The electric Tesla roadster that goes from zero to 100 kilometres an hour in 3.7 seconds has been approved for sale in Canada, Tesla Motors Inc. says.
Deliveries will begin this spring from a dealership in downtown Toronto.
The company has "a significant" number of orders from across the country, including buyers from Toronto, Southwestern Ontario, Calgary and the Vancouver area, Hans Ulsrud, regional sales manager for the Canadian operations said yesterday.
The roadster fetches a base price of $125,000 in Canada, takes 3½ hours to recharge completely and has a 390-kilometre range on a single charge.
Tesla, which is based in San Carlos, Calif., is in the vanguard of a burgeoning electric-vehicle industry that is expected to grow during the next decade as regulations on fuel economy and emissions become more stringent in North America.
Mainstream auto makers are working on vehicles powered only by batteries and on extended-range electric vehicles that combine battery propulsion with a small electric motor. The extended-range category includes the Chevrolet Volt, which is expected to go into production this year.
The first Canadian to order a vehicle is Ian Ihnatowycz, president of Toronto-based Acuity Funds Ltd., which includes socially responsible funds among the $7-billion in assets it manages.
"It's a gorgeous car and it has significant benefits for the environment," Mr. Ihnatowycz said yesterday.
"It's electric; it doesn't make a sound. On an energy efficiency basis, there's no comparison to a traditional car, and I think that's the wave of the future. I test drove it in California and I tell you it's unlike anything you've ever driven."
Mr. Ulsrud said the Toronto sales office will include a service centre, but the company will send technicians to other cities to perform service and maintenance on the roadster.
