American luxury brand
Tesla is an electric car manufacturer based out of Palo Alto, California.
The company is relatively new, producing its first sports car in 2008.
Tesla's first luxury vehicle was the
Roadster, whose motor is battery operated and produces 248 hp and 200 lb-ft
torque. Running on a single-speed transmission, this model can accelerate from zero
to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. The 2009 Sport version achieves this speed in 3.7
seconds.
As the
Roadster is the company's only current model available for sale, drivers
may find it difficult to spot this brand in the used car market, but they could
see more used Teslas as the company expands.
The second product from the California automaker is the Model S, which is due out
in 2012. The sedan is designed to compete with other luxury cars like the
BMW 5 series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. A concept
version of the car was unveiled at Tesla's Design Studio in early 2009. Special
features in the concept car included a touch-screen dashboard and Wi-Fi capabilities.
As for families looking to purchase from Tesla, the brand announced in 2009 that
it plans to produce electric minivans and SUVs in the future.