New report reveals battery plans for the Tesla Model S 12/23/2010
A new report from electric vehicle pioneer Tesla Motors reveals that its upcoming Model S will feature the same style battery pack as the one used in the company's Roadster sports car.
According to Plug-in Cars, Tesla looked at a variety of battery technologies, including prismatic and pouch format batteries, before deciding to stick with the 18650 cells it currently employs. The report also indicates that lithium ion power cells are falling in price by around 8 percent each year, suggesting that their use in electric cars will become more cost-effective.
Although the kind of battery used will stay the same, the new Model S - which is designed to appeal to more mainstream consumers than Tesla's current client base - does offer some significant departures from the Roadster. One major change is that the Model S will feature a battery layout allowing the power cells to be swapped out easily.
The full-size sedan is expected to hit the U.S. market sometime in 2012. The electric vehicle will be sold with three battery pack options, letting consumers decide whether they want a car with a range of 160, 230 or 300 miles.