Hasta La Gadget!

We just a good look at the crazy touchscreen console in the Tesla Model S electric Sedan, the most interesting feature of which is that it has a 3G connection all the time.

In addition to that, there’s the center console’s controls, which are full touchscreen, can manipulate your iPod, Google Maps as well as streaming radio. There’s HD, AUX, USB and iPod input to the car, so that covers the major device you’d be able to use too. The current design looks really busy at first glance, but that’s probably because the entire console takes the place of what used to be a slew of buttons and knobs and dials.

The RFID tag is also very interesting. When you walk up to the car, the Model S detects your RFID keytag and pops out the handles for you. When you want to start up the car, there’s no start button. You just sit there and wait for the car to detect your RFID presence.

Tesla Motors has shipped 200 completed Roadsters, with 1,000 more waiting for delivery, the company said in a statement Wednesday. The car is also sold out through November. The company said that the Roadster has a smaller carbon footprint than a Prius, even in the worst possible case where all of the electricity comes from coal.

Next up, Tesla plans to unveil the Model S sedan—a four-door electric car at a lower price point—on March 26th at the Tesla design studio located within the SpaceX rocket factory. Despite recently putting its San Jose-based factory construction on hold, Tesla still plans to put the car into production for 2011.

The company’s shrewd loan application to the government has also been approved. It expects to receive $350 million in loans over the next four to five months, in addition to the $40 million of venture capital it recently signed up. The company also said it is still on track to develop an electric version of the Smart in a partnership with Daimler.

Finally, Tesla addressed what it said was a top concern from potential customers: the battery. Tesla engineers claim that a Tesla battery pack should last approximately seven years or over 100,000 miles under normal use, and that it will cost $12,000 to receive a replacement pack in seven years. The company will also pro-rate it so that it costs less if a customer decides to do it earlier.

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.

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

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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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Tesla can’t catch a break lately—even if it’s clear they deserve part of the blame themselves. The automaker has decided to put plans for a new factory in San Jose, previously announced last year for the Model S, on hold for now, according to Silicon Alley Insider.

It turns out Tesla couldn’t raise the necessary $100 million in venture capital in order to build the factory. “Instead, the company is hoping to get $400 million from the government as part of the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program,” the report said; of that, $250 million would go into the factory and $150 million into a separate powertrain facility.

The report speculates that the move may be a negotiating tactic on the part of Tesla to get the city of San Jose to come back with a sweeter offer. Tesla currently plans to have the Model S, a less expensive, four-door sedan intended to compliment the Tesla Roadster, on the road for 2011.

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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