Tesla talks future EV models for 2015

2012 has already been a pretty big year for Tesla. Just last month it started shipping out the first of its Model S cars to customers, and earlier this year the company announced that its Model X crossover will enter production in late 2013. Despite having one model fresh off the assembly line and another entering production soon, Telsa has revealed plans for a third model, which chief designer Franz von Holzhausen hopes will enter production as early as 2015.


This new line of EVs is primarily planned as a competitor to the BMW 3-series, and Holzhausen says that Tesla is aiming for a $30,000 price tag on the new cars. He also says that Telsa is going to be a little more open minded when it comes to the design and personality of its cars moving forward, telling Autocar that the company will “become more experimental as we develop as a brand.”

Elsewhere on the internet, Car and Driver says that not only is Tesla planning a BMW 3 competitor, but it’s also working on a new version of the roadster. Both the roadster and the 3 competitor will likely be based on the Model S’s platform, but both will probably also be a bit smaller, meaning that the range of these new cars might not be able to match that of the Model S.

So, some exciting news coming out of Tesla today. Sadly, with the Model X and the Model S taking up the lion’s share of Tesla’s attention at the moment, the earliest we’ll probably see these cars is 2015. But hey, what’s life without a little something to look forward to now and then?

[via Car and Driver]


Tesla talks future EV models for 2015 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Mercedes reportedly scraps hybrid plan for B-Class E-Cell Plus EV, going all-in on electrons with Tesla

mercedes-no-hybrid-for-e-cell-plus-Tesla

Mercedes’ plans for a B-Class E-Cell Plus plug-in hybrid might headed for a change of direction. Take this all with a spoonful of NaCl, but looks like an all-electric powertrain made by none other than Tesla will be installed in the EV. As Autoblog Green notes, an anonymous spokesperson has reportedly claimed that the system switch-up is being made due to economics — higher rebates and incentives are possible for zero-emission vehicles in the EV’s US target market. No technical details were given on the new powertrain, but the original idea was to have a Volt-like 138-horsepower electric powerplant for the B-Class compact, with a 67-horsepower gas engine backing it up. At the very least, a collaboration between the two companies would make sense, since the Stuttgart automaker is effectively a five percent stakeholder in Tesla. So if you’ve been holding out for an EV with the Merc touch, check the source for the details.

Mercedes reportedly scraps hybrid plan for B-Class E-Cell Plus EV, going all-in on electrons with Tesla originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Jul 2012 03:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Analysts buoyant on launch of Tesla Model S

Tesla finally got its Model S electric car into the hands of some of the people that pre-ordered. This is a huge deal for the electric car company because it racked up 10,000 pre-orders from customers who all gave a $5000 deposit. The pricing on the car is far from cheap starting at $50,000 and going to over $100,000.

Despite the high cost and the fact that many still consider electric vehicles not ready for the mainstream, Tesla has plans to sell as many as 20,000 units annually once production is ramped up. Analysts are very happy with the prospects for Tesla and are predicting that overall 2013 sales, including the Model S and Tesla’s two-seat roadster will be about $1.48 billion, up from $1.35 billion last year.

Analysts are also predicting Tesla will rack up earnings per share of $.23 next year. One analyst from Needham named Michael Lew expects the Model S gross margins to eventually reach 25% allowing for the carmaker to break-even by the middle of 2013. Most analysts didn’t change the buy recommendation the placed on Tesla stock.

[via Market Watch]


Analysts buoyant on launch of Tesla Model S is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.