Tesla Model S Luxury Sedan Coming in 2012

Tesla unveiled a prototype of their newest Model S sedan at the 2010 Detroit Auto show. The Tesla Model S sedan, an electric car, has up to 300 miles range per charge and is scheduled to be available to the public by 2012. Production will be announced this spring.

The company is projecting a base price for the electric vehicle of approximately $49,900 after U.S. federal tax credits.

Key features of the Model S, according to some of the latest information from Tesla:

• 0-60 in 5.6 seconds
• top speed of 120 MPH
• 300 mile range with a 45 minute rapid-charge feature
• a 17-inch infotainment touch screen
• a hatch design for oversized items
• a second trunk under the hood
• a rear seat that folds flat

Jay Leno Test Drives the Chevy Volt

In this 15 minute episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, GM Chief Engineer Andrew Farah shows Jay America’s breakthrough electric hybrid vehicle, the 2011 Chevy Volt. I think they do a good job showing off the usability of the Volt, and have a few cool highlights of electric cars built at the beginning of the last century. Take a look:

 

GM Set to Produce First Round of Chevy Volt Battery Packs

General Motors announced that it will begin producing its custom lithium-ion battery packs for the Chevy Volt on January 7th. When the assembly plant in Brownstown Township, Michigan begins operations in two days, it will mark the first time a U.S. automaker has operated a battery pack factory in America.

GM’s plan is to import lithium-ion battery cells from Korea’s Compact Power and assemble them into the Chevy Volt packs in Michigan. Having received $241 million in federal stimulus funds, the company is spending about $106 million on its battery pack factory. This effort will boost employment opportunities for people in the hard-hit Detroit Metro Area. Additionally, the vehicle and its four-cylinder engine will also be be assembled at two separate facilities in the local area.