Tesla announces the Model S: a $60k, all-electric, five passenger sports sedan

Our favorite Terminator (and Governor of California) Arnold Schwarzenegger has just helped Tesla Motors make an announcement that's probably sending chills through traditional automaker's boardrooms. The company has just introduced a fully-electric, five passenger sports sedan dubbed the Model S, which will be selling for $60,000, and will manage 225 miles on a full charge. The carmaker says it will produce the vehicles in a brand new manufacturing plant it's opening in Northern California. We're on the ground at the announcement right now -- no pictures or release date have surfaced yet, but you'll know more as soon as we do.

[Apreche @ Jun 30th 2008 2:31PM]

Wow. Imagine what the price would be if they made them overseas...

[Chad @ Jun 30th 2008 2:43PM]

I think it's mostly made in France (power train assembled in California)? Do you mean imagine the price if they made it in a developing country?

[Bill @ Jun 30th 2008 2:48PM]

Keep on Smilin' Your day will soon dawn! Read in Businessweek earlier this year that up to 40 million US jobs will out-source in the next 12 years...basically, anyone who touches a keyboard...

...and with 'medical tourism' gaining ground, plus remote operating/remote surgery, even an MD will avail you not.

...so get out your snow shovels and lawn mowers America - those jobs cannot yet be out sourced (Hmmmm Predator drones in Afghanistan being flown by Brits in a base just outside Las Vegas...so why not remote mowers piloted by an Indian in Bangalore? Just give it time.)

Oh, but wait...I just realized our government, unhappy with how fast we were sending all our factories and capital to the third world, decided to import the third world here. Sorry, those landscaping jobs have just been insourced; Hola Gringo!

Laugh, and laugh; we are but whistling past the graveyard.

[drumstyk1 @ Jun 30th 2008 2:48PM]

can i haz telsa car?
I wonder if semi-transparent gray is also the color of the future

[Ignatius @ Jun 30th 2008 2:56PM]

Bill, there's already robotic lawn mowers. :P

[SITEiNK @ Jun 30th 2008 3:16PM]

That wouldn't be cool. More manufacturing needs to be done here.
The more jobs that are local, the better able locals are to actually afford the product sold.
One manufacturer setting up shop actually influences other suppliers to follow suit.
Besides eco-friendly etiquette dictates the closer to home you get your consumables, the more eco-friendly you are.
Developing countries will have little drive to innovate if developed nations continue to take advantage of them by having their comparable slave labor produce our goods.
It's hard to have (manufacturing) pride in something called American, but made in China.
Just as stupid as saying "Hello from Seattle, Made in China. or Designed by Apple in California, Made in China." Those statements aren't fooling anyone, it's obvious the manufacturing pride is China's alone.
By casting off their lots, the developed nations are actually devolving into more primitive, less technologically-capable nations. They need to stay in the manufacturing game too, in order to stay competitive and keep their economies well rounded.

[ekwmin @ Jun 30th 2008 3:47PM]

What about Toyota building automobiles here? Should we tell them to build them in Japan instead?

[Reid @ Jun 30th 2008 4:45PM]

Bill,

Only people with zero understanding of economics or history buy into the scare tactics about outsourcing. Funny that I work in high tech (the most outsourced industry) and I don't know a single person who cares or is worried about outsourcing.

Enjoy the Lou Dobbs show.

[germs @ Jun 30th 2008 7:02PM]

Really Reid? You don't know anyone who's upset with outsourcing?
Would you happen to be in management?

I can flick a penny and hit ten people who are upset with outsourcing. I can also tell you that the people who we've outsourced are replaced with workers who are completely incompetent. I can also attest to the outsourced developers from our clients are also completely incompetent and are incapable of finishing a project. Ever. I can tell you this and I can tell it to you from many unique and different instances.
I can also tell you that this greatly affects our business, and we actually lose clients when our client's developers are so inept that the client decides to cut their losses and end the project prematurely just to save what they have left.

Here's another thing I can tell you, Reid: the greatest booming economy in Europe right now is Ireland because they sunk their money into education for mathematics and engineering. We use to have similar programs, but have quietly and effectively given them the boot. Our math and science graduates are diminishing and already we can see the negative trend in our production, and economy.
And what's to blame the students for instead going for an education major over math and science? There are fewer jobs, the risk is greater, and compared to education majors the benefits are astronomically out of proportion.

So Reid, really, you're the half-wit for thinking that turning a quick buck from outsourcing is what keeps our economy strong. It's people like you that piss me off because now I have to answer the phone and I have to hear someone ask to speak to our IT supervisor so they can give him a presentation on outsourcing IT work.

