The Tesla Model S

Canada’s best selling electric car.

– the Model S received the highest Consumer Reports score ever, 99/100

– Tesla paid back its government loan this year, 9 years early

– in 8 of the wealthiest cities in the US, it outsold everyone, including BMW, Mercedes and Audi. It became the new status symbol car.

It was THE car of 2013, really.

Specs (top model, “Performance” 85 kW-h)

416 hp & 443 lb-ft

0 – 100 in 4.2 sec

210 km/h top speed   

They’re built in Fremont, California, in the recently purchased old GM factory. Which is huge, huge; Tesla only takes up 20% .  The automaker is projected to double their output in 2014, to 40,000+ cars.  It’s also rumoured that Tesla will account for 40% of the world’s Panasonic batteries next year. This amazes me. 

Non-car nerds: this is actually the automaker’s second car. Here’s their first: the Roadster.

Auto-manufactures: – the planet is collectively drooling over this interior, why has no one copied this yet?

Personally, this interior is not for me.

When writing a review, I highlight if a vehicle can be ordered without a screen, so an interior dominated by a 17″ screen is opposite of that.

The best feature in the car.  Bucket seats!

Jalopnik has a great ‘Tesla in 2013’ story.

This was the Tesla Toronto grand opening,
the 13th Tesla dealership worldwide

Tesla’s are sold straight from the manufacturer to the consumer, either online or via one of their dealerships. This new sales model is causing anger and lawsuits from traditional dealerships in the States.

Here’s the blog tag – Tesla.

 

 

A Ton of Teslas Together

15 in a row, that’s rather rare.

Spotted during the grand opening of Tesla Toronto. They’re all owner’s cars that drove in for the party.

The automaker has said they take retail cues from Apple. Looks like it’s working.

 

 

The First Tesla – the Roadster

288 hp & 295 lb·ft

0 – 100km/h in 3.7 seconds

$110,000 -ish

390 km range

2,700 lbs

Rear mid-engine, rear wheel drive

Code name: DarkStar

2008 – 2012, built in California

Based on a Lotus Elise

I haven’t driven a Tesla so can’t say much, but do know that, all that torque is never bad.

I love this interior, so empty and efficient. 

The Tesla Roadster

 

 

Bitcoins Used to Buy a Tesla

Wrote about this at Autonet today:

In the world’s first and largest transaction of its kind, a completely electronic currency was used to buy a completely electric car.

What is Bitcoin? It’s the world’s first de-centralized, online-only currency, first introduced in 2009. Notable vendors accepting this electronic-only currency include WordPress and OkCupid, but Bitcoins can also be used to purchase real-world goods, like electronics or meals at restaurants. (Autonet)

Read the full article here.

It was interesting to be a part of this news story.

I saw the news break Friday afternoon, then me and a lot of other journalists, reported the story this Monday morning, but then later this afternoon, CNBC spoke with the general manager of the dealership, and it wasn’t entirely correct.

So I added this update to the article:

UPDATE – 10pm

Today, CNBC’s Squawk on the Street talked to Pietro Frigerio, general manager of the dealership.

Mr. Frigerio said, “I never touched bit coins.”  The bitcoins were first exchanged for US dollars, and then wired to the dealership’s account.

That’s not as dramatic for sure.

Haven’t had to add an update like that before.  That’s the interesting part…  sure I was first to market , but the facts were wrong, but if I had waited till my Wednesday news slot, this story would be considered stale, and me slow on the news.