Oct 25, 2009 4:55 pm US/Mountain
Electric Sports Car Dealership Opens In Boulder
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) ―
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CBS4's Project Green looks at how Coloradans are living in environmentally friendly ways. Visit the Project Green section.
Car enthusiasts found out driving green can be a lot of fun.
On Friday the only all-electric sports car dealership opened on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall and Coloradans in the market for the exotic car can get a big rebate from the government.
It didn't take long for the Tesla Roadster to attract a crowd. Martin Fritter was blown away by the cars beautiful physique, but also all the firsts that makes it a one-of-a-kind vehicle.
"The car is pure electric. It's not a hybrid; it consumes no gasoline whatsoever," Rachel Konrad with Tesla Motors said.
CBS4 took the Tesla for a test drive to see how the first highway-ready entirely electric vehicle performed. It goes 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds, making it the fastest car on the road in its price range.
The Tesla charges from any traditional outlet.
It retails for $110,000, but Colorado residents get a great deal -- a $42,000 state tax credit. Combined with another $7,500 federal tax credit buyers can save almost $50,000.
Critics question if it subsidizes the rich.
"It's not just subsidizing the rich, but it's also subsidizing the development of this technology," Fritter said. "It's completely different from anything else on the market, so I totally support it."
The state tax incentive goes away at the end of the year and the amount depends on a buyer's tax bracket.
Tesla will have a cheaper all-electric car available in 2012. It will retail for $50,000.
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