The growing popularity of electric vehicles is no longer in doubt. And in the not too distant future, this type of transport has every chance to occupy a significant niche in the market. In the 90s of the last century, General Motors released a famous electric car EV1, which was subsequently filmed doc. a movie called Who Killed the Electric Car?
In the future, until recently, to organize the mass production of such Vehicle no significant effort has been made. "I took a chance", deciding to give good chance electric vehicles. We invite the reader to learn more history of Tesla Motors development.
This employee is considered to be the prototype of the character of Tony Stark from the famous film "Iron Man" (performed by Robert Downey Jr.). Engaged in entrepreneurship, billionaire Stark regularly brings to life the most daring and revolutionary ideas.
Elon was born in 1971. in the Republic of South Africa. As a 10-year-old child, he became interested in programming. In 1992. the intellectual young man managed to enter the University of Pennsylvania. Seven years later, Musk became the founder of X.com, a large firm specializing in the security of electronic payments. In 2000 X.com was bought out by another large corporation- Confinity, and one of the branches of the latter, called PayPal, also dealt with electronic payments. After another 2 years, the eBay online auction bought out PayPal, which had already achieved significant success. And what about Elon Musk? Everything is very simple: at that time, Elon owned 11.7% of the shares of PayPal, with a total value of $ 165 million.
In 2002 Musk created his own space launch vehicle company called SpaceX. A year later, a successful specialist invested $ 10 million in the Solar City project, which involves the installation of modular solar panels in private homes. In addition, the enterprising scientist is quite serious about the colonization of Mars, the launch of numerous satellites into orbit in order to provide Internet to all regions of our glorious planet. Another brainchild of Musk is the Hyperloop project, which provides for the delivery of passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in just half an hour (for reference, this is 600 km).
Given the above information, it is hardly surprising that Musk contributed to his colleagues at Tesla Motors - Martin Eberhard and Mark Tapping - in 2004. Elon has invested $ 7.5 million in a large-scale project to create electric cars.
History of Tesla Motors
Entrepreneurial engineers Martin Ebehard and Mark Tapping in 2003. founded a company called Tesla Motors. As you know, Nikola Tesla was a Serbian scientist who studied electricity and made revolutionary discoveries for his time.
M. Tapping already for a long time was fond of sports cars. The time has come when the engineer was seriously interested in the problem of global warming and the rigid dependence of vehicles on oil reserves on our planet. In addition, continuously increasing fuel prices made themselves felt. Mark had no choice but to create an electric vehicle company in California. The creators of such a giant as Google, S. Brin and L. Page, helped solve the problem of start-up capital, and Elon Musk, mentioned above, invested the largest amount. From the very start, Musk participated in the formation of a long-term development strategy for the new company, actively participated in the design of a new generation of cars and joined the board of directors of Tesla Motors.
In about 12 years, the company has achieved the following results:
- cars have been created that move exclusively with the help of electricity, without the slightest need for the use of petroleum products in any form;
- a factory was built batteries for Tesla cars;
- the minimum distance that an electric car can cover is 300 km;
- the production of components for electric cars of other manufacturers is organized, for example, Smart ForTwo electric drive or Toyota RAV4 EV;
- a network of “electric filling” stations has been built, where you can fill up your own electric car within half an hour without paying a cent, at the moment there are 370 such filling stations all over the planet; in the future, it is planned to introduce a paid service for replacing a discharged battery with a new one;
- summer 2014 I. Musk announced his intention to open all his technical secrets for the production of electric cars - thus, other manufacturers will also have the opportunity to produce this type of vehicle.
Musk believes that this will significantly speed up technical progress electric vehicles.
Tesla Roadstar
The first officially presented car from Tesla was the Tesla Roadstar in 2006. The presentation took place at the Santa Monica airport and was closed. Auto production began in 2008, and by 2012. the number of Roadstars that left the conveyor was 2600 units. By this time, the most active users of electric vehicles were already gaining mileage exceeding 200 thousand km.
The Lotus Elise S2, a mid-range sports car, became the basis for the development of the Roadstar. Roadstar has a 3-phase 4-pole asynchronous motor alternating current. Management - frequency. Implemented air cooling. Power point capable of generating power of the order of 248 hp. (185 kW) and a torque of 270 Nm. Torque is transmitted through a single-stage gearbox (BorgWarner) to the rear axle. In 3.9 seconds, such a car can accelerate to almost 100 km / h. Manufacturers set a maximum speed limit of 201 km / h. With all this, the maximum travel distance is 300 km.
