- Tesla Motors, the California-based maker of premium electric vehicles, said the first production versions of its new Model S sedan, now due in mid-2012, will be the high-end Signature series, priced from around $77,400.
- The Model S Signature will have a driving range of 300 miles between charges, the company said.
- Tesla also plans to offer less-expensive versions that provide driving ranges of 160 to 230 miles.
PALO ALTO, California — Tesla Motors, the California-based maker of premium electric vehicles, said the first production versions of its new Model S sedan, now due in mid-2012, will be the high-end Signature series, priced from $77,400. The Model S Signature will have a driving range of 300 miles between charges, the company said.
Prior to the car's formal unveiling two years ago, Tesla announced that the Model S would have a retail price of $57,400 before tax credits, with production then slated to begin in late 2011.
The company still plans to offer that base version of the Model S, which it says will have a range of 160 miles. Tesla also will market a midlevel edition of the Model S, with a range of 230 miles and a price tag of around $67,400. The company said those two models will be available "later in 2012."
All prices are before any federal, state or local tax credits are applied. The range-topping Tesla Roadster, which has been in production since early 2008, is priced from $109,000 before tax credits. The news about Model S pricing and driving range was released Monday on Tesla's Web site.
Tesla said the Model S can be recharged from standard 110-volt household current, from a 220-volt outlet or from a commercial "fast-charging" station. It said the car could be charged "from empty to full overnight" from a 220-volt outlet, or in about 45 minutes from a commercial fast-charging station.
The automaker said it plans to build 5,000 to 7,000 Model S sedans in Fremont, California, in 2012 as it ramps up production. Eventually, it expects to build 20,000 Model S sedans a year.
Tesla said a 7-inch "infotainment touchscreen" would be standard on every Model S, with a panoramic glass roof and rear-facing child seats available as extra-cost options. The basic Model S is designed to accommodate five adults.
Inside Line says: Tesla also is developing a Model X crossover, but so far hasn't provided any hints about pricing or performance. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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k55 says:
09:59 AM, 03/10/2011
nice looking ......but the price is SHOCKING. (sorry)
tbone85 says:
11:44 AM, 03/09/2011
I don't get trying to put coal and natural gas in the same category. I'm less concerned about the point of origin (fossil fuels) than I am about how clean they burn and how capable we are of producing the energy source on a domestic basis. Coal is the largest source of electrical power generation, but it is still produces less than half of the electricity in the country. Natural gas generation will likely increase and oil and coal decline over the next couple of decades. No fuel source is perfect, but natural gas burns clean and we have significant domestic supply. Lumping NG in with other fossil fuels doesn't add any clarity to the debate.
mikeebear says:
06:07 AM, 03/09/2011
"Saving the world" is never going to be done just by driving electric cars. Fuel emissions from motor vehicles is a large part of a humongous problem. Once our ignorant/shady/backwards governments start tackling coal-burning power plants, which account for 50% of the CO2 released into the atmosphere, then we will be saving the world.
But for now, they are going to tell the people what WE should be doing differently when it's really what they need to be doing. Bastards.
etanretla says:
10:12 PM, 03/08/2011
i guess saving the world now lies in the hands of a few...make that a very few...given the price tag on these alternatively fueled vehicles...nice car though.../
albook says:
05:48 PM, 03/08/2011
50k, huh...
cheaf33 says:
02:39 PM, 03/08/2011
@ delraylocal
Even if an electric car is charged with electricity that comes from burning coal, it only emits 40g/km of Co2 including extraction of coal. It is still 60g/km less than a Prius... But if you add the extraction process of oil, it come to 450-500g/km + Electric car didn't required oil change + its much more easy to control emission from thousand electricity power plant than 600 000 000 cars. Also, where i live, electricity is 97,5% hydroelectricity...
gtrguy2012 says:
02:00 PM, 03/08/2011
Thats a pretty decent price, I expected it to be in the $100K range. I'd still buy a CLS550 over this for the same money, just saying.
dc325ix says:
01:54 PM, 03/08/2011
delraylocal - yes for now you are correct - but soon solar & wind charging stations will provide the charge for these vehicles, they're coming and remember rome wasnt built in a day and this is a start.
delraylocal says:
01:11 PM, 03/08/2011
Power plants make electricity out of other forms of energy. Most electricity in the U.S. today comes from converting the heat energy released from burning fossil fuels--coal, natural gas and oil.
Electric cars are not going to save the environment.
That said, the car is nice looking.
jhatmaker24 says:
11:27 AM, 03/08/2011
17" infotainment touchscreen!?