Get charged up by driving the battery-powered Tesla. Based on a modified Lotus Elise chassis, the maker of the car, Tesla Motors, claims it'll zap 60 mph in four seconds, juice it to 130 mph, and spin the meter for up to 250 miles between charges. And, unlike the Lotus, the Tesla Signature One Hundred Collector's Edition (the first 100 cars) will actually have a cup holder.

The company is named after inventor Nikola Tesla, who patented the first induction electric motor in 1888. CEO Martin Eberhard, a Silicon Valley millionaire, says "We've got to change the way people think about electric cars. This car won't be a punishment with bad styling and a terrible range."

With a 220-volt, 70-amp charger made by Tesla that is hard-wired into your garage, the roadster will go from flat to flat-out in 3.5 hours. The car will be offered with a cord and a conventional 120-volt wall plug, should you be away from home, but charging time stretches to 33 hours. The pack will be warranted for five years or 100,000 miles.

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