Four Ways of Looking at a Car

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AS GOOD, CLEAN FUN
You know you'd feel smart driving an emissions-free car. But the Tesla Roadster--an all-electric sports car--is proving that losing a tailpipe can be stylish too. The two-seater, which looks (and costs) more like a Porsche than a Prius, not only accelerates from zero to 60 in four seconds but gets more than 200 miles per charge. And it's powered entirely by its lithium-ion battery, unlike hybrids, which have two separate systems: an electric motor and a gas engine. The downside? Meeting demand. Though the company has sold more than 1,000 of the six-figure vehicles, it has delivered only 30; the plan is to roll out close to 2,000 next year.