Video: Tesla Roadster's touch-screen interface
You think know all about the all-electric car. Did you know there's a touch screen next to the steering wheel for managing the battery's charge? Crave U.K. checks it out.
You may have heard about the the 6,831 lithium ion batteries that power the all-electric Tesla Roadster. But what about the user interface from the driver's seat?
It turns out that the Roadster has a small touch screen to control battery charging. It provides people with the temperatures of different subsystems, and it gives a read of how the batteries' charge translates into range and performance.
It also lets people schedule the charging for late at night, when rates can be lower because demand on the power grid is lower--a very handy feature.
CNET News sister publication Crave U.K. talked to a Tesla representative at the British International Motor show last week for a demo. The Roadster, which just started shipping in the United States, is scheduled to come to the United Kingdom in May 2009.