3 Tesla Model S plug-ins, 3 different prices starting in 2012
The Tesla Model S Sedan coming in 2012
Is Tesla the Porsche of electric cars?
By late summer next year Tesla will start selling the Model S sedan, when the automaker plans to sell up to 5,000 electric cars, increasing production up to 20,000 in 2013.
More interesting, the Tesla Model S will be offered in 3 different versions based on electric range, offered at 3 different prices.
The 300 mile Model S will “cost around $70,000 with the $7,500 federal tax credit“, while the 230 mile S will cost $60,000 and, finally, the 160 mile version will cost $50,000 – the later two prices also after the federal tax credit.
In my opinion the Tesla Model S is a great looking car that’s certain to offer luxuriously intoxicating electric vehicle performance. Nevertheless, is Tesla doomed to be the Porshe of electric cars?
Not that that’s a bad thing. Not at all.
Still, isn’t Tesla’s future best fitted to push the limits of EV performance, not to mainstream it?
The numbers ultimately came from Tesla.
are these Telsa numbers verifiable? I mean the obvious question here is the implication that the two mass-produced cars are using batteries that cost twice as much as other “available” (?) technologies.
Tesla’s battery pack (using Panasonic cells) provides the highest range per dollar. $10k gives 70 EV miles.
Volt’s $10k pack gives only 35 EV miles so it’ll cost $20k for 70 miles. Nissan Leaf’s 73 EV miles cost $17k.
Yeah, Larry. It’s going to take some time to drive down battery costs, especially packaged in a range that mainstream buyers will buy. While some might disagree, there have been many in the know that have suggested real mainstream penetration – without tax credits – will probably require a battery technology beyond lithium.
correction – the Nissan Leaf battery is $17,000.. ” … “One word tells you the whole picture, and its starts with the letter B: batteries are not ready for prime time,” he said, noting that the last time he looked, the battery in the Leaf cost $17,000.”
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/for-oil-exec-an-electric-car-can-wait/
that’s a pretty sobering number but it also begs the question as to how much profit if any in in the Nissan Leaf.
Folks have been saying that Chevy is not making money on the Volt nor making up the R&D costs.
What about Nissan where the battery is costing half again more than the Volt battery?
Does anyone know how much the batteries for the Telsa’s cost?
I was shocked when I read recently that the battery in the Chevy Volt cost 10,000 but then I fell out of my chair when I read that the Nissan Leafs battery costs $14,000.
I shudder to think what a 200 or 300 mile range battery would cost but let’s assume that Telsa can continue to sell high dollar plug-ins that are profitable even with the cost of the battery.
Sounds like it’s only going to be the rich who can afford to switch from gasoline to electricity, eh?