New Cars 2010/2011: Tesla Roadster

In my many summers of shooting street-parked vehicles, new or otherwise, very rarely do I encounter a car that falls into the category this one does. Not only is the Tesla a pretty rare vehicle, it's also new for the 2010 model year, too.
First impressions are mixed; it's got a lot of Lotus Elise in it, which is understandable. Where it goes wrong is in the details. While the overall shape is nice if not a bit generic, the rear lights leave me cold. Either make them Elise/Exige style, or make them this shape, but red. No clear circle for me please. The hood "vents" are a rather nice touch though. Not only do they break up the monotonous, cliche "hood", they seem to fit the overall aesthetic theme of the car very well. Unlike other smaller roadsters, such as the Exige/Elise, the hood vents seem to work here.
The interior is pretty nicely done up, too, especially for a car of this class. No tacky random electronic gizmos, no 10" sat-nav, and mostly straight to the point. However, I don't get what "the point" is, on this particular car. It's not a lightweight track car, it's not a luxury roadster, and it doesn't rely on Z rated tires with very low tread profile. Nor does it fall into the "commuter car" category. Being mostly leather, the interior confuses me. It's like not even Tesla knows what cars this little roadster could or should go up against. At close to $100k, it's far more expensive than a Lotus Elise, and even moreso than a Porsche Boxster. I'm not sure what the Tesla's competition is, to be quite frank.
Being electric, the roadster can't use the typical gas station, so instead of pulling in, putting $50 in the tank, and leaving, you have to charge it. Like most other electric cars, the roadster has a short range, too, so most of your driving better be in-city. Kinda defeats the purpose of sports car doesn't it? In any event, a sports car isn't supposed to be practical, so maybe Tesla is on to something. Alt-"fuel", ultra expensive, and very damned exclusive: the next generation of sports cars? Only time will tell. In the meantime, I'd rather have a Porsche Boxster Spyder.