New Tesla Roadster Coming in 2017 … Maybe

Tesla launched its brand with a simply styled, brutally fast convertible called the Tesla Roadster. It was based heavily on the featherweight Lotus Elise roadster, which may or may not become the car you see, above: the on-again, off-again 2015 Lotus Elise concept.

Now, rumors are starting to circulate about an all-new Tesla Roadster coming in 2017. All of which begs the question, “Will Tesla’s next Roadster, then, be based on Lotus’ next Elise?”

Probably not.

All the same, an updated Tesla Roadster is expected to be one of four – four! – all-new Tesla models that (the usually reliable) Autobild magazine claims will be released by 2017, just in time to carry a “2018″ model year designation. We already know about the hot-selling Model X SUV/crossover and Model 3 “mainstream” sedan made to take on the Chevy Volt PHEV and Nissan Leaf, but Autobild is claiming that, along with the new Tesla Roadster, a new compact city car – similar in size and concept to the BMW i3 – will be joining the lineup, as well.

With a compact, a pair of sedans, an SUV, and – now – an updated sports car, Tesla could become the first full-line, all-electric carmaker in … maybe 100 years? Something like that.

Let us know what you think of Tesla’s big plans, and whether or not you think they’d be better off with a Lotus-tuned chassis (my take: they would be) in the comments, below.

Source: Autobild, via World Car Fans.

Tesla And Toyota Clashed Over RAV4 EV

Earlier this year one of Silicon Valley’s most-celebrated technology partnerships came to an end when Tesla and Toyota announced the end of their EV partnership. A new Bloomberg piece reveals just what went wrong in a clash of cultures and proprietary technologies.

Announced in 2010, the $50 million partnership promised to deliver at least 2,600 RAV4 EVs with batteries and drivetrains developed by Tesla. The electric automaker also bought into the NUMMI factory for the low cost of just $42 million, giving it a much-needed manufacturing hub. Yet almost immediately the wheels began to fall off the wagon.

One of the main points of contention concerned the parking pawl, or lack-thereof, in the Tesla-supplied design proposals. The electric automaker had done away with the device in favor of an electric parking brake backup, but Toyota engineers stood their ground, and it makes me wonder if they weren’t being too set-in-their ways. The RAV4 EV did get the pawl, and Toyota also got its way when it came to designing the battery enclosure as well. Considering the concerns with protecting the battery pack of the Model S, maybe Toyota was in the right on that one.

The regenerative braking feature was another area of contention, and neither the Toyota nor the Tesla engineering teams would share their proprietary software data with each other. That made making adjustments to the system unnecessarily difficult. Customers haven’t been too thrilled with the RAV4 EV’s performance either, and with sales and service limited to only California, just over 1,900 have been sold since going on sale in 2012. The $50,000 price tag was a big turnoff too, though the EPA-rated range of more than 100 miles per charge is the most you can get in an EV that isn’t the Tesla Model S.

The issues go beyond engineering spats though; Toyota has decided to invest heavily into hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, a technology that Elon Musk has publicly called “bullshit”. One can’t help but wonder if Musk’s bravado factored into the decision as well?

I can tell you it certainly didn’t help things. With these two former friends now standing in opposite corners of the boxing ring, it’s only a matter of time before they come to blows again. In the battle of Tesla vs. Toyota, we may be seeing the future of alternative fuels decided once and for all.

Source: Gas 2.

California Could Limit EV Incentives Based On Income

The Golden State is the golden child of the electric car movement, serving as the home base of Tesla Motors and the fast-selling Model S. California also offers EV buyers a $2,500 rebate, which in addition to the $7,500 Federal tax credit, takes up to $10,000 off the price of an electric car.

But one state lawmaker wants to stop giving away state money to EV buyers who are overwhelmingly wealthy. A new plan would limit the size of the state incentive based on income, and offer additional perks to lower income individuals who want to buy an electric car, reports the LA Times.

