As a green car online journalist, I was fortunate enough to take the Tesla out for a short test drive at their new dealership on May 9. The car I drove was a prototype, but it performed very well. For more details, see the following video and review article:

YouTube Video

Triple Pundit Takes Tesla for a Spin

This just isnt a realistic car for most people to buy. The people who buy this car are the ones who already have a Ferrari.

There are some advantages to having an electric car. If you like having a unique car, then the Tesla might work for you. An average American will be able to use the car to get to and from work and will not have to charge the car for three or four days. According to Tesla you can recharge the battery at roughly two cents per mile. By that measure it equals out to less the five dollars per recharge. The roadster goes 0-60 miles per hour in four seconds. This makes the Tesla Roadster one of the fastest accelerating cars on the road. If you are a car buff, that's impressive.

There are some disadvantages to the Tesla Roadster as well. After 100,000 miles the battery will need to be replaced. You might end up spending a good amount of money for a new one. However, if you can afford to pay the price of the car, then a new battery will not be a big deal. When you need to charge the battery, make sure to leave some time because it takes about three and a half hours to fill the battery.

Unfortunately for Tesla, but fortunate for you, the electric and hybrid market is growing rapidly. Zap, Electric Transport, Fisker and Phoenix motor cars are companies that make electric vehicles. Tesla also competes with General Motors, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota and Honda who are all working on hybrid cars.

The roadster is a high end sports car that will compete with any other kind in its particular class. The Tesla roadster could be a great alternative to people who like to have a different car to show off with. It offers near zero emissions and a gas saving way to get around town. If you have the money to spend, then Tesla might be a car you want to look into.

I haven't actually driven one of these. But as I was zipping along 101N this afternoon, I noticed a dark orange Lotus-style body coming up behind me. I've been keeping my eye out, so I took a quick look as it went by and discovered that it was actually a Tesla.

Lo and behold I decided to chase this flashy orange electric supercar in my own flashy supercar ('86 Volvo, beige). Traffic was moderate so I switched lanes to follow the Tesla and perhaps give its driver a hearty thumbs-up. Obviously the Tesla driver was bent on putting the car through its paces (employee test-drive, perhaps?) and zipped in and out of the holes in traffic, punching the rapid-response accelerator with the greatest of ease. It was real-life Frogger at 85 miles an hour, beautiful to behold.

I could only keep up for a couple of minutes before the Volvo's lack of pickup dashed my chances of a successful chase. But I can definitely confirm that the Tesla is a hell of a car. Everyone else on the road looked like they were standing still. Impractical as it is, it is still so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.