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Tesla Model S is almost production-ready, does photo shoot to prove it
You're looking at an unlikely picture: two Tesla EVs on the same street. The Silicon Valley carmaker is hoping to become more mainstream, however, when it releases its Model S sedan next year to complement the exuberantly expensive Roadster 2.5. Tesla has just released photos of the latest, nearly production-ready build of the Model S to whet our appetites. The shots reveal a couple of sleek cosmetic changes to the front bumper and body panels, but mainly we're just happy to see the S rolling on schedule. Oh yes, and there's another glimpse of the 17-inch infotainment console, which Auto Evolution now reports will be accompanied by built-in 3G. Sounds dandy, but that $57,400 starting price had better include a data plan. Man, who are we kidding? [Thanks, Lucian]
Coda sets target of 50,000 electric vehicles sold by 2015, mostly in the US
Upstart Coda Automotive may not have met its original goal to start selling its all-electic sedan in California by the end of 2010, but that's not stopping it from making some other fairly bold projections. Apparently, the company is now on track to begin selling the car in the US sometime in the second half of this year, and it's set a target of 10,000 to 14,000 cars sold in the first 12 months after its launch, and a full 50,000 sold by 2015 -- all mostly in the United States. As for the car itself, it doesn't look like a whole lot has changed lately -- it'll run you $37,400 after the federal tax savings, and give you a range of between 90 and 120 miles on a charge from its lithium iron phosphate battery, which can be fully topped off in just six hours. You can already reserve one at the link below if that sounds like the electric car you've been waiting for.
Panasonic's 3.1Ah batteries to be used in the Tesla Model S, have highest energy density yet
Encouraging news for all you EV enthusiasts out there: Tesla's Model S appears to still be on track for its planned 2012 launch and will be using battery technology offering the highest energy density "in the world." Built in Panasonic's new fab in Suminoe, Japan, these 3.1Ah cells (you can just about see one of them being held by the two corporate types above) will be manufactured at a rate of more than 300 million per year. Considering each car would require a few more than 6,000 of them for its full energy storage, that means Tesla would be able to churn out about 48,000 Model S sedans per year. Then again, the company has only sold about 1,000 units of its Roadster so far, so we doubt it'll be pushing Panasonic's max production capacity any time soon. Still, good to know things are progressing in the right direction.
Tesla pulls in $465 million government loan to build Model S electric sedan
The Detroit News is reporting that Tesla has closed on a $465 million low-cost loans from the Energy Department to work on its next electric vehicle, the Model S sedan.The funds will apparently be used by the company to build manufacturing plants in California. The loan, which closed on Monday and was approved back in June, will come from the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program, which has about $25 billion to dole out to automakers manufacturing energy efficient vehicles. The Model S will, when complete, boast an up to 300-mile driving range, and will hit up to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds. It's supposed to hit production in 2012 with an output of 20,000 units (that means cars) per year.
Video: Coda Automotive bringing Miles Electric's sedan to California in 2010
Remember that Miles Electric sedan we heard about last month? Yeah, well it's coming to California's shores next year. An all new car company, doing business under the name of Coda Automotive, has just been formed in order to bring said vehicle into production. The all-electric, four-door Coda won't break down any walls in the design department, but the $45,000 (mid-$30,000s after a $7,500 Federal tax credit and additional state incentives) whip sure sounds promising as an eco-friendly daily driver. Reportedly, it'll cruise for around 90 to 120 miles without needing a recharge, and the batteries within can be charged enough for a 40-mile commute in two hours. It'll also ship with a navigation system, Bluetooth, iPod support and power everything as standard, but sadly, there's no telling when it'll be sold outside of the The Golden State. Video promo is after the break.
