Despite airplane deaths, Tesla's remaining 500 employees push forward with plans

Tesla is a visionary company with great ideas and ambitions, and a great car. But the Roadster came out way behind schedule, and it should probably be no surprise that the Sedan has been delayed.

A friend of mine describes himself as a "chrono-optimist." It's his way of saying "when I give you a date, take it with a few bags of salt." When I first met him, a couple of years ago, he confidently told me not to consider lithium for my car because EEStor (which I had not yet heard of) was bringing out the EESU in 3 to 4 months from then. When I tease him about that, he says, "What can I say? I'm a chrono-optimist."

I think the folks at Tesla are chrono-optimists. I believe the Model S will be the best electric sedan on the road. But I don't believe even the revised production date.

 

There will be delays, but it will be a car worth waiting for. -- Except that I don't want to wait, which is why I'll buy a Leaf if I can get onto the list. Once the S comes out, I'll probably trade up.

 

I'm hoping that Tesla has the kinks worked out. They had problems with a two speed transmission and securing the production line. I remember Lotus was giving them problem.

 

The Nissan Leaf will also get 100 miles/charge, and is being released at the end of this year, in 5 different markets. Rumored to be about $30K, but no formal pricing has been released yet.

Nissan LEAF Electric Car | Nissan USA Official Site

 

The Tesla model S will have optional expanded battery packs, so you can opt for the 250-mile pack (for more money). And at $50,000 (with the smallest of their battery packs) the Tesla S should be a fairly luxurious car.

Nissan is promising 100 miles at (moderate) freeway speed. I believe them. The first release of the Nissan will have just the one battery pack, but at some unspecified time in the future Nissan will offer upgrades to bigger battery packs. (This is official from Nissan.)

I have absolutely no basis for this, but I expect the Tesla S to ship to the folks on the top of the waiting list in two years, and after one more year to be available on a short wait. If I can get a leaf this December (a very big IF) then in three years I might be inclined to upgrade to an S. Of course, that assumes that I'm not so happy with the Leaf that I just stick with it.

 

How about the CT 200h. Basically same drivetrain as the Prius so should get Prius-like fuel economy numbers.

Lexus - Future/Concept Vehicles - CT200h

Of course, a pure EV with 100+ miles range would be better, but you'll have to wait longer for a luxurious one.

 

You suggest a car that is a "future/concept" vehicle, but discount a car like the Leaf or Tesla Model S because they're not available yet?

And the CT200h looks like it will sacrifice economy for performance. So, no, it will not get Prius-like fuel economy numbers. There seems to be a standard that cars with a luxurious interior must have peppy acceleration, and that will always result in lower efficiency in a gasoline-burning car. Maybe some day someone will build a car with a Lexus interior but a Prius's modest performance and high efficiency.

But since this thread is about Tesla, I expect the Model S will meet the requirements for luxury, performance, and efficiency (though of course more efficient if you choose to drive it gently and generally avoid exercising its performance).

 

I wouldn't say the Model S production has been "scooped up". AFAIK anyone can still place a reservation. It will take some time before there are cars in stores waiting for buyers and the wait time is down to a few months.