Tesla Selling More Cars Than Expected, And Now Profitable http://www.slashgear.com/tesla-cuts-cheapest-model-s-as-buyers-opt-for-range-instead-01275925/ [image] Tesla cuts cheapest Model S as buyers opt for range instead by Chris Davies Apr 1 2013
[image http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/tesla_model_s-580x386.jpg tesla_model_s ] Tesla has scrapped plans for a small battery version of its Model S all-electric car, claiming tiny driver interest makes the 40 kWh variant uneconomical for production. Only 4-percent of Model S buyers opted for the cheaper Model S, which started at $52,400, Tesla said in a statement today, along with the revelation that stronger than expected deliveries means the firm will make a full profit in Q1 2013. Those who went for the cheapest Model S rung will still get a car, though, borrowing the 60 kWh power pack from the $62,400 version, albeit with a software cap on range. Even though the car will have a bigger battery than expected – good for 230 miles at 55mph, rather than the 160 miles of the smaller version – it won’t deliver that full range. Instead, Tesla will artificially cap the cheaper Model S using software. Despite that, there are still some advantages to the strategy, including the ability to “upgrade” the car at some point in the future. Tesla will allow range-loving owners to pay to unlock the extra 20 kWh of potential in the power pack, at any point in the car’s lifetime. Meanwhile, acceleration will also improve, with the software-limited variant matching the 5.9s 0-60mph time of the 60 kWh car, a 0.6s improvement on what customers had been expecting. It’s not the only bonus Tesla has announced today. The company has also been quietly baking its Supercharger hardware into the 60 kWh Model S, which means that those who later decide to pay to use Tesla’s growing network of cross-US high speed charging points won’t have to have equipment retro-fitted to their car. Previously, the Supercharger tech was only installed by default on the 85 kWh model; it’s a $2,000 option on the 60 kWh Model S. For investors, though, it’s the big picture around Model S sales that will put the most smiles on faces today. Tesla has confirmed that deliveries of cars this quarter will exceed 4,750, up 250 on the estimates the company previously announced. The result is full-profitability in Q1, both GAAP and non-GAAP, Tesla says, having previously confirmed that it would repay its Department of Energy loans five years early. [© 2013 SlashGear All Rights Reserved] http://gas2.org/2013/04/01/no-joke-tesla-motors-makes-profit-but-kills-40-kwh-model-s/ No Joke: Tesla Motors Makes Profit But Kills 40 kWh Model S Yet the cornerstone of Tesla's electric vehicle plans was the 40 kWh Model S, which after tax credits could be had for around $50,000 (before a modest price ... http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-were-selling-more-cars-than-we-expected-and-were-now-profitable-2013-4 TESLA: We're Selling More Cars Than We Expected, And We're ... Early this morning, electric car maker Tesla announced that it is exceeding its ... Tesla is here to stay and keep fighting for the electric car revolution," said Elon ... http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/04/01/tesla-motors-model-s-profitable/2041457/ Electric car maker Tesla says it's profitable The electric car maker has announced that it's not going to offer its cheapest version of the Model S sedan, the starter model that was originally priced at about ... For all EVLN posts use: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_page&node=413529&query=evln&sort=date Here are today's archive-only EV posts: EVLN: Cheap-n-try non-committal EV leasing, in Illinois is complicated EVLN: Lightscribe DVD burner used to scale graphene supercapacitors EVLN: Columbia, SC getting first free electric shuttle EVLN: RAV4-EV with a Toyota body but a Tesla heart + EVLN: 7 Things You Should Know When Buying An Electric Car {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Tesla-cuts-cheapest-Model-S-as-buyers-opt-for-range-instead-tp4662232.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