In 2008 the famous German auto-tuning company Brabus presented an improved version of the Roadster-a, equipped with the so-called. a "surround sound generator" that provides a choice of a specific type of sound - V8 or sports car. The car also had leather interior and 19" wheels.
And 2009 was marked by the release of another electric vehicle from Tesla - the Roadster Sport, which accelerates to 97 km / h in just 3.7 seconds, overcomes a quarter-mile distance in 12.6 seconds and can travel an average of 372 km without recharging. And at the autumn competitions in the same year in Australia, the Global Green Challenge, the crew driving this car covered a distance of 501 km without recharging the battery, moving at a speed of about 40 km / h. In 2010 the Roadster Sport won the Monte Carlo Alternative Energy Rally ( for the first time, an electric car won the championship).
In 2014 Musk announced the next Roadster update to version 3.0. What made the update distinctive: an aerodynamic package was installed that reduced the aerodynamic drag coefficient from 0.36 to 0.31; increased range to 640 km; the capacity of the lithium battery is now 70 kWh; and updates are also expected in the future.
The second model from Tesla Motors became the Tesla Model S. It was a premium car in the form of a 5-door liftback. Demand for the Tesla Model S was huge in California itself and in Norway immediately after the presentation. Production of the S-model was established in California and Holland. Since 2012, EV enthusiasts around the world have bought about 47,000 Tesla Model S units. This model won many awards, among them - "Car of the Year 2013" (according to Motor Trend magazine, USA).
Development appearance The Tesla Model S was handled by Franz von Holzhausen, who had previously worked at one of Mazda's offices in the US. The first Model S was released at the 2009 Frankfurt Show, appearance The S-model was codenamed "white star". In 2012 the car went on sale. Over the next 2 years, the demand for it was so high that about 1000 cars a week rolled off the assembly line.
The Model S is famous for its very low drag coefficient of just 0.24. In order to ensure a smooth ride, the designers installed independent suspensions on the car - front and rear, as well as Bilstein shock absorbers, which allow you to adjust the clearance. It is known that the latest auto software upgrade added the ability to memorize the value of the suspension settings on specific tracks.
If the plastic and seats are no longer surprising, then the instrument panel with an LCD screen and a large touchscreen will definitely attract attention (device diagonals are 12.3 and 17 inches, respectively). The instrument panel serves as a reliable informer for such parameters as speed, gear engaged, battery charge and others. The touchscreen is divided into 2 parts: at the top there are driver profile settings, firmware and VIN data, Bluetooth; the lower part is devoted to more entertaining "things", like a multimedia system with navigation, Internet access, a rear-view camera, a telephone. Many of the applications can be moved both from top to bottom and from bottom to top.
The car enthusiast is offered several variations of the car model that do not have noticeable external or internal differences. It is possible to install the 3rd row of seats - for children. Differences begin to appear when one looks into specifications and in the essence of the "stuffing" of the car.
For example, the all-wheel drive version is equipped with 2 electric motors. The latest variant of the S-model, the Tesla Model S P85D, travels the ¼ mile in just 11.6 seconds, maintaining dynamics and control even on wet pavement. In Euro NCAP and NHTSA crash tests, the S-model showed excellent results- 5 stars!
The model can be safely called one of the TOP-10 expected in 2015. Even the simplest modification has four-wheel drive, capable of accelerating to 100 km / h in less than 5 seconds, and a full charge allows you to drive approximately 340 km. The first discussions about the SUV began back in 2012, when one of the exhibits was presented at the company's design studio. There is already information that all the successful improvements from the S-model will be present in the X-model.
There are 2 versions km/h and 80 km/h. The latter is capable of accelerating to 97 km / h in 4.4 seconds, and can also cover a distance of 430 km without recharging its batteries. At first, it was planned to introduce rear-wheel drive options, but later the designers abandoned such an idea. At the same time, the start of mass production has already been postponed for more than one year in a row, although pre-orders took place already in 2012.
