Testing the Tesla Roadster

I'm cutting through the dark on a skinny two-lane side road north of Pescadero, Calif., roof stowed, arms jerking wildly around a tiny, non-assisted steering wheel as turn after blind turn fades into vision. It's so quiet, I can hear the tall grass nipping at the carbon fiber fenders as the little two-seater claws out of the curve and dives into the next. I should be in auto nirvana -- the road's empty, there's no posted speed limit. But I've got other thoughts, like how badly I want a Baja-style headlight bar bolted atop this $122,000 Tesla Roadster.

Owners of Porsche, Ferrari and other six-figure sports cars are used to having such sublime handling, grip and raw power at their disposal. To have it without noise, gasoline or emissions is an entirely new concept to the performance crowd. About 500 of the electric cars have been delivered since production began last year; 800 buyers are on the nearly six month-long waiting list. Chances are, if they push this car like I am, they'll want brighter headlights, too.

I'm on a three-day, 460-mile mission to challenge the Tesla hype and decide if living on 375 volts is actually enjoyable in the gas age. First order of business: I never got close to Tesla's claimed 244-mile range in which the car can drive without a recharge. Had I driven like a maniacal hypermiler and avoided highways, which drain the battery much faster than back roads, I might have hit 200 miles. Regardless, this car has helped foster the EV renaissance, and shown that speed and "green" can coexist in a vehicle.

Selling this hotbed of technology is risky in a depressed market -- especially given that it's a Silicon Valley startup rather than a traditional auto maker -- but Tesla Motors has shaken up the industry. Germany's Daimler AG, maker of the Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands, has a near-10% stake in the company. While most auto manufacturers feel stifled by stricter fuel economy requirements, possible carbon taxes, depressed sales and the occasional government shareholder, Tesla has managed to develop, build and market a hot-selling electric car as both luxury trinket and planet saver in just a few years' time.