Green Cars: Tesla Motors Shatters Single-Charge Distance Record

The biggest knock on the electric vehicles (EVs) is its lack of range on a single charge. On average the typical EV being produced today has about a 100-mile range before needing to recharge. On hybrids it becomes even more dismal with an all-electric range of roughly 40 miles. For normal commute in a day an EV would suffice, however when longer trips are taken its lack of range becomes a problem. For example a typical trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles spans roughly 400 miles and would take around four recharges to complete versus one refill for an internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicle.

Enter the Tesla Roadster. As a part of the Global Green Challenge, a spin-off of the World Solar challenge used to showcase the latest electric and hybrid technology, the roadster shattered the single-charge record distance by going 501 km (313 miles). Ironically, the previous record was held by another Tesla roadster at 388 km (241 miles).

With 313 miles of range the roadster can now compete with the traditional ICE automobiles. Previously, electric vehicles merely resolved the issue of having a costly and polluted commute on a daily basis. However, on the whole it merely supplemented the primary car since any long-distances would require an ICE vehicle for convenience. Additionally, until recharging technology becomes more cost-effective one would be hard-pressed to find a super-charger to recharge their battery to full within 10 minutes. With the development of battery capacity and a more comprehensive charging infrastructure in progress the EV seems set to revolutionize the automobile industry.