Tesla Model S coming by 2011

Tesla RoadsterTesla has recently applied for a $350 million loan from the US Dept. of Energy (DOE) for the construction of a plant for the Model S. DOE consequently informed Tesla that the loan had been approved and the fund released within 4-5 months.

Such a quick loan approval time has been attributed by the carmaker to President Obama’s move to prioritize Advance Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan program. In this case, the intended 2011 introduction of the Model S is back on track. The Model S will be showcased at the design studio of Tesla and it will be a street-drivable model. Tesla owners will get a $10,000 discount when they buy the Model-S when it arrives and be available for retail in 18 months.
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cococo - 2/12/2009 12:22:51 PM

+1 Boost

Hmmmmm...maybe I should apply for a loan...

holmstar - 2/13/2009 10:36:14 AM

+1 Boost

"So now we just need that 3-4 min recharging time"...

Never gonna happen. Why? even if you had a huge bank of capacitors in your garage that would be capable of delivering that much power that quickly, you would need truly massive cables running from said capacitors to your car. I'm talking cables as thick as your legs. Two of them. Never gonna happen. (unless we figure out room temperature superconductors, then all bets are off)

The only way you could get a fully charged battery that fast with today's tech would be to swap the battery for a fully charged one.

tesla311 - 2/13/2009 12:41:10 PM

+1 Boost

plug it in when you get home, unplug it when you want to drive....elapsed time: 45 seconds, even if you're slow. I realize this is a simplification, but, it would be reality for anyone not driving two hundred plus miles a day. And if we support new technology it will improve, if you perpetuate old technology we will get nowhere fast.

3pointstar - 2/13/2009 7:20:46 PM

+1 Boost

This is what's wrong with the government helping out businesses. The ones that don't deserve to survive do. I would bet that a Fisker Karma is more appealing to the mass market than the Tesla Roadster or their S model. What happened to economic DARWINISM??? This only propogates bad companies and bad products a la GM and Ford. There vehicles have improved a lot, but how many decades did it take for them and how many times did they say, "we'll turn the corner soon?"