licensed technology from AC Propulsion.

Several prototypes of the Tesla Roadster were produced from 2004 through 2007. Initial studies were
done in two "mule" vehicles. Ten Engineering Prototypes (EP1 thru EP10) which led to many minor
changes were then built and tested in late 2006 and early 2007. Tesla then produced seventeen Validation
Prototypes (VP1 thru VP17) which were delivered beginning in March, 2007. These final revisions were
endurance and crash tested in preparation for series production.

In January, 2008, the NHTSA announced that it would grant a waiver of the advanced air bag rule noting
that the Tesla Roadster already includes standard air bags; similar waivers have been granted to many
other small volume manufacturers as well, including Lotus, Ferrari, and Bugatti.

The car is assembled at the Lotus factory in Hethel, England, with drivetrain components and body
components supplied to the factory by Tesla.

The Roadster shares less than 10% of its components with the Lotus Elise; shared components are
confined to the windshield, air bags, tires, some dashboard parts, and suspension components. The parts
supply chain extends around the world; Tesla Motor's plant in Taiwan manufactures the motors and the
Energy Storage Systems (ESS) was initially manufactured in Thailand during development and then
moved to San Carlos, California, after production started. Chassis are manufactured in Norway. SOTIRA,
in St. Meloir & Pouancé, France, create the RTM carbon fiber body panels. The Roadster's brakes and
airbags are made by Siemens in Germany and crash testing was conducted at Siemens as well.

Production delivery was originally planned for October, 2007, and then delayed in September, 2007, until
the first calendar quarter of 2008. Series production of the car began on March 17, 2008 after over two
years of prototyping and testing. However, the first production Roadster, referred to as "P1", was
delivered to Tesla Motors' Chairman Elon Musk on February 1, 2008.

Subsequent to completion of production car number one at Hethel, the company announced problems
with transmission reliability. The development transmission, with first gear enabled to accelerate 0–60
mph in 4 seconds, was reported to have a life expectancy of as low as only a few thousand miles. Tesla
Motors' first two transmission suppliers were unable to produce transmissions, in quantity, that could
withstand the continuous torque requirements of the electric motor. In December, 2007, Tesla Motors
announced plans to ship the initial Roadsters with the transmissions locked into second gear to provide 0–
60 mph acceleration in 5.7 seconds. The first production car was not delivered with this interim solution;
P1 has both transmission gears enabled. According to the plan, the initial transmissions will be swapped
out under warranty when the finalized transmission, power electronics module (PEM), and cooling
system becomes available. The EPA range of the car was also restated from 245 miles (394 km) down to
221 miles (356 km). The downward revision was attributed to an error in equipment calibration at the
laboratory that conducted the original test.

During the first two months of production, Tesla produced a total of three Roadsters (P3/VINF002,
P4/VINF004, and P5/VINF005). Production car # 1 (P1) and P2 were built prior to the start of regular
series production, which began March 17, 2008.

On September 10, 2008, it was reported that Tesla had delivered 27 of the cars to customers. It was also
reported that a newer, better transmission had been developed and that production of the car is hoped to
reach 20 per week by December, 2008, and 40 per week by March, 2009. however, over the next 20 days,
only 3 more had been delivered to customers, bringing the total to 30 as of September 30, 2008. On
November 19, 2008, it was reported that more than 70 of the cars had been delivered to customers. On
December 9, 2008, the 100th car had been delivered to its customer.

Sales
Tesla's "Signature One Hundred" initial set of fully equipped cars sold out by late August, 2006. Tesla
Motors then began accepting reservation orders by September, 2006 for their 2008 models, with several
payment options available to determine the 2008 delivery date of the vehicle. The second hundred had
been reserved by October. As of January 15, 2008, all 650 Tesla Roadsters planned for model year 2008
had been reserved. As it was initially only available in the USA, where traffic stays to the right-hand side
of the road (RHT), Roadsters are available only with the steering-wheel on the left-hand side (LHD).

