While accusations of corporate espionage are fired through swirling rumors of financial turmoil, the face Tesla Motors is presenting to the public is one of seamless progress. A lawsuit alleging that Henrik Fisker stole designs from Tesla and used them on his own Karma hybrid sedan was thrown out and the price of the company’s Roadster continues to climb—currently it sits at $109,000, an increase of over $10,000 from what was originally promised.
Tesla CEO and PayPal founder Elon Musk promises that the company will be profitable by the end of the year, pointing out that 200 Roadsters have been delivered and he has orders for 1000 more. To deliver on its promise of more electric cars for more people, Tesla announced today that it will show a drivable prototype of its upcoming Model S sedan on March 26. Tesla claims the Model S is on track to begin production in 2011 and should sticker around $60,000. Range is claimed to be above 250 miles per charge, and the company says the car will go from 0 to 60 mph in under six seconds.
Tesla isn’t neglecting its sports car, though. A Sport version is promised, with stickier Yokohama rubber, adjustable dampers, and improvements to the electric motor netting a claimed 0–60 time of 3.7 seconds—we’ve run as quickly as 4.1 to 60 and 13.2 at 103 mph in the quarter-mile with the Tesla. An available Executive Leather package will jazz up the interior and a Clear Carbon Fiber Exterior package will allow the roadster to show a little (carbon-fiber) skin, à la Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang. All three options will be available beginning in June.
Other Model S details are sparse, but check back for more as they become available.
Tesla CEO and PayPal founder Elon Musk promises that the company will be profitable by the end of the year, pointing out that 200 Roadsters have been delivered and he has orders for 1000 more. To deliver on its promise of more electric cars for more people, Tesla announced today that it will show a drivable prototype of its upcoming Model S sedan on March 26. Tesla claims the Model S is on track to begin production in 2011 and should sticker around $60,000. Range is claimed to be above 250 miles per charge, and the company says the car will go from 0 to 60 mph in under six seconds.
Tesla isn’t neglecting its sports car, though. A Sport version is promised, with stickier Yokohama rubber, adjustable dampers, and improvements to the electric motor netting a claimed 0–60 time of 3.7 seconds—we’ve run as quickly as 4.1 to 60 and 13.2 at 103 mph in the quarter-mile with the Tesla. An available Executive Leather package will jazz up the interior and a Clear Carbon Fiber Exterior package will allow the roadster to show a little (carbon-fiber) skin, à la Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang. All three options will be available beginning in June.
Other Model S details are sparse, but check back for more as they become available.
