Charged with Electric Vehicle News and Views
The Tesla Model S is a landmark car, but is it better than the mighty Aston Martin Rapid S? Autocar take to the test track to find out.
Steve Sutcliffe over at Autocar thinks the Tesla Model S is the future...today. It offers most of the usability of the world's best luxury saloons, but with no tailpipe emissions and a fraction of the running costs.
And it handles too. Really handles. But can it really be better than the £150,000 Aston Martin Rapide S?
A standard Tesla Model S equipped with the 85 kWh battery pack has an official EPA rated range of 265 Miles (424 km) and 310 Miles (500 km) NEDC rating.
On Wednesday August 21st four students from the Technical University Eindhoven Sponsored by Athlon Car Lease achieved 388 miles (624 km) in real world driving conditions.
They're calling it a world record "real long distance driving" for the Tesla Models S because they drove with 2 people on normal roads with normal speeds.
First European Superchargers from Tesla Motors on Vimeo.
Tesla Motors today unveiled its European Supercharger network, energizing stations across Norway that enable Model S owners to conveniently travel for free between cities along well-traveled highways throughout the country.
With locations in Lyngdal, Aurland, Dombås, Gol, Cinderella and Lillehammer, Norway’s most vital and commonly used roads and highways are covered by Tesla Superchargers. Model S customers can drive routes such as the E6 from Trondheim to Oslo, the E18 from Oslo to Kristiansand, the E39 from Kristiansand to Stavanger, and Highway7 from Oslo to Gol for free and with minimal stops. Approximately 90 percent of the Norwegian population lives within 320 km of a Supercharger station, and about 60 percent of the country’s total land mass is within the same distance of a station.
Tesla Superchargers represent the most advanced charging technology in the world, capable of charging Model S 20x faster than most common charging stations. Superchargers provide half a charge in about 20 minutes, delivering up to 120 kW DC (Direct Current) power directly to the Model S battery using special cables that bypass the onboard charging equipment. And because Superchargers are located where customers want to stop, near amenities like roadside diners, cafes and shopping centers, road trippers can stop for a quick meal while their Model S charges for free.
The extensive coverage provided by Tesla’s Supercharger network allowed three Model S to depart for Oslo this morning from locations in the north, west and south of Norway and travel the following major routes with ease: Trondheim-Dombås-Lillehammer-Oslo; Bergen-Aurland-Gol-Oslo; and Stavanger-Lyngdal- Cinderella-Oslo. During their 500 km journeys, each car charged at two of the new Tesla Supercharger locations, where they were met by enthusiastic customers and local officials.
Toyota Motor Corp. is discounting its all-electric RAV4 through low-cost lease and loan offers to boost demand for the slow-selling compact crossover that’s powered by a Tesla Motors Inc. battery pack and motor.
Toyota, the world’s biggest maker of hybrid autos, this month is promoting the option of a $299-a-month, three-year lease for the $49,800 light truck, or a 60-month, no-interest loan, said Carly Schaffner, a company spokeswoman. The offers run through Sept. 3 and are available only in the Los Angeles and San Francisco regions, the vehicle’s main markets.
Honda Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co. and General Motors Co. similarly have turned to discounted leases to buoy their rechargeable models. Toyota last year said it would sell 2,600 RAV4 EVs by the end of 2014. Through July, just 709 have been sold since sales began last September.
“The use of our incentives is tactical, reinforcing our value and focus on keeping our products competitive in the market,” Schaffner said. “We’re still evaluating the market demand for EVs.”
The battery-powered RAV4 arose in 2010 as a result of Toyota President Akio Toyoda’s desire to work with Palo Alto, Calif.-based Tesla. Along with the vehicle project, Toyota made a $50 million investment in Tesla. Tesla shares have surged about fivefold this year, boosting the value of Toyota’s 2.4 percent stake in the company to about $476 million.
Toyota, with the biggest market share in California, is under pressure to sell the most rechargeable vehicles in the state to meet strict emissions rules. Along with the electric RAV4 that goes about 100 miles per charge, Toyota sells a plug-in version of its Prius hybrid to meet state rules and will add a hydrogen-powered electric sedan in 2015.
ABC News with Bloomberg's Lucy Liu's Nightline Tesla Special
IGN is a Videogame review media network with 152 Youtube channels, 27 Million subscribers and 7 Billion Video views. They don't 'do' cars but they recently tested the Tesla Model S all-electric sports sedan to see if it is the Best. Gadget. Ever.
Tesla Model S Scores Five Stars In NHTSA (Side Impact Test)
Tesla Model S Scores Five Stars In NHTSA (Side Pole Impact Test)
Tesla Model S Scores Five Stars In NHTSA (Frontal Impact Test)
The Tesla Model S has quickly become one of the most desirable electric vehicles to ever be produced and a new report is indicating the company is developing an all-wheel variant.
Details are limited, but The Verge is reporting the all-wheel drive model could be launched as early as next year in an "ultra-premium" trim level. The car will apparently be based on the P85 variant and be able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds or less. After the initial roll-out, the all-wheel drive system could become optional on less expensive models.
Tesla declined to comment on the report, but the company has already announced plans to offer an optional all-wheel drive system on the Model X crossover. The system uses an electric motor at each axle for improved grip and acceleration.
Why All-wheel-drive? Well quite simply, luxury buyers in the key northeast US and northern European markets expect it. And you can thank Audi for that. But it’s not just Audi, every other luxury brand offers all-wheel-drive on their core sedans.
