14 DAY TRIAL // As the world’s first electric sports car, the Tesla Roadster has enjoyed a great deal of worldwide success, with more than 1,800 units delivered so far. Now, the 100th Roadster in Switzerland has been handed over to its new owner.
Martin Meier is a Swiss architect that ordered his Obsidian Black Tesla Roadster to show his commitment to a sustainable future.
“The main reason I bought the Roadster is that I don’t want to explain to my young daughter why I didn’t do more for the environment,” motivated Meier, who bought the Roadster with his business partner.
“From now on, I’ll drive entirely emissions-free with electric power derived from the river next to my house. It feels great to be completely independent of the oil industry,” he added.
What is really interesting, take it as a ‘fun fact’ if you like, is that Switzerland has the highest per capita Tesla ownership of any country.
“The fact that Switzerland has embraced the Roadster makes complete sense. Swiss consumers are thought leaders who seek out cutting edge technology as well as environmentally-responsible solutions,” explained George Blankenship, Tesla’s Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Ownership Experience.
The Tesla Roadster was brought into the world in 2008, offering impressive performance for a vehicle of its class. The EV uses a 3-phase, 4-pole electric motor that offers 185 kW (248 hp) and a torque figure of 200 lb-ft (270 Nm) available from 0 rpm to 6,000 rpm.
The vehicle is able to deal with the 0 to 60 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 3.9 seconds and offering a range of 245 miles (395 km) on a charge.
The Tesla Roadster Sport’s motor has a higher density hand-wound stator, producing 215 kW (288 hp), giving the car a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration time of 3.7 seconds.
Tesla introduced the Roadster 2.5, the fourth incarnation of the model last year, with the version brining multiple enhancements, including some intended to offer superior cold weather abilities.