TRANSPORTATION TUESDAY: Tesla EV Goes Hybrid
by Jorge Chapa
Tesla Motors have just announced plans to expand their range of sleek sustainable automobile offerings. Their new Whitestar four door sedan will now come in two different versions, the all-electric version and a hybrid gas/electric REV, or range extended vehicle. This decision was not made due to lack of interest in the electric version, but rather an effort to get those who aren’t ready for all-electric yet to consider a more sustainable vehicle than a standard fossil fuel powered vehicle.
The Tesla Whitestar REV will be almost identical to its electric twin. The biggest difference lies in the total range that the vehicle will be able to cover on one charge which is expected to be twice as much as the electric version (around 400 miles). The REV uses gas to recharge the battery pack while the car is being driven, so that when the vehicle is in motion, its gas will last an incredibly long time, even on a smaller battery pack.
Will this attract consumers? Only time will tell for sure. Meanwhile, we are bursting with excitement about the all-electric offerings coming soon from Tesla. So, just how is the all-electric Tesla Roadster doing anyway? Well the first fully production vehicle should be arriving any day now to US shores. And reviews have started to come back about the performance of the vehicle. And the company announced that they had just passed the required safety and emissions tests. So here’s hoping that we can see some in the roads soon. Now if they could only bring that price down a bit more.
+Tesla to make gas-electric car
+50 State Legal @ Tesla
+Tesla Roadster Review @ Autoweek
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i think you meant gas, not natural gas. they are not making a natural gas car. its a gas-electric, like the volt, i believe..