Final pricing for the 2008 Tesla Roadster base model was US$98,000, plus a destination charge of $950.
The majority of the first 200 Roadsters ordered by October, 2006, came fully loaded with all optional
equipment at a cost of about US$100,000.

The company plans to begin sales in Europe during the third quarter of 2008, initially limited to 250 cars,
at just under €100,000 each. The cars will not initially go on sale in the United Kingdom, where traffic
stays to the left-hand side of the road (LHT), as there are no plans to build a Roadsters with the steering-
wheel on the right-hand side (RHD).

For 2009, Tesla plans to deliver 1500 cars. The price for the 2009 models has been increased to
US$109,000; options ranging from colors to audio to heavy duty cables can add another $10,000
Outside the United States

The 2009 Signature Edition Tesla Roadster became available in Europe on August 21, 2008. Only 250
cars are available, at 99,000 Euro. Reservations for the 2010 Roadster are available for a 3,000 Euro
refundable reservation fee.

The first Tesla Motors service center, in Los Angeles, CA, was opened on Santa Monica Boulevard on
May 1, 2008.

Tesla Motors publicly opened their second showroom and service area in Menlo Park, CA on July 22,
2008. The Menlo Park location will also be the final assembly area for Tesla Roadsters.

Additional service centers for the Tesla Roadster are planned for New York, NY, Miami, FL, Chicago, IL
and Seattle, WA.

Tesla Motors has stated that it will build additional service centers over the next few years to support
sales of its next vehicle, the sports sedan currently codenamed the Tesla WhiteStar. "To do 10,000 units
for WhiteStar, we need to be in a lot more places," said Darryl Siry, vice president of Marketing.

Planning is underway for an additional 15 service centers in United States major metropolitan locations.
Possible locations for sales and service locations in Europe were announced in a letter to customers in
May, 2008.

A Roadster purchased in the United States but more than 100 mi. from the nearest service center was
originally announced as requiring an additional US$8,000 out-of-service-area fee; this fee was removed at
the start of production and replaced with a policy that customers will be responsible for transporting their
Roadster to a service center. No "independent" mechanics are authorized or certified to perform
maintenance on the drive train or electrical systems of the Roadster.

There is minimal maintenance required for an electric vehicle. There are no oil changes, and brake
maintenance is minor due to regenerative braking. Transmission, brake, and cooling system fluids need to
be changed in a manner similar to gasoline-powered cars.

Specifications
Motor

The roadster is powered by a 3-phase, 4-pole electric motor, producing a maximum net power of 248 hp
(185 kW). The motor is designed for rotational speeds of up to 14,000rpm, and delivers an efficiency of
typically 90%, or 80% at peak power.

Transmission

Starting in September, 2008 Tesla Motors selected BorgWarner to manufacture gearboxes and began
equipping all Roadsters with a single speed, fixed gear gearbox (8.2752:1) with an electrically-actuated
parking lock mechanism and a mechanical lubrication pump.

The company previously worked with several companies, including XTrac and Magna International, to
find the right transmission, but a two-gear solution proved to be too challenging. This led to substantial
delays in production. At the "Town Hall Meeting" with owners in December, 2007, Tesla announced
plans to ship the initial 2008 Roadsters with their interim Magna transmissions locked into second gear
limiting the performance of the car to less than what was originally stated (0-60mph in 5.7 seconds
instead of the announced 4.0 seconds). Tesla also announced it would upgrade those transmissions under
warranty when the final transmission became available. At the "Town Hall Meeting" with owners on
January 30, 2008, Tesla Motors described the planned transmission upgrade as a single-speed gearbox
with a drive ratio of 8.27:1 combined with improved electronics and motor cooling that retain the
acceleration from 0–60 mph in under 4 seconds and an improved motor limit of 14,000 rpm to retain the
125 mph (201 km/h) top speed. The upgraded system also improved the maximum torque from 200 ft·lbf
(270 N·m) to 280 ft·lbf (380 N·m) and improves the Roadster's quarter mile times.

