Tesla Model S. Car number 2 is unveiled.

[Touchdown]

March 26, 2009 Tesla has just pulled the wraps off its eagerly awaited EV sedan - the Model S - and on first impressions, it doesn't disappoint. Gizmag's Dave Weinstein has brought us these first pics from the coal-face.

With a list price of $57,400 (and with federal tax credits bringing it below the $50K mark), the Model S moves the fledgling EV company into a much broader marketplace compared with its first offering, the $109K Tesla Roadster, shifting the company away from its boutique status.

According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the new sedan will cover up to 160 miles on a single charge with the option of an upgraded battery pack bringing that figure to within the region of 300 miles.

http://www.gizmag.com/tesla-model-s/11339/

[rcrush]

1. If Tesla had his way we would have had these cars 60 or 70 years ago.

He was a genius during his time. Edison ripped off a lot of his work.

[ogneopasno]

2. Now that actually looks like a car I would drive. Shiny!

[DJ13]

3. Looks (a little too much) like a 4 door 2009 Jaguar XK

[ConcernedCanuk]

11. A mechanic friend of mine told me DECADES ago that cars would soon look much the same

.
.
.

Nowadays . .

Unless the car has a nameplate on it, especially the smaller fuel efficient ones,

ya can't tell a Ford from a Chrysler from a General Motors product from a Toyota, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Kia -whatever and so on - -

WHY ???

Well he figured it out decades ago -

wind tunnels . . .

To gain fuel economy at highway speeds it was necessary to run cars through wind tunnels to design them for less drag from wind resistance.

And like my friend said,

The WIND can't tell the difference between a Ford and a Toyota . . .

so here we go -

Many of our cars now look very similar -

and will continue to do so.

[Touchdown]

4. Studio Pics... looks like the grill is an option.

[fascisthunter]

6. I like it without even better

[fascisthunter]

5. not bad

[TheCoxwain]

7. If these cars going to be charged by power from COAL then we

are worse off than regular gasoline cars interms of CO2 Emmisions.. A few million of these cars and we are talking serious set back to the Climate Change problem.

But we would be able to wean off mid-eastern oil.

We should really find a way power them using renewable energy sources

[Touchdown]

9. The majority would charge up at night. Off peak hours.

It's not only a more efficient use of our grid, but the environmental impact is less as well.

Coal is bad, but Obama's working on it.

[wuushew]

10. That is flat out wrong on the CO2 claims

do you have a link?

[TheCoxwain]

17. Here I can do some simple back of the envelope calculations for you

Coal plants have an efficiency of 31%
Transmission losses stand about 50%



So even if we assume the battery charging and the electric motor were lossless he net efficiency of the electric car and and the plain automobile is the same ( around 15%).

Now if we examine the CO2 emission factors ( Pounds of C02 per Million BTU) gasoline has the value at 156 while the 'cleanest form of coal' (bituminous) has the value at 205



so electric car has roughly 25% greater CO2 emission than a similarly powered gas-only sedan. I am not even talking hybrid.

[lumberjack_jeff]

12. Fail.

Accounting for the extraction, refining, transportation and delivery of liquid fuels, even in coal country, EVs are responsible for less CO2 emission than conventional cars, AND are responsible for far fewer other pollutants.

Granted, more can be done to capitalize on renewable energy sources, but EVs are a great way to encourage/justify those sources.

[TheCoxwain]

19. Fail Fail

you are simply making an assertion ... see my calculations in post above

[IDemo]

15. False and true

Debunking the Myth of EVs and Smokestacks

One of the most common issues surrounding EVs today is their status as ZEVs.
Critics proclaim that EVs are simply “elsewhere emission vehicles” because they transfer
emissions from the tailpipe to the smokestack. Although there are emissions associated
with coal and oil-fired power plants, smokestack emissions associated with charging EVs
are extremely low.3 In fact, EVs can charge from zero-emission sources such as nuclear,
hydroelectric, solar, and wind power.
The purpose of this paper is to prove that EVs recharging from today’s power plants
are substantially cleaner than even the most efficient ULEVs. The myth that EVs are
“elsewhere emission vehicles” will be put to the test with facts that clearly show EVs and
power plants are cleaner, more efficient and more reliable then the infrastructure that
supports ICE vehicles.

It is true, however, that EV's operating in parts of the country with hydro, nuclear, or wind power plants
will yield much better CO2 reduction figures than in coal powered areas.

[Touchdown]

16. Also, it's a lot easier and cheaper...

for the government to regulate the emissions of 300 power plants, rather than 300 million cars.

[liberal N proud]

8. $57K puts the price right there with many luxury models.

[Touchdown]

13. Well it is a luxury sedan.

American made, equivalent to a Lincoln or Caddy, BMW, Mercedes, or a Japanese poseur Lexus.

0-60 in 5.6 seconds, 45 minute quick charge, sport sedan dynamic, a 17" touchscreen "infotainment center" and a 300+ mile range is not a city runabout.

Tesla's business model was to start at the opposite end of the car spectrum. Instead of going for affordability, like most EV startups (who usually can't get off the ground), they went with high end first, and will eventually expand down to affordable, mass produced cars with every model. This one will most likely have 10 times the production that the $100,000 roadster has, which is only 200 a year. 2000 cars isn't much, but at half the price, they can attract 10 times the buyers, and it's a start for a new way of transportation. If they continue that model, then expect to see a $25,000 Tesla as their third model.

[Touchdown]

14. Hey! Shameless kick. It's green, it's USA made, and it's not Bachmann or Schlomi

:kick:

[NNN0LHI]

18. Kick for a great subject line