A closer look at Tesla's 2011 Model S

by Suzanne Ashe

Tesla Motors team talks about the future of electric cars and shows off the 2011 Model S in this Web video.

Tesla is the only production automaker selling highway-capable EVs in North America and Europe. With 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, the Roadster outperforms almost all sports cars in its class, yet it's more than twice as energy-efficient as a Toyota Prius and delivers 244 miles per charge.

Topics:: Hybrids and green,; New models,; Web video

Tags:: Tesla Motors,; electric cars

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by Ellusian June 29, 2009 6:50 PM PDT

If Detroit had the taste and brazen forward-thinking of the folks at Tesla, they wouldn't be in the mess they're in. Time to go back to school boys--you better be taking notes.

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by hafenbrack June 30, 2009 6:06 AM PDT: Maybe you remember the original Chevy Volt. That had better range than this and was prodoced over a decade ago. But due to politics and the power of the oil companies the program was shuttered and all the cars recalled.


by OlsenKevin June 29, 2009 7:11 PM PDT: Hear, hear Ellusian!

One day I'll own this car.; Reply to this comment


by Dalmatian28 June 29, 2009 7:48 PM PDT: Why not purchase them???? Government should purchase Tesla and license their technology to all three of our car makers! That is the best way out for GM, Ford and Chrysler....purchase Tesla and use their technology on all of their vehicles! Those idiots at GM can't design anything that doesn't have V8, uses tons of gas to operate and looks like a gigantic square box! Most ironic part is.... they still wander why people don't want to purchase their cars! If Tesla had money and assets that GM had.... Japanese cars would look like some old classic collectibles! Thanks to idiots at GM....our cars now look that way! There is also reason why NOT to purchase Tesla.... they could f**k it up like everything else so we end up with another uncompetitive company! Either way we are f****d!; Reply to this comment

by steel36 June 30, 2009 6:30 AM PDT

wow. Each of the Big 3 should sit down every employee from the top down and make them watch this. Though, they're probably fundamentally incapable of change or this kind of approach.

This is what happens when an item is designed by intelligent creative types instead of union employees. Love the idea of using huge displays in place of console and dash gauges.

The fact that this is being accomplished for anything remotely affordable w/o any of the advantages of the economies of scale used by the big boys is a slap in their faces.

Btw, a couple of weeks back, Tesla finally got a loan through from the government to help them outfit a factory for these things. I'd wondered aloud and often why the gov't wasn't helping push these through instead of old Detroit's models, given their supposed passion for new energy technology. Tesla's loan: 454 million. Simultaneously, Ford's loan cleared as well. Their amount: 11 billion.

Clearly, lobbyism is alive and well.

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by Dalmatian28 July 2, 2009 8:29 PM PDT: What union employees have to do with car design???? Management and Engineers were NOT unionized at GM! The unionized employees just made the vehicle that they were told to make! You got to get your facts straight before you post!!!

by theBike1945 June 30, 2009 8:38 AM PDT

Yeah, right - Tesla has sold all of 500 of these cars in the past two years, has already had a recall, has made the totally bizarre and incomprehensible claim that the build cost has dropped from $140K to $80K (I'd like to see the looks of those who paid $120K for their car), has created a battery pack system that is made in hell - over 8000 battery cells (designed for flashlights) , with over 15,000 electrical connections (an electrical engineer's worst nightmare scenario), which cost over $25,000 and might last 5 years, making this the most expensive per mile car in the world. Detroit would never produce as crappy and impractical a car as the Tesla roadster. It has a driving radius of a mere 90 to 105 miles (why would anyone want to go anyplace that far away must be Tesla's philosophy). The Tesla totally sucks. The Model S, designed by an ex- Detroit designer gets even worse - Tesla understates its cost by $8,000 , and fails to point out that the lowest priced model has a puny battery pack that has a driving radius less than 75 miles. Want more driving radius? Pay another $25K fella and go another 30 miles.
Unbelievable. I'm surprised they found 500 morons to sell to (Oh, that's right, they are selling to Hollywood stars).

