Model S [Official] Tesla Model S

[Wolfgang]

Tesla Model S Will Support Third-Party Apps On Its Massive 17-inch Touchscreen

The Model S, is the most hyped electric car due to come out soon. Everyone is waiting to see what the Model S will feature and whether or not it’ll be worth the wait. Today, at the Cleantech Forum in San Francisco, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the Model S will support third-party apps and text-to-speech, pretty much confirming many rumors.

“We want people to develop car-specific applications,” Musk told the audience during his keynote. “And text-to-speech technology can address some of the issues with driver distraction.”

I remember when word got out that the Model S would have a 17-inch touchscreen; I couldn’t help dreaming up third-party app ideas. Now that everyone is planning third-party apps of some sort, it’s logical that Tesla follows. This makes the Model S look even more convincing.

Tesla Model S Will Support Third-Party Apps On Its Massive 17-inch Touchscreen

 

[Michael]

I don't really know what to say. I really like this car. It looks great. It kinda reminds me of a Maserati.

Why is it that so many think that 50k will not happen? You think it will be too expensive and above the 50k mark?

 

[Sunny]

Tesla Model S Will Support Third-Party Apps On Its Massive 17-inch Touchscreen

The Model S, is the most hyped electric car due to come out soon. Everyone is waiting to see what the Model S will feature and whether or not it’ll be worth the wait. Today, at the Cleantech Forum in San Francisco, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the Model S will support third-party apps and text-to-speech, pretty much confirming many rumors.

“We want people to develop car-specific applications,” Musk told the audience during his keynote. “And text-to-speech technology can address some of the issues with driver distraction.”

I remember when word got out that the Model S would have a 17-inch touchscreen; I couldn’t help dreaming up third-party app ideas. Now that everyone is planning third-party apps of some sort, it’s logical that Tesla follows. This makes the Model S look even more convincing.

Tesla Model S Will Support Third-Party Apps On Its Massive 17-inch Touchscreen

Trust Silicon valley to move the game along.

 

[Wolfgang]

Tesla Model S Pricing and Options Detailed

By Paul Lienert - Edmunds Inside Line

Just the Facts:

The 2013 Tesla Model S will be priced from $57,400 — but the base model won't go on sale until late next year.
Look for the flagship Model S Performance edition to be available at mid-year, with a sticker price of $87,400.
The premium Model S Signature edition, with an 85kWh battery pack and a 300-mile range, also will be offered at the start of production, priced from $77,400.

PALO ALTO, California — Tesla Motors on Tuesday released final specifications, options and pricing on its new 2013 Model S sedan, saying previously announced prices "will be in effect for all current U.S. reservation holders." That means the Model S, which goes on sale next summer, will be priced from $57,400 to $87,400, before federal and state tax credits.

To be built in the former General Motors-Toyota plant in Fremont, on the edge of northern California's Silicon Valley, the flagship Model S Performance edition will be available from the start of production next summer, with a sticker of $87,400, as will the uplevel Model S Signature ($77,400). The midlevel Model S ($67,400) arrives in the fall, followed late in the year by the base model ($57,400).

On a new dedicated Model S Web page, Tesla detailed the car's specs, features and options.

The base Model S will feature a 40-kilowatt-hour battery pack, good for a range of 160 miles and a top speed of 110 mph. The $57,400 price will include an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty.

Next up the ladder is a midlevel model with a 60kWh battery pack, a range of 230 miles, a top speed of 120 mph and a 125,000-mile warranty — all part of the $67,400 price tag.

The uplevel Model S Signature's $77,400 sticker buys an 85kWh battery pack, a 300-mile range, a 125mph top speed and an unlimited-mileage warranty.

The top-of-the-line Model S Performance edition also gets the 85kWh battery pack, 300-mile range and unlimited-mileage warranty, with top speed nudged to 130 mph and 0-60 acceleration in 4.4 seconds. The Performance version adds nappa leather upholstery, carbon-fiber exterior accents, active air suspension and high-performance wheels and tires.

All Model S variants come standard with 19-inch wheels and tires, a 17-inch touchscreen display and a universal mobile connector with three adapters that will allow owners to charge the car at home or on the road.