The bill was introduced by Democrat Kevin de Leon, who says that well-off EV buyers shouldn’t get free money to buy a car they’d probably buy anyways. He may have a point; 50% of Tesla Model S buyers make over $300,000 a year, and while in California that merely makes one “upper middle class”, it’s worth asking whether these wealthy buyers really need any sort of financial incentive to buy an electric car.

de Leon instead proposes a progressive incentive program, which would offer lower income EV buyers an additional $1,500 for trading in a “high pollution vehicle” in addition to the $2,500 rebate. Poorer families could also get an additional $3,000 for the purchase of a clean air car, which if you’re keeping track, would add up to a total of $7,000 in incentives. Apply the $7,500 Federal tax rebate, and that’s $14,500 off the cost of an electric car, which would mean the Nissan LEAF could be had for around $15,000. As it is though, about 80% of the state tax rebates are claimed by people with an income over $100,000 a year, but just 48% of Tesla buyers ranked the incentives as “important” to their buying decision.

Personally, I feel like if you’re going to incentivize a car purchase, it should necessarily be based in income. The $7,500 Federal tax credit for the Tesla Model S represents about 10% of the cost of the car, and about 20% of the cost of the Nissan LEAF. I always saw the incentives as a way to level the playing field against gas-powered vehicles, as wealthy people tend to be the early adopters of new technology regardless of whether it’s an iPhone or Google Glass or the Tesla Model S. A recent study found that the most attractive incentive wasn’t cash, but rather access to HOV lanes on California’s congested roads.

But I also think giving people a reason to trade in their gas guzzler for an EV, especially aimed at the lower income brackets, could help nudge a few fence sitters into going electric. If I could have bought the Nissan LEAF for the price of my Chevy Sonic (about $18,000) I probably would have; but even with a price cut and a chunky tax credit, the LEAF is just beyond my fiancial reach right now. If the state of Connecticut had chipped in, I probably would be the proud owner of an electric car right now.

How do you think EV incentives should be doled out?

Edmunds: Tesla Model S Is “Hard To Recommend”

The scuttlebutt around the automotive blogosphere has been Edmunds recent 17-month review of the Tesla Model S. After more than 30,000 miles, Edmunds had a lot to say about their time with the Tesla Model S, but ultimately the conclusion they came to was that the electric sedan was “hard to recommend.” Ouch.

The writers and editors of Edmunds found that the Tesla Model S was as powerful and attractive as everybody continues to report, but over time they came to feel that it lacked some features found on competitor’s luxury sedans. More damning was a long list of repairs required of Edmund’s admittedly early-production Model S. The worst of it included three instances where the car died along the road, with the drive unit requiring replacement three times, along with the main battery and center console touchscreen.

However, none of these issues came at any cost to Edmunds it’s important to note, and only two of the visits even required an overnight stay. That’s impressive, considering the entire drivetrain was basically swapped three times, along with that massive battery pack. If nothing else, this shows just how much simpler electric cars are to work with and on. That said, it’s hardly the first report of Tesla drive units failing either.

Another important metric Edmunds measured was resale value, and the Model S shined in this area in particular. After laying out about $105,000 to buy their Model S, Edmunds was able to sell it for $83,000, marking about 20% depreciation. That’s better than many luxury cars, which lose about 25% of their value after the same period of time.

Despite that though, Edmunds comes to the conclusion that;

The Model S is a fast, comfortable and technologically brilliant luxury sedan, but numerous problems with its touchscreen, tires and drivetrain make it hard to recommend.

Are these just the issues to be expected from a car bought so early on in the production cycle? Or is it indicative of bigger issues? To its credit, Tesla claims to have resolved many of these issues in later vehicles, but as the company gets ready to ramp up production, it’s important to have all of these problems ironed out.
Nobody ever said building an electric car company would be easy, after all.

Source: Edmunds

Tesla Q2 Revenue Rises On Increased Production

Tesla has announced second quarter 2014 revenue of $769.3 million, compared to $405.1 million in the second quarter of 2013. That’s nearly a 90% increase. and much of the credit for the higher income goes to the more than 1,000 Model S cars delivered to Chinese customers during April, May and June.

