ride in the Tesla Roadster: The whispering 
Munich, Flower Street 17, right on Old Town Square: We are facing the showroom of Tesla Motors, one of the youngest and most innovative car companies in the world. The place where previously was a designer furniture shop, is just large enough to present in response to three Tesla Roadster - so far the only product of the company, founded in 2003. The Munich office is already there since September 2009, although its address has not been included on the Tesla website
. I am invited to a get-together. The occasion is the presentation of the improved model 2.5, Tesla is also just gone public. Exactly why I was invited, I do not know. Perhaps, because I follow on Twitter
Zero Motorbikes , the California electric motorcycle pioneers. Maybe because I in spring 2009 during the lunch break Craig Davis, the European head of Tesla Motors, ran across the path. He stood in the parking lot in front of the Sofitel Bayerpost in central Munich, next to a Tesla Roadster, with British approval - and needed a power outlet to recharge his vehicle. We exchanged cards, I said I would love to test drive a Tesla, he promised to think of me when you have an office in Munich. He apparently has not forgotten me.
Sarah Zimmermann, the German press Tesla woman takes me in reception. She is very happy that I came am, two minutes we make small talk before I'm actually, I will do the rounds so I'm here. They looked me up and down and proposes a seat fitting. The demonstration vehicles parked next to the showroom and attached to a power-tank column, have they built the Munich city works here advertising.
The Tesla Roadster is based on the Lotus Elise (English cars are always female), it is also built in England by Lotus. But while the Elise is powered by a souped-up Toyota four-cylinder engine, the Tesla Roadster has an electric drive. Tesla founder Elon Musk, why for the crunchy - and largely freed of any practical utility - Elise sports car as a basis for his electric car has decided it is clear when you read something about the philosophy behind the project. Musk has analyzed that is quite true that all existing electric vehicles were not something you would associate with words like "fun". to name a
City-EL or
Twike to time two representatives of the current German electrical mobility, who namely a huge problem with it around: the price combine for a full car of the Gulf to the Passat class with the value of a motor scooter, the action radius of a tram. When rolling waivers similar to the above two models of the suspect standing in the room that they turn to people The drive basically do not like this car and would prefer to avoid actually. The Twike is no extra charge with bicycle pedals available - it's not politically correct anymore.
The car that Musk had in mind would look different: It should be fun while driving, and thereby prepare his (wealthy) owners an environmentally clear conscience. A Tesla Roadster in basic equipment costs around 100,000 euros in Germany. But you get about three Twike - but not even an Audi R8
, whose price starts at 120,000 euros well. I mention the Audi, not without reason, as one of the guests has parked his R8 in front of the Tesla showroom.
The 100,000 € are the Tesla is only the beginning, my wife explains to Zimmerman when we go to the yellow demonstration. "The home here costs more 130,000." underestimated her and refers to the many built-carbon parts. Then comes the seat fitting - and a bitter disappointment: The cars interior is definitely too narrow, as I could drive it. Anyone who has been in the Mazda MX5 has sat the first generation, know what I mean, to 1.85 everything goes fine, but for two-meter men the car is not made. With difficulty I fold myself together in the front passenger seat, not the actual roof is proving to be extremely useful for getting in and out. Mrs. Zimmerman takes over the control checks the state of charge - And is still rising at once, auszustöpseln to the charging cable. A warning light in the cockpit, they warned.
A ride in an electric car - especially at low speeds - a very quiet thing. When my driver threading in the traffic on the Old Town Square, you hear nothing at all simply from the drive. With slow city driving sounds of the Tesla as a normal passenger car in which you have switched off the engine while driving and disengaged. Mrs. Zimmerman then demonstrated the specificity of this car: You are full speed (one may say gas in an electric car?).
Now something happens that I have never experienced in a motor vehicle: The car shoots ansatzlos completely without any warning, forward. My head is pressed back against the headrest. The factory data shows an acceleration from 0 to 100 in about four seconds. Four! Potent motorized bikes accelerate in 3.5 seconds from 0 to 100, with a relentless test driver on the handlebars, which it does not matter how long do the tires and whether the coupling will soon be replaced. Woman makes the man just like that. She has a breezy summer dress, and contributes to high-heeled shoes. And now we are bent around a corner, it can be seen again 200 meters free road, and it occurs on it again. Zooom!