Among the available options are a Tech package ($3,750), an all-glass panoramic roof ($1,500), rear-facing third-row seats ($1,500), nappa leather ($1,500), air suspension ($1,500), 21-inch performance tires ($3,500) and metallic paint ($750).

Inside Line says: Decent base price, but things can go up quickly from there. We did a quick calculation and ran the price of a Model S Performance edition with all the bells and whistles (plus fancy charging hardware) up to $99,500.

Tesla Model S Pricing and Options Detailed





[url]http://www.teslamotors.com/models

[/URL]

 

[EMpower]

Beautiful side profile.

 

[Kowalski]

I think this car is bullshit and Elon Musk is just another Ponzi fraudster.

 

[330CIZHP]

I think this car is bullshit and Elon Musk is just another Ponzi fraudster.

x 2

Seeing how they went through all the investor's money and the government grant for the roadster, this is yet another ploy.

 

[Centurion]

I meet Elon last year. He not only entrepreneurial but very intelligent on a scientific level too. Electric cars are something we have been talking and dreaming about for decades, and him being the first to bring an e
Extricating car to market is a stark achievement. The Model S could beacon as the car that finally gets the revolution started on a mass industrial scale.

 

[Wolfgang]

^^^ For some reason Model S is not so popular in the UK?



Model S Reservation Tally

US
S 868 (December 15, 2011)
SSL 221 (December 7, 2011)
R 270 (June 1, 2011)
P 6,318 (December 19, 2011)

Canada
S 104 (November 17, 2011)
P 244 (December 13, 2011)

Europe/Asia
S 126 (November 14, 2011)
P 636 (December 14, 2011)

Switzerland
S 14 (October 20, 2011)

UK
S 13 (May 21, 2011)

Hong Kong
S 2 (April 27, 2011)
R 2 (July 9, 2011)
P 1 (March 23, 2011)

Australia
S 9 (April 10, 2011)
P 10 (June 5, 2011)

Total: 8,838 - December 19, 2011

S = Signature Series (Model S)
SSL = Signature Special List (Model S)
R = Roadster Owner/Friends and Family
P = General Production (Model S)

Model S Reservation Tally - Continuation | Forums | Tesla Motors

 

[Wolfgang]

Tesla confirms Model S launch mid 2012.

Look out, Nissan Leaf: Tesla S will sell for under $50,000, run for 160 miles

By Bill Howard - ExtremeTech

Wouldn’t you rather contribute to a cleaner environment with an electric car that looks like a Maserati than with an electric bubble car styled to look at home disgorging a dozen circus performers? Tesla Motors confirmed this week that its dazzling Tesla S sedan is on target to sell its most affordable trim line for as little as $49,900 when it goes into production late in 2012. Tesla made it possible by downsizing the battery pack and the battery warranty, and most of all by calculating in the federal tax credit. But it’s still good for 160 miles of driving, Tesla says, which is almost double that of a Nissan Leaf.

The Tesla Model S is a five-passenger midsize sedan that follows the Tesla Roadster sports car as the second car in the Tesla line. Announced in 2009, Tesla says the Models S will go into production in the summer of 2012 with five variants ranging in starting price from $49,900 to $97,900 (all prices after a $7,500 federal tax credit). In comparison, the entry Nissan Leaf, also capable of carrying five passengers, is $27,700 after the tax credit, and Nissan says the car is “built to go 100 miles on a single charge” on its 24 kWh battery.

How does Tesla give you an all-electric car the size of an Audi A6 or BMW 5 Series at a price below either of them? There are technical breakthroughs in the Tesla platform, to be sure. The sub-$50,000 price of the entry Tesla S also should credit marketing and design decisions along with engineering choices. For starters, the lithium battery pack is rated at 40 kWh where the other five trim lines have batteries rated at 60 kWh or 85 kWh. The budget Tesla S’s range is 160 miles (estimated, at a steady 55 mph) where other Model S Teslas run 230 or 300 miles. Acceleration to 60 mph is 6.5 seconds vs. 4.4-5.9 seconds for the other models.