Tesla still reported a net loss of $62.9 million for the second quarter, due to capital spending on its proposed Gigafactory and conversion of its assembly line for production of the Model X SUV. However, the electric automaker also delivered 7,579 Model S sedans during the second quarter while building 8,763 vehicles, putting it on track for over 35,000 deliveries this year.

Tesla has also significantly increased research and development spending from $52.3 million last year to $107.7 million in the second quarter of 2014. Much of that increase is due to development of the newly announced mid-level sedan, the Tesla Model III, due out sometime in 2017.

What does all that mean for investors? Simply that sales are going well and the company is plowing its earnings back into future products and development. A firm in financial trouble usually responds by slashing R&D spending, so the fact that Tesla is increasing funding for R&D should be reassuring news for investors. There are still plenty of potential pitfalls ahead, but so far so good for Tesla.

Source: Gas2

Tesla Conference Call: Model X Demand, Gigafactory Site And Improved Battery Chemistry + Model S Drivetrain

Tesla Model S Debuts In Hong Kong In July (along with a couple of Supercharging Stations)

On Thursday, Tesla reported 2nd quarter earnings that mostly beat analyst expectations, earning 11 cents a share (ex-items) on revenues of $858 million dollars while delivering 7,579 Model S sedans (full details on the report can be found here).

But historically, the real highlights happen on the conference call after the earnings are released – when CEO Elon Musk typically gives his candid view of how things are unfolding inside the company as well as his outlook to the future.

So without further adieu, here is our highlights from that call!

Guidance on 100,000 vehicle run by end of 2015

Production Heading to 100K By 2015′s End

The Tesla CEO was asked about the company’s 100,000 run rate projection by the end of 2015 and how much was coming from China, splits etc.

“We’re expecting that to be roughly split between the X and S. So we’re talking roughly 1,000 units a week of each.”

Mr. Musk also notes that looking at the wider demographics, SUVs are slightly outselling sedans in the wider market, and he expects that may also be the case for the Model X over the S at some point.

Worldwide Stores/Service Centers by end of 2015

The CEO notes that he is just “speaking off the cuff”, but expects “100 in China alone” and more than 300 worldwide

On Hydrogen/Fuel Cell Tech

Elon Musk: Not A Fan Of The FCV

Often Elon Musk likes to give his opinion on hydrogen, so when the Morgan Stanley analyst asked him the question of why the industry seems to be pushing hydrogen so much, and if it was a “bs move” by CARB to rewrite EVs rules – or did they actually believe in the tech?  The CEO let it fly again:

“As you know, I am not the biggest proponent of hydrogen…but really if you take a theoretically optimal fuel cell car and compare that to a car in production – a battery electric car; on key metrics of mass, volume complexity, cost and refilling infrastructure, it’s just…it is a loss. So it’s the best case in our opinion, the best case fuel cell car  (and obviously the fuel cell cars are far from best case), cannot beat the current case electric car, so well why even try it?  That just makes no sense.  Success is not one of the possible outcomes.”

Follow up question from the analyst: “Why are they (CARB) doing this? That is why I asked if it’s BS. Is this just kind of a diversionary tactic or do you think they are just not up on what is up?”

“We are quite confused about this.”- Musk

“It does not make a lot of sense. I mean we didn’t even touch on the infrastructure challenges that hydrogen brings, but building out that infrastructure is substantially more expensive than building out any electric vehicle infrastructure.  And there’s almost none of it today.” - JB Straubel (Tesla CTO)

“…also another thing - hydrogen is an energy carrier not an energy source. So you have to create the hydrogen which is really inefficient because you would either have to crack a hydrocarbon or electrolyzed water” – Musk

“Yeah – which is super inefficient, and then hydrogen has very low density.  So if you are going to pick it as a chemical energy storage mechanism, the hydrogen is a terrible choice.  At least you know, methane, CH4 lock up the hydrogen with one carbon atom or something.

