TeslaModelS
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Daimler buys 10% stake in Tesla, offers parts and know-how
Daimler and Tesla have been working together in a limited capacity for some time now, but the two made their relationship official in a pretty big way earlier today, with Daimler announcing that it has bought a 10% stake in Tesla, and that it'll be lending a hand with both parts and engineering. Of course, as with most things Tesla, there's no firm price tag attached to the deal, although it's said to be in the "double digit millions." They're a bit more specific when it comes to the working relationship, however, which will apparently include Tesla "leveraging Daimler's engineering, production and supply chain expertise" in ways that'll "accelerate" bringing the Model S to production. Tesla will also reportedly work on battery pack integration and battery management systems for Daimler from here on out, and the two will continue to collaborate on Daimler's second-generation Smart ED electric vehicle that's slated to go into production later this year. Interestingly, as AutoBlog points out, the deal also gives Tesla access to the automotive lithium-ion cells being produced by Daimler subsidiary Li-Tec which, when we're talking about electric vehicles, is no small thing.
Tesla reportedly snags some funding from GE (updated)
This isn't fully official just yet, but a recently leaked Car and Driver interview with Tesla CEO Elon Musk looks to have all but confirmed that the company received some funding from GE Capital as part of its current $40 million haul. While the exact amount GE has invested isn't clear, the company is apparently the second-largest investor in this round of financing, behind only Musk himself. As you're no doubt aware, this is on top of the $350 million in loans that Tesla is apparently close to securing from the U.S. government, which isn't exactly enough for it to rest easy given its ambitions, but is at least slightly encouraging for folks itching to get behind the wheel of a Model S. Musk even goes one step further in an attempt to assure potential customers in the interview, saying that "even in the worst case of an Armageddon scenario, I'll personally refund people [their money] if need be," adding quickly that he thinks there's "very little danger of that."Update: According to Earth2Tech, this deal is off the table... and may have never been on it to begin with. GE Capital was apparently "closely watching" Tesla, but there had been no official deal. When the site reached out to Tesla, here's what they had to say:GE had committed to invest in Tesla and sent an e-mail confirming the investment, but GE backed out on the day it was supposed to wire funds to Tesla. The decision came after GE went into company-wide capital conservation mode.So, really, no kind of investment at all. If you were a Tesla shareholder, you'd probably be thinking about putting a tighter leash on Elon Musk right around now.Update 2: Here's a statement directly from Tesla:GE has not invested in Tesla.When Car & Driver interviewed Elon Musk a couple months ago, GE had committed to invest in Tesla and had sent an e-mail confirming the investment. But GE backed out on the day it was supposed to wire funds to Tesla. The decision came after GE went into company-wide capital conservation mode.In any case, GE's investment allocation was taken up by venture capital firms Westly Group, Technology Partners and Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Tesla closed the $40 million round without a problem earlier this year.Read - GE Invests In TeslaRead - GE "Watching" Tesla, Does Not (Yet) Invest
Tesla CEO says Model S isn't really expensive, when you think about it
With a promised price tag of less than $50,000 (after a $7,500 federal tax credit), the new Tesla Model S sedan is certainly a good deal cheaper than Tesla's pricey roadster, not to mention its competitors, but according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, it's actually quite a bargain compared to your run-of-the-mill sedan as well. As Musk tells it, "the ownership cost of Model S, if you were to lease and then account for the much lower cost of electricity versus gasoline at a likely future cost of $4 per gallon, is similar to a gasoline car with a sticker price of about $35,000." Musk further adds that the Model S would still be a bargain "even if gasoline were $1 per gallon," saying that it costs just $5 to drive 230 miles. Of course, all of that assumes that you'll actually be able to get your hands on the car one of these days, but Musk seems confident that'll happen as well, saying that the company is "close" to receiving $350 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Energy, which would be used to build the plant in California that would manufacture the Model S.
Tesla Model S now official
After a brief period of unofficial officialness this morning, Tesla has rolled out the Model S to a sea of eager photographers. The company's also revealed specs for the EV: this seven-seater can go from 0 to 60 MPH in 5.6 seconds, boasts a top speed of 120 MPH, features a dashboard display and a 17-inch main touchscreen monitor. It's fully 3G capable, sports HD and satellite radio, uses LED and neon exterior lights, smart-key power, and push button gear selector. While that $49,900 base price will get you a battery that's good for 160 miles per charge, 230-mile and 300-mile range packs will be available. On a 220V outlet, the company says it'll charge in four hours with a 45 minute "QuickCharge" option, and you should be able to swap batteries if necessary in under 8 minutes. Excited? Find a way to control yourself, this baby isn't going into production in Q3 2011. Check out a brief glimpse of the interior after the break.
Tesla Model S official shots unofficially unveiled
Kevin Rose has some Tesla Model S imagery up on his Flickr account, including the first unshrouded pictures of the car, along with a rather wild interior shot. The all-electric sedan is styled beautifully -- if rather predictably -- but things start to get weird on the inside. In what looks to be a concept car mockup of the interior, there appears to be a large touchscreen taking the place of the entire center console, wrapped irregularly by dashboard padding. The instruments panel also appears to be a screen, though it could just be a mockup at this stage. Concept cars typically have rather strange and unlikely interiors compared to their tame street-legal counterparts, but even so, if this indeed isn't some sort of cruel Photoshop trickery, we'd say Tesla really outdid itself here. Besides, who needs safe, tactile ways of adjusting climate and audio settings when you're living life this large?[Via Autoblog Spanish]
Tesla Model S priced just under $50K, rest of car still shrouded in mystery
While much of the Tesla Model S is still a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in an inconvenient white cloth, the company has revealed the EV will list for $57,400, which after the $7,500 federal tax credit puts the final price at just a Benjamin under $50,000. That's almost $40,000 less than the Fisher Karma and $10,000 more than the estimated price of Chevy Volt. Of course, we still haven't actually seen the thing, but at least we won't have to wait much longer for that -- the grand unveiling is set for this Thursday at Tesla's design studio.[Via NPR; thanks, mitchell]
First Tesla Model S teaser shot silently sneaks onto the scene
Tesla just dropped word yesterday that a drivable prototype of its Model S sedan would be unveiled on March 26th, but the automaker has now gone one step further and let loose the first official teaser image of what we can only assume is said prototype. In true teaser fashion, there isn't a whole lot to see, but as AutoblogGreen points out, it is fairly evident that the Model S is at least shorter than the rival Fisker Karma, and it seems to boast a larger passenger compartment to boot. Hit up the link below to check out a higher res shot, and don't be surprised if Tesla continues to tease this one out right up until that March 26th launch date.
