That car is really good looking inside and out. Its' performance is amazing.
The most impressive thing is that it is REAL. The battery is not even visible and seems to take up little space. I wonder if they could double the battery size and increase range to 600 miles?
Musk and his team have succeeded on a shoestring budget compared to international giants in building both in technical terms and in fit and finish a much better product than any other company.
If my circumstances allow in the future (couple of years) to own 1 of these I would.
Congrats to Tesla.
racerx:
That car is really good looking inside and out. Its' performance is amazing.
The most impressive thing is that it is REAL. The battery is not even visible and seems to take up little space. I wonder if they could double the battery size and increase range to 600 miles?
Musk and his team have succeeded on a shoestring budget compared to international giants in building both in technical terms and in fit and finish a much better product than any other company.
If my circumstances allow in the future (couple of years) to own 1 of these I would.
Congrats to Tesla.
Weeeeell, the Roadster's chassis and body are built by Lotus and the Model S is not yet in production, so which one, in your view, is " in technical terms and in fit and finish a much better product than any other company" makes??
You do seem suffer from a tendency to let your enthusiasm for electric cars run away with you, without being able to put forward any concrete, rationally argued facts or figures to back up your exhuberance.
Or do you just own stock in Tesla?
Maybe we should just wait until Tesla has built and sold enough cars for JD Power to publish an owner-satisfaction survey before going overboard on this.
fritz
fritz
Weeeeell, the Roadster's chassis and body are built by Lotus and the Model S is not yet in production, so which one, in your view, is " in technical terms and in fit and finish a much better product than any other company" makes??
You do seem suffer from a tendency to let your enthusiasm for electric cars run away with you, without being able to put forward any concrete, rationally argued facts or figures to back up your exhuberance.
Or do you just own stock in Tesla?Maybe we should just wait until Tesla has built and sold enough cars for JD Power to publish an owner-satisfaction survey before going overboard on this.
Roadster ? where is the roadster in the video? That's your first mistake
The Model S is shown in the video driving around and carrying passengers in Silver and 1 in White. That means technically 2 have been produced. Thats your 2nd mistake
We have all been passing judgement on the fit and finish of the panamera for months with no more evidence. I see a large functional LED display in the Tesla S and hear the people in the video describe it and its capabilities including full constant internet connectivity.
I also hear the designer describe the in-existence model S accelerate 0-60 in less than 6 seconds. I hear them say it will carrry 5 adults with ease. I see the body panels and the interior and the underside.
Those are facts. That's your 3rd mistake.
I see in the video production going on at what looks like the CA facility.
Hey Fritz, Name me another sedan in existence right now that is all-electric, looks this good, has the performance as stated and has been premiered to the public
I may be exuberent about Tesla, but that is better than being a negative #$XX@#.
If you have nothing positive to add keep your mouth firmly shut.
Compare and contrast the ready for prime time luxury sedan Tesla model S and the forever delayed GM Volt.
Tesla S - 300 mile range, 0-60 5.5, 5 adults. oversized, functional, LED touchscreen $49,000
GM Volt - 30 mile range, 0-60 hope so, probably GM plastic int. $40,000
The rest of the automotive industry - BS hybrids and talk
Tesla - a small team in silicon Valley started by a tech guy vs. GM with thousands of experienced auto engineers and 10's of billions of dollars
Just last year we were being told that all-electrics were a pipe dream because of battery problems, production problems, weight, materials, excuse, excuse, excuse.
The achievement of Musk and his team to me is nothing short of historic. I am not doing cart wheels but I give credit where credit is due.
If any one here knows of any other all electrics about to be debuted, let us know.
Stick a fork in GM because they are done, what poor leadership given the resources!
Apr 14, 2009 7:02:32 PM
I love it!!! The Model S would be the biggest news in a long time from the automotive world that will really shake things up. I like that it is so small, low budget and American!! Technical innovative stories like this really give hope to young people like me. And if in reality the model s turns out to be horrible in reliability or something else unforseen happens, I still think the company will pull through eventually... that being said, i'm happy to see this company progress in the coming years.
As for the model S itself, the figures are really impressive and the car looks very practical while also good.
racerx, on their website i think they already offer two battery choices which is good!!
Bottom line, it looks amazing, is American, seems practical and is not a stupid hybrid!
Now i want the US government to increase their Fed tax credit from $7,500 to $17,500 such that the model S will be only $39,900!!
2005 Ford Focus S, 5spd
1986 Porsche 944, 5spd
Apr 15, 2009 2:38:56 PM
That is a very nice looking car, very sleek, maybe even better than a cls. Building it in-house in SoCal. Just hope they can get production going faster. Seems that Arnie and OB1 could help out with grants/loans to create jobs and get american manufacturing going.
