Tesla Motors is a manufacturer of fully electric cars. The company was founded in 2003 by a group of like-minded engineers from California who only aimed at creating electric vehicles appealing to the general public. The automaker currently has more than 2000 employees and they have created their presence in 37 countries with over 50 showrooms worldwide. The company was named Tesla after electric engineer and physicist Nikola Tesla. Tesla Motors launched its first initial public offering on the NASDAQ platform in 2010 under the name TSLA and the manufacturer also aims at selling around 40,000 electric vehicles worldwide in 2014.
Tesla Motors operates its showrooms in various malls across the United States. The company has a policy that doesn’t allow customers to buy their vehicles directly from the showrooms. The showrooms or galleries are set up so that they can act as a medium to explain the company’s products to general public and people are most welcome to the showrooms to gain any kind of information they require on the company and its products. If someone intends to buy a car from Tesla, they need to directly contact the company and order the vehicle from their website. The company doesn’t have any independent dealerships and hence it gets restrictive for people from some particular states to buy their vehicles. For example, Texas has a rule that allows vehicles to be sold only through third-party dealerships.
Tesla Roadster – Tesla Motors launched its fist electric sports car, the Roadster in 2008. The Roadster produces 302 HP of power and 370 Nm of torque while the Roadster Sport produces 299 HP of power and 400 Nm of torque. Top speeds on both the models is 200 km/hr while the 0-100 km/hr run takes 3.9 seconds and 3.7 seconds on the Roadster and Roadster Sport respectively. The Roadster comes with a lithium-ion microprocessor-controlled battery that has a maximum running range of 200 miles or 394 kms. The battery life is expected to be 7 years or 1.6 lakh kms. The chassis of the Roadster is made up from resin-bonded and riveted-extruded aluminium.
The features found on the Tesla Roadster are what you would normally expect in any regular car. It is loaded with heated seats, cruise control, vehicle information touchscreen, AC, leather interiors, GPS sat-nav, Sirius radio paired with speakers. For safety, the Roadster comes with a 4-channel ABS, front and rear crumple zones, side impact door beams, traction control, TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System), dual front airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners, security system and immobilizer, programmable PIN code and a Valet Mode which restricts speed, locks the glovebox and records trunk openings.
Tesla Model S – The Tesla Model S is a premium offering from the electric vehicle manufacturer. It is a rear-wheel-drive vehicle with a liquid-cooled powertrain that includes the battery, motor, drive inverter and gearbox. The vehicle is powered by a 60 kWh lithium-ion battery and a three phase AC induction motor. The body is made up of lightweight aluminium along with a UV and infrared resistant windshield. The front windows are frameless while the rear ones are solar absorbing with a defroster feature. The Model S rides on 19-inch Goodyear Eagle all-season wheels. The interiors come with 12-way adjustable front seats and 60/40 splitting rear seats.
The Tesla Model S comes with a host of safety features such as eight airbags, driver and front passenger seat sensors, seatbelt pre-tensioners, rollover crash sensor, three second row LATCH attachments for child seats and an anti-theft alarm with an immobiliser system. There is a huge 17-inch touchscreen with media, mobile phone, cabin and vehicle controls. The vehicle is also Wi-Fi ready which adds to the convenience of passengers. The Tesla Model S is offered with a 4-year or 50,000 mile warranty while the battery is said to have a life of around 8 years.
Tesla Model X – The newest product from Tesla is the Model X which is an electric minivan. The vehicle comes with a Dual Motor All-Wheel-Drive system in which the second motor increases torque and traction on regular roads along with all-road and all-weather capabilities. The 0-100 km/hr sprint takes less than 5 seconds. The doors on this vehicle open in an upward fashion and the company calls them Falcon Wings. The interiors are designed to give out more space to passengers and the third row of seats add to the practicality of this vehicle.
The dashboard looks very extraordinary when compared to the ones found on regular cars. The Tesla Model X will be offered with a 60 kWh or 85 kWh battery and two drivetrains – Model X with Dual Motor All-Wheel-Drive and Model X Performance with Dual Motor All-Wheel-Drive.
Tesla is contemplating an India entry next year. The American automaker is betting big on emerging markets and recently entered China. While Tesla has created a niche for itself, Mercedes-Benz feels Tesla doesn’t have a big future as mainstream manufacturers will easily outdo the electric car maker when they decide to bring out similar technology (as Tesla) on their cars.