News on the Tesla Model S - LotusTalk

Randy Chase · 02-13-2009, 11:21 AM

2011 Tesla Model S - Car News

The maker of the all-electric Roadster promises to put a five-passenger sedan on the road in 2011.

BY JARED GALL
February 2009

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.

wallabyguy · 02-13-2009, 12:46 PM

The sneak preview looks promising.

def · 02-13-2009, 12:46 PM

Looks good, from what we can see, anyways. Not a huge fan of the SLR-like wheels, though

MattG · 02-13-2009, 12:51 PM

Funny you mention the SLR-like wheels. I saw a post on Jalopnik detailing how incredibly similar this car is to the Mercedes CLS. Question is, is it truly an original Tesla design, or is it a rebodied CLS?

Tesla Model S: Is The Tesla S A Prettied-Up Mercedes CLS?

Wasabi · 02-13-2009, 12:53 PM

Well I like Tesla, but I didn't know their CEO was the founder of PayPal... oh god,

Was nice knowing you, Tesla

def · 02-13-2009, 12:54 PM

Well the "fastback" styled sedans seem to be popular now days, I think it's hard to say its a rebodied CLS with such a limited picture of the car.

The front, from what we can see, looks nothing like a MB, more like a BMW in my opinion. The aston styled side engine grills... obviously there is nothing too unique going on, but overall it doesn't look bad. Looking forward to seeing more pictures

MattG · 02-13-2009, 01:17 PM

I think the similarities are more geometric - wheelbase and overall dimensions, specifically. Probably just a coincidence.

smicker · 02-13-2009, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattG

Funny you mention the SLR-like wheels. I saw a post on Jalopnik detailing how incredibly similar this car is to the Mercedes CLS. Question is, is it truly an original Tesla design, or is it a rebodied CLS?

Tesla Model S: Is The Tesla S A Prettied-Up Mercedes CLS?

The Model S is an original design and looks amazing. I'm excited for the March 26 unveiling.

Randy Chase · 02-13-2009, 01:45 PM

I think what we see so far is much better than I expected. The front does seem BMWish with SLR wheels.

smicker · 02-13-2009, 01:52 PM

It definitely looks better than the original design

Super-secret photo of Tesla Whitestar leaks out of San Carlos - AutoblogGreen

Randy Chase · 02-13-2009, 01:54 PM

Mr. Know · 02-13-2009, 02:21 PM

Tesla needs to stop hyping and start producing more...

...m... · 02-13-2009, 02:29 PM

...there's something very familiar about those wheels and bodywork, but i can't quite put my finger on it...

...where's tesla going to build them?..

goldengatehornet · 02-13-2009, 09:06 PM

If they don't get their $450m from the Gov, they and this Vapor car will be history anyway. Shouldn't an electric car be called a 'coal powered' car unless they're charged off the grid? Lets get real on where these electrons come from.

cjud · 02-13-2009, 09:54 PM

Where are they going to build it? I don't think they have the $ to build the plant they have planned unless additional financing / govt loans are available.

Edit: Sorry, didn't see the post before mine. With SOP as planned, they need to figure it out soon.....

rob13572468 · 02-16-2009, 03:51 AM

alot more info in this article on engadget:

Tesla tidbits: new retail stores, Model S prototype, extended warranty - Engadget

most interesting it this:

Quote:

Regarding funding, I am excited to report that the Department of Energy informed Tesla last week that they expect to disburse funds from our $350M Model S loan application within four to five months. The Obama administration has thankfully made it a top priority to move quickly on the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan program, as this will both generate high quality jobs in the near term and lay the groundwork for a better environment in the future.

which could be the news that tesla may be turning around... of course 5 months is a long time and alot can happen between now and then but if they can take advantage of the hippie sentiment of the obama administration it might go well for them..

Also note that tesla has signed leases for showrooms in chicago and london with the openings supposedly happening in a few months... This will be interesting as once we have more teslas showing up here in chicago they will inevitably be showing up in our lab at which point well have lots of in-depth pics of the internals

rob13572468 · 02-16-2009, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by def

Well the "fastback" styled sedans seem to be popular now days, I think it's hard to say its a rebodied CLS with such a limited picture of the car.

The front, from what we can see, looks nothing like a MB, more like a BMW in my opinion. The aston styled side engine grills... obviously there is nothing too unique going on, but overall it doesn't look bad. Looking forward to seeing more pictures

it could be built on a CLS chassis.. the dirty little secret of concept car design is that they are often designed on top of other entire cars, particularly when its a driveable concept. At this stage of the game its kind of a toss-up: its *very* difficult for even a big car company to get a car into production in two years time, much less for a small company like tesla with no real manufacturing experience. Add in the fact that they are attempting to build a totally new type of propulsion into a mass produced vehicle and the task is even more daunting.

