Frederic Hauge and the Bellona Foundation now own the number six European Tesla Roadster Sport - a fully electric sports car that can go from 0 to 100 kilometres an hour in 3.6 seconds, spurring competition with even gas powered powerhouse roadsters.
“This is the car of the future,” said Bellona President Frederic Hauge with a broad smile.
Bellona’s Tesla Roadster Sport is the tenth to be produced in England. The Tesla company kept the first four produced for itself. Controversial English artist Damien Hirst and the son of publishing magnate Rupert Murdoch own the two Tesla’s that rolled off the assembly line before the one Bellona purchased.
The base price for the Tesla Roadster Sport is $109,000.
“The Tesla will with no doubt, beat the fastest going petrol cars,” said Hauge.
Hauge proved his point by lapping a new Porsche in a race right after registering the car in Norway.
The Tesla Roadster Sport has a maximum speed of 210 kmh, and holds a world record in range for electric cars without stopping for a recharge of 350 kilometres. This year’s British produced model comes with even more improvements.
Speed and range
Photo: (Foto: Tone Foss Aspevoll/Bellona)
Last year’s Tesla Roadster visited Norway several times. The Teslas arriving in Norway before the ”glacier blue” owned by Bellona, are last year’s models, and directly imported from demonstration production in the United States.
A Tesla first visited Norway last year, during the Climate Conference 08 (CC8 in 2008), which was a major climate talk arranged by The Bellona Foundation, the renewables company Hafslund, and the Club de Madrid.
New cars on the way
Since The Bellona Foundation bought their first electric car in 1989, the organization has sought to improved the conditions for electric cars in Norway through civil disobedience by not paying tolls or parking tickets for its electric cars.
The Tesla Roaster is a two-seat sports car. By 2012, Telsa will also expand to a family model in the Tesla S. This car will be a seven -sedan with a 500-kilometer range before a recharge is needed.