Tesla tidbits: new retail stores, Model S prototype, extended warranty

Last we heard, Tesla was reevaluating some business decisions as it sought to become a thriving, profitable enterprise in 2009. In a lengthy newsletter sent out to over 60,000 subscribers today, CEO Elon Musk has laid out a torrent of news. Most notable are the imminent openings of retail locations in Chicago and London’s Knightsbridge district, with four other locations slated to open before the year’s end. Additionally, a street-drivable prototype of the Model S four door sedan will be unveiled on March 26th, with production scheduled for 2011. We’re also informed of updates on the Smart car / Daimler partnership, a few new interior options for the Roadster, a battery replacement program and the new extended warranty. Chances are, Tesla owners have already digested all of this, but those looking in from the outside should certainly have a peek at the full letter just after the break.

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Tesla tidbits: new retail stores, Model S prototype, extended warranty originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tazzari Zero’s preliminary specs released

Italian industrial firm Tazzari has announced preliminary specs and launched a new website for its plug-in auto, the Zero. Measuring 113.5 inches long and sporting 15-inch wheels, the city-bound electric car weighs in at 1,200 pounds — 312 of that from the lithium-ion Fe battery. It’ll handle 88 miles with a full charge that takes 9 hours to fill, but you can reportedly juice up to 80% in just 50 minutes. Top speed is 56 MPH, so don’t expect to be driving this on the highway, and it can go from 0 to 31 in under 5 seconds. The company says it’s due out later this year in Europe and the Carribean for less than 20,000 Euros ($25,760), and yes, there’s a dozen Crayola-inspired colors available. Hit up the official site for a trailer.

[Via Autoblog Green]

Read – Preliminary specs
Read – Official Tazzari Zero website

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Tazzari Zero’s preliminary specs released originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aptera unveils full specs for its flagship 2e

Heads up, the fine folks at Autoblog Green have gotten their oil-encrusted hands on a full list of specs for Aptera’s 2e electric car, now on display at this year’s Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference. The 1,500-pound aerodynamic vessel has just a 0.15 coefficient of drag and features a smart key, emergency tire inflation, and energy-reflective solar glass. Inside, we’ve got LED dome lights mounted overhead, a DVD-based navigation system, optional rear backup camera, and interior fabrics / plastics made from recycled materials. The company’s still touting 100 miles on a single charge of the 10 to 13 kWh lithium ion phosphate battery pack. No new details on price, which we last heard would be between $25,000 and $45,000 — zipping down the road in a space-age cruiser doesn’t come cheap, you know.

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Aptera unveils full specs for its flagship 2e originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 18:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Takeoka Jidosha Kogei’s electric minicar gets slightly more macro, even more cute

Takeoka Jidosha Kogei's electric minicar gets slightly more macro, even more cute

Japanese minicar manufacturer Takeoka Jidosha Kogei’s Milieu R is the perfect car for anti-social folks, featuring only one seat and a range of 50km that’s just enough to make your commute while being limited enough to get you out of going to the bar afterward. Thus far those who socialize only with (very) small animals have been left out of the company’s offerings, but that all changes with this new prototype, the T10. It’s ever so slightly larger, gaining 90mm in length and 40mm in width, making room for a shelf to the left of the driver’s seat intended for some sort of pet (we’re guessing hamster, possibly a petite guinea pig). The other specs, including that 50 km range and top speed of 55 km/h, stay the same, meaning there’d still be no concerns about getting to work early or having to socialize afterward, but we’re not sure its charming looks make up for a price tag set to be somewhere north of ¥856,000 (about $9,520); awfully close to that of a “real” car. At least it looks a little safer than the HUVO.

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Takeoka Jidosha Kogei’s electric minicar gets slightly more macro, even more cute originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shelby’s amazing Aero EV: 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds, 10 minute recharge

Man juices in a boil? No shame, that’s Shelby Super Cars’ Aero EV in pursuit of the “world’s fastest production electric car” title. SSC just came clean with the details behind its All-Electric Scalable Powertrain (AESP) producing 1,000 horsepower and 800 lb-ft of torque that rips the Aero EV through 0 to 60 in just 2.5 seconds at a 208mph top speed. Compare that to the Tesla Roadster’s 0-60 in 3.9 seconds (or 3.7 for the 2009 sport model) and you’ll understand all the hubbub, bub. Better yet, the 150-220 mile battery can be refilled in just 10 minutes (Tesla takes 3.5 hours) from a 220V service thanks to what SSC calls its “Charge on the Run” onboard charging system — something that nearly eliminates (or at least minimizes) the need for a battery swapping infrastructure. The first full-scale, pre-production Ultimate Aero EV should be on the streets before June with production deliveries expected in the fourth quarter. Now we just need a price.