Tesla Model III
This small the car will fit for a wide range of car enthusiasts. Its first name was Tesla BlueStar, then Model E, until it gradually changed to. Estimated production start date is 2017, estimated price is $35,000. Vehicle dimensions will be similar Audi sedans A4, BMW 3. It is assumed that Tesla's third model will be able to travel 320 km without recharging.
conclusions. Having looked at the modern lines of high-class cars, one cannot help but ask oneself the question: “Well, can you really come up with something even better!?”. However, both consumer preferences and requirements for modern vehicles are constantly changing. And it turns out that you can always find a free niche, which is regularly demonstrated by Tesla Motors, which today is a serious competitor to the "classic" leaders of the global car market.
Tagline: Burn rubber, not gasoline
An American high-tech company that manufactures sports electric vehicles. First car company Silicon Valley. Models produced Tesla Motors(since January 2017 - just Tesla), are in no way inferior to their gasoline analogues. That's just much easier to manage, less noisy and environmentally friendly.
The idea of creating an "electric supermobile" came up with the engineer Martin Eberhard (Martin Eberhard). One day he wanted to own a sports car, with not too high appetites for fuels and lubricants. He was well versed in batteries, but not in cars, otherwise he would not have set himself such a task. Fuel economy and high speeds- things are incompatible. Knowing that Automotive industry unable to satisfy his desire, Martin decided to develop a car himself, powered by another source - lithium-ion batteries.
The project required a lot of money. The engineer has been looking for sponsors for a long time. And those were found: Elon Musk from PayPal and famous couple Google— Sergey Brin (Sergey Brin) and Larry Page (Edward Page), known for their weakness for everything innovative and unusual. Thanks to their support, in 2003 a new company was founded, named after the great Serbian scientist Nikola Tesla, who developed his own electric car model back in 1931*.
The company was co-founded by another engineer, Marc Tarpenning.
The first electric car was based on a serial petrol model Elise, companies Lotus Cars. It's just that the filling has been radically changed. For example, the place where the engine used to be, housed 6381 miniature batteries. Such a complex system required a special cooling system. Founders Tesla, as you know, did not understand cars, and therefore began to lure specialists from the same Lotus Cars which nearly ended in scandal. In total, the company at that time employed about a hundred people.
The first model - - is capable of developing 100 km / h in 4 seconds, reaching a maximum speed of 210 km / h. The charge is enough for 400 km. run. You can “refuel” an electric car using an ordinary outlet. The car first went on sale in June 2006 for $100,000. Among the buyers is such a celebrity as Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The company's future plans are to establish mass production of models available to the average buyer. Tesla Motors is confident that electric vehicles are the future.
*) According to the legend, so unconfirmed by anyone, but not refuted, Nikola Tesla's electric car (it was a modernized Pierce Arrow) did without batteries. Instead, some mysterious box with two protruding rods was used, which, according to the inventor, drew energy "from the ether." Contemporaries did not believe the inventor, and he, offended, destroyed his creation. However, the inventor was a very extravagant person, and he could well fool people, while the power source was simply cunningly disguised. Although…
Tesla Motors is an American company that designs, manufactures and markets electric vehicles. They build electrical powertrain components for vehicles from other automakers, including Daimler's Smart Fortu electric drive, the Toyota RAV4 EV and the chassis for the Freightliner Electric Wan. Tesla Motors is named after the great scientist Nikola Tesla. Tesla cars are based on AC motors built directly from Tesla's original 1882 design. The entire range of Tesla.
Story
The company was founded in July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Mark Tarpenning. They both played key roles in the early development of the company before the arrival of Elon Musk. Musk joined Tesla's board of directors in February 2004 as its chairman.
The main goal of Tesla Motors was to establish profitable production electric vehicles from sports car premium class, and later expand the range to the entire range of vehicles. Tesla has a strong position in the market for the production of electric vehicle components, including lithium-ion batteries of unique capacity and performance, leaving behind such competitors as Daimler and Toyota. By January 2014, the company had 6,000 employees.
The first model to attract public attention was the first all-electric sports car, powered by the energy of unique lithium-ion batteries, allowing you to travel more than 320 km on a single charge. On March 26, 2009, the company introduced the Tesla Model C: an electric car with a sedan body.
The first delivery of the Model S to a retail customer in Europe took place in August 2013. Six months later, deliveries to China began. Initially, the company intended to sell 35,000 vehicles during 2014, but in the end, about 33,000 were delivered to customers.
