I like to write about holding and saving memories–the types of memories to capture, and the ways to do so.  These memories often involve "firsts"; my children losing a first tooth, a first guitar lesson for my daughter, a first birthday…

Recently I had the opportunity to catch a "first" of my own.  A friend of mine just got an electric car, a Tesla.  Being someone who believes strongly that we have to break our dependence on oil, I have been researching alternative vehicles for some time.  Cars that run on compressed natural gas, clean burning hydrogen vehicles, hybrids, and electric vehicles.  They all have advantages and disadvantages, I have been waiting for one of these technologies to break from the pack, and be available for our six person family.  

Electric vehicles have intrigued me the most.  Not golf carts, but "real" electric cars.  The concept isn’t  new (the EV1 was tested by Chevrolet in the 90s), but it seems like the development has been stagnant as battery technology has been the limiting factor.  The Chevrolet "Volt" will be available within a year–it has a 30 mile range on electricity alone–then its generators kick in.  The Volt is intriguing, but 30 miles seems somewhat limiting–and it still relies on a combustion engine if you need to go more than 30 miles.

I have been following Tesla for awhile.  The $100,000 plus car seemed like it would be a start if the company could pull it off.  No doubt that $100,000 price tag could quickly come down to the $20,000 range as electric motors and related necessities should be cheaper to build than combustion engines (I remember when the first digital watch came out in the 70s…with the glowing red dots that told you the time when you pushed a button–for about $200!).  The Tesla has about a 200 mile range which is almost as impressive as the 0-60 speed in 3.7 seconds!  It is a small (very) two seat vehicle, but hey, its a start! 

I was looking forward to getting to drive my friends car.  I wanted to see if the technology was ready.  The car looks like a small sports car–you would never know it was electric.  Getting into the vehicle was tight–and sitting next to my friend felt like sitting in the middle seat on Southwest Airlines, but what would you expect from a sports car? 

Starting the car is an odd feeling, because it doesn’t "start", it "turns on"…even making sounds like a computer does.  As you start to drive, the sound of the rubber on the road was all you could hear–until the engine starts to whine when you floor it.  WOW.  The thought that comes to mind is when the DeLorean takes off in the movie "Back to the Future"–as you floor the pedal, you get THROWN back into your seat.  The specs are true–zero to sixty in less than four seconds. 

Driving this vehicle it just seems like we have the answer to our dependence on oil.  Sure, we may need to install a few "charging stations" at gas stations, but that is much cheaper than building a hydrogen infrastructure along the highway system.  In 2012 Tesla is also coming out with the Model S, a seven seat vehicle–one of the coolest looking vehicles I have seen–with up to a 300 mile range.  This vehicle is slated to cost $50,000 after a $7,000 US tax credit.  I am putting down a deposit on one next week.

After driving this vehicle, I think I have seen the future of the automotive industry.  As far as the technology goes, I can only think of two words, Game Over.

I caught my first "electric" ride in the video below.  This will be fun to look back on in twenty years when we are all driving electric cars–and my grandkids wonder what all the fuss was about.