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original version by 500 lb (230 kg), the lithium-ion conversion goes from 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 3.6 seconds. The single gear ratio limits the car's maximum speed to just over 140 mph (230 km/h) at 13,000 rpm with proper gearing, though it has never been tested at greater than the electronic limit of 105 mph (169 km/h). The base price of the car was US$ 220,000. Elon Musk and Martin
Eberhard encouraged Tom Gage and Alan Cocconi to move the lithium-ion powered prototype into production. Eberhard then borrowed the converted tZero for three months and used it as a daily driver. The 2003 Li-on tZero version achieved over 320 miles range per charge.
342:(7.8 L/100 km) in highway driving over at least 20,000 mi (32,000 km). It was rated at 20 kW (27 hp) DC output and could maintain 60–80 mph (97–129 km/h). The trailer incorporated a novel "backtracking" feature that automatically steered the trailer wheels allowing even novice drivers to easily back a trailer through complex maneuvers; the company published a video demonstrating the ease with which the trailer could be backed through a set of slalom cones.
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could hit 170 miles per hour (270 km/h). Even with the single ratio, lead–acid models are capable of completing a quarter mile (400 m) drag race in 13.24 seconds. The expected range per charge of the tzero with the lead–acid batteries is 90 to 120 mi (140 to 190 km) as a result of consuming only 180 watt hours (DC) per mile (112
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the lithium-ion batteries that powered those devices. One day
Eberhard had a simple thought: Why not put lithium-ion cells into cars? Eberhard commissioned a shy, gifted, sometimes difficult California pioneer of electric vehicles named Alan Cocconi to put a pack of lithium-ion batteries into Cocconi's latest electric-vehicle kit car, the T Zero.
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of what Gage and
Cocconi had created. When Eberhard and Musk approached them individually to prod them into taking the next step and produce the vehicle, Gage opted instead to introduce Musk to Eberhard and get back to work creating the eBox, an electrified Scion xB that Gage considered more practical and economical.
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for a starting point in time. Due to high production costs, AC Propulsion ceased to produce the tzero. Only three were built, and as of 2024 only 2 survive. The only remaining examples are owned by the company itself and a private owner. The last tZero vehicle built used an advanced/updated ACP Gen 2
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One way to look at this is the real technology visionaries were the folks at AC Propulsion, but they lacked the entrepreneurial vision to see just how big an idea it could become and the means to achieve it. Both
Eberhard and Musk saw the importance – and potential –
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Musk isn't the one who had the Eureka! moment. That was Martin
Eberhard. Like anyone else in 2003, the then 43-year-old Eberhard knew that billion-dollar markets had grown almost overnight for laptop computers and cell phones. Rivals were spending huge sums on R&D to pack ever more energy into
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and accelerated the 1,040 kg (2,290 lb) car from a standstill to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.07 seconds. The single gear ratio limited the car's maximum speed to 90 mph (140 km/h) at 12,000 rpm, although it is said that early prototypes fitted with multiple gear ratios
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Experimental mule in early 90's, a complete vehicle the following year and launched in
January 1996, only 3 prototypes were built, the last one also being an official VIN production car. Prospect interested buyers included many big celebrities, well known scientists, and silicon valley engineers.
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Gage: I had a neighbor named Steve Casner, who had a Toyota RAV4 electric, and I always had an EV in my front yard, so we got to talking. He was working at a company with Martin
Eberhard, so he told Martin about me. Martin called me, and he had all these schemes, and I was sort of talking through
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AC Propulsion developed the idea , and both
Eberhard and Musk initially approached the San Dimas, California, company to build the car. Tom Gage and Alan Cocconi had built the tZero, which is essentially the prototypical Tesla Roadster with a 0–60 time of 3.6 seconds and a range of more than 200
585:...it is interesting to note that neither Martin Eberhard or Elon Musk came up with the idea of an electric sportscar with excellent range and amazing acceleration. As is evident in some of the emails Elon presents on his blog, the credit rests with a company few outside EV circles has heard of.
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of laptop computers. Gage stated that
Eberhard had multiple "Schemes" and that he had to explain to Eberhard how unfeasible most of his concepts were. The conversion was done over six months from March through September, 2003 and gave the tZero a 300-mile (480 km) range. Lighter than the
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Eventually, he got in touch with Tom Gage, president of AC Propulsion, a San Dimas (Los
Angeles County) firm that had already made the tZero, a brutally fast electric-powered sports car. AC had made only a few cars, and Eberhard says he invested in the company and drove its lithium
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what the realities were. We were just converting the tZero over to lithium-ion batteries. He got involved with that. He actually put some investor money – a small amount – into AC Propulsion, and we finished the conversion of the tZero to lithium-ion batteries.