Technological advances
On October 9, 2014, Tesla announced the release of the 60D and 85D, modifications of the Model S and its twin-engine all-wheel drive version of the P85D. The SP85D can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 3.2 seconds and has top speed 249 km/h The S 85D can travel 295 miles at 100 km/h on a single battery charge.
In the fall of 2014, Tesla announced a modernization of the Fremont plant, with the aim of producing the all-wheel drive Dual Motor Model S and increasing output by one and a half times in 2015. Starting in November 2014 on all new Model S machines on top windshield a camera, ultrasonic locators in the bumper area and surveillance radars are installed.
Thus, it is provided all-round view areas around the vehicle. This equipment allows on-board computer Model S recognize markings and road signs and estimate the distance to other participants traffic and predict their trajectory. In addition to collision warnings, this system enables semi-autonomous parking.
Immediate prospects
In November 2014, they delayed once again the start of deliveries in order to sell at retail and announced that the company expects Model X deliveries to begin in the third quarter of 2015. The Model 3 will be able to travel up to 320 km without "recharging". The first sales are expected in 2017.
According to chief designer Franz von Holzhausen, the Model 3 will be presented in a wide design and price range and will be aimed at the mass market. It will have its own unique design, although it is a logical continuation of the company's previous technological solutions.
The company plans for Model 3 to be the third phase of Tesla's three-step strategy to gradually reduce product prices. If Tesla roadster had a high price and was not expected to be widely distributed, then the Model 3 is expected to have a 20% lower cost even in relation to the Model S.
we considered the main brainchild of Elon Musk - the companySpaceX. But the American entrepreneur is known to the general public as the head of at least two companies:Tesla Andsolar city (actually, the company was founded by Musk's cousins). SoSpaceXthere is no doubt - it is really founded and nurtured by Musk from scratch. But withTeslaeverything is much more complicated and complicated. So, today we will talk about where it came from and what it has achievedTesla Motors, or simply -Tesla.Before Mask
The idea to create a car with an electric motor appeared before the first car with an engine internal combustion. Nikola Tesla himself did not leave the idea of creating an electronically driven car by re-equipping existing models. But in those days, the idea of Nikola Tesla, as they say, "did not take off."
Before Tesla appeared on the market, electric cars were relegated to the role of golf carts and cars for ardent environmentalists. Electrical engine was more environmentally friendly because it did not emit fuel combustion products into the atmosphere. That was where his positives ended. And the power reserve, and speed, and acceleration - in all respects, the electric motor lost to internal combustion. But there were no such fundamental contradictions in science and business that prevented electric cars from rising to the level of mass consumption. It was only necessary to combine the available technologies. And there were those who could do it.
At the heart of all Tesla's success are two people - engineers Mark Tarpenning and Martin Eberhard. In the implementation of the fast and powerful electric car found expression of their personal ideas. Mark was an environmentalist, and Martin always dreamed of sports car, which at the same time would not eat a liter of fuel for 8 kilometers.
Tarpenning and Eberhard met in the 1990s in California, at a meeting with their mutual friend Greg Rend. Mark and Martin were reminiscent of two sitcom characters: the talkative and energetic Eberhard complemented the modest and reserved Tarpenning perfectly. They soon began working together.
Initially, their company provided consulting services to firms that dealt with disk data storage. Soon they switched to an unoccupied market e-books which we call "readers". In the spring of 1997, Eberhard and Tarpenning found NuovoMedia and began production of their Rocket eBooks. Quickly catching a wave of success, they sell their brainchild to Gemstar-TV Guide, earning $187 million.
On the way to an electric car
In the course of their consulting activities and the production of e-books, they came up with an important thought: “Where else can you use improved electronic batteries? The answer came by itself when Eberhard wanted to buy a sports car. So two entrepreneurial friends decided to invest their strength and money in the creation of an electric car.
At the beginning of the 2000s, there were already attempts at non-serial production fast cars with electronic drive. Eberhard caught the eye of a small yellow Tzero car from the Californian company AC Propulsion. It was completely electronic, while it had acceleration like a Lamborghini. Eberhard hit the right track.
