Tesla unveils a new battery. Will more zoom make a difference?
With a new battery upgrade, Tesla鈥檚 Model S will be fastest accelerating mass-produced car聽鈥撀爋nly rivaled by limited-run, luxury models from Porsche and Ferrari.
With a new battery upgrade, Tesla鈥檚 Model S will be fastest accelerating mass-produced car聽鈥撀爋nly rivaled by limited-run, luxury models from Porsche and Ferrari.
Even as Tesla Motors experiments with more affordable vehicles, it continues to strengthen its luxury offerings.
With a new battery upgrade, Tesla鈥檚 Model S will be fastest accelerating mass-produced car 鈥� only rivaled by limited-run, luxury models from Porsche and Ferrari. Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk has said that the popular all-electric sedan can accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in just 2.5 seconds.
The Model X, which was already the fastest SUV on the market, is also getting a battery upgrade. In addition to its distinctive falcon-wing doors, the model will now boast a 2.9-second acceleration from 0-60 mph.
Tesla鈥檚 new 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack will also extend driving range, allowing upgraded vehicles to drive for more than 300 miles without recharging.
鈥淭hese are very profound milestones and I think will help convince people around the world that electric is the future,鈥� said Mr. Musk in a press conference.
But Tesla still faces some major obstacles. The company was investigated by US federal safety regulators after its 鈥渁utopilot鈥� feature was linked to a fatal crash in Florida. Meanwhile, Tesla鈥檚 finances have given some investors pause.
The automaker has recorded consistent net losses in the last 12 quarters and has failed to meet projected delivery goals. That鈥檚 because, in many ways, Tesla still has a start-up mentality, writes Richard Read:
Even as revenue climbs for existing products, the automaker has pushed to spend more. It has made huge capital investments across several different sectors, including the $2.6 billion purchase of solar power provider SolarCity. It has spent further billions on a Nevada gigafactory and pre-production for the Model 3. Ultimately, Tesla has placed its bet that these investments will pay off in the long-term.
But even in the midst of financial losses, Tesla does have one major edge over its competitors: design. The Model S, Model X and upcoming Model 3 were each engineered to be electric vehicles. While other auto companies retrofitted their gasoline cars with electric motors, Tesla started from scratch, writes John O'Dell:
That means sleeker design components, roomier interiors and more powerful batteries. And if, as Musk hopes, electric cars are the future, that will likely be a critical advantage for Tesla.