This doesn’t really have anything to do with fusion, but most of the visitors and regulars here, in addition to being Philo-files, are also well aware of the contributions that Nikola Tesla has made to electrical science. And this doesn’t really have anything to do with Tesla, either, except that his name is being used as the marque for a new, 100% rechargeable electric car called the Tesla Roadster
One of the editors PC Magazine has had a chance to examine one of the prototypes and reports his findings here:
Due
on the market this fall, at a price of $92,000, the Tesla is powered by
the same lithium-ion battery cells that drive the average laptop or
smartphone, and you can charge it from an ordinary wall socket. There’s
even a grate under the rear fender where the car expels hot air, just
like the typical desktop PC.Several prototypes are already assembled, and last night, I was
invited down to the company’s Silicon Valley offices for a spin down
the freeway. No, I didn’t get to drive. Each prototype was built at a
cost of over a million dollars, and only the lucky few covered by the
company insurance policy are permitted behind the wheel. But I did get
the rush of sitting in the passenger seat of this Lotus-like two-door
convertible. And what a rush it is!
On second thought, maybe there is a fusion connection to this story. I mean, if we’re going to have a world of non-polluting electric cars, the electricity is going to have to come from somewhere, and unless we find some source other than coal or gas fired generators (and fission reactors), there will be no net-gain in reduced emissions if the cars are the only things running on electricity. So the sooner somebody comes up with practical fusion generation, the sooner cars like the Tesla Roadster will make any kind of real environmental sense.
Link: Tesla Roadster: Test Driving Your Electric Dream Car – News and Analysis by PC Magazine.