Tesla Model S News
-
Last week, the new base version of the Tesla Model S, known as the 70D, hit the electric-car world like a thunderclap. No early-warning publicity, no teasing tweet from Elon. Just the sudden appearance on the Tesla website configurator of the new model--with dual motors, all-wheel drive, a 70-kWh battery that gives it an EPA range of 240 miles, and a base price of $75,000. It was already in production, with 70Ds arriving in some Tesla stores within days of the unveiling. You can buy one now for delivery in 6-8 weeks, same as the other Tesla models. DON'T MISS: 2014 Tesla Model S P85D: First...
-
When Will The Presidential Limo Become A Tesla Electric Car?
Forgive us a Friday fantasy, if you will. We're looking forward a few years to a Request For Proposals issued by the Secret Service for a future presidential limousine. There's already a proposal out to replace the current limo, known as "The Beast," that's been used by President Barack Obama since...
John Voelcker -
BREAKING: $75,000 Tesla Model S 70D: AWD, 240-Mile Range Is New Base Version
Leave it to electric-car maker Tesla Motors to spring another surprise on the world. This morning, it announced a brand-new version of the base model in its signature battery-electric luxury sedan lineup. The Tesla Model S 70D is an all-wheel-drive Model S with a 70-kilowatt-hour battery pack...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model S Owners Love Their Cars The Most Of Any Owners
A recent customer survey shows owners love their Tesla Model S electric cars.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Navigation Update Echoes Better Place System Of 3 Years Ago
It was another typically hyperbolic statement from Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. A simple tweet on a Sunday afternoon claimed that Tesla was “About to end range anxiety ... via [over-the-air] software update. Affects entire Model S fleet.” As usual, the media erupted with wild speculation...
Brian of London -
How To Drive A Tesla Model S Electric Car Free For 18 Months
An owner claims to have essentially driven a Tesla Model S for free for 18 months.
Stephen Edelstein -
Earlier this week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk teased us Model S owners with a tweet promising to “end range anxiety.” In a press conference this morning, Musk revealed the goods: an over-the-air firmware update that, while not increasing the range of the car, will at least set the driver’s mind at ease about how far he can really go before the juice runs out. Firmware version 6.2 is now in Beta testing and, according to Musk, will be sent out to the Model S fleet at large in about ten days. DON'T MISS: Tesla Supercharger Network Growth Surges Over Last 14 Months Range Assurance The...
-
UPDATE: First Tesla Model S Convertible (Video) Went Up For Sale On eBay
Newport Convertible Engineering unveils its first Tesla Model S drop top.
Stephen Edelstein -
Kids React To Tesla Model S P85D 'Insane' Mode Launch: Video Shows How Fast It Is
If you haven't heard of the all-electric, all-wheel-drive Tesla Model S P85D--and you're reading about green cars--you may not have been paying attention. Tesla Motors claims the P85D is the fastest four-door sedan on the market, at least from 0 to 60 miles per hour. To date, no other automaker has...
Joel Feder -
Tesla Model S Double-Pedal Behavior Still Inconsistent: A Safety Plea To Elon Musk
Last summer, I wrote an article patting Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk on the back for being so responsive to Model S electric-car owners. Of whom I am one. But in 2015? Not so much. I ended that article with a plea to Musk for a safety upgrade on the Model S: a firmware change to cut off power to the...
David Noland -
Charging A Tesla In China: One Owner's Creative, Dangerous Hookup
It has not been easy going in China thus far for electric-car maker Tesla Motors. Among the many challenges of selling its cars in that country are a lack of public-charging infrastructure and a Chinese charging standard that differs from any other standard in the world. Even more challenging, far...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Battery Swapping: Useful Service Or Minimal Effort For Extra Income?
Tesla Motors has been opening its Supercharger DC fast-charging stations at a dizzying pace lately, with 175 U.S. sites operating, and almost two dozen more either in construction or permitted. Globally that total is almost 400 sites, which likely represents more than 2,000 separate outlets. But...
John Voelcker -
Tesla is prioritizing Model S P85D deliveries.
-
Tesla Supercharger Network Growth Surges Over Last 14 Months
One of the main advantages of the Tesla Model S is its relative freedom from “range anxiety,” at least in the 85-kilowatt-hour battery pack of the higher-end versions. Rated by the EPA at 265 miles, that range compares to ratings of 62 to about 90 miles in less expensive plug-in...
George Parrott -
China's Tesla-Beater (Or Not): Aoxin Ibis Electric Full-Size Sedan
The Aoxin Ibis is a new electric car for the Chinese domestic market.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Model S Cross-Country Trip, Without (Many) Superchargers: Days 8-10
After seven days of traveling cross-country in my Tesla Model S electric car--including routes without Supercharger DC fast-charging sites--I had made it as far as Texas. The trip demanded both forward planning and considerable thought toward contingencies, should conditions not permit the Tesla to...
David Noland -
Tesla Model S Cross-Country Trip, Without (Many) Superchargers: Days 4-7
A cross-country road trip in a Tesla Model S electric car requires a fair amount of forward planning and contingency research. Still, I made it from New York's cold, snowy Hudson Valley into the warm, humid climes of Alabama in my first three days--as I wrote about yesterday. Then, waking up on Day...
David Noland -
Tesla Model S Cross-Country Trip, Without (Many) Superchargers: Days 1-3
With our daughter off to college, my wife and I recently became empty-nesters. Suddenly, there was no more reason to endure the wretched winters in New York’s Hudson Valley. California, here we come: We rented a cottage for February and March in the small beach town of Carpinteria, an hour...
David Noland -
Even 10 years ago, the idea of a “family sedan” that could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds was something between a rarity and a fantasy. Even more delusional was the thought of a stock family sedan that could exceed 200 mph. Those heady performance figures were traditionally the territory of extremely expensive sports cars and exotics--but has Tesla invaded this turf with its highest-performance Model S electric luxury sedan, the P85D. DON'T MISS: Why I Had To Trade My Tesla Model S For A Brand-New P85D The challenge of a fast 0-to-60-mph time depends on three...
-
Consumer Reports: Tesla Model S 'Best Overall' Again In 2015
Well, Tesla Motors seems to have done it again. For the second year in a row, Consumer Reports has named the Tesla Model S its "Best Overall" vehicle to buy for 2015. DON'T MISS: Consumer Reports: Tesla Model S Electric Car Is 'Best Overall' Vehicle (Feb 2014) As the well-regarded consumer magazine...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model S Battery Life: How Much Range Loss For Electric Car Over Time?
One of the things electric-car owners worry about is long-term battery degradation. It’s a well-established fact that lithium-ion batteries gradually lose capacity as they undergo numerous charge/discharge cycles. We owners understand that our range will gradually decline over the life of the...
David Noland -
Hellcat Driver Who Lost Drag Race To Tesla P85D Ready For Rematch
The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat driver who lost a race to a Tesla Model S P85D is improving his technique.
Stephen Edelstein -
Why I Had To Trade My Tesla Model S For A Brand-New P85D
Last October, Tesla announced an all-wheel-drive version of the Model S electric car, with up to a mind-boggling 691 horsepower, and said deliveries would start as early as December—only a two month wait. The performance specifications of the new P85D version promised supercar numbers on the...
George Parrott -
Tesla Model S Vs Citroen DS: Futuristic Car Of 50 Years Ago (Video)
A 2013 Tesla Model S is compared to a 1956 Citroen DS-19
Stephen Edelstein