Category: Tesla

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Tesla Model S Beats Porsche in Owner-Satisfaction Survey

Tesla drivers were more likely than Porsche owners -- or anyone else -- to say they’d buy their cars again in this year’s edition of the closely watched Consumer Reports buyer survey.

Tesla’s Model S luxury electric sedan topped the U.S. survey a second year in a row, scoring 98 out of a possible 100, after posting a 99 last year. This year’s No. 2 brand, Porsche, scored an average of 87 out of 100 across its model lines. Palo Alto, California-based Tesla, co-founded and led by billionaire Elon Musk, said last month that it expects to sell 50,000 Model S cars next year.

“Not only is the Tesla roomy, comfortable, and a lot of fun to drive, but it also has low operating costs,” Consumer Reports said.

The survey will bolster the 11-year-old carmaker’s image as the leader in the business of making high-end electric cars. Tesla plan to expand sales of the Model S and develop the long-awaited Model X SUV, which is expected in the third quarter of 2015. Tesla stock has gained 52 percent this year.

Sports Cars

The next three most satisfying vehicles in the Consumer Reports Survey, after the Model S, were sports cars: General Motors Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, with a 95 percent satisfaction rating, and Porsche Cayman and Boxster, which tied for third with 91 percent of buyers saying they’d purchase them again.

The survey covered 350,000 vehicles from one to three years old and took into account “attributes such as styling, comfort, features, cargo space, fuel economy, maintenance and repair costs, overall value, and driving dynamics,” Consumer Reports said.

Hybrid, electric and diesel-powered cars outscored gas engines throughout the survey, with the Chevrolet Volt and Toyota Prius leading the compact-car category and Honda Accord Hybrid and Ford's Fusion Energi atop the list of mid-sized sedans.

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Demand for Tesla’s Dual-Motor Vehicles “Off the Charts”

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has weighed in with one of the most useful updates to date on the company's new dual-motor versions of its Model S. The verdict? One month after it was introduced, demand for the all-wheel-drive version of the model isn't lacking. In fact, demand for the new motor system is incredibly robust. Here's what investors need to know.

The P85D is Tesla's halo car

"This is the fastest accelerating four-door production car in the world," Musk explained in a GQ magazine interview published Tuesday, referencing Tesla's new dual-motor option for its flagship 85-kilowatt-hour-battery performance Model S, officially dubbed the P85D.

The new dual-motor system with a motor connected to both the rear and front axle is an upgrade offered for the 85-kWh-battery version of the Model S and now comes standard on the performance version. Tesla's smaller 60-kWh-battery version of the Model S is still only available with the rear-wheel-drive one-motor configuration.

The dual-motor system is helping Tesla set new standards in the automotive industry. Most notably, Tesla showed off how a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive system gives owners all-weather traction without sacrificing efficiency. Tesla's all-wheel-drive system actually boosts range, top speeds, and acceleration times over their rear-wheel drive counterparts running on the same battery. And now with a zero-to-60 acceleration time of just 3.2 seconds, Tesla is making it harder for premium internal-combustion-engine vehicles to compete.

Musk went on to explain in the interview that Tesla built the car to prove a point.

"We wanted to position it as the fastest in order to change the public mind-set. It had to be something dramatic. And getting those few extra 10ths of a second was hard," Musk said. He told GQ that the P85D is Tesla's "halo car," or the car that shows off the strengths of electric vehicles.

Demand is hot

But Tesla's dual-motor system is doing more than just drawing attention to the company. It is apparently convincing a large number of consumers to put in a cash deposit to wait in line for a built-to-order version of their own Model S.

"Demand for the P85D is off the charts," Musk said. "We're seeing a very high proportion of orders for all-wheel drive, either P85D or 85D (which has smaller, equal-sized electric motors front and rear), so 70%-plus of our cars will be dual-motor."

Musk went on to reiterate a common theme: Demand is not a problem for Tesla; ramping up production to meet demand, however, is.

The company is guiding to report record quarterly sales in Q4 and 50% higher annual Model S sales in 2015. But Tesla contends that the company will still not be fully meeting demand, even at these levels.

Tesla said in its third-quarter earnings call that with the help of the additional cost for dual-motor versions of the Model S, it expected Model S average selling to improve going forward. This favorable trend likely plays a role in Tesla's bullishness for its automotive gross profit margin to continue to improve in Q4 and into 2015, though the most important factor influencing Tesla's improving gross profit margin is undoubtedly growing sales of its Model S, which spread fixed costs across a larger number of deliveries.