Quality and Model S Drivetrain

Given the recent scrutiny over some drivetrain failure/replacements in the Model S, you just knew the question ‘What’s up with that?’would be posed to the Tesla CEO

Tesla CEO Says Many Of The Drivetrain Replacements Where Unnecessary, But Where Done For Customer Convenience

“We definitely had some quality issues in the beginning for the early serial number of cars, because we’re just basically figuring out how to make the Model S.  And I think we’ve addressed almost all of those early (? – garbled) production cars - I mean not all - but the vast majority have been addressed in cars that are being produced today.  And we’re also getting better at diagnosing what’s wrong, because in some cases we, particularly with respect to the drive unit, we think that something is wrong with the drive unit but it’s actually something wrong with another part of the car. And then we’d replace the drive unit and that wouldn’t solve the problem because the drive unit was not the problem.”

“…there’s a bunch of things like that which are just mis-diagnosis of the problems that we’ve obviously addressed.”

“There are a few items that will need – a fair number of drivetrains will need to be serviced.  It’s actually related to one (problem) to the differential, and we need to shim the differential. It doesn’t require drive unit replacement, it just requires a technician to insert a shim.  We are going to have to do that on a fair number of cars – but that is like a 50 cent shim. 

So it’s really;  I wouldn’t assume that there’s going to be some vast number of drivetrains that will need to replaced, but there is several service bulletins that we will be instituting, many of which we’ve already have to address the issue.”

After speaking about weekly quality control meetings, Mr. Musk was asked if he was happy with the quality control systems in place and his team.  To which the CEO said there had been some trouble, but that they were pretty much there now.

“I think at this point we’ve got a excellent quality control team…and we weren’t there in the beginning but I’m confident that we’re there now. I mean our aspiration is on the order magnitude better quality than any other car. And we will keep at it unrelentingly until we get there.”

Gigafactory:  Nevada, Ground-breaking

Even before Tesla’s disclosure of breaking ground in Nevada, the public had been made aware of the site’s existence and subsequentwork stoppage.  The question was posed to Mr Musk about the ‘why’ and if the company has a “drop-dead” date for being up and running.

Nevada Gigafactory Site (Photo via Bob Tregilus)

“We have  essentially completed the pad, the construction pad for the Gigafactory in Nevada. So in terms of creating a flat pad and getting the rocky foundation that is substantially complete. There’s still a little bit of work ongoing.  We are going to be doing something similar in one or two other states - which is something I previously said we’d do because I think it makes sense to have multiple things going in parallel.

Before we actually go to the next stage of pouring a lot of concrete though we want to make sure we have things sorted out at the state level - that the incentives are there that makes sense,…But I do want to emphasize that Tesla is not going to go for a deal that is unfair to the state or unfair to Tesla. We want to make sure it’s compelling for all parties.   I think on the Nevada side, at this point the ball is on the court of the governor and the state legislature.”

Model X Demand

No Deliveries Of The Model X In Q1 of 2015, But High Production Levels Expected In The Spring

Knowing he is unlikely to get a straight numerical answer on Model X demand, the analyst from JP Morgan asks the Tesla CEO to put Model X backlogged orders in context of what the company was seeing with the Model S in 2012. And what the demos were as to location and if many already owned a Model S.

“I guess what is important to appreciate for the X, that, let’s just put the orders in context. There are no cars available for a test drive. There is no information about the cars in our stores because we are only selling the S.

In fact, if somebody comes in who wants to buy the X, we try to convince them to buy the S,  so we anti-sell it.  We don’t really provide all that much information or details about the car or provide a definitive date on when you can get it. Despite all that, there is huge demand from around the world for the X.  Now I think that actually people are right, even though they don’t …  really have enough information to know they’re right, but they are.”

Will Gigafactory Batteries Have A Different Chemistry?  Improvements?