Other cost-savers: The battery warranty is eight years or 100,000 miles, while the others have eight-year warranties of 125,000 or unlimited miles. The cheapest model isn’t compatible with the Tesla supercharger option, which in Tesla terminology means an on-board adapter that lets the car recharge to half-power in 30 minutes using a high-voltage source. In theory, if your Tesla could travel for 300-plus miles, every time you stopped for a bathroom break or lunch, you could top off the battery and go cross-country. All that needs to happen is for the Tesla S to go into production and for the nationwide build-out of an array of 440-volt chargers. But it never hurts to dream big. For starters, Tesla is talking about supercharger stations along the most-traveled California highway corridors.

The most affordable Tesla S will be the last of the six trim lines to enter production. Tesla pegs it as a “winter 2012” car, meaning production should start about a year from now. If you want to be the first one on your block with a Model S, you’ll have pay more. The 60 kWh and 85 kWh base Model S Teslas step up the price by $10,000 and $20,000 respectively, to almost $60,000 and $70,000, respectively. Add another ten grand for the Model S Performance and do it again for the Model S Signature and once more for the Model S Signature performance: $97,900 for a car that hits 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and goes 300 miles on a single charge.

Look out, Nissan Leaf: Tesla S will sell for under $50,000, run for 160 miles | ExtremeTech

 

[Centurion]

^^^ For some reason Model S is not so popular in the UK?

Fair enough but the Roadster was never meant to turn a profit. More than anything it was a proof of concept saying "Hey. We can develop an electric car and can also bring it to market". What it was designed to test and perfect the viability of electric cars in the real world, but more importantly raise confidence in investor and governments to invest in the real car, the Model S: The useful electric car that's no different from a normal family sedan.

 

[Wolfgang]

Former Daimler engineer Jerome Guillen became model S chief engineer.

Tesla says Tesla Model S Program Director Jerome Guillen has taken over for Rawlinson’s duties, and the car company has hired another exec as well, former Volkswagen AG executive, Eric Bach. Below is our interview with Guillen back when the Model S was in its Alpha stage:

Tesla - Cleantech News and Analysis

 

[JadeVetti]

Last week there was a small commotion about the reality of a car becoming a brick, and the summarizing report that if that happens, an owner has to pay $40,000 for a new battery pack.

(http://theunderstatement.com/post/18030062041/its-a-brick-tesla-motors-devastating-design)

Pretty uneasy feeling when you are already dropping 57K, 67K, or even 97K to begin with.

Tesla responded with this: Plug It In | Blog | Tesla Motors

**************************

A single blogger is spreading a rumor about electric vehicles becoming inoperable. “Bricking” is an irrational fear based on limited information and a misunderstanding of Tesla’s battery system. Here is why the rumor is unfounded:

Of the many pleasures that Tesla owners have, one of the most appreciated is nearly worry-free maintenance of their vehicles. As an owner, you no longer have to worry about constant oil changes, exhaust checks, or spark plug replacements. You can drive it for many years by simply plugging it in when needed, and performing maintenance once a year. If anything goes wrong, call us. We’re always happy to hear from our owners. Tesla routinely provides exceptional service that is above and beyond what people have come to expect.

In return, we ask that you remember to charge it. A plugged-in Tesla is not only charging its battery, it is also keeping key systems within the car functioning properly. Tesla owners around the world keep their cars charged on a daily basis without any issues at all. If ever the battery in your Tesla runs low, the car is designed to let you know with repeated visual and audible warnings. If you continue to ignore the warnings, they will persist and increase. The vehicle also protects the battery itself by communicating with other systems in the car to conserve energy when the state of charge gets too low. Starting with Roadster 2.0, owners can also elect for their car to contact Tesla headquarters once the state of charge falls below a specified level, and we can then contact the owner.

Even in cases of neglect, the latest Tesla batteries are industry leaders. The earliest Roadsters will take over two months to discharge if parked at a 50 percent charge without being plugged in. From that starting point, Tesla has consistently innovated and improved our battery technology. For example, a Model S battery parked with 50 percent charge would approach full discharge only after about 12 months. Model S batteries also have the ability to protect themselves as they approach very low charge levels by going into a “deep sleep” mode that lowers the loss even further. A Model S will not allow its battery to fall below about 5 percent charge. At that point the car can still sit for many months. Of course you can drive a Model S to 0 percent charge, but even in that circumstance, if you plug it in within 30 days, the battery will recover normally.