While Tesla's ability to set standards and its soaring demand are both great for the company, investors should be careful to maintain proper perspective. Given Tesla's $31 billion market capitalization, the market is already betting on Tesla to be wildly successful in the coming years. Furthermore, Tesla's focused product portfolio and strict emphasis on battery-powered vehicles means that missteps could significantly delay its ambitious plans.

On the other hand, it's market-leading pure plays like Tesla with a proven record of execution on growth plans that are probably most likely to exceed market expectations. So, investors who already own shares should think carefully before they sell Tesla stock simply because they think shares are overvalued.

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Porsche Readying Tesla Model S Fighter

The German automaker is currently in the early stages of development for an EV that will target the Tesla Model S and will be a new dedicated fifth model range slotting beneath the existing Panamera. While details on Porsche’s first all-electric production vehicle are mostly being kept under wraps at the moment, it will likely be built on the automaker’s second-generation MSB platform that underpins the current Panamera.

It will have a shorter wheelbase than the existing Panamera sedan but will be a five-door hatchback, similar in style to the Panamera Sport Turismo concept that debuted at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The company is hoping to keep it around 2,100 kg and its electric powertrain will provide similar performance as the Model S, though Tesla did just announced the more powerful all-wheel drive Model S P85D.

Porsche is aiming for a range of over 450 km and the company is expected to work with Audi, so we expect they will also use solid-state batteries.

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Audi Confirm Tesla Model S Rival with 450 km Range for 2017

According to a report by Auto Express, Audi is also looking to join the electric vehicle sedan market with its own offering sporting a 450 km (280-mile) all-electric range.

The vehicle is currently under development according to Audi’s Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, who also revealed that it will arrive in 2017 as an all-new model.

In the interview, Hackenberg said that he was “able to re-engineer the R8 e-tron project and technology with the team” and confirmed that it will not be a sports car.

The German automaker will use next-generation batteries in order to achieve the 450 km range, technology that is said to have up to five times more energy density than the current batteries used in vehicles such as the Volkswagen e-Golf.

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Tesla in talks with BMW over car batteries & component alliance

Tesla Motors is in talks with Germany's BMW over a possible alliance in batteries and light-weight components, Tesla's Chief Executive Elon Musk told German weekly Der Spiegel.

In an interview published on Sunday, Musk described BMW's production of carbon fibre reinforced car body parts as "interesting" and "relatively cost efficient."

BMW uses carbon fibres from its joint venture with materials supplier SGL to make reinforced passenger cell parts for its i3 electric hatchback and i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.

Officials at BMW were not immediately available to comment.

"We are talking about whether we can collaborate in battery technology or charging stations," Musk was quoted as saying in the interview.

There were no further details on the specific nature of the alliance, however BMW and Tesla executives already met in June to discuss the creation of charging stations usable for different types of electric cars.

Rival Daimler, owner of the Mercedes brand, said last month it would continue to collaborate with Tesla even after selling its remaining four percent stake in the U.S. company. Tesla has also worked with Toyota on electric SUVs.

Tesla's billionaire co-founder Musk also told Der Spiegel that he expects Tesla to have a battery production plant in Germany in five to six years.

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BMW likely to phase out internal combustion engines over the next 10 years [VIDEO]

During a recent interview with CNBC.com , mutual fund manager Ron Baron of Baron Capital revealed that two of his analysts recently visited BMW in Germany and the BMW financial team believes that a "revolution in the drive train is underway."

"We believe that BMW will likely phase out internal combustion engines over the next 10 years,"
Baron wrote in his most recent quarterly letter to shareholders of his funds.

Almost exactly 12 months ago, BMW product chief Herbert Diess told Autocar "all BMW models will soon need to be sold with some form of electrification." BMW’s head of production for large vehicles, Peter Wolf, told motoring.com.au. “We are planning to have a plug-in hybrid in each and every model series.”

We have also regularly reported on a steady stream on informal announcements from German automakers (Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche) regarding their plans to build a 'Tesla killer', but Wall Street financial analysts concluding a major automaker may abandon the production of ICE power plants within a decade still comes as a revelation. It was only four years ago (December 2010) the first mass market electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf, began deliveries to retail customers.

