German Car Forum

Leak! Tesla Model S Pics Surface on Web Ahead of Today's Debut
by John Neff on Mar 26th 2009 at 12:59PM



Tesla has a big media event planned today at 12PM PST to unveil the new Model S sedan. That plan has been blown out of the water a bit thanks to social media mogul Kevin Rose, the founder of Digg.com, who has uploaded what appear to be a few official images of the all-electric sedan on his Flickr page. We get two views of the car's backside, which looks to crib design cues from modern day Jaguars and Aston Martins. The new XF comes most readily to mind, and while the Model S may be charged with being too heavily influenced by the leaping cat brand, that doesn't take away from the fact that it still looks stunning.

We also have a view of what appears to be an incomplete interior of the Model S, and the most striking element is a center stack comprised entirely of a screen. While we have no details on the car yet, it appears the Model S may feature configurable controls for most of the car's systems (HVAC, audio, etc.) on this large, touch-sensitive display.

Tesla has already revealed that the anticipated base price of the Model S will be $57,400, but will drop to below $50,000 with a federal tax credit of $7,500. We'll be at the unveiling later today and bring back live pictures of the Model S.

Photos:





Source: Leak! Tesla Model S pics surface on web ahead of today's debut

Looks great in my opinion! Interior will be interesting too.

What are the dimensions for that sea lion, must be based on the XF just how the Roadster is based on the Lotus.

If it isn't Jaguar based, I'd surely be looking into a lawsuit if I were Jaguar.

M

It looks much better than I ever thought it would. Kudos to Tesla. Much better than the Roadster.

it reaally screams XF. Looks nice and quite clean though.

Interior's interesting, looks Windows based... Welcome the bugs in your cars?

Stunning that it's all-electric at this price. Stunning. Let's see how it performs in terms of autonomy, charging-time and overall performances, but it's a great achievment.

I hope it performs much better than the roadster

if anything i am getting renault vibes from the car itslef,not XF

http://www../tesla-model-s.html



M

C/P Maserati's front.

i really like this view
its a beautiful american car - there have been hardly any US cars which you could describe that way in the recent years (excluding sport cars)

Don't forget that it's a concept, and with the current instabilities in the economy I don't think it will reach the stage of production in the next 12-18 months.

Actually it's much better looking than the XF

I definitely agree with th e folks who say it looks like the XF...I'll go as far as to say that the rear lights look very similar to the current IS.

Tesla Model S: $50,000 EV Sedan Seats Seven, 300-mile range, 0-60 in 5.5s
by Jonathon Ramsey on Mar 26th 2009 at 5:15PM




It's been a long and difficult road, but Tesla Motors has made it to unveiling No. 2. After a lot of hype and delivery of 250 Tesla Roadsters, the company's Model S was unveiled today in Hawthorne, California. Tesla was incredibly careful about not leaking a lot of information before today – designing the Model S at a high-security rocket facility helped with that, but we still got a peek a few hours ago – and now that it's here, we love what we see. As for new information on the Tesla For The Rest Of Us (sort of), follow the jump for all the details and check out the gallery of high res photos below.

UPDATE: We have just listened to the panjandrum Elon Musk and the car's designer speak about the new Tesla S sedan, and these are the things to know about the first mass-produced highway-capable electric car: production will ramp up to 20,000 units annually by the end of the first year of production; after the $7,500 tax break, the Model S will start at just under $50,000 – $49,900 to be exact; and 440-volt charging will be available. That base price is for the 160-mile range pack; a 230-mile range pack and a 300-mile range pack will also be available.

UPDATE: We've added official pictures from Tesla, including this one of the Roadster and the Model S next to each other, to the second gallery below.


Gallery: Tesla Model S: LIVE REVEAL



Gallery: Tesla Model S





PRESS RELEASE

At a Glance: Production Model S

With a 300-mile range and 45-minute QuickCharge, the $49,900 Model S can carry five adults and two children in quiet comfort – and you can charge it from any outlet, without ever stopping for gas. World's first mass-produced electric vehicle offers performance, efficiency and unrivaled utility with twice the energy-efficiency of hybrids, making Model S the only car you'll ever need.


Convenience and utility bullet points:

• Up to 300-mile range
• 45-minute QuickCharge
• 5-minute battery swap
• Charges from 110V, 220V or 440V
• Seating for 5 adults + 2 child seats
• Unique hatch for oversized items
• 60/40 flat-folding rear seat
• 2nd trunk under hood
• EPA Roominess Index 121.6
• More room than station wagons
• 17-inch infotainment touchscreen
• 3G wireless connectivity

Model S powertrain includes a liquid-cooled 9-inch motor, floor-mounted battery pack and a single-speed gearbox, delivering effortless acceleration, responsive handling and quiet simplicity -- no fancy clutchwork or gear-shifting required. Model S costs as little as $4 to fully charge – a bargain even if gasoline dropped to $1 per gallon. You can have affordable fun while being socially responsible.


Technical specs:

• 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds
• ¼ mile in 14 seconds
• 120 mph top speed
• Braking 60-0 mph 135 feet
• 42 kWh battery storage system standard
• 70 kWh and greater battery storage systems optional
• 9- inch liquid cooled electric motor
• Single-speed transaxle gearbox
• Curb Weight 3825 lbs
• Overall Length 196"
• Wheelbase 116.5"
• All-wheel-drive available (option available in future production models)
• Right hand drive available

Source: Tesla Model S: $50,000 EV sedan seats seven, 300-mile range, 0-60 in 5.5s

A giant leap forward for the automotive industry.

