Tesla to go mainstream in 2016 with $30,000 electric-car

Currently, Tesla Motors sells just one car - the $109,000 Roadster. The company has sold just 700 units of the electric sports car and hit profits for the first time in July; No biggie, the Big 3 and other automakers have nothing to worry about… right? Wrong, according to a report by AutoWeek, Tesla has plans to move into mainstream U.S. auto sales over the next 6 years.

The California company recently received $465 million in low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Energy to support the production of its new Model S sedan. Tesla said that it will use $365 million from the loan to produce the electric-sedan, which will seat four and will start at $49,900 after a $7,500 U.S. federal tax credit. Tesla believes it can sell about 20,000 units a year.

What else does Tesla have up its sleeve? The company says that 5-years after the Tesla Model S sedan...
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thstone - 8/24/2009 1:08:02 PM

+4 Boost

Good plan. Except for the fact that the GM Volt will be available 6 YEARS earlier.

veyron1001 - 8/24/2009 1:20:25 PM

-1 Boost

The honda S2000 has been out for 10 years and cost the fraction of the amount of the volt. So your point?

Joe_Limon - 8/24/2009 2:17:12 PM

0 Boost

For once I agree with veyron's sarcasm. This tesla will be a pure electric car, it will be in a different class altogether and due to the relative lack of pure electric cars, will probably gain market share tremendously fast.

thstone - 8/24/2009 6:19:30 PM

+2 Boost

My point is that the GM will have already sold a Volt to anyone and everyone who wants/needs/desires/can afford/or is even mildly interested in a $40-$50K electric car by the time that the Tesla Model S hits the showroom floor. Six years is a tad late to the show.

thstone - 8/24/2009 6:32:04 PM

+2 Boost

As for pure electric cars, the BMW Mini-E and Nissan Leaf, among others, will easily beat the Tesla Model S to market by several years as well.

Joe_Limon - 8/24/2009 8:44:40 PM

+1 Boost

the model s is already being sold... this article refers to a new cheap car. The nissan leaf will only get hard core environmentalist sales, and where is this mini-e? isn't it only in europe?

No, by the time we get a mass produced electric car that looks good, even the people who rushed out and bought volt's will be looking for a new car.

rxh8me9000 - 8/25/2009 5:16:24 AM

0 Boost

Tesla could come out with a new model 20 years from now. Time is not a problem. It is actually working with them. They now have 6 years to watch and see what goes wrong in the volt,make those problems non existent in the Tesla which will than get praise in reviews from car mags which will claim it as not "having quirky signature problems of other electric vehicles" get what im saying?

rxh8me9000 - 8/25/2009 5:17:27 AM

0 Boost

I think Tesla is going to be big. Like real big for a company that came out of nowhere. Its going to take time though,but if they could mass produce their product now,im sure people would flock to buy.