At the same time someone should create a research Park devoted to electric battery technology. Seems like that would be the key to future industry.
Can you get it with PSE... or TSE...?
Don't mean to be destructive, negative or anything contentious....but a car without an exhaust note - I mean... 'Come on'.. where's the fun in that..
fritz:
racerx:
Congrats to Tesla.
You do seem suffer from a tendency to let your enthusiasm for electric cars run away with you, without being able to put forward any concrete, rationally argued facts or figures to back up your exhuberance.
Or do you just own stock in Tesla?
I will spare my comment on this, my personal opinion might have been visible in previous posts.
What I find striking is the fact that nobody considers the aftermath of short battery life or the enormous amount of electricity needed, AFAIK the electrical system in several countries incl. the USA is on its edge already. So apart from building yet another nuclear powerplant to provide the power, who pays for the improvements on the transmission route?
Have not dug deeper but how efficient are electrical cars from power generation to wheel in comparison to the more or less well known efficiency of petrol engines?
Primrose:
I think that is a great question and when i thought of converting a 914 into an electric car I wanted to find out - will there be enough power in the future for my car? Like most others I saw the ethanol foul-up. Ethanol was supposed to be the fuel to the future, but most everyone forgot in their enthusiasm to look into how much land and water is needed to make it work. Making fuel from crops is not the answer.
I believe there are two main problem issues with electric cars:
*How many electric cars can the current grid system handle?
*Where will the extra power needed come from?
In America the Department of Energy came out and said that with the current 220 million cars on the road in America, our grid system can handle 180 million EVs. That is quite a few, and should be enough for our needs, for awhile. Not everyone is going to want an electric car because of costs, and short travel distances per charge.
As for extra power, as someone else mentioned, nuclear is a great option. I like what the French have done by recycling nuclear material. Being that the top 3 countries with uranium deposits; western friendly Australia, Canada, and America, nuclear is a power source the USA should take greater advantage of. On other energy sources, I really like the 3rd generation solar that is coming onto the market place. It is cheap and efficient.
Ferdie:
Have not dug deeper but how efficient are electrical cars from power generation to wheel in comparison to the more or less well known efficiency of petrol engines?
http://www.teslamotors.com/efficiency/well_to_wheel.php
Mike
2005 Carrera GT - Signal Yellow
2008 Tesla Roadster - Thunder Gray
1972 BMW 3.0 CSi - Nachtblau
Mike,
thanks for the link. However, I naturally doubt any statistic that is provided by the vendor himself.
Please tell me if I am missing out on something but the following aspects hit my eye:
a. the combined-cycle generator´s efficiency is rated at 60% which, according to the source, is only viable for three mere powerplants worldwide, most combined-cycle generators have a slightly lower efficiency. Apart from that, most remaining energy suppliers will fair even worse right now.
b. assuming that the remaining factors are correct, I cannot find the the loss inside electrical motor and transmission in Tesla´s equation, especially the former´s losses (copper, iron, heat, friction).
If you consider these aspects, the efficiency from well to energy outlet and energy outlet to wheel is inevitably higher and should range at the energy efficiency of a modern diesel engine and/or hybrid.
Nonetheless it is a very interesting aspect of technology and I am curious about the developments in forseeable future. The concept will become striking once other electrical consumers will improve their efficiency (I just read that the Empire State Building will receive a major overhaul incl. energy efficient upgrades) and sustainable energy supply will be put on a solid base. Enjoy your Roadster, it is worth it for the ingenuity alone.
John H:
Can you get it with PSE... or TSE...?
Don't mean to be destructive, negative or anything contentious....but a car without an exhaust note - I mean... 'Come on'.. where's the fun in that..
max torque from 0 km/h!!! fast acceleration at any speed!!!
Lars997:
This car looks just awesome. Hopefully the build quality is high, too!
from yesterdays story;
As for the Model S, Musk said it could share components with Mercedes sedans now that Daimler has a stake in Tesla.
“There’s a possibility the car will use a Mercedes-derived suspension and other components such as safety systems, crash structures, interior fit and finish,” he said. “There are a number of areas where Daimler can be quite helpful.”
If you watch the first video it shows the center touch screen command center which is very high tech and the interior already looks great. Plus the glass roof also.
But with being able to use merc components and tech it should be even better.
I just hope Musk and company can keep merc meddling to a minimum and keep this a truly unique and inventive company.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,508988,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/innovation
CHICAGO — U.S. engineers have found a way to make lithium batteries that are smaller, lighter, longer lasting and capable of recharging in seconds.
The researchers believe the quick-charging batteries could open up new applications, including better batteries for electric cars.
And because they use older materials in a new way, the batteries could be available for sale in two to three years, a team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported on Wednesday in the journal Nature.