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After providing some teaser shots, Tesla Motors yesterday let everyone get an eyeful of the new Model S, the company’s $57,400 all-electric new prototype vehicle. Like its sports car cousin, the $109,000 Roadster, the Model S relies on lithium ion batteries for its juice, giving the auto a top range of 300 miles (482 kilometers) after a 45-minute charge, the company says. The need for speed has not been neglected: The Model S reportedly revs up from zero to 60 in 5.5 seconds.

It’s heady days for electric and hybrid car manufacturers and consumers. Last week, President Obama announced $2.4 billion in research grants for the next generation of plug-in electric cars, with funding going to battery work and electric car repair technician training, as well as to efforts such as the development of truck stop charging stations, according to a Department of Energy press release.  

With the Model S, Tesla hopes to have hit on a winning formula to make it the first mass-produced electric vehicle in the world. The Roadster will remain as the company’s high-end way of offering auto owners a way to flex a little green muscle.

Tesla is not alone in working the luxury electric vehicle market. Fisker, which Tesla Motors unsuccessfully sued for allegedly stealing tech secrets last year, plans to have its signature vehicle, the Karma, in 40 showrooms across the country by the end of June. The plug-in hybrid Karma sells for $88,000 and may yet give Tesla Motors a run for its (and consumers’) money. Tesla is on a roll, however, having recently sold its 250th Roadster and is opening its first non-California dealership in Chicago this spring.

The Model S. Image Credit: Tesla Motors

10 Comments

1. 1. UncommonKnowledge 05:32 PM 3/27/09

   Reporters fail to ask the most pressing questions ... Why do the Big 3 fail to create what is good for you and Me ? Why is some start up company creating what our transportation industry should have been striving for all along ? If we bail out our traditional auto industry leaders, should we not insist they also be environmentally responsible ?

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2. 2. LSchmaltz 06:56 PM 3/27/09

   How come the video has different numbers from your article? Like 160 miles instead of 300.

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3. 3. BryanM in reply to LSchmaltz 10:30 PM 3/27/09

   There are three different battery sizes as options. 160 is the lowend, 300 the topend.

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4. 4. Quasimodo 11:39 PM 3/27/09

   Now if they'll just offer us a coupe version....

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5. 5. JamesDavis 08:23 AM 3/28/09

   Everybody already knew the Model S was going to be an incredible car that will allow Americans to breathe a breath of fresh air. That 300 mile range and 45 minute charge makes it a super incredible car. Hell, I can charge it while I use the bathroom! That is fantastic! I think President Obama should shut down the 3 big auto manufacturers until all three start mass producing this wonderful and beautiful car. Mass producing it would also make it affordable to the minimum wage worker since they are the greatest majority of auto users in the country. California, you get 57,400 thumbs up on a job well done.

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6. 6. Biodiversivist 02:49 PM 3/29/09

   I predict that this car, along with the Volt will quickly go the way of the Delorian. This is the concept I'm betting on, the Bluecar:
   
   http://biodiversivist.blogspot.com/2009/03/outgreening-your-neighbors-competition.html

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7. 7. Derek in reply to LSchmaltz 07:41 AM 3/30/09

   They probably planed on going 300 miles without being charged, but then found out the hard way that those numbers weren't all that they were cracked up to be.

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8. 8. HappySanDiegan 12:59 PM 4/1/09

   For those of you following this Blog. Marietta and I picked up our Tesla last Saturday in Santa Monica and drove it home to San Diego. The car is marvelous. We had a blast and we then, without charging it, drove to visit some friends who lived 30 miles away and back home. All in all we drove 219 miles our first day with no charging and had (per the gauge) another 23 miles to go. The car handles beautifully and we are pleased we bought it.

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9. 9. Pat O'Green 02:15 PM 5/28/09

   Pity one needs 55000 USD to afford one. Hardly a car for the masses.

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10. 10. smythyone 04:15 PM 7/8/09

    Beautiful Car. However, I don't see the huge advantage of electric cars right now. They are not zero emission no matter how much people try to convey that they are. They take electricity, and the bulk of our electricity comes from Coal and Nuclear. Some argue wind, well wind only makes up approximately 0.7% of our total consumption. Plus, Natural Gas fired power plants are being built all over the country to balance the energy for when the wind doesn't blow, so there is CO2. Others argue solar, well most people don't know that it takes almost as much energy to grow and build the silicon that it will produce in its lifetime. So basically you are using electricity from Coal now to create energy in another form.
    
    So enough about that, lets look at one other important aspect. The average charge these cars are pulling to charge is 8KW, so thats like running a large over for 4 hours to charge the car. What do you think is going to happen to our utility costs when we add even just 10,000 of these cars. The electric grid is already close to being maxed out. So why??? Government is pushing to get these out on the market faster by offering tax incentives, money for Tesla and others to advance, and not to mention they will have to throw a lot of money to utilities to upgrade their transmission lines. Who is gonna pay for all these government spendings???Everyone. Not to mention, the utility rates skyrocketing because of the huge demand for electricity now, the average person has to ask themselves are they willing to pay 3-4 times what they are now for electricity? I pay about $45 a month for my household, that means I could be paying as much as $180 a month. Im not ready for that.
    
    As for going green and saving the earth, I am all for it. But one side note with that, most scientists claim that its not CO2 causing global warming. In fact it still has not been recreated in a lab experient even. One Chinese Physist/Geologist claims that global warming due to CO2 is the biggest scientific hoax of all time. I agree with him, I believe with Geologists that it is a natural cycle of the earth, and has happened before.
    
    I hope not to totally discourage people, but I just think we are pushing too hard for something that is going to cause more problems then it will solve. Just like wind, we pushed for it, we got it, and now the utilities are having a tough time keeping the grid stable. More research!!! More reseach needs to be done before we just do all this. In times of economic downfall, do you really want to cause higher utility rates?

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