How many batteries?

Yes, 450kg of the latest lithium-ion batteries are strapped together and slung in the boot. Its a bit more technical than that, but the 6831 cells give the car a range of more than 200 miles, a previously unheard of distance for an electric car.

The batteries take 14 hours to charge from a standard UK power outlet, but if you have a massive 63 Amp supply available - and there are few obvious reasons why you would - you can do it in four.

Better and even more unlikely - if you have a three-phase power supply you can even zap the batteries to full in 45 minutes.

The more you use the batteries the more theyll degrade. They could last 100,000 miles, but Tesla reckons on customers needing to replace them after five years.

At current prices that would cost 11-12,000, but considering Tesla predicts it will be buying 70 million batteries a year by 2011, the cost should plunge in the near future.