Gigafactory Cells To Be A Little Bigger/Denser Than What Is In Use Today

“There are some improvements to the chemistry as well as improvements to the geometry of the cell -  so we would expect to see an energy density improvement, and of course a significant cost improvement.” – Musk

“The cathode and anode materials themselves are next generation, so I mean we’re seeing improvements in the maybe 10% to 15% range on the chemistry itself (energy density) – and then we’re also customizing the cell shape and size to further improve the cost efficiency of the cell and the  packaging efficiency.”   - JB Straubel (CTO)

“We’ve done a lot of modeling trying to figure out what’s the optimal cell size. And it’s really not much, it is  not a lot different from where we are right now, but we’re sort of in the roughly 10% more diameter; maybe 10% more height. But then since the cubic function effectively ends up being, just from a geometry standpoint, probably a third more energy for the cell,well maybe 30%ish - then the actual energy density per unit mass increases”

“Fundamentally the chemistry of what is inside is what really defines the cost position though. It’ is often debated what shape and size, but at this point we are developing basically what we feel is the optimum shape and size for the best cost efficiency for an automotive cell.” – JB Straubel (CTO)

Costing on the battery cells is further discussed, and Mr. Musk notes that he would be “disappointed if it took us 10 years to get to $100 a kilowatt-hour pack.”

Source: EV insider

Unplugged Performance Tesla Model S Gallery

Last week Unplugged Performance pulled back the covers on its sexy new body kit for the Tesla Model S, and now we’ve got more pics of this sexy sedan body kit, which adds an exciting new level of sportiness to the Model S.

As previously mentioned, the full Unplugged Performance Kit will cost about $6,000 without factoring in paint, which is a pittance compared to how much character it adds to your Model S. Unplugged also hinted at future components for the Model S that enhance more than just the aesthetics of the electric sedan, though that’s still a bit further down the pipeline.

Ultimately, Unplugged Performance wants to be for Tesla what AMG is to Mercedes; that is to say, an aftermarket tuning shop that takes production Teslas to the next level of looks and performance. With an overwhelmingly positive response (especially from us) we can’t wait to see what Unplugged has in store for its next round of upgrades and improvements.

Saleen might have met its match when it comes to Tesla Model S modification.

Source: Gas 2.

Tesla Model S Stars in Awesome “ORIGINS” Video

To say that the Tesla Model S has changed America’s understanding of what an electric car could is something of an understatement. Tesla built an electric car that was fast, capable, and desirable in an age when most people thought – and most oil companies hoped! – that, at best, an electric car was always going to be a glorified golf cart.

Teslas, however, get artsy fan videos like this one here, titled “ORIGINS” by director, David Holm. The video itself is introduced simply enough, with the following words on Cool Material:

“Men love women. Even more than that, men love cars.” While we might not fully agree with the line from Rush, we will say we have a little love affair with horsepower. Tesla captured a little of that infatuation in this short. You’ll want to hop behind the wheel immediately after.

Take a quick minute to watch a Tesla Model S blast across the desert in the video, below – and watch out for rattlesnakes!

Source: David Holm, via Cool Material.

Android Wear App Lets You Control Your Tesla

You have your shiny new Tesla Model S sitting in your driveway, and you have even added that way cool lighted Tesla logo to the trunk lid. What else can you do to set yourself apart from every other Tom, Dick and Elon out there?

How about an app that lets you control your Tesla from your wrist?

Android Wear has just the gadget for you. It’s called Tesla Command for Android Wear app, and it’s available free at the Play Store reports 9 to 5 Google. You can tap to lock or unlock your car, open and close the sunroof, flash the lights or beep the horn. Imagine how excited your friends will be when your Tesla’s door handles slide in and out at the touch of a button on your wrist!

Check out the video below for a demo of the app.

Source: Google

Tesla Gigafactory Infographic

Thanks to the folks at Visual Capitalist, we now have a detailed infographic showing exactly how Tesla’s $5 billion dollar Gigafactory will operate and the effect it will have on raw materials costs. The United Bank of Scotland estimates that raw materials – primarily cobalt, graphite and lithium – account for 70% of the cost of an EV battery. In turn, the battery is by far the most costly component of any EV.

