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Tesla to end Roadster production, Model S out next year, 2014 Model X to combine SUV and MPV qualities

May 31, 2011 at 1:30 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Tesla Motors

A filing with the the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by public listed electric car maker Tesla has shed some light on future plans. There will be a prototype of a Model X crossover by the end of the year, and the company will end production of the Tesla Roadster in December this year, concentrating on a new platform series. Tesla has delivered 1,650 Roadsters to customers in over 31 countries to date.

According to Tesla, it is “designing the Model X to incorporate the functionality of a minivan with the consumer appeal of a sports-utility vehicle.” CEO Elon Musk has previously revealed in an interview that the Model X will debut in 2014.

When pitching to investors for its IPO last summer, Tesla said it wanted to build four derivatives from the Model S platform. First out will be a midsize sedan (the car pictured here, click here for gallery and video) followed by a convertible, a van and a crossover/SUV. From the latest plans, it looks like the latter two will be combined into one Model X.

As for the upcoming Model S sedan, customer deliveries are scheduled to start in mid-2012 and that there are several drivable prototypes already complete. Tesla is planning to make about 20,000 Model S per year, with prices ranging from $57,400-$77,400. As of end April 2011, the company has collected around 4,600 bookings with a minimum refundable payment of $5,000, the filing said.

“We anticipate that the initial units of the Model S will be introduced with a Signature Series, which will have range capability of 300 miles (480 km) and include certain colors and options, some of which may not be available in the general production of the Model S. We also plan to offer the capability to fast charge in as little as 45 minutes and the ability to rapidly swap out its battery pack at commercial charging stations,” it was revealed.

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Tesla to provide Toyota with two electric prototypes

July 13, 2010 at 11:02 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, International News, Tesla Motors, Toyota

Tesla will deliver two prototype electric vehicles to Toyota by the end of this month. The cars will have Tesla electric motors and battery units housed in Toyota bodies, speculated to be the Toyota RAV4 and Lexus RX. This comes after Toyota announced in May that it will invest $50 million in Tesla Motors following an IPO, which generated over $200 million at one point.

“Toyota and Tesla engineering teams have made a lot of progress in a short amount of time and it is exciting to start seeing some initial results,” Tesla Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel said in a statement.

Other alternative fuel plans for Toyota at the moment include a electric city car based on the Toyota iQ, which is a separate project from that with Tesla, and the plug-in version of the Toyota Prius hybrid.

The world’s top carmaker previously gave off the impression that it did not really believe in pure electric cars, which they say is not practical due to their high cost, short range, long charging times and questionable battery technology. Perhaps the strong push by its rivals in the EV scene (GM with the Volt and Nissan with its Leaf) is pushing Toyota to join the party. Working with Tesla is a smart move that could pay off handsomely without the risk of major R&D investment.

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Tesla Roadster 2.5 – roadster with a revised face

July 3, 2010 at 10:04 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Tesla Motors

The Lotus Elise-based Tesla roadster has undergone a facelift and is now called the Roadster 2.5. The revisions are minor and are centered on the front and back end of the car.

In front, the roadster gets a new reshaped grille with diffusing vents while the back gets a rear diffuser reflecting the future of Tesla’s design. This sits on forged wheels which are available in silver and black.

Inside, the seats feature greater comfort with larger supportive bolsters and a new lumbar support system while an optional 7-inch touchscreen display with a back-up camera. Not that the car was noisy to start off with, but they have added a new front fender liner material which makes the cabin even quieter.

The Roadster 2.5 is set to be unveiled at the new Copenhagen and Newport Beach, CA dealerships. You can view a picture gallery of the roadster after the jump.
[Read more...]

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Tesla partners Toyota in EV production, buys closed plant

May 21, 2010 at 4:34 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Tesla Motors, Toyota

Toyota and Tesla have announced that they will partner each other in the production of electric cars. EV specialist Tesla will acquire Toyota’s New United Motor Manufacturing Inc (NUMMI) plant that was recently closed down. NUMMI, located across the San Francisco bay from Tesla’s Palo Alto HQ, was a former joint venture between Toyota and General Motors.