[SITEiNK @ Jun 30th 2008 11:28PM]

ekwmin @ :
If we're American's, we'd want to have as much manufacturing here as we can get, because it only makes it better for our neighbors and our kids.

Yes, I probably would appropriate a Japanese version of a Japanese car more than one made anywhere else, but your missing the point of localization.
Products sold here, should be made here, products sold in Japan should be made in Japan - that's the localization mantrea.

But I am addressing a larger issue of trade imbalance caused by the lack of foresight by too many ill-meaning or just plain stupid members of management - in particular the ones who have much to gain from outsourcing.

It's not a bad thing to desire a return to our own manufacturing pride - it's been on hiatus for far too long.

[sleekdark @ Jun 30th 2008 11:42PM]

The new CEO of Virgin Media, Neil Berkett, has openly stated in an interview that they think net neutrality is “a load of bollocks” and claimed they're already doing deals to deliver some people’s content faster than others. They would then put websites and services that don't pay Virgin in the "slow lane", meaning those sites would load slowly and cause most users to give up using them, feeling forced to use whatever Virgin wants to push through their network.

This is not the first time an internet provider infringes upon net neutrality, but it is the first time that an ISP so brutally states that they simply plan to limit internet access to a television-like system in which the access provider completely regulates the content you have access to.

Virgin Media has over 3.5 million customers in the UK and the real danger is that when they start applying this system to their network, all major internet providers around the globe will soon follow the trend. Because this is exactly what major ISP's have been wanting to do for years.

But we can stop it.

If the masses of the internet react against this, we will set an example of what happens when one provider tries to take away our freedom. We will make it very clear that any ISP who tries to infringe upon net neutrality will see its popularity go down the drain because the users don't accept it. And we'll see to it that only the providers who care about safeguarding our internet freedom have our support.

Speak out in any way you can and spread the word.

[germs @ Jul 3rd 2008 3:49PM]

@sleekdark:

Or you could elect a president vowing to legislate net neutrality. Make telecoms a dumb pipe by voting.

[ii @ Jun 30th 2008 2:32PM]

how do you stuff 5 people in that electro car ?

you could've dig little deeper for a better pic, josh

[Danakin @ Jun 30th 2008 2:36PM]

the image is of the Tesla Roadster (2 person vehicle) 250 mpc (miles per charge)

http://www.teslamotors.com/

[Chad @ Jun 30th 2008 2:44PM]

There doesn't seem to be any information on the Tesla Motors site about this announcement (yet)... what is the source of this announcement?

[Tim @ Jun 30th 2008 2:32PM]

Awesome.

Hopefully Tesla's factory puts together some quality, reliable cars. I'm excited to see these on the road.

[Vidit Bhargava @ Jun 30th 2008 2:39PM]

im gonna buy one as they're available

[Kakabonae @ Jun 30th 2008 2:32PM]

How long do you think it will be before those free car magazines they have in the stores advertising used cars for sale will include used electric cars? That'll be when we know things have really started to turn around...
(and also I can't afford a brand new electric car, especially this one, so I was just hoping ;D)

[thedesolate1 @ Jun 30th 2008 2:39PM]

Not likely anytime soon considering the cost of these electric cells and how often they have to be replaced.

[James Bowe @ Jul 1st 2008 9:05AM]

the batteries are designed to last for the life of the car, which should be around 200,000 miles. the NiMH batteries in toyota's and honda's hybrids have so far been meeting or exceeding those goals. hopefully tesla's lithium batteries will do the same, in which case, you'll see used tesla's for sale, maybe you'll even buy one.

[Joe @ Jun 30th 2008 2:33PM]

I hope that the five-seater isn't pictured, because it is NOT SAFE to have someone sitting on the driver's lap or the shifter.

[Danakin @ Jun 30th 2008 2:35PM]

hahaha

[Vidit Bhargava @ Jun 30th 2008 3:08PM]

they removed the pic ;)

[johnzilla @ Jun 30th 2008 4:59PM]

It might not be safe to sit on the shifter, but I bet for some people its a lot of fun.

[Reader @ Jul 1st 2008 2:13AM]

I've seen that video! Oh wait...

[cj @ Jun 30th 2008 2:33PM]

wow I hope with this vehicle, electric vehicles along with other environmentally friendly cars become more economically viable...
I'm just tired of paying $1.35+/litre (in canada) at the pump.

[Max @ Jun 30th 2008 2:41PM]

The electrics that came out a decade ago were perfectly economically viable - and that was the problem (for the oil companies).

[teslasnp @ Jun 30th 2008 2:47PM]

electric has been around a bit longer than petrol powered vehicles. not by much, but they definitely didn't come out only a decade ago...