All cars require a certain amount of attention to perform properly. If you drive a gasoline engine with no oil it will fail completely and need to be replaced. The same happens if you drive without sufficient coolant or a broken fan belt and don’t heed the warning signs displayed by the car. At Tesla, we provide many redundant visual and audible warnings if your battery ever needs attention. And from Roadster 2.0 and beyond, your Tesla can even let us know it needs your attention. If that happens, we simply contact you and suggest you charge your car.

Owning a Tesla is easy. We design our cars to require minimal maintenance and have included many ways for the car to take care of itself. We have also continually advanced our technology with each new model released. Model S and Model X will have batteries that can sit unplugged for over a year when parked with only a 50 percent charge. And when that year is up, all you need to do is plug it in.

 

[Wolfgang]

Tesla Loss Widens as Roadster Ends; Model S Due in June

Tesla Motors Inc., the electric-car company founded by Elon Musk, said its first-quarter loss widened to $89.9 million before the release of a new model and as sales of Roadster sports cars ended. The company also reported a supply agreement with Daimler AG.

Tesla said it’s advancing Model S sedan deliveries to June, rather than July, and that it has more than 10,000 orders for the battery-powered vehicle.

Tesla also has an agreement with shareholder Daimler “to create an entire electric powertrain for a new Mercedes-Benz EV,” Chief Executive Officer Musk and Chief Financial Officer Deepak Ahuja said today in a statement. “This program is expected to exceed in value the sum of all powertrain agreements signed in Tesla history.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-09/tesla-loss-widens-as-roadster-ends-model-s-due-in-june.html

 

[Wolfgang]

Update from Elon Musk and JB Straubel:

New EPA Rating Procedures: 5-cycle vs. 2-cycle
When the Tesla Roadster was certified, the EPA only used a 2-cycle test that was carried out under conditions of 75 degrees Fahrenheit ambient temperature and with varying acceleration rates and driving speeds for both city and highway tests topping out at 60 mph. Recently, the EPA incorporated three additional cycles into their tests that push vehicles to greater limits. The additional cycles added as part of the new “5-cycle test” include a cold driving cycle that requires heater use, a hot weather cycle with air conditioning operation, and a high-speed cycle (reaching 80mph) with rapid accelerations.

We are very pleased to report that Model S has exceeded our initial range expectations by about 20 miles and has achieved a Roadster equivalent 2-cycle range of 320 miles and a 5-cycle range of 265 miles. This sets a new record for electric vehicle range!

http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/model-s-efficiency-and-range

 

[Wolfgang]

Update on Tesla loans

Tesla to begin repaying U.S. loans by end of 2012

LOS ANGELES (Bloomberg) -- Tesla Motors Inc., the electric-car company led by Elon Musk, is using the last of its $465 million in U.S. loans and plans to start repaying them by the end of the year, the first startup to fulfill requirements of the criticized program.

The maker of Roadster sports cars had $104.5 million left as of March 31 of the Energy Department loans awarded in June 2009, Tesla said in a regulatory filing. The remaining funds will be used in the third quarter, with repayments to begin in December, Chief Financial Officer Deepak Ahuja said.

“We are delivering on the milestones, what we’ve committed to,” Ahuja said today in a phone interview. “Once we are delivering customer cars, then that signifies completion of the project.”

Tesla this week said the first battery-powered Model S sedans will be delivered in June, ahead of its initial July release date. That’s an early success among the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loans the Obama administration awarded in 2009 to Tesla, Fisker Automotive Inc., Ford Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co.to spur jobs and a market for autos using little or no gasoline.

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Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20120511/OEM05/120519969#ixzz1ufCiNMz7

 

[Centurion]

Can't wait for the model S. the future of electric cars depend on it. It is the first one that is shaped georgiously and looks like a normal car.

 

[ateekt]

Is it only me or there is a lot of Jag, specially XF in there. Nevertheless, looks great & sound very promising!

 

[mini_cooper4]

Any news ? Is it still coming in june ?

 

[Wolfgang]

That's the plan.

Jérôme Guillen -- model S product management -- pic credit: mb passion

PS. More worried about the smart fortwo electric drive launch scheduled for June in Hambach???