Tesla Model S
Encyclopedia
The Tesla Model S is a full-sized battery electric
sedan developed by Tesla Motors
. It is an electric car
that was initially codenamed
WhiteStar during research and preliminary development. 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.
Delivery of Model S is expected to begin in mid-2012, with a base price of . The base model will have a range of 160 miles (257.5 km) when fully charged, and a 0 mile per hour acceleration of 5.6 seconds. The first 1,000 sedans off the line will be the Signature Series, equipped with the 300 miles (482.8 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
). A complete charge may take three or more hours using a standard US 110 VAC household circuit. With commercial-grade equipment, a 45-minute QuickCharge to 80% offers the equivalent of adding 170 miles (273.6 km) of range for each hour of charging. In addition, a battery swap will be possible in less than two minutes.
sports car, which has a base price of or .
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.
(a central location for shipping) was supposed to begin in April 2007, but was cancelled. A factory to be built in San Jose, California
was also announced.
On February 1, 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 on September 18, 2008, Musk officially said that Tesla was only pursuing all-electric cars and not hybrids.
On February 12, 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.
On May 20, 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
.
The company also announced plans to rent or lease high capacity battery packs which offer a 300 mi (482.8 km) range. Profits from the Model S are expected to fund development of a more affordable third-generation vehicle.
. As of May 17, 2009, there were over 1000 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 required for each reservation, this totals at least in commitment from buyers.
Some of these orders are for the Signature Series Model S. These reservations require a deposit and previous Tesla Roadster owners were offered an opportunity to reserve these even before the March 26, 2009 reveal. It is unclear exactly what features will be offered on the limited edition Signature Series (2000 units maximum, split evenly between US & European buyers).
In mid-December, 2010, Tesla announced that the reservation count had passed 3000.
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.
As of November 2011, Tesla reported that more than 6,500 reservations have been made.
of 0.27.
Elon Musk
announced on October 1, 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.
The Tesla Model S is expected to have a swappable battery, and will feature a 17 in (43.2 cm) touchscreen computer with in-car 3G
connectivity, enabling access to online services, or to check the battery's state of charge remotely.
Battery electric vehicle
A battery electric vehicle, or BEV, is a type of electric vehicle that uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs. BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of, or in addition to, internal combustion engines for propulsion.A battery-only electric vehicle or...
sedan developed by Tesla Motors
Tesla Motors
Tesla Motors, Inc. is a Silicon Valley-based company that designs, manufactures and sells electric cars and electric vehicle powertrain components. It was the only automaker building and selling a zero-emission sports car, the Tesla Roadster, in serial production...
. It is an electric car
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
that was initially codenamed
Code name
A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage...
WhiteStar during research and preliminary development. 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.
Delivery of Model S is expected to begin in mid-2012, with a base price of . The base model will have a range of 160 miles (257.5 km) when fully charged, and a 0 mile per hour acceleration of 5.6 seconds. The first 1,000 sedans off the line will be the Signature Series, equipped with the 300 miles (482.8 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
Electric current
Electric current is a flow of electric charge through a medium.This charge is typically carried by moving electrons in a conductor such as wire...
). A complete charge may take three or more hours using a standard US 110 VAC household circuit. With commercial-grade equipment, a 45-minute QuickCharge to 80% offers the equivalent of adding 170 miles (273.6 km) of range for each hour of charging. In addition, a battery swap will be possible in less than two minutes.
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 RoadsterTesla Roadster
The Tesla Roadster is a battery electric vehicle sports car produced by the electric car firm Tesla Motors in California. The Roadster was the first highway-capable all-electric vehicle in serial production available in the United States. Since 2008 Tesla has sold 2,024 Roadsters in 30 countries...
sports car, which has a base price of or .
Model S was styled by Franz von Holzhausen
Franz von Holzhausen
Franz von Holzhausen is an automobile designer, currently in charge of design at Tesla Motors after resigning his position at Mazda North American Operations on July 31, 2008....
, who previously worked for Mazda North American Operations
Mazda North American Operations
Mazda North American Operations is Mazda Motor Corporation's North American arm, and constitutes the largest component of that company outside Japan. The company has its headquarters in Irvine, California and is headed by James J...
. The chassis, body, motor and energy storage systems are unique to Tesla Motors.
The Model S was featured on Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
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
Construction of an assembly factory in Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
(a central location for shipping) was supposed to begin in April 2007, but was cancelled. A factory to be built in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
was also announced.
On February 1, 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 on September 18, 2008, Musk officially said that Tesla was only pursuing all-electric cars and not hybrids.
On February 12, 2009 Elon Musk
Elon Musk
Elon Musk is an American engineer and entrepreneur heritage best known for co-founding PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors. He is currently the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors and Chairman of SolarCity...