Tarpenning and Eberhard saw exactly how much potential the automotive industry was missing by ignoring lithium-ion batteries. Now such batteries are found in most laptops and smartphones, but for automotive giants At the beginning of the 2000s, this technology had nothing to do with machines. The main type of battery the companies were looking at, lead-acid, was a dying technology that hadn't seen a breakthrough in nearly a hundred years. Indeed, with the power and efficiency that give out lead acid batteries, there was no need to talk about any new methods of application.
Eberhard and Tarpenning decided to create a car with an induction motor and a lithium-ion battery.
An asynchronous motor converts electrical alternating current energy into mechanical rotation. In its most simplified version, an asynchronous motor consists of a stator and a rotor. Stator - full cylinder, formed from electromagnet plates superimposed on each other. On the inner walls of the stator there are copper coils, which, when an electric current is applied, produce an alternating magnetic field (the poles change depending on the period of current supply). The rotor is also a cylinder with electromagnets and a shaft in the center. It is placed in the center of the stator and rotated by changing the poles. magnetic field. Such motors are often used in home fans.
The use of an asynchronous motor immediately eliminates whole line details needed classic car: cardan shaft, bulky motor, exhaust system, fuel tank, etc. By by and large, an electric car with such an engine needs a battery, electric motors for the main wheels, a cooling and control system. But on the way to a working version, Eberhard and Tarpenning faced a number of problems.
In 2003, Martin and Mark, determined to create a machine with an induction motor and lithium ion battery create their own company. It was decided to take the name so that it would not be associated with "toothless" ecological name, but immediately tuned in to speed, a breakthrough. The solution came by itself - the company was named Tesla Motors, in honor of the inventor of the induction motor.
The complexities of the automotive industry
Neither Eberhard nor Tarpenning had experience in the automotive industry. They both suspected that building a car would be a little more difficult than building an e-book, but the sheer volume of the task blew them away.
IN automotive industry modern times, it is not customary to create all the details of the car, from the exhaust pipe to the bumper, on your own. It is much easier and more convenient to outsource part of the production. The founders of Tesla Motors went further and decided to implement their entire project on production facilities British Lotus.
Eberhard and Tarpenning decided what they would produce and what would be the main "trick" of their new offspring. They put together a business presentation for investors that offered the unrealistic: a fast and efficient electric car. There was one very important part - investments. Initially, we managed to raise some funds from relatives and small investors. Serious investments still had to be looked for. And then he appeared on the horizon.
Musk comes to Tesla Motors
Tarpenning and Eberhard saw Musk perform at Stanford back in 2001. By 2004, Musk was a young millionaire who sold PayPal and founded his own company, SpaceX.
Eberhard and Ian Wright, another "father" of Tesla Motors, arranged with Elon Musk to meet in Los Angeles, where the headquarters of SpaceX was located. There were disagreements about the future of the project, and Musk initially had strong doubts about the investment. However, in some things, Tesla and Musk engineers were in solidarity: an electric car should be powerful, beautiful, be not just a little better, but become a breakthrough and finally bury gasoline. Already after arriving at the Tarpenning negotiations, Musk agrees to participate in Tesla Motors and invests $ 7.5 million. In addition to him, Google, eBay, as well as Daimler and Toyota later invested in the project. But Musk held the largest stake, and he became chairman of Tesla Motors.
The first car that was supposed to be assembled was called the Tesla Roadster. As already mentioned, its main components were made in California, but the final car was assembled in factories in the UK.
As you know, the devil is in the details, and in the long-suffering history of the Roadster, this saying was confirmed. Each revision, design change, even lowering the threshold added from several days to several months to the delivery time of the first cars to the market.
Initially, Tesla managed to loudly declare itself in the market, including thanks to a PR company with Hollywood celebrities: Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The concept of "First Hundred Signatures" was created - the first hundred orders received a car with a plate on which were the signatures of Eberhard, Musk and Tarpenning. Thus, Tesla declared itself, but behind this there should have been a fulfillment of what was declared.
Meanwhile, the creation of the final product dragged on and on. Eberhard planned to ship the first samples by 2006, but this was only done in 2008. His rivalry with Musk also played an unkind role. Now Elon Musk is a famous media person everywhere, but at the beginning of the 2000s he was just gaining momentum. And all the merits of Tesla were given by the press to Eberhard. I want to note right away that I do not accuse Elon Musk of undercover games and do not want to make any unfounded statements. But, nevertheless, after a series of reshuffles in Tesla, a new CEO appeared, and Eberhard became technical director. Then a few more reshuffles, and Musk became the CEO, who by 2008 had already invested $ 55 million in Tesla.