Tesla will be looking to employ around 1,000 more staff. CEO Elon Musk said that Tesla’s next model, a sleek four-door coupe style called Model S, will account for about 20,000 units a year when it debuts in 2012. The $40,000 Model S will be affordable for the brand’s standards, joining the over $100,000 Roadster.

Toyota will be investing $50 million in Tesla in exchange for common stock after the latter’s initial public offering is completed. What does the world’s biggest automaker stand to gain here? Tesla’s lean and rapid product development is one, as well as its electric vehicle technology. Toyota is still using nickel-metal-hydride batteries in its hybrids for instance, while Tesla is using lithium-ion. In return, Tesla will gain from Toyota’s scale, engineering resources and access to its massive supplier base.

“Decades ago, Toyota was also born as a venture business. By partnering with Tesla, my hope is that all Toyota employees will recall that venture business spirit and take on the challenges of the future,” Toyota president Akio Toyoda said about the partnership.

See and read more of the Tesla Model S here.

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Tesla loses three employees in plane crash

February 19, 2010 at 12:56 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Tesla Motors

Tesla Motors, maker of the battery powered Roadster sports car, lost three employees in a plane crash which happened over California’s Silicon Valley. The twin-engine Cessna 310 crashed shortly after taking off in fog from Palo Alto Airport. No injuries were reported on ground, but the accident cut off power supply to companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Facebook.

“We are withholding their identities as we work with the relevant authorities to notify the families. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Tesla is a small, tightly-knit company, and this is a tragic day for us,” said Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk.

Police said that the plane struck a power tower and one of its wings came off, hitting a residential structure. Electricity was cut across the town, affecting about 28,000 people and forcing two hospitals to rely on emergency systems.

This unfortunate incident aside, things are looking up for the company. Palo Alto will be the future base for Tesla Motors, which is set for an initial public offering and the announcement of the location of its US assembly site. The 500-staff outfit has delivered about 1,000 of its $109,000 Roadsters (0-96 km/h in 3.7 seconds, 200 km/h limited top speed) to buyers, which includes celebrities like George Clooney.

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Daimler AG takes up 10% stake in Tesla Motors

May 21, 2009 at 3:36 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Mercedes Benz, Tesla Motors

Tesla Model S

Daimler AG has taken up a 10% stake worth US$50 million in electric car maker Tesla Motors, a move that depends their already pre-existing relationship where Tesla would equip 1,000 Smart cars with their electric motor and battery technology. According to Daimler chairman and Mercedes-Benz head Dieter Zetsche, Daimler wanted more than a supplier-customer relationship with Tesla.

“We are in a time of change. This industry is going through a kind of paradigm shift, and has to reinvent itself ultimately to be independent of petroleum and without CO2 emissions. We need fast technology change,” said Zetsche, and it seems that he sees Tesla’s technology as a way to achieve that fast technology change.

Of course this is a big score for the electric car camp. Any big manufacturers who votes yes for electric cars will steer the industry more towards electric motors and batteries instead of fuel cell cars or extended range hybrids as the defacto method of car propulsion in the future. Daimler has also invested in German battery company Li-Tec, and founded a battery production JV with Evonik Industries. These might end up supplying batteries for both Tesla and Daimler electric cars.

This could also mean Mercedes-Benz platforms could be used for future Tesla like a replacement for the Model S (shown above) in the future, but then again with the versatility in packaging with an electric car, a platform designed for a combustion engine might not be the completely optimal solution.
[Read more...]

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1,000 bookings for Tesla Model S sedan!

May 14, 2009 at 2:50 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Tesla Motors

Tesla Model S

Tesla Motors has revealed that it has garnered a total of 1,000 bookings for its second model, the Tesla Model S. Tesla calls it a 4-door electric sedan with 5+2 seating – that’s something new! 3 rows in a sedan, with the +2 referring to child seats hidden somewhere way at the rear somehow I guess.