This is a no compromise green car -
Has the looks, performance, enough room, decent range and usability.
If it handled well, was well built and luxurious enough, it would steal buyers from BMW Mercedes and Audi's showrooms.

I'm very, very impressed.

I hope this pans out to what we want / expect it to be!

GCFers... is this the end of the world as we know it? At long last?

Mix of jag and fisker.. with lorinser/SLR rimms..

said that it still looks good

Our dependency on oil will definitely come to an end in 2 decades or so and first blood goes to Tesla. But the party doesn't start until the fat lady arrives and therefore this technology will not take off until one of the big players like VAG, MB or Toyota join in. Hybrid is at the moment the main focus for the big manufacturers who have just started to implement the technology into their cars. What Tesla are offering is very early adopters technology which is incredibly risky to take by a player like Mercedes that cannot afford someone of negative press that we've read on the Tesla. If you guys thought the development testing for the Panamera was long then you'd be surprised how long the development would be for a car of this kind if developed by VAG or MB. At least 4-6 years of road testing would be necessary to ensure that the technology is reliable and dependable throughout a car's economic life time.

Looks fantastic. It doesn't occur regularly, but I'm a bit concerned that I'd never be able to drive further than the stated range: say, I would never be able to drive from Melbourne to Sydney, or Sydney to Brisbane in it. (Would this necessitate always owning two cars?)

Very promising though.

Wow, I'm impressed.

Tomorrow Today...

That's very, very impressive. If it's reliable, dependable, and lasts at least 10 years with the same batteries, then Tesla definitely deserves a lot of respect

If not... Well, they deserve a lot fo respect nonetheless.

It's funny how Daimler is testing the electric smart since at least 3 years without releasing it officially... Even if it could be rented in Paris, and is already in Berlin, it's not for sale yet.

Here's an update, fresh off the wires...




May 12, 2009 01:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Tesla Surpasses 1,000 Reservations for Model S

Low Total Cost of Ownership Drives Interest in Tesla’s Sedan and Sports Car


SAN CARLOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tesla Motors surpassed 1,000 reservations for the Model S, an all-electric family sedan that carries up to seven people and travels up to 300 miles per charge.

Tesla launched the car March 26, and reservations immediately began streaming in online and at showrooms in California. The anticipated base price of the Model S is $49,900 after a federal tax credit. The $5,000 reservation fee is refundable.

But sticker price is only one part of a car’s total cost of ownership. If you account for the much lower cost of electricity vs. gasoline at a likely future cost of more than $5 per gallon, the Model S is equivalent to a gasoline car with a sticker price of about $30,000, such as a Ford Taurus, Honda Accord, or even a Toyota Avalon or BMW 3-Series. Those savings are realized immediately if you lease a Model S, so there is no need wait years to earn back the price difference.

“The Model S is a better value than much cheaper conventional cars,” said Tesla CEO, Chairman and Product Architect Elon Musk. “Despite the enormous environmental benefits, lower total cost of ownership will soon become the primary motivation for consumers to evolve from gas guzzlers to EVs.”

Performance with a Clean Conscience

Tesla is the only production automaker selling highway-capable EVs in North America or Europe. With 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, the Roadster outperforms almost all sports cars in its class, yet is more than twice as energy efficient as a Toyota Prius and delivers 244 miles per charge – the only car that offers performance with a clean conscience.

Tesla has delivered more than 400 Roadsters to customers so far. The base price of the Roadster is $101,500 after a $7,500 federal tax credit.
The Roadster has a far lower cost of ownership than comparably priced sports cars -- even after factoring in a battery pack replacement. The lower cost of electricity vs. gasoline, the relative lack of maintenance on an EV, and state and federal tax incentives may result in lifetime savings of at least $26,000 compared with a similarly priced gasoline sports car. The Roadster also liberates owners from detours to the gas station and inconvenient trips to the mechanic for routine oil changes, exhaust system repairs and other internal combustion engine maintenance.

“Some Roadster customers are sports car enthusiasts. Some are environmentalists. Some care about energy security. All are discriminating and value conscious consumers,” Musk said. “Now we’re seeing the same attributes in customers who opt for the Model S. People who drive Teslas refuse to compromise on value, performance or efficiency.”

About Tesla Motors

San Carlos, California-based Tesla Motors designs and manufactures electric vehicles with exceptional design, performance and efficiency, while conforming to all North American and European safety, environmental and durability standards. The Roadster, which has a 0-to-60 mph acceleration of 3.9 seconds, is the only highway-capable production EV for sale in North America and Europe. Tesla expects to begin producing the Model S sedan in late 2011.

Tesla's CEO needs to take off his Pinochio mask because the Model S is a fairytale that will not be yours for $57,000. Poor people are buying into a lie. Given that the Roadster is priced at a crazy $100,000, the chance of the Model happening at half the price is an impossibility. Not only that but 2011 is very far away and by that time VW, BMW and Mercedes will be offering hybrid cars at attractive price points.