One way or another, management changes, layoffs and a focus on the final product benefited Tesla. Despite complaints from early buyers, Tesla was able to ramp up production of the Roadster, and in 2010 the company went public with an IPO. From an ambitious idea of two engineers, the company has become an automotive giant.
Tesla Model S / Matt Henry, Unsplash.com
Elon Musk considered Roadster as the first attempt at a pen, and he rather wanted to start development own car. Tesla's next project was supposed to be a breakthrough, a flagship, and, of course, all the mistakes of the Roadster were eliminated.
The concept of a new car - Tesla Model S - was presented in California's Menlo Park in 2009. Model S is a five-door rear-wheel drive electric car from the luxury car category. Although there were ideas to equip it with an internal combustion engine, Tesla management decided not to deviate from the original concepts and made the whole electric car on all the same lithium-ion batteries.
The approach to production has also changed. Tesla now had a giant factory in Fremont, California, fully robotic and equipped to assemble electric vehicles. For the European market, a center was opened in the Dutch Tilburg.
The Tesla Model S was the car both Tarpenning and Eberhard wanted and Musk envisioned. She destroyed the old stereotypes about electric vehicles. The record for covered distance without recharging was set in August 2017: Model S crossed the border of 1000 kilometers, driving 1078. The maximum acceleration of the car from 0 to 96 km / h in 3.1 seconds, which also few people could have imagined 10 years ago. And finally, the speed record for electric cars - 181 km / h also belongs to the Model S.
A special feature of the spread of Teslamobiles was the appearance in the US and Europe of a whole network of superchargers (Supercharger), on which you can recharge your Tesla. Like railway in the 19th century, a network of superchargers connected the east and west coasts of the United States in the 21st century. The first Russian supercharge appeared in the suburbs.
Tesla Model S has also become a commercially successful product: to present moment Over 150,000 Model S modifications have been sold worldwide, 92 of which are in the United States.
In addition to the Model S, Tesla has designed and produced the Tesla Model X crossover and plans to release the most cheap option Teslamobile - Tesla Model 3. By the way, as soon as it was announced the start of presale Model 3, in the first week the car was ordered by 325,000 people. That's what trust is.
Of course, Elon Musk once again managed to shake the market. Model S has become a mass-produced and popular electric car, even despite its considerable price. It is possible that for many buyers this is more than just a car. Startups, California, Jobs, Wozniak, Google, Apple, Palo Alto, Stanford - all this was organically supplemented by another element of the future: an electric car. And although the collapse of gasoline is still far away, it is quite possible that a start has been made. So let's not forget those who stood at the origins - Martin Eberhard and Mark Tarpenning.
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The first electric car appeared almost half a century earlier than its analogue with an internal combustion engine. But it was possible to create a competitive model of an electric car only in the 21st century. And it's merit Tesla motors.
In July this year. 10 years have passed since the presentation of the company's first car, the Tesla Roadster. It's a sin not to mark the anniversary with a note about the company and the people who created it!
THEY WERE THE FIRST...
It just so happened: in order for a breakthrough project to succeed, a person obsessed with the idea must stand at its base. In the case of Tesla Motors, there were even two of them: engineers Martin Eberhard and Mark Tarpenning.
Martin Eberhard - CEO - Tesla Motors
Martin Eberhard really wanted to have a sports car. Definitely electric. In 2004, he manually assembled one and showed it to everyone, along with a business plan for an enterprise for the production of electric vehicles.
Mark Tarpenning was concerned about the condition environment, global warming and depletion of natural resources. And I saw a way out in transplanting humanity to electric vehicles.
In short, the engineers had ideas. But there was no money.
The situation changed when Elon Musk, a billionaire originally from South Africa, met on their way. Before the fateful meeting, he created the electronic payment company Pay Pal, launched the SpaceX launch vehicle enterprise, and promoted the Solar City project to use solar energy for household purposes. After all this, starting the electric vehicle production line looked like a trifle.
The co-investors were Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, as well as eBay founder Jeffrey Skoll. It is no coincidence that the breakthrough electric car is called the “brainchild of Silicon Valley”. But the auto giants, Daimler and Toyota, also invested.
The company was named Tesla Motors - in honor of the outstanding American inventor Serbian-born electrical engineer Nikola Tesla.
