We had an electric car for a few years. It was more of a golf cart, but street legal (a Gem electric car, produced by Chrysler at the time) and it was problematic:
After about 4 years, the range on a charge became shorter and shorter. It went from the initially advertised 35 miles down to about 3 miles. Replacing the batteries with gel batteries did NOT help, the systems just degraded as it aged. Speed was also reduced, to the point where the car was almost unusable. I worry about the Tesla and it's systems long term. I don't think battery technology is where we need to be to make this a truly reliable, long-term, vehicle.
Also, I'm very suspicious of the company. After the New York Times reporter test drove one and found it wanting (
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/automobiles/stalled-on-the-ev-highway.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0) he got severe blow back from the company. They implied that, essentially, he had "driven it wrong". Well, I'm sorry, but how many people are going to "drive it right"? I think Tesla "doth protest to much".
The dealership in the mall is a huge gimmick, plus it
keeps you from test driving the car. Seriously? Why - oh, why - are people lining up to buy a car they haven't driven?
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