[Via inhabitat]

Shelby’s amazing Aero EV: 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds, 10 minute recharge originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 06:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aptera rolls out first pre-production vehicle, promises shipments in October

Although the swoopy Aptera electric went up for pre-orders back in October of 2007, we haven’t really seen much of the futuristic car outside of the odd Star Trek cameo. Hopefully that’s about to change, though — the company just rolled out the first pre-production example its flagship model, the 2e. The three-wheeled car gets the equivalent of 200mpg, and the company claims the lithium-ion battery pack will last for 100 miles on a single charge. Aptera isn’t giving out final pricing information apart from “between $25,000 and $45,000” but it says over 4,000 potential customers have already signed up for a planned California-only October release. We’ll see how it goes — and we’d bet the folks at the Automotive X-Prize are keeping a sharp eye as well.

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Aptera rolls out first pre-production vehicle, promises shipments in October originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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City of Newark, Delaware implements Vehicle-to-Grid trials

Newark, Delaware has become the first city in the US to test drive vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. Led by professor Willett Kempton, researchers at the University of Delaware are conducting experiments at two different outlets, using electric cars as energy storage to assuage local power fluctuations. When parked at home, Kempton says his ride’s got enough juice to power 7 or 8 nearby homes for 30 minutes, should the need arise. Meanwhile, the city is doing its own assessments to make sure the cars don’t energize downed lines. What we’re really interested in is the potential for discounts from the electric company. Plugging in our clunker for a few dollars off monthly utilities? Yes, please.

[Via PhysOrg]

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City of Newark, Delaware implements Vehicle-to-Grid trials originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daimler taps Tesla’s battery know-how for electric Smart

Daimler taps Tesla's battery know-how for electric Smart

Daimler has been talking about electric Smart cars for about 10 years now, but the closest you’ve ever been able to come to a production model has been to go all KIRF-style and buy a knock-off CMEC City Smart. At the North American International Auto Show this past week the company again confirmed that a little Smart that runs on little batteries is still in the works, announcing plans to release 1,000 electric fortwos on lease here in the States by the end of the year. Now that the show is over, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is letting everyone know that his company will be producing those little batteries, a partnership the likes of which he must surely be hoping to develop with other manufacturers as they jump on the EV bandwagon. 1,000 cars is disappointingly few, but it’s better than the paltry 500 plug-in Prius models Toyota plans to pilot here.

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Daimler taps Tesla’s battery know-how for electric Smart originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla revs up more powerful Roadster Sport: starts at $128,500

Don’t even bother with that BRABUS overhaul, as you can now get a Roadster with 15 percent more peak power and a 0 to 60 time of 3.7 seconds right from the factory. Out of seemingly nowhere, Tesla Motors has just announced the lovingly refined Roadster Sport, which arrives with a hand-wound stator and increased winding density for lower resistance and higher peak torque. You’ll also notice Yokohama Ultra High Performance tires, improved suspension with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars that will be tuned to the driver’s preference. The automaker is taking orders now in the US ($128,500 and up) and Europe (starts at €112,000), with deliveries slated to begin in late June — oh, and if you’re currently on the waiting list for a standard Roadster, you most certainly can scratch the upgrade itch.

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Tesla revs up more powerful Roadster Sport: starts at $128,500 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus powersliding into the hybrid car market

Lotus powersliding into the hybrid car marketIf you want to make a car handle — and handle well — you call Lotus. Just ask Tesla; without the help of the gearheads in Hethel, the US’s hottest electric vehicle would probably still be just a concept. Perhaps dissatisfied with the relatively minimal PR love it’s been receiving from the Tesla relationship, Lotus has announced plans to develop its own battery-powered car. However, unlike the all-electric Roadster, this new offering will include a Volt-like supplementary fuel-burning engine to add a bit more range and, one would figure, rather a lot more mass. That’s not exactly good news for those who worship the Lotus mantra of “to add speed, add lightness,” but at this point we don’t have any idea about what the thing will weigh, cost, or indeed look like. If all goes according to plan we should get some answers when those international automotive powerhouses who are still alive bum a ride to the Geneva Auto Show in March.

[Via Autoblog]

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Lotus powersliding into the hybrid car market originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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