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by baggyguy1218 June 30, 2009 10:44 PM PDT: Do yo know anything about this car, or the company behind it? I do not think you do. Where did you get your stats from? "Designed for Flashlights"...your parents must be so proud.

http://www.teslamotors.com/

Copy and paste the above link and check for yourself, you really need to. Every number you put in your post is WRONG. (Except for the price of the first rodster at $125K. Which was actually higher.) The first is always the most expensive. I do remember my fathers Brick Motorola cell phone he bought for 2 grand. Stop hating something new and usefull. You dont see me bashing GM of the death of Pontiac, only the best cars GM ever made. I wish I could buy a Tesla S just to show it off.

the Bike1945 you must be an American car man; old, made of plastic, out of style, decrepid, and at best average.


by dave5609 June 30, 2009 10:46 AM PDT: This is good news no matter how you look at it. Model S's will replace some amount of gas/hybrid cars and lay the ground work for more reliable and affordable technology. I love the way people are always trying to put things like this or hybrids in a nice little box..it's either good for everyone or bad. In reality, these things completely depend on your individual situation. If you have a long commute, live in an area that has high gas prices, and are looking to buy a car..a Model S or Prius probably makes sense. If you work from home, probably not.

In the end, no one's trying to force anyone to buy this car. If it works for you, buy it. If not, buy something else and stop complaining about a system/technology that works for and excites other people. The important thing is to have all the information you need to make a good decision.

Electric cars, and to a lesser extent hybrids, have benefits far beyond fuel savings. They never need a SMOG check, oil change, or exhaust system tune up, have far less consumables (I'm only 20% worn on my original Prius brake pads after 110,000 miles!), and require less frequent maintenance (every 12k miles vs ever 5k). Plus there are benefits that include government tax credits (I think it's close to $7500 for the Model S), free parking, carpool lane stickers, and even free charging at public charge stations and many work places. Of course, each of these things will mean something different to each person. They may or may not off set the higher initial cost/insurance/registration..but in many cases, they will. Why complain if it doesn't work for you? Do you think Tesla is trying to rip people off? Should they take a loss, risk the company, and a future of affordable vehicles in order to drop the price another $20k?

I think Tesla has shown a very innovative business model. They are getting customers/"investors" with the interest and money to do so, to take a bit of risk and fund the next development cycle. The longer you can wait for this..the better and cheaper the product will be. This is the future and as time has shown us, new technologies start costly and come rapidly down in price. Thankfully, there are people/early adopters that are willing to take a chance and pay the price so that these things become available to everyone.; Reply to this comment


by jc79ca July 11, 2009 7:33 AM PDT: I want it, but first I need to know. Warranty!, Where do I take it when it brakes, does the warranty cover the battery, even if so; where do I buy another one if needed, and the cost associated to this purchase. Do they recycle the battery? Recycling should be a big factor for any Electric car purchaser, I think the Government should put laws in place that state, Any car maker whom chooses to sell electric cars, should have accessable battery recycling depots. Also, any persons or waste facilitie found dumping these car batteries, should be handed a Large fine!; Reply to this comment


by 2centsbook July 14, 2009 10:34 AM PDT: I'm excited about electric cars news but tired of hearing about Tesla Motors- until they start producing cheaper models. For electric cars to be serious contenders, they need to be mid-priced economy vehicles that most households can by with tax incentives etc. According to new reports, up to 1/3 of cars buyers want to go electric- which would reduce oil dependency, green house emissions, foreign oil dependency, health care costs, and create jobs. For more information about electric cars, I suggest checking out the website http://www.twocentspermile.com or http://www.bit.ly/2centspermile; Reply to this comment


by TCrimson05 July 15, 2009 8:05 AM PDT: I want one.; Reply to this comment


by jimhenry1707 July 17, 2009 3:47 AM PDT: Starting July 24 2009 consumers who would like to purchase a new car trading off their old gas guzzlers can use
the Cash For Clunkers program voucher.

Jimhenry
Blogger
www.cashforclunkersfacts.info
http://www.cashforclunkersfacts.info; Reply to this comment

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