Performance

The Roadster's 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) acceleration time is 3.9 seconds. Some prototypes and early
production 2008 Roadsters were limited to 5.7 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 125
mph (201 km/h). The Roadster covers the quarter-mile drag strip in 12.757 seconds at 104.74 mph
(168.56 km/h).

The EPA combined range (specifying distance traveled between charges) measured in February 2008 for
early production Roadsters was 231 mi (372 km) city, 224 mi (360 km) highway, and 227 mi (365 km)
combined (city/highway). In August 2008, additional testing with the newer Powertrain 1.5 resulted in an
EPA combined range of 244 mi (393 km). It weighs about 2,700 lb (1,220 kg), and is rear wheel drive;
most of the car's weight is centered in front of the rear axle.

Battery system

Tesla Motors refers to the Roadster's battery pack as the Energy Storage System or ESS. The ESS
contains 6,831 lithium ion cells arranged into 11 "sheets" connected in series; each sheet contains 9
"bricks" connected in series; each "brick" contains 69 cells connected in parallel (11S 9S 69P). The cells
are 18 mm (0.71 in) in diameter and 65 mm (2.6 in) long (18650 form-factor); this type of lithium-ion cell
is also found in most laptop computer batteries.

A full recharge of the battery system requires 3½ hours using the High Power Connector; in practice,
recharge cycles usually start from a partially charged state and require less time. A fully charged ESS
stores approximately 53 kWh of electrical energy at a nominal 375 volts and weighs 992 lb (450 kg). The
Tesla Motors Club bulletin board has estimated the 2008 replacement cost at approximately $20,000; this
cost is likely to decline in the future. The ESS is expected to retain 70% capacity after 5 years and
50,000 miles (80,000 km) of driving (10,000 miles (16,000 km) driven each year). Tesla Motors provides
a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty on the Roadster with an optional 4 year/50,000 mile extended warranty
available at an "additional cost" (2008 Roadster buyers receive the 4/50 extension at no cost while later
purchasers need to pay).

The pack is designed to prevent catastrophic cell failures from propagating to adjacent cells, even when
the cooling system is off. Coolant is pumped continuously through the ESS both when the car is running
and when the car is turned off if the pack retains more than a 50% charge. The coolant pump draws 146
watts. Tesla Motors announced plans to sell the battery system to TH!NK and possibly others through its
Tesla Energy Group division. That plan was put on hold by interim CEO Michael Marks in September,
2007.

Energy efficiency
In June, 2006, Tesla Motors reported the Roadster's battery-to-wheel efficiency as 110 W·h/km (5.65
mi/kW·h) on an unspecified driving cycle (either a constant 60 mph (97 km/h) or SAE J1634 test) and
stated a charging efficiency of 86% for an overall plug-to-wheel efficiency of 128 W·h/km (4.85
mi/kW·h).
In March 2007, Tesla Motors reported the Roadster's efficiency on the EPA highway cycle as "135 mpg
[U.S.] equivalent, per the conversion rate used by the EPA" or 133 W·h/km (4.66 mi/kW·h) battery-to-
wheel and 155 W·h/km (4.00 mi/kW·h) plug-to-wheel.

In August, 2007, Tesla Motors' dynamometer testing of a Validation Prototype on the EPA combined
cycle yielded a range of 221 mi (356 km) using 149 W·h/km (4.17 mi/kW·h) battery-to-wheel and
209 Wh/km (2.98 mi/kW·h) plug-to-wheel.

In February, 2008, Tesla Motors reported improved plug-to-wheel efficiency after testing a Validation
Prototype car at an EPA-certified location. Those tests yielded a range of 220 mi (354 km) and a plug-to-
wheel efficiency of 256 mpgge, or 199 W·h/km (3.12 mi/kW·h).

Testing reported by Tesla Motors in August, 2008 with the new, single-speed gearbox and upgraded
electronics of Powertrain 1.5 yielded an EPA range of 244 mi (393 km) and an EPA combined cycle,
plug-to-wheel efficiency of 28kW·h/100mi (174 W·h/km, 3.57 mi/kW·h).

