Tesla Motors Model S Update
Front of the Tesla Model S Beta Car
Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to visit the Tesla Motors factory in Fremont, California, and ride in the Tesla Model S Beta sedan. The car looks fantastic, but the crowning moment must have been when Elon Musk announced that a Sport version would be available that was capable of 0-60 acceleration in less than 4.5 seconds. When you have a sedan that has up to a 300 mile range, a luxuriously appointed interior, and supercar acceleration, I think you have a winner.
The Tesla Roadster is fantastic in many respects, but the interior seems rather cheap and the fit quality is not what you expect in a $100,000-$170,000 sports car. In contrast the Tesla Model S is luxuriously appointed in leather and wood, but the amazing 17 inch infotainment system is heads and shoulders above anything else I have seen. Apparently Tesla has developed their own OS, and hopes to open the platform to developers to allow Tesla owners to customize the functionality on their dashboard.
Vertical 17-inch LCD infotainment screen
The exterior of the car looks great, and has some interesting styling details. The door handles are flush with the car’s body and are supposed to automatically raise themselves when you approach the car with your key fob. This was not working during the test, but looks very cool in practice. In addition, there is no visible place to charge the car. Apparently this is hidden under one of the tail lights, and it opens automatically when you are in range of a charger.
Side View of the Tesla Model S Beta
Note the flush door handles
I’m going to order a second Tesla Model S!