In 2010, the company's shares were listed on the US stock market.
Schwarzenegger chooses Tesla
In parallel with the production of cars, Tesla Motors began the creation of charging supercharger stations, on which the battery of an electric car could be charged in a maximum of half an hour. There are already 370 such stations in the United States, and their density allows you to cross the country from east to west and vice versa, charging the batteries of electric vehicles only at them.
A similar network of stations is being created in Western Europe, Japan, Australia, and Southeast China. In Russia, the appearance of the first Supercharger stations is scheduled for 2016.
TESLA CARS
On July 19, 2006, in Santa Monica (California), the presentation of the first-born Tesla Motors, the Tesla Roadster electric car, took place. Based on the British sports car Lotus Elise S2. At a price of $ 100 thousand, the car is equipped with a motor with a capacity of about 250 hp. and develops speed up to 210 km / h. Mileage on one charge - 300 km. Up to 100 km / h accelerates in 3.9 seconds. It looked quite competitive against the background of its antipodes with internal combustion engines.
Cameron Diaz chooses Tesla Model S
But the real hit was the 5-door Tesla Model S premium liftback. The first presentation was held in Frankfurt at the 2009 exhibition. Since 2012, the electric car has entered the US market. In 2015 alone, over 50,000 Model S units were sold.
Tesla Model S is a really worthy car in all respects. Run on one charge up to 500 km. Max Speed- for 200 km / h. Acceleration to 100 km / h in 4.4 seconds. (with a power of 416 hp).
In many ways, outstanding performance is achieved thanks to the uniquely low drag coefficient of the electric car body - only 0.24. The appearance of this car did not go unnoticed. In November 2012, the Tesla Model S was named "Car of the Year" by the influential Motor Trend magazine.
Tuned Tesla for Sergey Brin
After the triumph of the "Model S" Tesla Motors began to master the market
SUVs, and in the fourth quarter of 2015, the Tesla Model X was launched on the market: a crossover with two motors with a capacity of 259 hp. ( base model) and mileage on a single charge over 400 km. But at the same time, the P90 D modification is equipped with 762 hp engines. and up to 100 km/h. accelerates in just 3.8 seconds!
Tesla Motors did not bypass the attention of the segment of the car market "for the common man." On March 31, 2016, an electric car was presented that cost only $35 thousand, which is more than 2 times lower than the starting cost of the Model S. In the first week after the presentation, 325 thousand Model III copies were ordered. Which exceeds the total number of electric vehicles sold by Tesla Motors throughout its existence.
The new electric car is shorter than the "Model S" and has the same dimensions as the well-known Russian motorists models or . mileage of the "Third Model" with one charge 346 km; acceleration up to 100 km/h. - for 6 sec. According to the creators, it has an even lower drag coefficient - only 0.21.
TESLA CHOOSE…
From the first moment of its appearance on the market Tesla electric vehicles were in demand by an elite buyer. In addition to the iconic figures of the IT industry (Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Elon Musk, etc.), whom God himself ordered to go to the "brainchild of Silicon Valley"), Tesla Motors products are popular among Hollywood bohemia. One of the first Tesla Roadster models was purchased personally by A. Schwarzenegger. The other owner of the Roadster is none other than Leonardo DiCaprio. And George Clooney himself!
But if the Roadster was bought by a few, then Hollywood stars pounced on the Model S like hot cakes on a market day. Among the owners of cars of this brand are Cameron Diaz, Alyson Hannigan ("American Pie" remember?), Ben Affleck, etc.
But it's not just Hollywood garages that grace the Model S. The electric car of this brand was chosen by, for example, rapper Pharrell Williams and socialite, king of poker, member of the pro team of the leading gaming room, Canadian citizen Daniel Negreanu.
About the first Tesla owners Model X is still little known, but it is assumed that among them is Steve Wozniak, an associate of Steve Jobs at the founding of Apple.
Steve Wozniak in front of Tesla Model X prototype
As for Russia, then, according to experts, about 180 Tesla Model S vehicles drive across the expanses of our fatherland, 80 of them are in the Mother See. The main obstacle in the introduction of new products in the electric car industry is the lack of a developed network for recharging batteries.
What Russian doesn't like to drive fast? If only there was somewhere to charge the battery at the end of the run!