To make a booking you have to place a US$5,000 booking fee that is refundable but that means US$5 million in Tesla’s hands right now. The base model will cost US$49,900 after a tax credit because of the car’s zero emissions. The tax credit is quite substantial at US$7,500.

Tesla claims a 300 mile (480km) range (160 miles for the baseline model and another 230 mile model) and a recharge time of 45 minutes from a special external 480V QuickCharger line, or several hours (overnight) with a regular electrical outlet between 120V to 240V.

Tesla Model S

The company also claims the car’s floor-installed battery packs can be swapped out in less than the time it takes to fill a full tank of petrol, so in the future you could actually go to “battery stations” and swap out your batteries for a freshly fully charged new set instead of stopping and waiting for a full charge.

0 to 100km/h takes only 5.6 seconds which is pretty rapid for a sedan, and power goes to the rear wheels via a single speed transmission, but there are plans for the future for all-wheel drive models. For the US market the cars will naturally be left hand drive but right hand drive models will also be available later.

Look after the jump for a video and photo gallery!
[Read more...]

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Tesla Model S electric sedan: New teaser image

February 23, 2009 at 3:02 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Tesla Motors

A new teaser image of Tesla’s latest product; the Model S has emerged on the Internet. We were recently teased with another image which gave us a bellow-shoulder line sneak peak. Looking at the teaser above which reveals a glass roof, you can definitely tell that the four-door fully electric sedan will be a pretty handsome automobile. The sexy side profile reminds me of the Aston Martin Rapide four-door coupe.

The Model S will make its debut on March 26th next month in California and potential buyers should be able to place orders with a US$ 10,000 deposit. Selling price should be figured at US$ 60,000 (approximately RM 220,000) while it should be able to deliver 386 kilometers in terms of driving range.

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Tesla releases teaser of Model S electric sedan

February 16, 2009 at 1:29 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Tesla Motors

Tesla Model S
Click to enlarge

The future of Tesla and its upcoming Tesla Model S sedan is still doubtful, but that doesn’t stop us from getting excited about this new teaser image that the company have released, leading up to the official unveiling scheduled to be held on the 26th of March 2009. The profile shows a 4-door sedan but with sporty proportions, perhaps what an enlarged Mazda RX-8 would look like.

This will be interesting as we’ll get to check out what design language path Tesla is treading down, because its first model the Tesla Roadster has too much influence of its base model in it, the Lotus Elise. The Model S was first referred to as Project WhiteStar, and is expected to have a range of about 386km, with a price tag of US$60k, much cheaper than the Roadster’s US$109k pricetag.

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Tesla Model S luxury 5-seater to roll out of new plant+HQ in California

September 23, 2008 at 4:31 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Tesla Motors

Tesla LogoWhile the Tesla Roadster is being assembled at a Group Lotus PLC factory in Hethel, Tesla is preparing the production center for its next model, a zero-emissions luxury sedan. Tesla is building a $250 million facility that will include a production plant for the new sedan as well as its corporate headquarters and R&D center. It will be located in San Jose, California.

The new Tesla sedan was previously referred to as “Project WhiteStar” and is currently referred to as the “Model S”. It will feature 4 doors, 5 seats, and zero emissions. It will use lithium ion batteries for a maximum range of 386km and its base price will be about US$60,000 or about RM204,000, much cheaper than the Roadster’s US$109,000 price tag.

A more expensive version will come later equipped with a range extending internal combustion engine to charge the batteries when you are unable to get the car to a plug-in charging point – this is much like the concept of how things work with the Chevrolet Volt.

The first Tesla Model S is expected to roll off the production line in late 2010. Both the Roadster and Model S will be priced far out of reach of common folk, but Tesla hopes the profits from the Roadster and the Model S can fund a third car – an affordable electric car currently known as Project BlueStar.

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