If the cost of the battery can be reduced, the car it goes into will cost less. Tesla estimates its Gigafactory, which will produce as many batteries in one year as were manufactured in the entire world in 2013, will drive down the cost of EV batteries by 30% thanks to economies of scale.

The factory will create 6500 high- tech jobs when it opens, which is why at least five different states are courting the electric automaker. Most importantly though, the Gigafactory will permit Tesla to price its forthcoming Model III at around $35,000. The Model S currently starts $69,900, but often sells for closer to $100,000 thanks to a myriad of luxury features and options.

To see how Elon Musk’s vision for the Gigafactory works from an economic standpoint, scroll through the infographic below.

Source: Tesla

Tesla Model S Hacked by Chinese University Team

Just a few weeks after Elon Musk offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who could successfully hack a Model S, a Chinese team from Zhejiang University has hacked the electric luxury sedan, reports the South China Monitoring Post. The team was able to remotely unlock the vehicle, change settings, sound the horn and flash the lights, and open the sunroof while the car was in motion. The vulnerabilities shown, imply that – given more time – unscrupulous users might possibly could maybe at some point gain access the interiors of parked Teslas, view their GPS trip history, check their contacts and/or check out whatever else you can check out from the central infotainment system.

Organizers say they have reported the vulnerability to Tesla. And Tesla, to its credit, seems to have welcomed news of its cars’ “flow design” vulnerability (that we reported on last year). “We support the idea of providing an environment in which responsible security researchers can help identify potential vulnerabilities,” the company said on Wednesday.

Interestingly, the Zhejiang University team won’t be collecting Musk’s $10,000 bounty, as the team had “not succeeded in the mission of hacking Tesla’s door and engine within the timeframe of the challenge.” Which, frankly, reads to me like sour PR grapes on Tesla’s part. Especially when I consider that I, for one, would be deeply concerned if I found out my car could be unlocked and turned on by a wireless laptop or mobile device.

John Pescatore, director for emerging security trends at the Sans Institute, told Fox News last week that Tesla, which recently announced plans to make all its technology and patents openly available, could be particularly vulnerable to hackers. “These new cars, especially hybrids, have a lot more software in them that has to be updated – these paths haven’t really been probed yet by hackers,” he said, before stating that Tesla’s currently “good” security reputation has come “mainly because no one has pounded on them, yet.”

Before you panic and start selling all your Tesla stock ahead of their gamble on battery futures coming up, however, keep in mind that this is Fox News we’re talking about, which makes Pescatore knowing his a** from a hole in the ground a 50/50 bet. Just, you know, keep an eye on your Tesla Model S when you upset the creepy bearded weirdo in the IT department.

Tesla Model S Hacked by Chinese Team

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Sources: South China Motoring Post, via Motorpasion.

Tesla idles California plant to retool for electric SUVs

Tesla Motors Inc. halted production at its sole assembly plant for the first time for a revamp the company said is necessary to speed Model S output and prepare it to make electric crossovers.

Work to reconfigure the production floor at the former NUMMI plant in Fremont, Calif., began today and vehicle assembly resumes Aug. 4 with a goal of boosting production by 25 percent, Simon Sproule, a Tesla spokesman, said in an interview. Upgrades mainly involve modifications to the factory’s body and general assembly lines and will cost about $100 million, he said. 

“This represents the single biggest investment in the plant since we really started operations and enables us for higher volumes,” Sproule said by phone today. “It gets us ready to build X and to do it on the same line as the S.”

CEO Elon Musk, who also leads rocket maker Space Exploration Technologies Corp., has said he wants Tesla to deliver at least 35,000 Model S sedans to global customers this year, a jump of about 56 percent from 2013. The company’s expansion is led by the start of shipments to China and the U.K. in the second quarter, followed by deliveries to Hong Kong, Japan and Australia in the year’s second half.

Tesla, which charges from $71,000 for its Model S in the U.S., was producing almost 700 units per week at the end of the first quarter with a goal of increasing that to 1,000 later this year, Musk said in a May 7 letter to investors.