This acceleration seems completely surreal. If you were a motorcycle, a Ferrari or any other Device that draws even remotely as good, so violently accelerate in the city, but the roar of the engine would be to stamp an antisocial asshole. But the Tesla roars. Under load, a decent singing is heard, it is reminiscent of the official vehicle of Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones in "Men in Black
," the whistling ever so nice. Interestingly, these costs would spectacular driving style does not have as much energy as one might think: When Mrs. Zimmermann off the accelerator, the engine to the generator and feeds the electricity generated by the kinetic energy into the batteries. "I stand in the city just got on the brakes" noticed my blonde female driver unmoved "Brake pads last forever ".
Apart from the non-existing space, the ride is surprisingly dresser. A manual transmission, the Tesla has not, therefore, no jolt. And the weight can be from 1240 kg to the flat Roadster slide pretty sick of the frost shatter-plagued Munich's old city streets. For Compare his gasoline counterpart Lotus Elise weighs 740 kg and springs popping hard as a race car at a traffic light has actually a cyclist next to us and asked where we had this car since he smiles interested
The Tesla goes Roadster not only.. circles around all the bashful eco-Mobile, which was previously with electric drive, he also has a surprisingly rich range, which is controlled by various energy modes. The cruising mode, for example, there to be 'if you want a ride from Munich to Zurich "- according to Google Maps are the 320 miles. The energy storage of the car consists of thousands of conventional lithium cells, such as those used in laptop batteries use. Most of the corporate know-how is in the method of how these cells are cooled and balanced in their charge. Takes its name from the company by the way the newly developed engine of the car. It runs on AC - invented by Nikola Tesla
.
The test drive is over, a last acceleration boost, then Stoppers woman man the charging cable. 32 amp supplies the power station of the city works with a completely empty battery after eight hours is back - on a normal, with 16 A Safe House socket takes a full load 16 hours. If you want, can be put in his garage has a special power connector and then fill the Tesla battery pack at 64 amps, then the car is already ready in about four hours for a trip to Switzerland.
The Tesla Roadster is a toy for rich people - since starting production in 2008 were 1200 cars delivered worldwide. VW do such things in one morning, but would certainly be happy about such Maybach sales. And in Monaco man with a Tesla probably better position with the opposite sex than in a twice as expensive Ferrari. All rich people who buy this toy now finance to Tesla's next project: The
Model S, an electric sedan with up to seven seats, the price of a properly-equipped BMW 5 Series.
ladies man, if that is there, then call me, okay?
Munich, Flower Street 17, right on Old Town Square: We are facing the showroom of Tesla Motors, one of the youngest and most innovative car companies in the world. The place where previously was a designer furniture shop, is just large enough to present in response to three Tesla Roadster - so far the only product of the company, founded in 2003. The Munich office is already there since September 2009, although its address has not been included on the Tesla website . I am invited to a get-together. The occasion is the presentation of the improved model 2.5, Tesla is also just gone public. Exactly why I was invited, I do not know. Perhaps, because I follow on Twitter Zero Motorbikes , the California electric motorcycle pioneers. Maybe because I in spring 2009 during the lunch break Craig Davis, the European head of Tesla Motors, ran across the path. He stood in the parking lot in front of the Sofitel Bayerpost in central Munich, next to a Tesla Roadster, with British approval - and needed a power outlet to recharge his vehicle. We exchanged cards, I said I would love to test drive a Tesla, he promised to think of me when you have an office in Munich. He apparently has not forgotten me. 
"If you're paranoid, it means does not necessarily mean that they are not thee behind her" is an old saying from sociopaths circuits. People with susceptibility to Paranoia need these days in any case, a thick skin if they are in power on the go. participated in a forum in a discussion about a product, one of the co-panelists post a link to a web shop where the product in question is advertised, you click on it - and followed one of the providers of the product with advertising banners, no matter whether Spiegel Online calls it now or motor Talk.de. And indeed for weeks. 
