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Updated: 11:55 PM Sep 30, 2009
New electric car in Bluegrass
A Lexington man decided when it came to buying a new car he would pass on a gas guzzler and instead go high tech and environmentally friendly. Posted: 11:19 PM Sep 30, 2009Reporter: Amber Philpott Email Address: amber.philpott@wkyt.com |
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23 Comments 
Hundreds of people lined up Wednesday in Lexington to get gas for just 49 cents.
It is a testament of what great lengths people will go to save a few dollars at the pump, but what if you didn't need gas at all.
A Lexington man decided when it came to buying a new car he would pass on a gas guzzler and instead go high tech and environmentally friendly.
Its lean, mean and green.
"This car goes 0-60 in 3.9 seconds." says Jonathan Barker.
He's talking about a Tesla Roadster and this is the only one of its kind in Kentucky.
"Quiet, silent and amazingly fast."
The Tesla is a totally electric car made by Tesla Motors.
"One of the things about the Tesla is its built as a demonstration car to show people electric cars really can be great cars." says Barker.
In fact Barker of Lexington is proud of his newly registered sports car.
It took getting on a waiting list with Tesla to even get one, his is the 699th one built.
"The fact that it doesn't take any oil what so ever, we've become way too dependent on foreign oil, its a problem for us. This would help solve it." says Barker.
To fuel up, Barker powers up six thousand lithium batteries.
The Tesla can travel 244 miles on a single charge.
It may be quiet, but Barker hopes his new ride will make some noise in the car industry.
The Tesla is produced in California, this model costs $109,000
Barker says you can apply for a $7500 tax credit.
For more information on Tesla Motors go to http://www.teslamotors.com
Latest Comments
There is no one perfect single solution to solve our fossil fuel dependence. However, by opting for electric cars, we can potentially eliminate one source of pollution – gasoline. A multi-prong of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geo-thermal, wave, hydro, etc., can help quench our thirst for energy. As long as we are replacing coal power plants with clean and renewable sources, we are moving in the right direction. We can’t possibly expect to enjoy cheap and dirty fossil fuel for decades and not want to “pay” to clean it up. Our monthly KU bill may be cheap, but what is the hidden cost that our environment has to pay for the effects of coal strip-mining and mountain top removal operation? How much does it cost the environment when we dump millions of tons of CO and CO2 into the atmosphere each year? Wake up folks; have a little foresight and start thinking sustainability.
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Switching to electric car is a great way to reduce green house gas emission that is generated from both the production and consumption of gasoline. True, electricity doesn't miraculously appear from the wall socket. Sadly in Kentucky, we're still burning coal to generate power. But, with the advancement of photovoltaic technology, solar panels are becoming better source for cleaner and renewable energy than carbon cessation that “clean coal” has to offer. The sun is not going anywhere for another few hundred billion years, why not try and capture that energy to power our homes and run our cars? I drive a small and fuel efficient car. I would certainly buy an electric car when they are more readily available in my price range. For all the naysayers and armchair quarterbacks out there, what are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint? If you truly want to reduce pollution, you can start by cutting back on beef consumption. Are you willing to make small compromises for the greater good?
[ Report Abuse ]
Switching to electric car is a great way to reduce green house gas emission generated from both the production and consumption of gasoline. True, electricity doesn't miraculously appear from the wall socket. Sadly in KY, we're still burning coal to generate power. But, with the advancement of photovoltaic technology, solar panels are becoming a better source for cleaner and renewable energy source than carbon cessation that “clean coal” has to offer. The sun is not going anywhere for another few hundred billion years, why not try and capture that energy to power our homes and run our cars? I drive a small and fuel efficient car. I would certainly buy an electric car when they are more readily available in my price range. For all the naysayers and armchair quarterbacks out there, what are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint? If you truly want to reduce pollution, you can start by cutting back on beef consumption. Are you willing to make small compromises for the greater good?
[ Report Abuse ]