Weekly production at the plant was approaching 800 units ahead of the current project, Sproule said. Musk in May had said the upgrades would idle plant production for about 10 days in July.

'Laser-focused'

“I’m sure with the popularity of the vehicle and need for production and the fact that it’s the sole production facility they are laser-focused on changing over and revamping it as quickly as they can,” said Michael Robinet, a managing director at IHS Automotive in suburban Detroit.

Fremont, which also makes the car’s lithium-ion battery pack and motor, needs to be modified to start building Model X SUVs later this year, Sproule said. Pricing for the battery-powered light truck, which ships to customers early next year, hasn’t been announced yet.

During the retooling period, assembly workers can take vacation time or come to the plant for maintenance and training shifts, Sproule said. Tesla is California’s largest automotive employer with more than 6,000 people working at its plant, headquarters, design center, stores and service facilities.

Cheap batteries 

Tesla’s modifications this month affect the sole auto-assembly plant on the U.S. West Coast. The factory opened in the early 1960s as a General Motors plant and then operated for 25 years as a joint venture between GM and Toyota Motor Corp. until 2009.

Toyota is a Tesla shareholder. When Toyota President Akio Toyoda arranged for Tesla to buy the plant for $42 million in 2010, he gave the facility a new life and helped Musk start Model S production in 2012.

Tesla is revamping Fremont as it prepares to announce locations where it will start initial construction of a battery factory. The company has said it’s studying sites in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas for the plant that it claims will cost as much as $5 billion to build and eventually employ as many as 6,500 people. Musk said the plant is needed to cut the cost of lithium-ion cells at least 30 percent.

Sproule declined to say when the company will announce a decision on where it wants to build the factory.

'More challenges'

Cheap batteries are essential to Tesla’s goal of selling its Model 3 sedan by 2017, a smaller electric car with a base price about half that of Model S. The plant will also make battery packs for homes and businesses to store power from solar panels to reduce use of electricity from utilities.

“As they move forward and add more vehicles additional complexity will create more challenges,” Robinet said. “Given what they had to do they’ve done a very good job. They are putting together very complex machines.”

The company is to release second-quarter results, including revenue from initial sales in China and the U.K., on July 31 after the close of New York trading.

Tesla Model S Tops In Totaly Quality Survey

The Tesla Model S has earned more accolades in the past two years than anyone though possible, and it did this at a time when electric cars were being widely criticized. So how’d they do it? Quite simply, Elon Musk set out to build a great car that just happened to be electric. That decision is paying off both in sales and awards as the Model S sets a new standard for automotive quality.

The latest feather in the cap of the Tesla team comes from Strategic Vision, which reports that Model S received the highest rating in the Total Quality Index. And what is the Total Quality Index? From the press release:

“The Strategic Vision Total Quality Index score is a holistic measure that encompasses positive and negative product experiences including reliability, actual problems, driving excitement and other measures that collectively are energized by the emotional response associated with the aggregate of all those experiences – hence Total Quality.”

In other words, its more than just measuring what goes right and wrong in a car; it’s about the emotion owners associate with their cars. Strategic Vision interviewed over 38,000 vehicle owners, though Christopher Chaney, Strategic Vision Senior Vice President, sums it up best.

“Tesla built a vehicle that generated love in attributes that were most important to segment buyers. Tesla isn’t an electric vehicle that just has good features, but instead it’s a luxurious sports sedan that has ‘True Innovation,’ as well as a rocket-like speed and drive feeling, that just happens to be an electric vehicle. I would call on all I would call on all manufacturers looking towards electrification to implement a mantra of building super cool transportation that impresses the heck out of customers, and ‘happens to be electric.’”

Strategic Vision isn’t alone, with respected publications like Consumer Reports also acclaiming the Model S the best car on the road. Other automakers are most certainly paying attention to Tesla’s success, with companies like GM assigning a “Tesla team” to help Cadillac keep pace with the electric automaker, though companies like Toyota aren’t yet convinced. How many more awards will Tesla have to take home before the rest of the auto industry follows suit?

Source: Gas 2.