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Musk says Tesla Model S sold out

Chris Shunk — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Earnings/Financials, Tesla, Electric

About a month ago we reported that 1,500 Model S buyers showed up at the Tesla NUMMI plant to see firsthand the progress being made at the automaker's new California factory. Many of those buyers even got the chance to drive pre-production beta models of the Model S. It's the least Tesla could do to ease the minds of buyers who have already dropped $5,000 for a vehicle that won't arrive for another year. Now we know that those 1,500 buyers are but a fraction of overall early orders.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has just announced that the Model S is completely sold out for 2012, with 6,500 models already accounted for. Bloomberg reports that Musk gave the update on pre-sales during an interview on "In The Loop With Betty Liu." Musk added that most of those buyers were new to the Tesla brand, save for about 600 Roadster owners. That's a lot of potential good news for Tesla, and Musk wasn't finished. The tech startup mogul also added that Tesla could see an annual profit by 2013 - a lot quicker than many analysts expected.

News of Tesla's pre-sale orders and the prospect of short-term profits helped jump-start shares of the EV company's stock by 3.9 percent.

Musk says Tesla Model S sold out originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla Model S Sport to rival BMW M5, 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds

Autoblog Staff — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Hatchback, Tesla, Electric

A high-performance version of the zero-emissions Tesla Model S sedan will reportedly be available immediately from the vehicle's launch in 2012, giving Tesla a rival to the ultimate of Ultimate Driving Machines: the BMW M5.

Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk reportedly confirmed the Model S Sport launch alongside the unveiling of the near-production-ready electric sedan at an exclusive event for Model S reservation holders in Silicon Valley, CA.

According to Green Car Reports, Musk says the $80,000 high-performance version of the Model S will be offered with a battery pack sized at 85-kWh to give the sedan a 300-mile range. The Sport version will come equipped with enhancements that cut its 0 to 60-mph time from 5.5 to somewhere between 4.4 and 4.6 seconds.

Additionally, Musk confirmed the Model S will be offered with optional aerodynamic wheels, boosting range to 320 miles. Tesla's CEO stated:

People were skeptical about whether we could build an electric car with a 300-mile range. And we've gone and made one with a 320-mile range.

Tesla has also promised to equip the Model S with seating for up to seven and by fitting the sedan with a battery pack that can be swapped out by Tesla at suitable sites along major freeways. All to please Wall Street Journal scribe Dan Neil.

In closing, Musk stated:

The goal with the Model S was to build the best car, not just the best electric vehicle. It can seat seven, has got two boots, a really low center of gravity; no-one thought any of this was possible. I'm proud of this car and it's a revolution that I hope the rest of the industry will follow.

We like it, too. In our humble opinion, the Model S seems set to become the world's most spectacular zero-emissions vehicle. We'll know more when the car actually hits the road, but it sure looks good "on paper."

Tesla Model S Sport to rival BMW M5, 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Governator says Tesla teaming up with Toyota in Cali

Chris Paukert — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:38:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota, Tesla, Electric

Tesla Model S sedan - click above for high-res image gallery

California Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger has apparently let slip ahead of a scheduled 5pm Pacific announcement that Tesla Motors will be teaming up with Toyota to build electric cars.

While some might speculate that the agreement could result in the re-opening of Fremont's idle New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant (NUMMI), SFGate says that this is somewhat unlikely. Any production agreement will likely involve the forthcoming Model S sedan, and NUMMI's facilities are significantly larger than what the model will require, as it was originally scaled to accommodate the joint venture between Toyota and General Motors which required much greater capacity. The smart money is on a new factory location, probably in Downey, CA (in Los Angeles County).

It is not yet clear what Toyota will bring to the table or what, if any money or stock is changing hands with this rumored agreement. Also, no word yet on how Mercedes-Benz feels about all this - the German automaker already has a 10 percent stake in the company after opening its coffers to the struggling EV manufacturer back in May of 2009.

More information as it becomes available...

Gallery: Tesla Model S

[Source: SFGate]

BREAKING: Governator says Tesla teaming up with Toyota in Cali originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 May 2010 16:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit 2010: Caption Contest - What the heck are Bob Lutz and Elon Musk talking about?

Chris Shunk — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Etc., Celebrities, Humor

Bob Lutz has been an important guy in the auto industry since before most of us were born. Elon Musk is the reason your eBay transactions go so smoothly (he was the co-creator of PayPal). Together, they don't seem to make much of a team. Well, they wouldn't make much of a match if Musk weren't the CEO of Tesla Motors. Elon makes electric cars. Bob wants to make electric cars. Both are (*ahem*) outspoken and give good soundbites. Upon further review, it makes perfect sense that the two men were hanging out at the Detroit Auto Show. But what were they talking about?

We have some ideas, but they probably aren't as creative as yours. We'll get you started with some appetizers, but we're really just looking for you to provide the main course:

Lutz to Musk: "You think you're nervous right now, but you really just have range anxiety"
Musk to Lutz: "We have more batteries in one car than you have in 500 Volts"
Lutz to Musk: "$500 million? $50 billion!"

Help us out with some better captions by leaving some tender verbal vittles in Comments.

Detroit 2010: Caption Contest - What the heck are Bob Lutz and Elon Musk talking about? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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