Ultra-clean, super fast and a beauty car.
Tesla's initial entry into the world of electic cars has garnered a great deal of media, and for good reason. It was one of the first performance oriented zero-emissions vehicles, and despite looking all too much like the Lotus Elise it is based on, not to mention making thorough use of the British automaker and engineering firm’s expertise in designing and building the all-electric supercar, it has enjoyed tremendous mainstream publicity to the point that Tesla is now a household name. What to do next? Expand the brand with a more mainstream model to capitalize on the buzz, of course.
First off, thanks to the penmanship of designer Elon Musk, Tesla’s much anticipated Model S four-door coupe looks good off the mark, with a very British rounded nose, uniquely sculpted front headlight assemblies and a large, gaping chrome-enhanced grille, expected in the luxury sector. Will it dethrone Fisker’s Karma as best looking ultra-green super sedan? Possibly not, but where the Karma is a plug-in hybrid with an extremely sophisticated and efficient powertrain, the Model S is purely electric and therefore zero-emissions polluting thanks to its all-electric drivetrain.
What’s exciting for Tesla is the market potential for such a vehicle, a point proven by fellow upstart Fisker that has reportedly already signed up 35 dealers to sell a lineup that will soon expand to include two models as well. Fisker intends to sell 10,000 of its Karma sedans alone, and its all-new Karma S hardtop convertible grand touring model will only add to that total, immediately vaulting the brand past storied luxury marques such as Aston Martin and Bentley.
A total of 250 Tesla roadsters delivered so far, however, won’t excite the mass-market auto dealer mentality all that much, but the prospective sales of 20,000 total Model S four-door sedans by the end of its first full year of sales, and its potential to pull in upwardly mobile environmentalists for aftermarket sales and service will have some high-end sellers salivating at the mouth with the thought of getting their hands on a franchise.
In order to make any electric car viable in the real world, range has to exceed mere commuting capability and extend into weekend jaunts to the country. To that end, the Model S should excel with a choice of three range packs that start at 257 km (160 miles), reach a median of 370 km (230 miles) and top out at 483 km (300 miles), the topmost model featuring 440-volt charging and the lesser models featuring 110- and 220-volt power sources respectively. A quick charge can be achieved in only 45 minutes, while a full charge will take up to 4 hours via a 220-volt plug; a connection to North America's 110-volt household current will take longer.
So what's Tesla's key strategy to achieve such strong sales numbers right out of the box? Simple. Zero emissions and reduced running costs aside, the luxuriously appointed sedan will start at only $49,900. What's more, in the US there will be $7,500 Obama-break (tax-break).
Due to new harmonized safety standards and no concerns about violating low-speed vehicle restrictions in certain provinces that have made it impossible to import vehicles like the Zenn city car or even drive Canada's own Dynasty electric, the Tesla Model S will find its way to Canada towards the end of the year when Tesla's roadster will also become available north of the 49th. While Tesla dealerships are expected, interested parties will be able to import their cars through upcoming Tesla "regional centers" in Seattle and New York.
Of interest, only Canada and Norway create the majority of their electricity via renewable resources, such as run-of-river small hydro, wind, biomass, geothermal and solar energy. According to Tesla, recharging the current Roadster from the current Canadian grid would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 85-percent, on average, when compared to the emissions of an equivalent gasoline-powered vehicle. In British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec, where hydro-generated electricity is dominant, the reduction would be up to 98-percent.
Tesla isn't only known for environmental issues, mind you, but it's made a name for performance too. On that note, even the standard S will sprint to 100 km/h in 5.7 to 6.2 seconds, while the upcoming Sport version will hit the marque in "well under five seconds," says Musk.
Sounds like going green won't be all that boring after all.