The normal time frame for development of a new car platform is 5 years which means that either the core development work is done or they are planning to utilize an existing platform and build the model S on top of it. Either way they should really have at least the basic specs down to have any chance of making 2011 for production which make it suspect. There are also other questions which havent been answered in even the most basic form: what is the chassis going to be made from? steel, aluminum? is it going to be stamped, glued extrusions? will they use VVA? My personal bet is that they are going to *have* to use an existing chassis to have any hope of making the 2011 deadline... the question is which chassis? what we need is a basic wheelbase measurement which we should be able to get using the existing released photograph... does anyone know exactly what rims those are?

...m... · 02-16-2009, 05:05 AM

...i've got it now - that's the same basic wheelbase, door, and fender bodywork from the fisker karma, the only notable differences being the intake/vent design and trim...

...it makes sense, since both were designed by the same person around the same timeframe for more-or-less the same application...

...kind of an aston martin/jaguar thing happening between each car, really...

wallabyguy · 02-16-2009, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ...m...

...i've got it now...that's the same wheelbase, door, and fender bodywork from the fisker karma - the only notable differences are the intake/vent design and trim...

http://jalopnik.com/379850/tesla-sue...ive-girl-fight

vfx · 02-16-2009, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob13572468

... does anyone know exactly what rims those are?

The Tesla Motors Club has been ripping this image apart.

Thread picks up this teaser image here: WhiteStar styling ideas - Page 15 - Tesla Motors Club Forum

Rim info found here
.
Model S Specifications, Teases and Leaks - Page 7 - Tesla Motors Club Forum

By the way, One guy (TEG) has been going crazy with his own photoshop mockups. The AM Rapide has always been the best guess of what the Model S would look like but check out his Jaguar C-XF / Model S amalgam:

This is not the actual Model S but a cartoon blending of two car images.

02-13-2009, 11:21 AM	#1 (permalink)
Randy Chase Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: San Diego and where ever the roads lead Posts: 28,175 Images: 761	News on the Tesla Model S 2011 Tesla Model S - Car News The maker of the all-electric Roadster promises to put a five-passenger sedan on the road in 2011. BY JARED GALL February 2009 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. Attached Images __________________ * V E R I T A S * A E Q U I T A S * No Longer the ADMIN here, please do not PM me asking for help. Thanks! http://www.facebook.com/randychase 1991 Toyota MR2. AutoX Beast 2006 Noble M400. Track weapon. 2009 Rossion Q1. Monaco Orange. Canyon Carver. In build: 2009 Toniq R (300whp? 1100 pounds?). Chrome Orange. Lexus GX-470 tow vehicle. On Order: Lotus Evora Next: McLaren MP4-12C

02-13-2009, 12:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
wallabyguy Not Dead Yet Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 5,896	The sneak preview looks promising. __________________ former Lotus Sales Robert (aka Sith Lord of LBL) 74 Elite 502 05 Elise (Snuffalupagous..RIP : Laser Blue, Black Leather, Touring Pack, Hardtop ) The Wallaby Will Ride Again

02-13-2009, 12:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
def ...ault Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 2,610	Looks good, from what we can see, anyways. Not a huge fan of the SLR-like wheels, though __________________ //kevin - 05 Graphite Gray - Red Touring / LSS / Starshield / Stage 2 + more SOLD after 1192 days and 22961 miles

02-13-2009, 12:51 PM	#4 (permalink)
MattG insert clever title here Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Living above the clouds in Colorado Posts: 7,676 Images: 11	Funny you mention the SLR-like wheels. I saw a post on Jalopnik detailing how incredibly similar this car is to the Mercedes CLS. Question is, is it truly an original Tesla design, or is it a rebodied CLS? Tesla Model S: Is The Tesla S A Prettied-Up Mercedes CLS? __________________ '05 Elise, Magnetic Blue / Biscuit / Hardtop / http://eliseinfo.com Radar detector mounting brackets for sale here

02-13-2009, 12:54 PM	#6 (permalink)
def ...ault Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 2,610	Well the "fastback" styled sedans seem to be popular now days, I think it's hard to say its a rebodied CLS with such a limited picture of the car. The front, from what we can see, looks nothing like a MB, more like a BMW in my opinion. The aston styled side engine grills... obviously there is nothing too unique going on, but overall it doesn't look bad. Looking forward to seeing more pictures __________________ //kevin - 05 Graphite Gray - Red Touring / LSS / Starshield / Stage 2 + more SOLD after 1192 days and 22961 miles

