Tesla Model S

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Tesla Model S
Model S electric sedan
Manufacturer Tesla Motors
Production Expected mid-2012
Class Full-sized 4-door sportback
Transmission Single-speed transaxle gearbox
Wheelbase 116.5 in (2,959 mm)
Length 195.9 in (4,976 mm)
Width 77.3 in (1,963 mm)
Height 56.5 in (1,435 mm)
Designer Franz von Holzhausen

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.[1][2] 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 5.6 seconds.

The first 1,000 sedans off the line will be the Signature Series, equipped with the 300 miles (480 km) battery pack.[2][3] 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.[5]

Contents

[edit] Overview

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.[6]

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.[7]

[edit] 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.[8] The prototype vehicle was displayed at a press conference on March 26, 2009.[9]

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.[11][12][13]

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,[14] 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.[15]

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.[16]

In May 2010 Tesla Motors announced it would produce the new lower-priced Model S at the former NUMMI assembly plant in Fremont, California,[17] now known as the Tesla Factory.

[edit] Sales

Tesla Model S prototype at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show

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.[18] By May 2009, there were over 1,000 reservations according to the Tesla Motors web site.[19] 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.[20] 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.[21] Tesla Motors, however, has since elected not to build a plant in New Mexico.[22]

In November 2011, Tesla reported that more than 6,500 reservations have been made.[23]

[edit] Specifications

[edit] Performance

Acceleration of the 3,825 lb (1,735 kg) base version of the vehicle is anticipated to be 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 5.6 seconds; Tesla Motors marketing claims the vehicle will have a drag coefficient of 0.22,[24] which has not been verified by third party testing.

Elon Musk announced in October 2011 that there will also be a sport version of the Model S on its release. The claimed 0-60 mph (97 km/h) speed would be 4.4 seconds.[25]

[edit] Battery packs

The base model will have a range of 160 miles (260 km) when fully charged using a 42 kW·h battery pack (24 kW·h/100 mi, 108 mpgge). Larger, longer range battery pack options will be available as well; the options announced include a range of 230 miles (370 km) from a 65 kW·h pack (26 kW·h/100 mi, 100 mpgge) and a range of 300 miles (480 km) from an 85 kW·h pack (26 kW·h/100 mi, 100 mpgge).[26]

The Tesla Model S is expected to have a swappable battery,[27] and will feature a 17 in (43 cm) touchscreen computer with in-car 3G connectivity, enabling access to online services, or to check the battery's state of charge remotely.[28]

