Well, Tesla owners, you may well be happy to know that you’ll be able to call for help almost at any time around the clock day or night should your hugely expensive electric car break down.

But I hope that you didn’t spend your entire life savings on the roadster itself, because using the repair service is gonna cost you. Like a LOT.  Read on:

Customers will pay $1 per round-trip mile from the nearest Tesla service center — and there are just four of them in North America, with none in the heartland. Tesla has service centers in California’s Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Seattle and New York City. Stores are slated to open later this year in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Toronto and South Florida. The electric-car startup says it plans to have at least 20 regional sales and service locations in the U.S. in about two years.

Just so you know, the barest minimum charge is a hundred bucks. And considering where these guys are coming out of, you’ll pay a WHOLE lot more than that by the time you’re done.  Of course, Tesla claims it’s losing money on the deal, as a dollar per mile is less than their actual cost.

But somehow…I’m not convinced.

I bet you were not expecting this but Tesla’s Model S seems to have hit the jackpot for the company. I am not referring to Model S sales, which are also impressive, but rather on the Model S platform itself which could be used in various other electric cars. According to Diarmuid O’Connell, Tesla’s VP of Business Development, the platform will be used for a minivan, a cross-over utility vehicle and an utility van. That should be the logical next step! At some point in time all our cars will run on electricity rather than petrol fumes so why not start making the first steps now? Unfortunately for us no actual roadmap has been leaked so far so we’re still in the dark when it comes to features and even names of the future Tesla cars.

via Autoblog Green

In case you forgot, we’ll gladly remind you that Martin Eberhard, one of the Tesla Motors founders and former CEO has sued the company last May. According to him the current CEO, Elon Musk has been the person responsible for Eberhard’s departure. Tesla tried to have the suit dismissed in June but that didn’t work out very well for them and the company decided to settle the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount of cash. And According to Musk, Eberhard wasn’t such a bad thing for Tesla:

Industry-changing efforts are virtually impossible. Without Martin’s indispensable efforts, Tesla Motors would not be here today!

Now that this tiny scandal is over we’ll be looking forward to see more good things coming from Tesla Motors. After all, electric supercars will always be in fashion.

via Reuters

Tesla has today released a whole slew of images feature their their Model S in action. As you can see the car looks beautiful, event though that was already.

You can check out the rest of the shots in the gallery below and then begin the long wait until Q3 2011 for a chance to get your hands on the vehicle. If you can afford it, that is.

via egmcartech

Tesla has been kind enough to supply us with a picture of their forthcoming all electric Tesla Roadster Sport. As you can see, the car looks very similar to the regular Roadster except it has a bit of a meaner look.

Furthermore, the Sport will sprint from 0-60 in 3.7 seconds thanks to an updated electric motor and the car will be outfitted with a plethroa of carbon fiber accesories such as a hood and rear spoiler. On the inside, there will be a “push-buton transmission selector” which will oust the original shifter knob along with a touch screen center console.

via World Car Fans

Just about two month after purchasing 10% of Tesla Motors it was announced that Daimler will sell 4% of that stake to Aabar Investments, a Middle East invement fund.

Furthermore, Daimler announced that they and Aabar will pursue a joint venture into low emissions transportation. Perhaps another automaker to go along with Telsa?

Either or, more money into Tesla means more affordable all-eletric vehicles for the public. I’m all for it!

Read (AutoBlogGreen)

The 500th Tesla Roadster was awarded to a New Jersey based Philanthropist, a milestone that the electric vehicle manufacturer is sure to take note of. The 500th customer is Martin Tuchman, chairman of The Tuchman Foundation who plans to charge his Roadster partly with solar energy thanks to photovoltaic panels he helped install throughout his hometown of Kingston, NJ.

“My Roadster drives like a dream — it’s amazing,” said Tuchman, a former automotive engineer and owner of a 1967 Mercedes 250 and a 1993 Jaguar convertible. Tuchman converted his 1937 Chris-Craft into an electric boat so he could take it on nearby Lake Carnegie, which prohibits gas-powered boats. He plans to use his Roadster as his primary commuter car.

This news comes in the midst of the planned opening of their New York Store. Tesla will also soon be opening stores in Chicago, London, Seattle, Miami, Washington, Monaco and Munich. Tesla will begin deliveries in Europe this summer.

(Source) Press

Tesla and Lotus have together issued a recall regarding 2008 Roadster’s and 2009 Elise and Exiges.

The official recall notice points to the fact that the rear hube flange bolts on some of the 345 Roadsters produced in 2008 may not have been properly torqued which could lead to decreasingly worse vehicle handling and a rubbing noise from the back of the vehicle. The rubbing noise obviously isn’t a big deal but a car with decreased handling poses all sorts of safety hazards.

If you didn’t know, Lotus provides Tesla with some engineering, mainly the Roadster’s main chassis which shares some parts with their Elise and Exige models thus leaving them to issue a similar recall.

It was recently made known that Daimler would be buying a 10% stake in Tesla motors, makers of the popular all electric Tesla Roadster.