Baron, who holds a $250 Million position in Tesla Motors, believes that of all the major automakers, BMW is the only car company with a 'culture' comparable to that of Tesla. Baron believes the rest of the auto industry is resisting the move to electric vehicles. "As a result, they are developing electric expertise so slowly that the lead Tesla has built up through its fast growing staff ... may soon become insurmountable."

He argues automakers don't want electric vehicles to happen because their engine and transmission plants would become stranded assets. Unions don't want EVs to happen because they are easier to assemble which results in fewer jobs and dealers don't want EVs to happen because of direct sales and lack of vehicle servicing. Electric cars have 18 moving parts compared to 2,000 moving parts in a combustion engined car. EVs simply don't wear out or breakdown leading to lost automaker/dealer revenues.

With global auto sales heading towards 100 Million a year, Baron believes that in 15 years time Tesla could be selling 10 Million vehicles a year.

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Tesla delays Model X and stock jumps 5%

Tesla Motors on Wednesday announced that its Model X crossover utility vehicle would not be available until the second half of 2015. The model had previously been slated for a 2013 launch.

The Palo Alto, California-based company also reported a loss of $74.7 million in its third quarter. Tesla said it had a loss of $0.60 per share. Earnings, adjusted for stock option expense and non-recurring costs, were $0.02 per share.

The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was break even on a per-share basis. As a result, Tesla's stock price was up more than 5% in after-hours trading on Wednesday.

The electric car maker posted revenue of $851.8 million in the period, falling short of Street forecasts. Analysts expected $867.7 million, according to Zacks.

Tesla shares have risen 54% since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Wednesday, shares hit $230.97, a rise of 31% in the last 12 months.

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Model S Achieves Euro NCAP 5-Star Safety Rating [VIDEO]

The Tesla Model S has received a maximum-possible 5-star safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP).

Model S is one of just a few cars to have ever achieved a 5-star safety rating from both Euro NCAP and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Additionally, Model S is the only car this year to have achieved both a 5-star Euro NCAP rating and 5 stars in every NHTSA subcategory, including frontal impact, side impact, and rollover. Only two other cars have earned the same recognition since 2011 (when NHTSA introduced its latest rating scheme).

The reason so few models achieve 5-star ratings in both Europe and the U.S. is that each program places emphasis on different safety aspects in the assessment process. NHTSA emphasizes structural and restraint safety, with a deep focus on how well the vehicle can withstand and absorb the energy of an impact while protecting its occupants. It is also primarily concerned with adult occupants. On the other hand, Euro NCAP assesses a wider range of scenarios, including tests for child and pedestrian safety. Unlike for NHTSA, active safety is also an important part of Euro NCAP’s 5-star requirement. Every year, the European organization raises the standard for a 5-star rating to account for technological advances in the industry.

The dual 5-star ratings for Model S validate our holistic approach to safety. We have been engineering passive and active safety systems in parallel, so the car is structurally sound and is also designed to intelligently anticipate and react to potentially dangerous situations.

Structurally, Model S has advantages not seen in conventional cars. It has a low center of gravity because its battery pack, the largest mass in the car, is positioned underneath the passenger compartment, making rollover extremely unlikely. It also has a large front crumple zone because of the lack of an engine, meaning it can absorb more energy from a frontal impact, the most common type of crash resulting in fatalities. Its body is reinforced with aluminum extrusions at strategic locations around the car, and the roof can withstand at least 4 g’s. It was for these reasons that Model S achieved 5 stars in every subcategory when tested by NHTSA in 2013.

This quarter, we started implementing the Model S active safety system in conjunction with the introduction of new Autopilot hardware, consisting of 12 ultrasonic sensors that sense up to 16 feet around the car, a forward-looking camera, a forward radar, and a digitally controlled, high-precision electric brake boost. We specifically selected this hardware to accommodate the progressive introduction of new safety features via software updates over the course of the next several months.

While the features already pushed to the Model S fleet – Lane Departure Warning and Speed Limit Warning – have proven sufficient to merit a 5-star NCAP rating, we will go much further with active safety systems. Features coming soon include Forward and Side Collision Warning and Avoidance, Blind Spot Warning, and Automatic Emergency Braking.

The video shows the Frontal Impact test which takes place at 64 Km/h, 40% of the width of the car striking a deformable barrier. In the side impact, a mobile deformable barrier impacts the driver's door at 50 km/h. In the pole test, the car tested is propelled sideways at 29km/h into a rigid pole.