[edit] Recognition

The Tesla Model S was one of the five finalists to the 2012 Green Car Vision Award by the Green Car Journal.[29][30]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Elon Musk (Feb 9, 2012). Tesla Unveils Model X. Tesla Motors Design Studio, Hawthorne, California: Tesla Motors. Event occurs at 11:00. http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/tesla-unveils-model-x. 
  2. ^ a b Josie Garthwaite (2011-05-06). "Tesla Prepares for a Gap as Roadster Winds Down". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/08/automobiles/08TESLA.html?_r=1&emc=eta1. Retrieved 2011-05-07. 
  3. ^ "Model S FAQ". Teslamotors.com. 2009-05-01. http://www.teslamotors.com/display_data/Model_S_FAQ.html. Retrieved 2010-11-27. 
  4. ^ "Model S Facts". Tesla Motors. http://www.teslamotors.com/models/facts. Retrieved 2012-1-17. 
  5. ^ "Tesla model S specifications". Tesla Motors. 2010-06-15. http://www.teslamotors.com/display_data/Spec_ModelS_US.pdf. Retrieved 2011-05-04. 
  6. ^ Wert, Ray (2007-02-20). "Darryl Siry responds to rumor on Jalopnik forum". Jalopnik.com. http://jalopnik.com/cars/news/new-mexico-gets-tesla-whitestar-facility--to-produce-an-electric-fusion-237982.php. Retrieved 2010-11-27. 
  7. ^ by Martin LaMonica. "When Dave met Elon...and his Tesla Model S | Green Tech - CNET News". News.cnet.com. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10230817-54.html. Retrieved 2009-08-01. 
  8. ^ Monticello, Mike (2008-10-23). "Tesla Builds a 4-Door - New and Future Cars". Road & Track (Hachette Filipacchi Media, U.S., Inc.). http://www.roadandtrack.com/future-cars/tesla-builds-a-4-door. Retrieved 2011-05-04. 
  9. ^ "Tesla debuts electric car for the masses". CBC News. 2009-03-27. http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/03/27/tesla.html. Retrieved March 28, 2009. 
  10. ^ Severns, Dave. "Tesla Motors blog post regarding Albuquerque decision". Teslamotors.com. http://www.teslamotors.com/blog1/?p=52. Retrieved 2010-11-27. 
  11. ^ "Tesla Motors press release - announcement of Albuquerque plant". Teslamotors.com. http://teslamotors.com/media/press_room.php?id=257. Retrieved 2010-11-27. 
  12. ^ "The Albuquerque Tribune Editorial: Don't hold your breath on Tesla Motors plant". Abqtrib.com. http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/aug/21/editorial-dont-hold-your-breath-tesla-motors-plant/. Retrieved 2010-11-27. 
  13. ^ "Tesla to build electric car factory in Bay Area - San Jose Mercury News". Mercurynews.com. http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9745521. Retrieved 2010-11-27. 
  14. ^ Kanellos, Michael (2008-02-01). "Tesla to make gas-electric car". News.com. http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9863202-54.html. Retrieved 2010-11-27. 
  15. ^ "Tesla Kills Its Gas-Electric Hybrid". Greenlight.greentechmedia.com. 2008-09-18. http://greenlight.greentechmedia.com/2008/09/18/tesla-kills-its-gas-electric-hybrid-586/. Retrieved 2010-11-27. 
  16. ^ Elon Musk (2009-02-12). "Tesla Motors Update". Tesla Motors. http://www.teslamotors.com/blog2/?p=70. Retrieved 2009-02-20. 
  17. ^ Posted: 3:27 pm PDT May 20, 2010 (2010-05-20). "Tesla Wants NUMMI Operational By 2012 - News Story - KTVU San Francisco". Ktvu.com. http://www.ktvu.com/news/23625639/detail.html. Retrieved 2010-11-27. 
  18. ^ May, Patrick. "Crazy for Teslas". SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2010/07/29/crazy-for-teslas.html. Retrieved 4 March 2011. 
  19. ^ Drori, Ze'ev (April 1, 2009). "520 Model S Reserved in the First Week". Tesla Motors. http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090401006567&newsLang=en. Retrieved 2009-04-02. 
  20. ^ Woodyard, Chris (December 16, 2010). "Tesla: 3,000 buyers lined up for electric Model S sedan". USA Today. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/12/tesla-3000-buyers-lined-up-for-electric-model-s-sedan/1?csp=34. Retrieved 2011-01-26. 
  21. ^ "Tesla Motors to build assembly plant in New Mexico to produce WhiteStar electric sports sedan". Greencarcongress.com. 2007-02-19. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/02/tesla_motors_to.html#more. Retrieved 2010-11-27. 
  22. ^ Drori, Ze'ev (June 30, 2008). "Site Selection". Tesla Motors. http://www.teslamotors.com/blog2/?p=60. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
  23. ^ Ohnsman, Alan (October 28, 2011). "Tesla’s Musk Says Model S Sold Out; Profit Likely in 2013". Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-28/tesla-s-musk-says-model-s-sold-out-should-turn-profit-in-2013.html. Retrieved 2011-12-13. 
  24. ^ Musk, Elon (2011-11-01). "Meet Tesla's 7-seat sedan". CNN Money. http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/11/01/n_w_tesla_drive_musk.cnnmoney/. Retrieved 2012-01-25. 
  25. ^ "Model S Options and Pricing". Tesla Motors. 2011-12-20. http://www.teslamotors.com/models/options/. Retrieved 2011-12-28. 
  26. ^ Jim Motavalli (2009-04-30). "Tesla Model S Arrives in Manhattan". New York Times. http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/30/tesla-model-s-arrives-in-manhattan/. Retrieved 2009-10-21. 
  27. ^ Thursday, March 26, 2009 (2009-03-26). "teslamotors.com/media/press_room.php?id=1284". Teslamotors.com. http://www.teslamotors.com/media/press_room.php?id=1284. Retrieved 2010-11-27. 
  28. ^ "Tesla Model S Revealed". Automoblog.net. http://www.automoblog.net/2009/03/27/tesla-model-s-revealed/. 
  29. ^ Danny King (2012-01-13). "Tesla Model S, BMW i3 among 2012 Green Car Vision finalists". Autoblog Green. http://green.autoblog.com/2012/01/13/tesla-model-s-bmw-i3-among-2012-green-car-vision-finalists/. Retrieved 2012-01-13. 
  30. ^ Sebastian Blkanco (2012-01-26). "Ford C-Max Energi wins 2012 Green Car Vision Award". Autoblog Green. http://green.autoblog.com/2012/01/26/ford-c-max-energi-wins-2012-green-car-vision-award/?a_dgi=aolshare_email. Retrieved 2012-01-26. 

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