Home

US electric carmaker Tesla has announced that it is starting to take orders for its Model S all electric seven-seat family car.

The Model S has a range of up 300 miles per charge and can be recharged from any 120 V, 240 V or 480 V outlet, in as little as 45 minutes. The standard model does 0-60 mph in under six seconds and has a limited top speed of 130 mph.

The battery pack is floor-mounted so that it can be easily swapped – in about the same time as it takes to fill an ordinary gas tank. As well as enabling the possibility of battery-pack swap stations instead of or as well as charging stations, floor-mounting the powertrain gives the Model S a front and rear boot.

“The Model S doesn’t compromise on performance, efficiency or utility – it’s truly the only car you need,” says CEO Elon Musk.

Tesla expects that the Model S will have a price tag of around $49,900 after a federal tax credit of $7,500.

“[We are] relentlessly driving down the cost of electric vehicle technology, and this is just the first of many mainstream cars we’re developing,” says Musk.

The company says it is close to receiving $350 million in federal loans from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program, which will enable it to build an assembly plant for the Model S in California.

Although production of the Model S won’t start until late 2011, orders can be placed now at the company’s showrooms in California and its forthcoming store in Chicago.

Tesla says it also plans to open showrooms in Knightsbridge in London, as well as New York, Miami, Seattle, Washington DC and Munich later this year.

With London next on the list of store openings after Chicago, the UK is becoming a prime target for electric carmakers. Incentives such as low car tax based on emissions and exemption from congestion charges are making the country an attractive market.

According to WhatCar?, US carmaker General Motors sees the UK as a prime market for its Vauxhall/Opel Ampera electric car, which could even be manufactured at Vauxhall’s plant at Ellesmere Port in the north west.

Nissan has also announced plans to push adoption of its electric vehicles in the UK earlier week, and is looking into the feasibility of manufacturing in the country.

For further information:
www.teslamotors.com
www.atvmloan.energy.gov/

Tesla showroom in LA.

Related stories:
Nissan looks to manufacture electric cars in UK (23-Mar)
London Mayor calls for electric car revolution (12-Mar)