The Tesla Roadster electric sports car can’t be left for an extended period without a charge or the battery will run out and die. When a Tesla’s battery (or any lithium polymer battery) completely runs out of juice, it can’t be recharged. The Roadster also can’t be put into tow mode without any power, so the wheels are locked in place. Replacement batteries run approximately $40,000 according to Michael Degusta at The Understatement.

Tesla has acknowledged the problem, but has brushed it off as owner negligence. A Tesla official statement to AutoBlog Green says that “All automobiles require some level of owner care. For example, combustion vehicles require regular oil changes or the engine will be destroyed.”

I just bought a 19 year old car with 116,000 miles. That’s 842 miles per year, or 70 miles per month. Now, it’s possible that the car was started up and driven 2 miles every single day for that period, but it’s a lot more likely that it sat for extended periods of time. Saying that the need to keep an unused car charging at all times is the same as a gasoline engine in use needing regular service is not a fair comparison and is an insult to the intelligence of your customers. Why not just address the obvious and inherent shortfalls of using a battery and move on. Sweeping the problems with technology under the rug like this will hurt Tesla and the entire electric car industry in the long run.

A Tesla service manager has told The Understatement that the new Model S sedan, which will cost approximately $50,000 new, might have an even more expensive battery. When buyers of a $50,000 sedan are hit with a $40,000 repair bill, it’s not hard to imagine future buyers being hesitant to embrace electric technology.

Image via The Understatement.