Tesla Motors’ Timeline Is Ambitious To Say The Least

Elon Musk has been nothing short of bullish on the prospects of his electric car company, Tesla Motors, though the legions of loyal fans may be even more optimistic than the pioneering CEO. One fan laid out an ambitious timeline for the electric automaker that by 2022 sees a market dominated by Tesla in every market.

The timeline is far from official, and much of it certainly seems within the realm of possibility. For example, the timeline calls for sales of 5,000 Model X SUVs in 2014, which is well within the production capacity of Tesla’s Palo Alto plant. More than doubling sales of the Model S, however, to 50,000 units in 2014 may be a bit of a stretch considering a lack of available battery packs.

It also makes sense for Tesla to introduce the $35,000 Model E prototype to be introduced sometime in 2015, a year or two ahead of actual production. The announcement of a new Tesla/Panasonic “Giga Factory” is also possible, and sales of the Tesla Model S could possibly reach as high as 70,000 units, with Model X sales around 40,000 units.

From here though things begin to escalate quickly. While a 500-mile battery pack is theoretically possible for the Model S, even if battery pack prices plummet you’re still talking about a massive and heavy battery. That said, it is certainly possible that by 2017 or 2018 Tesla will roll out a new autopilot/self-driving feature that Elon has mentioned in passing before.

By 2020, the fan-made timeline predicts sales of over 300,000 units annually, and by 2022 most automakers will be using Tesla batteries and drivetrains for their own EVs, while paying Tesla a tithe for access to an extensive Supercharger network. More realistically is the introduction of an affordable Model C compact, priced around $25,000. That sounds hopelessly optimistic, and while I can see Tesla sales really starting to take off, I doubt automakers like Nissan and GM are going to bid goodbye to billions of dollars in EV research just to pay Tesla for its technology.

That said, Tesla Motors has defied expectations before, and I wouldn’t put anything past Elon these days.

 Source: Tesla Motors Forums

Tesla Supercharger Locations On East Coast Announced

Tesla Motors may charge a premium for its product, but Elon Musk’s electric car company is working to set itself apart from the competition in a lot of ways. The Tesla Supercharger network is just one of the many perks of Tesla ownership, and the electric car maker has announced two locations on the East Coast in the crowded Northeast corridor.

The two stations, one located in Milford, Connecticut and the other in Wilmington, Delaware, will allow for super fast charging for Tesla Model S owners driving between Boston and Washington D.C. The Tesla Supercharger can add about 150 miles of travel in around 30 minutes of travel, allowing the Tesla Model S to make the 450 mile trip with only two charging stops of 30 minutes each.

Tesla first announced a Supercharger corridor between San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, where it will no doubt see plenty of use. Eventually, the electric car maker hopes to make a cross-country Supercharger system that will allow Tesla owners to drive from coast to coast. Best of all, it will be free to Tesla Model S owners, just another perk of being a well-heeled early adopter.

But will it stay free? I guess that all depends on Tesla’s success as an automaker. There are a lot of people out there eager for a more affordable Tesla to call their own. It’s all a matter of when, not if.

Source: Green Car Reports

Unofficial Tesla Model C Sketches Leak Out…Drawn by a Tesla Intern

How's this for a head-turning compact Tesla?

Once upon a time, Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen revealed that Tesla Motors would develop what he referred to as BMW 3-Series competitor.  As von Holzhausen claimed, this entry-level Tesla could be launched in 2015 or later (we’d place our bet on later).  Furthermore, Tesla’s design guru stated that this vehicle, which is often referred to as the Tesla Model C (C is for compact), would feature distinctive styling and a target base price of approximately $30,000.

No matter the angle, this Model C is radically different than any Tesla-badged vehicle.

Though not much has been mentioned of the Model C in recent months, we’ve come across a radical sketch from a former Tesla intern that may hint at the distinctive styling we’ll see when and if Tesla’s BMW-fighter debuts.

These sketches, drawn up by Hyonwoo Jason Kim, we’re released late last month on the Art Center College of Design’s website.  Kim, a Tesla Motors design inter from January 2011 through May 2011, likely sketched his interpretation of the Model C under Tesla’s direction.

This eye-grabbing compact (or possibly even subcompact) concept is certainly more radical than any Tesla-badged vehicle or concept we’ve laid eyes on, but as von Holzhausen previously stated, distinctive styling will be part of Tesla’s future focus.

Kim’s concept does feature a few design cues found on the Tesla Model S, most notably in the treatment of the front grille and shape of the vehicle’s roof section, but that’s where the comparisons end.  While this specific design may be a bit too radical to make the production cut, there’s a lot to like here and we applaud Kim for his masterful work.

Full credit for this radically designed Tesla Model C concept goes to Tesla intern Hyonwoo Jason Kim.  To check out more of his spectacular works, click here.

Look closely...It definitely says Model C!

Tesla Intern Pens A Subompact Luxury EV

If I had even a speck of artistic talent, I’d utilize it designing the cars of the future. One company I’d definitely want to work for is Tesla Motors. Hyoon Jason Kim is lucky and talented enough to have landed an internship at Tesla, and he has sketched an eye-grabbing subcompact Tesla concept car that could hint at things to come.

Kim’s concept definitely draws on the Model S influence, especially in the bubble top design, though the design has its own unique elements as well. I really like the slitted headlight design as well, though the NHTSA may have something to say about such a design.

The swooping hatchback design is futuristic-looking enough to earn a place in the Tesla stable, managing to include both muscular features in a sleek little package. It’s amazing how, without having to conform to necessities like transmission tunnels and exhaust tips, designers are so much freer to pen a more beautiful and elegant design. As it turns out, this isn’t Kim’s only electric car design…more on that later.

Could this be the Tesla Model C compact car of the future? Who knows; Elon Musk has said that Tesla is working on a wide range of models, from supercars to 3-series fighters and almost definitely a compact model. I obviously dig this concept, but what are your thoughts?

Source: Hyoon Jason Kim via Carscoop

The Tesla Model C: Unofficial, But Really Cool Looking

Tesla Motors is keeping its cards close to its chest in regards to future vehicles. While CEO Elon Musk has dropped hints here and there, including an all-electric supercar and a BMW 3-series fighter, we’re mostly left to our own devices to wonder what Tesla has planned. That has led some would-be car designers to fill in the blanks, and one in particular stood out to me. Meet the compact Tesla Model C.

The Tesla Model C is the brainchild of Derjan Hristov, who envisions the Model C as Tesla’s entry into the affordable compact car market. While Tesla has just rolled out its first mainstream vehicle, the Model S sedan, eventually they’ll have to try and break into the compact market if they want to make headway in the competitive automotive market.

Hristov envisions a compact hatchback with automatic sliding doors, a nifty feature that really hints at the hopefulness of this concept. That said, if Tesla were to build a compact EV like this, and gave it rear-wheel drive I could totally dig it.

The rear bumper doubles as a slide-out trunk, offering extra cargo space for this compact city car. While it seats just two, I think the sporty nature of this little EV could make it a popular seller for Tesla. That is, if Tesla were to embrace such an independent design. For now, the only future model we know Tesla is working on is the Falcon-wing Model X SUV.

Whatever Elon Musk has planned for his electric car company, it had better be as eye-catching as Hristov’s design if he hopes to wrestle away market share from conventional automakers.

     


Source: CarScoop