Tesla announces S, unwraps Sport

It's been a busy few days for Tesla, a company which more than most will wish to shake the dust of 2008 off its shoes and get on with 2009. During his keynote speech to the Society of Automotive Analysts at the Detroit Motor Show, Tesla CEO Elon Musk let drop a few more titbits about the forthcoming Telsa S saloon. Tesla …

[RichardB]

Confusing...

"The entry price is still expected to be $57,500 (£39,434/€43,375) but that will be for the base-level 150-mile range version. "

"but that's the Signature Edition with all the optional extras at €99,000 (£90,000). The €89,000 (£80,913) base version won't be heading our way until 2010. ®"

So which is it?

[Martin Lyne]

Is it me?

..Or do they look like renders opposed to pictures?

[J]

Looks cool...

That emblem on the hood, from far, reminds me of Ferrari's, though...

[WonkoTheSane]

Tesla F?

I'm waiting for the announcement of a "Tesla F". ie. a fuel-cell version of the roadster.

[MrT]

Renders...?

It'll be the weird way the light falls and a retouched background that does it - the car will have been photo'd in a regular studio with lamps etc. quite close by, and probably a raggedy black curtain behind the bulk of the vehicle. Then Photoshop to the rescue! Added the grey 'pedestal glow', reflection and a full, feature-free black wrap around to it all. Maybe also some colour 'correction' or even a full body retint.

So, it's a bit rendered in appearance, but will be based mostly on the real thing.

[Anonymous Coward]

Still Broken?

Have they fixed the transmission yet - or are they still shipping with an "interim" transmission.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/25/tesla_transmission/

At those prices, the should fix V1 before releasing V2 beta

[Steve Foster]

@Confusing...

The £40k base price is for the Tesla S saloon car. The £80k base price is for the Tesla Roadster sports car.

It's all a matter of reading the article, really.

[David]

Transmission

Was fixed ages ago. There are ~150 cars on the road now with fixed, production transmission.

[Ian Johnston]

If only...

...they could produce cars like they can produce press releases, eh?

If a sooper-dooper 300 mile battery exists for the saloon, how come the Roadster is restricted to 55 miles or so? Or is this just another Tesla claim for something which is just around the corner?

[Simon Elliott]

But where does the leccy come from?

Coal!!!

[Francis Irving]

Saves carbon emissions anyway

Even though the electricity comes from coal, it still saves carbon emissions, because electric engines are so much more efficient than dirty old ICEs. See David MacKay's book for details: http://www.withouthotair.com/

And you can make it nuclear powered later.

[Mike Powers]

"Hand-wound stator"?

That sounds like the Tesla equivalent of "gold-plated cable shielding", or "improved antimicrobial coating".