The announcement was made during a press release held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart earlier today. This new deal involves Daimler providing parts and engineering that may be appearing in the upcoming Tesla Model S.

Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Daimler, comments on the parnternship:

Our strategic partnership is an important step to accelerate the
commercialization of electric drives globally. As a young and dynamic company Tesla stands for visionary power and pioneering spirit. Together with Daimler’s 120 years of experience in the automotive sector this collaboration is a unique combination of two companies’ strengths. This marks another important milestone in Daimler’s strategy for sustainable mobility.

Read more in the press release after the break.
continue reading "Daimler to provide Tesla with parts and engineering, buys 10% stake"

Now don’t go thinking there is a “1-800 number” you can call to get a free Tesla Roadster, oh no, you’re going to have to lay down some serious cash to get your hands on one.

It was recently announced that a real estate project in France entitled “Welcome in France” is bundling a free Tesla Roadster for those who purchase a villa.

Considering these estates will offer such things like solar panels and geothermal units, there’s no wonder they are featuring a Roadster.

Read (AutoBlogGreen)

In a preliminary move by Tesla Motors as far as establishing a global distribution for its electric vehicles, the first official regional sales and service center was opened today in London. The London facility will open this spring at 49-51 Cheval Place, formerly the Segrave Supercar Club. The showroom is in the popular Knightsbridge district, walking distance from Harrods department store and convenient to Heathrow Airport.

Tesla is scouting sites in Munich and Monaco. Tesla will begin delivering cars to European customers in late June. These cars will comply with all EU safety, environmental and durability regulations.

Greater London is a key customer market and premier showcase for Tesla – not only for the Roadster sports car but the Model S sedan, which Tesla expects to produce in 2011. The Model S, which will be among the world’s first mass-produced, highway-capable EVs, will carry five adults and two children up to 480 kilometers per charge.

Tesla’s first showrooms opened last summer in Los Angeles and Menlo Park, Calif. Tesla will open another store this spring in Chicago. Tesla is finalizing site selection in Manhattan, Miami and Seattle and is scouting sites in Washington, D.C.

(Source) Press

While the Tesla Roadster is indeed a very expensive car, no matter how hot it is, the Tesla Model S sedan is a very affordable electric car. The new car which you have already seen yesterday comes with a price tag of less than $50,000, after a $7,500 federal tax credit.

Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk says the car is quite a bargain compared to any other sedan. He says that:

the ownership cost of Model S, if you were to lease and then account for the much lower cost of electricity versus gasoline at a likely future cost of $4 per gallon, is similar to a gasoline car with a sticker price of about $35,000.

The car will be a bargain even if the gas would cost $1 per gallon as it will cost you just $5 to drive for 230 miles. Would you buy the Model S when it comes available?

Tesla Motors is reportedly getting orders for its Model S Sedan, an all electric family sedan that carries seven people and travels 300 miles per charge. This model carries an estimated price of $49,900 and can run up to a 300-mile range and 45-minute quick charge capability.

The Model S, which carries its charger onboard, can be recharged from any 120V, 240V or 480V outlet, with the latter taking only 45 minutes. By recharging their car while they stop for a meal, drivers can go from LA to New York in approximately the same time as a gasoline car. Moreover, the floor-mounted battery pack is designed to be changed out in less time than it takes to fill a gas tank, allowing for the possibility of battery-pack swap stations.

The floor-mounted powertrain also results in unparalleled cargo room and versatility, as the volume under the front hood becomes a second trunk. Combining that with a four-bar linkage hatchback rear trunk and flat folding rear seats, the Model S can accommodate a 50-inch television, mountain bike and surfboard simultaneously. This packaging efficiency gives the Model S more trunk space than any other sedan on the market and more than most SUVs.

Tesla expects to start Model S production in late 2011. The company believes it is close to receiving $350 million in federal loans to build the Model S assembly plant in California from the Dept of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program.

(Source) Business Wire

Tesla is growing, and growing fast. Despite the current economical climate Tesla has announced that their latest store is set to open in Chicago this spring, but thats not all.

Tesla currently has 6 other cities around the US, and world, that they plan to expand to. These locations include, Munich, Germany, London, Manhattan, Miami, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

“Tesla has no intention of being a niche automaker. The Chicago store will introduce the company to even more people in the United States and position us to launch a more affordable sedan for mainstream drivers.” said Elon Musk CEO of Tesla Motors.

Heres to a smooth expansion for Tesla Motors!

Read (AutoBlogGreen)

In a move that is expected to help in Daimler’s shift towards the development of electric vehicles, Tesla Motors and the German-based company have reached an agreement to which Tesla will be supplying lithium-ion batteries, chargers and other components for the electric version of the Smart.

Daimler had debuted a gasoline-powered version of its Fortwo model in the United States in early 2008. It sold 24,622 of those cars last year.

Tesla has been involved with Daimler for more than a year, but neither company would confirm the deal before Tuesday. Musk also said the deal with Daimler wasn’t exclusive, and that Tesla was looking for other automaking partners.

(Source) Mercury News