, CEO of Tesla Motors
Tesla Motors
Tesla Motors, Inc. is a Silicon Valley-based company that designs, manufactures and sells electric cars and electric vehicle powertrain components. It was the only automaker building and selling a zero-emission sports car, the Tesla Roadster, in serial production...
, officially stated on the Tesla Motors Blog that the prototype car would be revealed March 26, 2009 at SpaceX
SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California...
in Hawthorne, California.
On May 20, 2010 Tesla Motors announced it would produce the new lower-priced Model S at the former NUMMI
NUMMI
New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. was an automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, California, opened in 1984 and closed in 2010. On October 27, 2010 it reopened as a 100% Tesla Motors-owned production facility, known as the Tesla Factory...
assembly plant in Fremont, California, now known as the Tesla Factory
Tesla Factory
The Tesla Factory is an automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, California owned and operated by Tesla Motors. The facility was formerly known as New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. , a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota...
.
Price
Pricing has been announced at for the base-level model with a 160 mi (257.5 km) range, for an intermediate model with a 230 mi (370.1 km) range, and for a high-end “Signature Series” model with a 300 mi (482.8 km) range. For qualified consumers, there is a federal tax credit in the United States and there are other applicable local incentives available in several states.The company also announced plans to rent or lease high capacity battery packs which offer a 300 mi (482.8 km) range. Profits from the Model S are expected to fund development of a more affordable third-generation vehicle.
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 JurvetsonSteve Jurvetson
Steven T. "Steve" Jurvetson is a Managing Director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson . He was a Venture Capitalist investor in Hotmail, Interwoven, and Kana...
. As of May 17, 2009, there were over 1000 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 required for each reservation, this totals at least in commitment from buyers.
Some of these orders are for the Signature Series Model S. These reservations require a deposit and previous Tesla Roadster owners were offered an opportunity to reserve these even before the March 26, 2009 reveal. It is unclear exactly what features will be offered on the limited edition Signature Series (2000 units maximum, split evenly between US & European buyers).
In mid-December, 2010, Tesla announced that the reservation count had passed 3000.
Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, 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.
As of November 2011, Tesla reported that more than 6,500 reservations have been made.
Performance
Acceleration of the 3825 pounds (1,735 kg) vehicle is anticipated to be 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.6 seconds aided by a drag coefficientAutomobile drag coefficient
The drag coefficient is a common metric in automotive design pertaining to aerodynamic effects. As aerodynamic drag increases as the square of speed, a low value is preferable to a high one...
of 0.27.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk
Elon Musk is an American engineer and entrepreneur heritage best known for co-founding PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors. He is currently the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors and Chairman of SolarCity...
announced on October 1, 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.
Battery Packs
The base model will have a range of 160 miles (257.5 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 (370.1 km) from a 65 kW·h pack (26 kW·h/100 mi, 100 mpgge) and a range of 300 miles (482.8 km) from an 85 kW·h pack (26 kW·h/100 mi, 100 mpgge).The Tesla Model S is expected to have a swappable battery, and will feature a 17 in (43.2 cm) touchscreen computer with in-car 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
connectivity, enabling access to online services, or to check the battery's state of charge remotely.
See also
- Fisker KarmaFisker KarmaThe Fisker Karma is a plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan produced by Fisker Automotive and manufactured at Valmet Automotive in Finland. The United States Environmental Protection Agency rated the Karma's combined city/highway fuel economy at equivalent in all-electric mode, and at in...
- Government incentives for plug-in electric vehiclesGovernment incentives for plug-in electric vehiclesGovernment incentives for plug-in electric vehicles have been established by several national and local governments around the world as a financial incentive for consumers to purchase a plug-in electric vehicle....
- List of modern production plug-in electric vehicles
- List of production battery electric vehicles
- Tesla BluestarTesla BlueStarThe Tesla BlueStar is the proposed third battery electric car to be manufactured by Tesla Motors, with a production goal of 2015. Tesla wants the car to cost between and...
- Tesla FactoryTesla FactoryThe Tesla Factory is an automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, California owned and operated by Tesla Motors. The facility was formerly known as New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. , a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota...
- Tesla Model XTesla Model XThe Tesla Model X is a proposed full-sized battery electric crossover SUV being designed by Tesla Motors. Current plans are for a market launch by 2014, with an unveiling in late December 2011....
- Tesla RoadsterTesla RoadsterThe Tesla Roadster is a battery electric vehicle sports car produced by the electric car firm Tesla Motors in California. The Roadster was the first highway-capable all-electric vehicle in serial production available in the United States. Since 2008 Tesla has sold 2,024 Roadsters in 30 countries...
External links
- Tesla Model S at Tesla Motors website