Tesla wows crowds in Detroit with Model S preview 01/17/2011
The stand set up by electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors at the Detroit Auto Show puts its reliability and utility on display, reports Car and Driver.
Part of Tesla's booth is intended to showcase its vehicle's unique range and performance. A prominently placed sign tells visitors that the roughly 1,500 Tesla Roadster electric sports cars delivered to customers have traveled 8,825,532 miles to date.
The main draw of the Tesla booth, however, is a preview of the upcoming Model S, the automaker's new electric sedan. Tesla's booth features a Model S body-in-white - the metal frame of its body before any doors, windows or other trim are attached - as well as its battery pack and powertrain.
Nick Sampson, a Tesla engineer, revealed that the new car offers an energy capacity more than triple that of the Nissan Leaf, an electric car recently released in the U.S. market. Buyers can choose from batteries with ranges of 160, 230 and 300 miles, and the battery can be recharged in as little as 45 minutes depending on the outlet used.