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about the newly converted, now lithium-ion powered tZero and arranged a test drive. Musk also encouraged AC Propulsion to commercialize the vehicle. Tom Gage, however, again deferred in favor of working on their electrified
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line of electric cars. The only part of the tZero that was not proprietary was the body that was based on the Piontek Sportech sports car, yet many parts of the body and interior were extensively modified. It consists of a
248:) on the highway and due to regenerative braking. The car could be charged from 0 to 95% within an hour. The initial base price of this version was to have been US$ 90,000. but later exceeded to $ 150K
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is released – slowing sharply as energy is recaptured – It can be driven hard using only the accelerator pedal. Also, if the car detects a turn with more than half a
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system that was capable of V2G (vehicle-to-grid & vehicle-to-vehicle charging system). The tZero vehicles were extensively tested. Even including a cross country USA trip.
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production models remain, since Gruber Motor Company's car was destroyed as a result in a building fire in May 2017. The surviving two models are currently on display at
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296:. But he put Elon Musk in contact with Martin Eberhard which led to Elon Musk's Series A funding of Tesla Motors in April, 2004 and their hiring JB Straubel.
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powered generator mounted on a trailer that could be towed behind the car and feed power to the batteries during travel. A tZero with Long Ranger was a
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about the tZero car which Gage had built, and was currently converting to lithium batteries, similar to those that make up the
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458:"A piece of electric car history up in flames: several Tesla Roadsters and original Tzero lost in devastating fire"
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Unfortunately, plans for a viable commercial production were eventually dropped in mid-2003. The name comes from
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558:"Hot sports car with no gas tank / Electric roadster's maker says it does 130 mph -- but it doesn't come cheap"
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body built over a custom hand-built reinforced stainless steel fabricated to package batteries
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Adjustable Regenerative Braking: Because the car recharges its batteries when the
482:"Tom Gage on ZEV mandates, Tesla's early days, BMW's EV commitment and V2G tech"
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drivetrain, a single-speed electric system with an overall gear ratio of 9:1.
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426:"AC Propulsion | Creating electric vehicles that people want to drive"
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engine with a 9.5 US gallons (36 L) fuel tank and achieved 30 mpg
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designed and built in very limited numbers by the U.S. pioneering company
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in the mid 1990's. It was the inspiration and direct predecessor of the
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ion-battery-powered car for about three months "as a daily driver."
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Tesla at the Petersen Auto Museum: A History of the American Icon
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and rack and pinion steering. AC Propulsion utilized their
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The original version of the tZero roadster ran on 28
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577:"Will the Real Tesla Founder Please Stand Up?"
528:. San Dimas, CA: AC Propulsion. Archived from
219:Optima Yellow Top spiral wound AGM deep cycle
189:-force (5 m/s²), it eases the rear-wheel
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588:miles using commodity lithium-ion cells.
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197:Original lead–acid battery powered tzero
36:The AC Propulsion tzero with the top off
523:"AC Propulsion Debuts tzero with LiIon"
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484:. Charged Electric Vehicles Magazine.
154:double wishbone independent suspension
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227:, which produced 150 & 165
146:Kevlar & Carbon Fiber reinforced
350:As of August 2023, only 2 of the 3
502:Shnayerson, Michael (2007-05-14).
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87:Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
308:ACP backtracking genset trailer
556:Taylor, Michael (2006-08-09).
480:Morris, Charles (2014-04-07).
252:Lithium-ion battery conversion
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316:for the tZero. Known as the
623:Lots of Zoom, With Batteries
312:AC PROPULSION also built a
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575:Siry, Daryl (2009-06-25).
300:Long Ranger genset trailer
268:Tom Gage was contacted by
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657:Production electric cars
521:Chow, Yee (2003-09-15).
642:Automotive technologies
376:Keio University Eliica
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652:Electric concept cars
328:. The trailer used a
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114:Tesla Roadster (2008)
647:Electric sports cars
628:, September 19, 2003
320:this was a portable
191:regenerative braking
359:The Petersen Museum
322:internal combustion
262:lithium-ion battery
221:lead–acid batteries
193:to prevent slides.
175:mathematical symbol
133:electric sports car
97:AC Propulsion AC150
626:The New York Times
560:. S.F. Chronicle.
371:La Jamais Contente
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77:2 passenger coupe
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537:. Retrieved
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454:Fred Lambert
434:. Retrieved
430:the original
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381:Lightning GT
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47:Manufacturer
318:Long Ranger
292:called the
281:JB Straubel
150:space frame
109:Lotus Elise
636:Categories
539:2014-11-06
436:2014-06-10
412:References
346:Production
283:then told
67:Sports car
340:‑US
330:500
285:Elon Musk
207:lead–acid
205:Original
463:Electrek
365:See also
336:Kawasaki
290:Scion xB
183:throttle
93:Platform
42:Overview
102:Related
233:torque
225:series
173:, the
158:AC-150
83:Layout
581:Wired
533:(PDF)
526:(PDF)
237:volts
152:with
141:Tesla
129:tZero
63:Class
354:zero
294:eBox
264:pack
260:New
127:The
24:zero
223:in
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548:^
494:^
472:^
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332:cc
246:km
242:Wh
229:kW
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352:t
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187:g
170:0
167:t
22:t
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