The Roadster's motor efficiency, battery-to-wheel, is 90% on average and 80% at peak power (this does
not include the efficiency of the electrical generating source, only how efficiently the Roadster uses the
energy). For comparison, internal combustion engines have a tank-to-wheel efficiency of about 15%.

Petroleum-equivalent efficiency

The Roadster does not actually use gasoline; therefore, petroleum-equivalent efficiency (mpg, l/100 km)
cannot be measured directly but instead is calculated using one of several different methods:

A number comparable to the typical Monroney sticker's "pump-to-wheel" fuel efficiency can be
calculated based on regulations from the DOE and its energy content for a U.S. gallon of gasoline of
33,705 W·h/gal (also called the Lower Heating Value (LHV) of gasoline):

For CAFE regulatory purposes, the DOE's full petroleum-equivalency equation combines the primary
energy efficiencies of the USA electric grid and the well-to-pump path with a "fuel content factor" that
quantifies conservation and scarcity of fuels in the USA. This combination yields a factor of 82,049
W·h/gal in the above equation and a regulatory fuel efficiency of 293 mpggeCAFE.

Recharging with electricity from the average USA grid, the factor changes to 12,307 W·h/ U.S. gal to
remove the "fuel content factor" = 1/0.15 and the above equation yields a full-cycle energy-equivalency of
44.0 mpggefull-cycle. For full-cycle comparisons, the sticker or "pump-to-wheel" value from a gasoline-
fueled vehicle must be multiplied by the fuel's "well-to-pump" efficiency; the DOE regulation specifies a
"well-to-pump" efficiency of 83% for gasoline. The Prius' sticker 46 miles per US gallon
(20 km/l/55 mpg-imp), for example, converts to a full-cycle energy-equivalent of 38.2 mpgfull-cycle.

Recharging with electricity generated by newer, 58% efficiency CCGT power plants, changes the factor
to 21,763 Wh/gal in the above equation and yields a fuel efficiency of 77.7 mpgge.

Recharging with non-fossil fuel electricity sources such as hydroelectric, solar power, wind or nuclear,
the petroleum equivalent efficiency can be even higher as fossil fuel is not directly used in refueling.

Monetary cost offers another way to find an equivalent fuel efficiency. Tesla Motors reports an energy
cost of approximately US$0.01/mile using PG&E's E-9 night-time incentive charging, or about
US$0.03/mile using the retail price of US$0.12/kW·h. Comparison with a gasoline price of US$3.50/
U.S. gallon, for instance, results in an equivalent of 350 mpgge using E-9 or 117 mpgge using retail
pricing.

Awards
 INDEX - INDEX Award 2007[70]
 BusinessWeek - Best Product Design of 2007, Ecodesign[71]
 Forbes - Best Cars 2006: New car that best lived up to the Hype[72]
 Time Magazine - Best Inventions 2008 - Transportation Invention[73]
 Time Magazine - Best Inventions 2006 - Transportation Invention[74]
 Popular Mechanics - Breakthrough Awards 2006[75]
 Global Green USA - Product/Industrial Design
 CarDomain - People's Choice: Most Exciting 2007 Car Launch
 2009 Best Green Exotic, duPont REGISTRY
So, I just found out that the new Tesla Roadster can accelerate from 0 to 60 at a breakneck speed of 3.9
seconds! No lie.

Let me put that into perspective for you:

2005 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti (4.6 seconds)

1986 Ferrari Testarossa (5.3 seconds)

 2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Five Speed (4.7 seconds)

 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT (5.0 seconds)

 2002 Aston Martin V-12 Vanquish (4.4 seconds)

 1998 Dodge Viper GTS (4.1 seconds)

 1991 Porsche 911 GT3 (4.3 seconds)

 1997 McLaren F1 (3.9 seconds)

 If that doesn’t impress you, I don’t know what will.  Don’t forget that this thing runs completely off of
electricity…as in 100%. When this Tesla car hits the market, I’d suggest not pulling next to it at a red
light.  You might get embarrassed.