Tesla Model S spied

Text: Jack Rix / Photos: Automedia

02nd August 2011

With production of the Roadster grinding to a halt in the next month, Tesla is soon to become a company without a car. But all that will change in mid-2012 when the Model S, spied here during final testing, arrives.

Our detailed shots show a lightly camouflaged prototype, complete with a number of recent tweaks that will make their way onto the production car. The main grille has been closed off entirely in a bid to improve aerodynamics, while the lower air intakes have been reshaped and larger production-ready wing mirrors have appeared. 

Rather than three levels of performance, three models with either a 160, 230 or 300-mile range will be offered. According to Tesla a charge from 10 to 90 per cent of the lithium-ion battery's full capacity will take as little as 45 minutes, using a special 480v supply which can be fitted at customer's homes.

The plan with the Model S is to move away from the Roadster's low-volume, high-price philosophy. Tesla aims to sell 20,000 examples of the Model S each year, built in Fremont California, and prices will start from a fraction under 50,000 US Dollars (£32,000) for the 160-mile base model.

The unique packaging requirements of an electric car (with the Model S the batteries are stuffed along the car's floor pan and add to the rigidity of the car) mean that interior space should be class-leading. Extra storage space under the bonnet and a deeper boot help to free up roughly twice the load capacity of a BMW 5 Series.

There's more to come from Tesla, too. Back at the Detroit Motor Show in January this year, a spokesman for the brand revealed to us that a host of new variants will be produced on the Model S's platform - and are already in the design stages. "We are exploring the possibility of a coupe, convertible and a crossover, but these won't arrive until 2013 at the earliest," he revealed.