TesLa

#1 26-12-2010, 02:19 AM

3,000 Buyers Pay $5,000 to Reserve the Tesla Model S

The Tesla Model S electric sedan is set to go into production next year, with deliveries starting in 2012. Tesla has announced that more than 3,000 buyers have plopped down $5,000 to reserve the sedan.
It may take sometime for Tesla to build 3,000 units of the S sedan, since it has only delivered 1,400 roadsters since it was introduced in 2008.

The Tesla Model S can be recharged from 120v, 208v or 240v outlet and can travel up to 300 miles on a single charge, depending on the trim level the buyer chooses. It reaches 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds and has a top speed of 130 mph.
The base price for the Model S is $49,900 after the $7,500 federal tax credit.
Tesla also plans on building an electric version of the Toyota RAV4 and is currently making 1,500 electric powertrains for the Smart, Fiat 500 and for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

Tesla says more than 3,000 would-be buyers have plunked down $5,000 reservation fees to get in line for its next model, the all-electric Model S. The first versions will be built next year, crash tested and deliveries will start in 2012, Tesla says in a corporate filing.
In the meantime, Tesla says its busy building an electric version of the RAV4 crossover with Toyota and has been delivering prototypes since July. It has a $9 million contract with Toyota. Tesla is also making 1,500 electric powerplants for Smart and 500 for Mercedes-Benz to go into its small A-class vehicle. As a result, Tesla has doubled its engineering workforce since the start of the year. It now numbers more than 400, it says in the filing.
Tesla now has 1,400 of its electric roadsters running around in countries around the world. It says they have cumulatively logged 8 million miles.