Who Holds Back the Electric Car? Not Chicago!

By Shannon in News on Apr 28, 2007 8:37PM

The green revolution is truly upon us. But until you can buy a car that's powered by your own sense of self-satisfaction, you might have to settle for a Tesla. Whether you've heard of them or not, you'll get your chance to check them out up close and personal: the Silicon Valley-based electric car company Tesla Motors is coming to Chicago early next year.

Tesla's been blowing the accepted notion of the electric car out of the water with their high-performance vehicles. Their sporty Roadster can go from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds and goes about 200 miles before needing a recharge, an equivalence of 135 mpg. A gas-powered car of this caliber would go for beaucoup bucks, and unfortunately for more modest followers of the green lifestyle, it's no different with the Roadster: they each weigh in at $93,000. If that's a little out of your price range, you'll have to wait for a four-door version to come out next year, but that'll still run you between $50,000 and $60,000. Chicagoans who have already dropped coin on Roadster pre-orders will have the chance today to check them out fully as the Park Hyatt holds a special get-to-know-you event.

Expensive as they may be, Tesla cars herald an exciting new era of electric car manufacturing. Now people can no longer look down their noses at the specialty cars as being ugly or not having enough pep. To market the high price tag with the greatest efficiency, Tesla is working with Baum Realty to find the proper space in River North, Streeterville or the Gold Coast. (You may remember Baum as the same realty firm that bought the Cooper Lamp factory and will use it to headquarter their Green Exchange.) Chicagoist first heard about Tesla Motors from a report on CNBC and was immediately struck by the beauty and performance of the car. That, and any company named after the man who took on that punk Edison is OK in our books.

Image via jalopnik.com.