[Technophile @ Jun 30th 2008 2:47PM]

$1.35/L ? Where are you getting it so cheap?

[thatrotierkid @ Jun 30th 2008 2:53PM]

$1.35/L is about $5/gallon US. Considering im paying $3.95 right now I wouldnt consider that cheap

[Max @ Jun 30th 2008 2:55PM]

I was referring to the EV1 model by GM specifically - I wasn't referring to when electric cars were invented or conceptualized in general.

[Joe @ Jun 30th 2008 2:55PM]

Technophile, "liters" is not french for "gallons." :)

$1.35/L is about $5.11/gallon.

[Technophile @ Jun 30th 2008 3:03PM]

my bad. for some reason I was thinking 2 liters was = 1 gallon.

[Ignatius @ Jun 30th 2008 3:10PM]

It's actually something like 3.75 liters to a gallon.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Jun 30th 2008 3:41PM]

3.95?! Cheap, cheap, cheap. Come to Chicago and we are hitting 4.20.

[thatrotierkid @ Jun 30th 2008 3:47PM]

like im gonna tell all you what state i live in. youll just move here and raise the gas prices to your levels

$4.20.... hehehe

[lawyer bird @ Jul 1st 2008 12:00AM]

i'm hitting 420 too

...yeah

[Charles B Cabrejos @ Jul 1st 2008 3:08AM]

haha 4.20$? I wish. I live in NYC and it's past 4.30$ and rising.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Jul 1st 2008 9:31AM]

eh, 4.20 is for the suburbs too. I work in the city, so in the city of chicago is getting 4.35+

[jay.viz @ Jun 30th 2008 2:35PM]

Can I get that on a 180 month financing term?

[james @ Jun 30th 2008 2:36PM]

How is $60,000 affordable. I want a nice looking, $15,000 and under electric or diesel/electric hybrid. That would be affordable.

[Sean O @ Jun 30th 2008 2:44PM]

Relax there psycho. $60k is shockingly affordable given the context.

[Paul @ Jun 30th 2008 2:45PM]

not going to happen James - you can barely get a decent gas powered car for that amount.

Best option (seriously) go buy a Geo - those things get 50 MPG

[Joe @ Jun 30th 2008 2:47PM]

It's more affordable than the original Tesla car, which I believe is around $200K.

$60K is beyond my budget for a car too, but I know there are plenty of other cars out there that carry a $60K sticker price. This isn't out-of-this-world expensive for many people.

[Joe @ Jun 30th 2008 2:48PM]

And James, if we're just going to type out what we want in an "I deserve it for no reason" tone, then I want a machine that costs five dollars and gives awesome blowjobs.

[Ignatius @ Jun 30th 2008 3:08PM]

Actually, the 2009 Tesla Roadster is $109,000 base.

With EVERYTHING, I'd assume it'd hit about $150,000...

[Ace b @ Jun 30th 2008 3:44PM]

So they can make a 60,000$ electric car,eh?

Remind me again why they made people pay(and still want us to pay) $109,000 for the tesla roadster?

[jake @ Jun 30th 2008 4:11PM]

@Ace b
The $109,000 roadster is low volume and, unlike the Model S, uses more a expensive carbon fiber body. After all, it is still a sports car that can get 0-60 in 3.9 seconds; being also an EV, so that's not too much to ask. The body and chassis is also made by Lotus, so there is some extra cost there (as opposed to Tesla making it themselves). The Model S will use aluminum instead, most likely have less performance, and will be higher volume, made by Tesla in their own factory, so that will lower the costs by a lot.

You can ask the same question why a small car like the Lotus Elise SC (0-60 4.4 seconds) costs a base price of $54,500 when you can get a 4 door luxury sedan at the same or lesser price. If you look at prices for other brands like Porsche or Ferrari for cars that go 0-60 in 3.9 seconds or under, you can see why the Tesla Roadster costs $109,000.

What your question amounts to is like asking why a Porsche 911 Turbo costs $126,200, when Prosche can make a much larger car (Cayenne)that costs $43,400 !

[bobartig @ Jun 30th 2008 8:51PM]

Think of it this way: They've been able to half the cost of their product, while making it better in the past 2 years. Given that they're not building a) A hard drive, or b) A CPU, that's a pretty good scaling so far. If they can get it to $40k in the next 2 years, I'll be seriously considering one.

Or, if I end up fabulously rich in the same amount of time (6 of one, half a doz...)

[jbodar @ Jun 30th 2008 11:44PM]

@ Joe

Such a machine would put James out of work. Why would you want to do that? I mean, then he couldn't pay for internet access and- OHHHH, I see where you're goin here.