Although the Tesla Model S was just unveiled a few day ago, the company announced today a special edition of the sedan - the Tesla Model S Signature Edition. The Tesla Model S Signature Edition will be produced in 2,000 units and will be evenly split between U.S. and European customers.
The Tesla Model S Signature Edition will be the first built cars and will come with unique interior and exterior features. The Tesla Model S Signature Edition reservation fee is 40,000 USD.
Tesla Motors also announced today that it has taken 520 Tesla Model S reservations in a week since the new model was unveiled. And the company did not even set a final price yet. The Tesla Model S is expected to be priced around 49,900 USD after a federal tax credit of 7,500 USD. The secure your Tesla Model S you'll have to pay a 5,000 USD reservation fee which is refundable.
Tesla Press Release:
Tesla Motors has taken 520 reservations for the Model S, an all-electric family sedan that carries up to seven people and travels up to 300 miles per charge.
Tesla launched the car March 26, and orders immediately began streaming in online and at showrooms in California. Tesla plans to open stores in Chicago, London, New York, Miami, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Munich this year.
“Frankly the number of cars reserved in the first week has exceeded our optimistic internal projections,” said Tesla CEO, Chairman and Product Architect Elon Musk. “Enthusiasm surrounding the Model S is proof that there’s pent-up demand for more affordable, fuel-efficient vehicles – including those made in America.”
The Model S will likely be the world’s first mass-produced, highway-capable electric vehicle when production begins in late 2011. The company has applied for a $350 million loan from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program,
which would be used to build the Model S assembly plant in California.
The East Coast premier of the Model S is tonight at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The drivable prototype also will be shown in New York, Chicago, Miami and Seattle this spring and summer.
The Only Car You Need
The Model S can be recharged from any 120V, 208V or 240V outlet or quick-charged from an external direct current supply in only 45 minutes. You can recharge the car during rest stops or meal breaks, enabling the Model S to go from L.A. to New York in approximately the same time as a gasoline car.
The Model S does 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds, and will have an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph. A 17-inch touchscreen with in-car 3G connectivity means you can listen to Pandora Radio or consult Google Maps, or check the car’s state of charge remotely on your iPhone.
The anticipated base price of the Model S is $49,900 after a federal tax credit of $7,500.
The $5,000 reservation fee is refundable, and the car is a better value than far cheaper cars.
If you account for the much lower cost of electricity vs. gasoline at a likely future cost of over $4 per gallon, the Model S is equivalent to buying a gasoline car with a sticker price of about $35,000, such as a Ford Taurus. Importantly, those savings are realized immediately if you lease a Model S, so there is no need wait years to earn back the price difference.
Three battery pack choices will offer a range of 160, 230 or 300 miles per charge. The company has not released options pricing.
Tesla also is taking reservations for the Model S Signature Edition with a $40,000 reservation fee. Tesla will produce only 2,000 Signature Edition cars, which will be the first built and have unique interior and exterior features. Signature Edition cars will be evenly split between U.S. and European customers.
