Tesla has a Model S which promises power and torque and seating for seven. Most electric and hybrid vehicles struggle with the weight penalty and positioning of their batteries. General Motors’ new Volt electric car seats only four people. Nissan’s Leaf sacrifices rear headroom, incorporating part of the battery under the back passenger seat, and seats five.
However, Tesla, which has been well in front of the other electric car manufacturers, states that by combining compact laptop derived batteries with some lateral thinking, its coming Model S manages to pack more kilometers and several more people (seven) into a body only 500 millimeters longer than that of the Volt or the Leaf.
New Tesla S
Until the S rolls out in 2012, Tesla still has just the two-seater Roadster the company says accelerates from 0-100 kilometers/hr in 3.7 seconds – faster than a Porsche 911 and most Ferraris.
This next model, the eagerly awaited Model S, already has two prototypes running. It won a Spark design award recently for the innovations planned but still not unveiled to the public with five forward-facing adults and two rear-facing child seats, and a 45 minute fast charging option.
The new Tesla S style comes from Franz von Holzhausen (ex-Mazda), who says his electric cars will be ‘‘beautiful, sexy and fun to drive’’ and the lines he has created for the Model S are completely different from the current generation of electric hybrids. ‘‘People don’t want to sacrifice anything, including style, to own an efficient car,’’ von Holzhausen says.
Despite this forward thinking, Tesla posted a US$34.9 million loss but revenue is up and Musk cites a ‘‘growth in Roadster orders’’, possibly as a result of the overhaul von Holzhausen and his team gave the three-year-old car.
One should also take Tesla very seriously. Remember that recently I reported that Toyota has entered a partnership to build an electric version of the RAV 4, while Panasonic has invested US$30 million in the company.
