Silicon Valley driven by idea of fast electric cars

[question everything]

Silicon Valley driven by idea of fast electric cars

By Terence Chea
ASSOCIATED PRESS

June 26, 2006

SAN CARLOS – Like many Silicon Valley engineers, Martin Eberhard loves cars, especially fast ones. But the self-described “closet gearhead” didn't feel comfortable buying a hot rod that guzzled gas from overseas.

So three years ago, Eberhard and friend Marc Tarpenning launched Tesla Motors Inc. Their goal: to design a sports car that would go as fast as a Ferrari or Porsche, but run on electricity.

(snip)

Silicon Valley thinks it can do what Detroit could not – create a thriving business selling electric cars. In the 1990s, General Motors and other automakers spent billions to develop battery-powered vehicles, but they flopped because they couldn't travel more than 100 miles before being recharged.

By tapping the Bay Area's engineering expertise and culture of innovation, a cluster of entrepreneurs, engineers and venture capitalists here are racing to bring their electric cars to market. Unlike Detroit and Japanese automakers, they're working on high-performance sports cars for wealthy car enthusiasts.

(snip)


Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060626/news_1n26techcar.html

[question everything]

1. No car heads here? (nt)

[KansDem]

2. Well, if Detroit can't or won't do it, then move aside and let SV do it...

Perhaps some day we'll all be saying, "What's good for Tesla Motors is good for America!"