[Wimbledon]

While the Fisker Karma and Tesla Model S are targeting different price points, it appears Tesla's third model will compete against the Nina lineup for more mainstream consumers. Just how cheap will Tesla go? Nissan Leaf pricing?

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2010/04/teslas-musk-says-crossover-4wd-in-the-works-with-new-arrivals-in-2013-and-2014.html

Tesla's Musk Says Crossover, 4WD in the Works, With New Arrivals in 2013 and 2014

Tesla CEO Elon Musk reiterated his company's ambitious plans for growth on Tuesday afternoon in Detroit, and the Roadster is just the beginning, Autoweek reported Wednesday.

The Model S is due in 2012, and Musk says the company is narrowly focused on getting that sedan to the market on time. The car will start for less than half the price of the Roadster and is expected to sticker for about $50,000, including a federal tax credit.

About the same time the four-door arrives, the first generation of the Roadster will cease production after the 2012. A year or two later, a successor will launch, Musk said.

More Tesla products are expected to follow, including a crossover. Look for new arrivals of vehicles in 2013 and 2014, "which is a rapid pace," Musk said

Four-wheel drive will also be a characteristic of future Teslas, he said.

The Model S will have a range of 300 miles, five-star safety ratings and the ability to swap out the battery in a minute. It will also feature an advanced 17-inch touch screen in the interior, and a large amount of storage space, Musk said.

Affordability is expected to increase with each new product, and by the time the third one arrives, it's expected to be attainable for mainstream customers, in contrast to the expensive, performance-oriented Roadster. About 1,200 units of the two-door are on the road today in almost 25 countries.

Interestingly, Musk said he expects Tesla's most significant impact to be supplying its fresh technology to other companies, rather than through its own products.

Tesla has a deal with German giant Daimler and will supply batteries and chargers for the next electric Smart car. Tesla also will supply electric technology for the Mercedes A-class, which is sold in Europe.

Daimler owns about eight percent of Tesla. The California company also has a deal with commercial-vehicle maker Freightliner.

"The smallest effect Tesla will make will be the cars we make ourselves," Musk said. "The biggest effect will be the cars they [other companies] make."

 

[Wimbledon]

Wired's take:

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/04/tesla-motors-ceo-promises-more-models-soon/

Elon Musk says Tesla Motors is “narrowly focused” on getting the Model S sedan built and it is working with Daimler on an electric Mercedes A-Class compact. Oh — and it plans to have new models rolling out beginning in 2013.

The entrepreneur laid out an aggressive timeline for Tesla’s growth during a speech Tuesday in Detroit accepting the automotive executive of the year award. We weren’t there, but according to Autoweek, Musk said the Tesla Roadster is the first in what will be a line of cars including the gorgeous Model S and a crossover utility vehicle. Future models also will feature all-wheel drive.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard Musk talk about a crossover utility vehicle, but there weren’t any specifics beyond the claim we’ll see new models in 2013 and 2014. Musk concedes that “is a rapid pace.” No kidding.

Talking about models beyond the Model S seems premature given that Tesla hasn’t finalized a location to build the S, a car it promises to have rolling off the line in 2012. Tesla also has made big promises for the car, not the least of which are a claimed range of 300 miles, room for seven people and a sticker price of $49,900 after the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. At least he’s got a $465 million loan from the feds to help build the car.

As if building the S weren’t enough to keep him busy, Musk also is preparing to take Tesla Motors public.

Still, Musk has to be looking ahead because only by increasing volume can he hope to bring down costs to a level most of us can afford. The Roadster starts at $101,500 and the S will run about half that. Musk expects Tesla’s third model to be accessible to mainstream customers, according to Autoweek. And he’s got to keep pace with Fisker Automotive, which already is looking ahead to its second and third models. (Though it too might want to focus first on getting the Karma built.)

More interesting is Musk’s plan to expand Tesla’s role as an electric drivetrain supplier. Tesla already has a deal to provide drivetrains for the electric Smart ForTwo, and it is providing batteries to Freightliner Custom Chassis for an electric delivery truck. Musk disclosed on Tuesday that Tesla will supply electric drivetrain technology for the Mercedes A-Class EV. That would make sense, given Daimler owns about 8 percent of Tesla.

“The smallest effect Tesla will make will be the cars we make ourselves,” Musk said. “The biggest effect will be the cars [other companies] make.”

Yes, you read that correctly. Musk appears to be minimizing the role his company’s core product — cars — will play in its future. That begs the question of who, exactly, will be working with Tesla. Most of the major automakers are lining up partnerships with battery companies, if not launching battery operations of their own. Of course, highlighting Tesla’s potential as a drivetrain supplier may be a pitch to prospective investors.

Tesla Motors spokesman Ricardo Reyes was returning from Detroit and could not be reached for comment.

 

[Wimbledon]

Official Tesla sketches in advance of the IPO:

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/21/breaking-tesla-shows-future-products-in-ipo-road-show-liquid-c/

Tesla slides and prospectus here:
http://www.retailroadshow.com/roadshows.asp#

The long-delayed initial public offering for Tesla Motors is expected to finally happen as soon as the beginning of next week. Naturally, then, company CEO Elon Musk now has to go out and really sell it. One of the last steps before the on-sale date for the stock is what's known as the road show, where executives go before the mavens of Wall Street to convince them of the value of the company.

Slide #19 of Musk's road show Powerpoint gives us the first glimpse of what might come after the Model S, which includes a cabriolet, van and crossover. All will be built on a common platform with the Model S and will mount the battery pack under the floor in a similar manner to the Nissan Leaf. The cabriolet in particular is quite the stunner and should provide a real competitor to the Fisker Karma Sunset.

Among the other changes that Musk revealed are liquid-cooled power electronics and motor starting with the Model S. While this will add to the cost and complexity of the powertrain, it should help improve the overall efficiency and overcome some of the limiting factors that were found late in the development of the Roadster.

We intend to design the Model S with an adaptable platform architecture and common electric powertrain so that we can use the platform of the Model S to create future electric vehicle models, such as a crossover/sport utility vehicle, a van or a cabriolet. In particular, by designing our electric powertrain within the chassis to accommodate different vehicle body styles, we believe that we can save significant time in future vehicle development. In addition, we believe our strategy of using commercially available battery cells will enable us to leverage improvements in cell chemistries and rapidly introduce models of our Tesla Roadster and planned vehicles with different range options. Our design of the Model S, however, is not complete and we may make changes to the design of the Model S, including changes that may make it more difficult to use the Model S platform for future vehicles.

In May 2010, we publicly announced our intent to develop a third generation electric vehicle to be produced at our planned manufacturing facility in Fremont, California. We intend to offer this vehicle at a lower price point and expect to produce it at higher volumes than our planned Model S. We expect that this vehicle will be produced a few years after the introduction of the Model S.