The Tesla Roadster – All-Electric Sports Car
Posted by in Tesla on July 17, 2011
Given the current movement to ‘go green’ combined with the high cost of gasoline, the electric car is gaining in popularity. The Smart Car has been spotted weaving in and out of New York City traffic. However, the Smart Car is an energy efficient, practical, relatively inexpensive workhorse with a boxy shape.
The Tesla Roadster is a sports car and America loves a sports car. But due to its high price, it is oriented to a different market than the Smart Car.
The Tesla might also be dubbed an international sports car. Norway produces the chassis. The RTM carbon fiber body panels are made by SOTIRA, in St. Meloir and Pouance, France. Siemens in Germany manufactures the brakes and airbags. The motors are produced in Taiwan. And the Lotus factory in Hethel, England assembles the car.
Lotus has had considerable influence since the inception. Lotus provided design assistance and furnished the basic chassis development technology from the Lotus Elise. The styling was developed by Barney Hatt at Lotus’ design studio however he did consult with Tesla engineers. It was Tesla engineers who decided to use resin transfer molded carbon fiber to construct the body panels.
The Roadster is available in two models, the Standard Model and the Sports Model. The Roadster is equipped with a 3-phase, 4-pole AC induction motor that can produce 248 hp. The Sport Model can produce 288 hp. The Standard Model can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds while the Sport model can do this in 3.7 seconds. The electronically limited top speed is 125 mph. Read the rest of this entry »
Toyota Cars: Epitome of Success
Posted by in Toyota on July 17, 2011
Think of cars, and you inevitably think of the name Toyota. Toyota today has become synonymous with excellence in automobile engineering and is a world leader in various car segments. A true multinational giant, Toyota Car Company has its headquarters in Toyota city, Japan and rolls out the largest number of passenger cars every year with each new model awaited by car lovers all over the world. Cars from Toyota are not only beautiful and sleek; they are marvels of technology in themselves. Toyota cars are renowned all over the world for their durability and reliability. Toyota has raised the bar for excellence in the automobile industry and its cars are living examples of beauty combined with technology. Toyota today is present in 6 continents with a large workforce and its cars are being sold in more than 160 countries of the world.
Toyota has had many firsts to its credit, and was the first to produce hybrid cars which were clean as far as emissions were concerned. Prius, a flagship model made by Toyota is a hybrid vehicle that is an eco friendly car producing very little pollution. It is no surprise than that this car is being sold at subsidized rates in many countries of the world where the governments care for the environment and wish to encourage people to care for the environment.
Among the numerous models made by Toyota so far, Toyota Corolla is perhaps the most popular among the people and one of the most sold cars around the world. As many as 35 million Corollas have been sold worldwide so far which is an example of how much people love the brand Toyota. There is no other car in the world that has been around for so many years. The first corolla arrived in 1956 and since then many versions and models of the car have been introduces. It continues to be loved by the people all over the world. Read the rest of this entry »