02-13-2009, 12:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
Wasabi Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Ramon, CA Posts: 448	Well I like Tesla, but I didn't know their CEO was the founder of PayPal... oh god, Was nice knowing you, Tesla

02-13-2009, 01:17 PM	#7 (permalink)
MattG insert clever title here Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Living above the clouds in Colorado Posts: 7,676 Images: 11	I think the similarities are more geometric - wheelbase and overall dimensions, specifically. Probably just a coincidence. __________________ '05 Elise, Magnetic Blue / Biscuit / Hardtop / http://eliseinfo.com Radar detector mounting brackets for sale here

02-13-2009, 01:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
Randy Chase Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: San Diego and where ever the roads lead Posts: 28,175 Images: 761	I think what we see so far is much better than I expected. The front does seem BMWish with SLR wheels. __________________ * V E R I T A S * A E Q U I T A S * No Longer the ADMIN here, please do not PM me asking for help. Thanks! http://www.facebook.com/randychase 1991 Toyota MR2. AutoX Beast 2006 Noble M400. Track weapon. 2009 Rossion Q1. Monaco Orange. Canyon Carver. In build: 2009 Toniq R (300whp? 1100 pounds?). Chrome Orange. Lexus GX-470 tow vehicle. On Order: Lotus Evora Next: McLaren MP4-12C

02-13-2009, 01:52 PM	#10 (permalink)
smicker Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Alameda, CA Posts: 410 Images: 2	It definitely looks better than the original design Super-secret photo of Tesla Whitestar leaks out of San Carlos - AutoblogGreen

02-13-2009, 01:54 PM	#11 (permalink)
Randy Chase Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: San Diego and where ever the roads lead Posts: 28,175 Images: 761	HA! __________________ * V E R I T A S * A E Q U I T A S * No Longer the ADMIN here, please do not PM me asking for help. Thanks! http://www.facebook.com/randychase 1991 Toyota MR2. AutoX Beast 2006 Noble M400. Track weapon. 2009 Rossion Q1. Monaco Orange. Canyon Carver. In build: 2009 Toniq R (300whp? 1100 pounds?). Chrome Orange. Lexus GX-470 tow vehicle. On Order: Lotus Evora Next: McLaren MP4-12C

02-13-2009, 02:21 PM	#12 (permalink)
Mr. Know British by extrapolation Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Marin, California Posts: 3,350 Images: 6	Tesla needs to stop hyping and start producing more... __________________ 07 Magnetic Blue Exige S Join the Blue Lotus Team on Facebook.

02-13-2009, 02:29 PM	#13 (permalink)
...m... Denuo Volatilis Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,716	...there's something very familiar about those wheels and bodywork, but i can't quite put my finger on it... ...where's tesla going to build them?.. __________________ 2005 Federal Elise \| Touring \| Storm Titanium ...73,000 miles and aging beautifully... 2000 New Beetle \| Turbo \| Reflex Silver ...107,000 miles of steadfast service...

02-13-2009, 09:06 PM	#14 (permalink)
goldengatehornet British Car Restoration Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 154	If they don't get their $450m from the Gov, they and this Vapor car will be history anyway. Shouldn't an electric car be called a 'coal powered' car unless they're charged off the grid? Lets get real on where these electrons come from.

02-13-2009, 09:54 PM	#15 (permalink)
cjud Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 52	Where are they going to build it? I don't think they have the $ to build the plant they have planned unless additional financing / govt loans are available. Edit: Sorry, didn't see the post before mine. With SOP as planned, they need to figure it out soon..... __________________ '05 Storm Titanium, Sport, Touring, Star Shield

02-16-2009, 05:05 AM	#18 (permalink)
...m... Denuo Volatilis Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,716	...i've got it now - that's the same basic wheelbase, door, and fender bodywork from the fisker karma, the only notable differences being the intake/vent design and trim... ...it makes sense, since both were designed by the same person around the same timeframe for more-or-less the same application... ...kind of an aston martin/jaguar thing happening between each car, really... __________________ 2005 Federal Elise \| Touring \| Storm Titanium ...73,000 miles and aging beautifully... 2000 New Beetle \| Turbo \| Reflex Silver ...107,000 miles of steadfast service... Last edited by ...m... : 02-16-2009 at 05:17 AM.

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