Tesla Models
The Tesla Model S is a full-sized battery electric sedan developed by Tesla Motors, with delivery expected to begin no later than July 2012. The base model will have a range of 160 miles (260 km) when fully charged, and a 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) acceleration of 6.5 seconds.
The first 1,000 sedans off the line will be the Signature Series, equipped with the 300-mile (480 km) battery pack .Charging times vary depending on the battery pack's state-of-charge, its overall capacity, the available voltage, and the available circuit breaker amp rating (current). From a high amperage, 20 kW, 240 VAC line, the range can be restored by 62 miles (100 km) for every hour of charging,[4] equivalent to about five hours to fully charge the 85 kWh size battery. With commercial-grade equipment, an 80% charge could be obtained with a 45-minute QuickCharge. In addition, a battery swap will be possible in less than two minutes.
Model S is a high-performance, premium electric sedan that competes with cars like the BMW 5-series. This model follows Tesla Motors' business plan to expand down-market from the high performance Tesla Roadster sports car. Model S was styled by Franz von Holzhausen, who previously worked for Mazda North American Operations. The chassis, body, motor and energy storage systems are unique to Tesla Motors.The Model S was featured on Late Show with David Letterman in April 2009. Because the car uses no gasoline whatsoever and does not produce any tailpipe emissions, it was allowed on the Late Show set and was the first fully functioning car on the stage.
History
The Tesla Model S was initially codenamed WhiteStar during research and preliminary development.[citation needed] Model S was announced in a press release on June 30, 2008.The prototype vehicle was displayed at a press conference on March 26, 2009.Construction of an assembly factory in Albuquerque, New Mexico (a central location for shipping)[10] was supposed to begin in April 2007, but was cancelled. A factory to be built in San Jose, California was also announced.In February 2008 it was reported that Tesla Motors was planning to offer a range-extended version of its Model S. This version would have included a gasoline engine to extend the driving range of the vehicle, but it was removed in later revisions. Speaking at the GoingGreen conference in September 2008, Musk officially said that Tesla was only pursuing all-electric cars and not hybrids.In February 2009 Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, officially stated on the Tesla Motors Blog that the prototype car would be revealed March 26, 2009 at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California.In May 2010 Tesla Motors announced it would produce the new lower-priced Model S at the former NUMMI assembly plant in Fremont, California,now known as the Tesla Factory.
Sales
In the first week, Tesla Motors reported 520 reservations for the Model S. The very first Model S has been reserved for Tesla investor Steve Jurvetson. By May 2009, there were over 1,000 reservations according to the Tesla Motors web site. An email sent in mid April to newsletter subscribers stated that pre-orders were up to 2,200. With a minimum deposit of US$5,000 required for each reservation, this totals at least US$11 million in commitment from buyers. Some of these orders are for the Signature Series Model S. These reservations require a US$40,000 deposit and previous Tesla Roadster owners were offered an opportunity to reserve these even before the March 26, 2009 reveal.
In mid-December 2010, Tesla announced that the reservation count had passed 3,000. Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico, had instructed the General Services Division and other government agencies to consider updating its fleet of cars with 100 Model S cars. Tesla Motors, however, has since elected not to build a plant in New Mexico.In November 2011, Tesla reported that more than 6,500 reservations have been made.
