I don't think anyone who built an electric car company in Silicon Valley could have imagined such an overwhelming success that would fall on a car under the modest name Model S. What's the secret here? In the personality of Elon Musk - the creator of PayPal and SpaceX, who, as it turned out, chose the ideal marketing strategy to create an electric car of a premium class? The need for young and successful people to ride something very special, not fitting any previous standards? Why this revolution succeeded despite the fact that electric vehicles have been around for as long as cars in general.
But until now, they have never left their niche of fun exotic devices, city cars for short trips. And here suddenly appeared a shining handsome man with a leather and wood interior, a 17-inch screen instead of a control panel, an engine of 416 hp. and mileage at one gas station of 250-300 miles. It was an engineering triumph that squeezed the best out of lithium-ion batteries and an accurate marketing calculation for a buyer with money and a desire to be at the forefront of technological progress.
Not only did the Model S show excellent, incredible results in crash tests, but the car also became the fastest mass-produced electric car in the world, beating almost all competitors in the tests of the American National Electric Drag-Racing Association. This car accelerates to 100 km / h in 4.3 seconds. Therefore, now in the USA, in order to buy a Model S with an 85 kW / h battery, you have to wait in line for two months - the plant produces 20,000 cars a year and does not keep up with demand.
In Norway, where the Tesla electric car was the best-selling car in 2013 (6,000 units sold), customers wait five months for their order. Tesla is actively building a network of gas stations in the United States, European countries and especially in Norway. The future, of course, belongs to such cars - the era of internal combustion engines and diesel engines will inevitably end, and vehicles that use electricity will become the norm. Not as soon as we would like, of course, but it's getting there.
We arrived at the Tesla dealership in Palo Alto, near the company's headquarters. We were shown the Model S and we drove it around the area, stopping on the way to Tesla Motors Headquarters (pictured above). I took several photos of the car in the showroom and during the test drive.
Here is the chassis of the Model S. Two electric motors at the back, the batteries are located at the bottom, under the casing. There are 16 battery packs that are separated from each other for safety. The blocks contain about 7,000 Panasonic and Tesla's own lithium-ion batteries. By the way, since the batteries are at the bottom, the center of gravity of the car is located below the axis of rotation of the wheel (as in racing cars), which provides a special stability of the car. On the other hand, this arrangement of batteries was the cause of the famous fire when the Model S ran into an iron structure lying on the road with such force that it pierced the battery pack and the car caught fire.
Two electric motors. Power 416 hp I have already ridden Nissan electric car(I’ll write more about this) and therefore I know how electric cars can accelerate, but still, starting the Model S from a place is admirable - it’s such a shot from a cannon when you are pressed into a chair and throws your head back to darkness in your eyes. Moreover, all this happens in complete silence and only the slight sound of tires on the pavement is heard. Salon employee Sylvie, who was with us, said that they call this sound singing - the machine sings.
There is a LOT of room in the car. Two huge trunks - front and rear.
Child seats in the rear trunk as an option.
One of the main places in the Tesla car - the charging socket - is hidden under the reflector.
The American and European versions of the car have different charging sockets. When you open the reflector, the nest mysteriously glows with a cold blue light.
This is a Model S key. I suspect the designer was inspired by the look of the Porsche Panamera key. True, they have nothing to start, there is no start button, and the car is activated when the driver takes his place.
Door handles recessed into the body extend when the owner approaches the car.
There is nothing to shoot in the cabin, except for the dashboard and control panel. Absolutely minimalist design without buttons, toggle switches and other prettiness. Therefore, when the car is inactive, the interior looks strange, almost poor. I think that when the Japanese start making such premium electric cars, they will try to diversify the interior of the cabin. And here everything is very simple, futuristic. The floor is flat (of course), the forward-backward-parking lever on the steering column, so the space between the seats in front is empty, with a plastic floor tray for small items. The center of attention, of course, is the 17-inch monitor - the control center of the car.
Dashboard - here, too, everything is extremely simple. On the left is a graph of energy consumption, in the center is the indication of the remaining mileage, on the right is the data of the radio station that is currently on. Switching to the metric system, degrees Celsius and 24-hour format occurs in the menu on the center panel.
Upgrading the system and car settings occurs periodically, just like any computer. You can see what is offered in the new release and run the update program via connection to the Tesla server.
Sylvie connected her iPhone via Bluetooth and dashboard there were pictures of albums from her media library.
The handle of switching of modes of the movement.
The graphical interface of the system is similar to the previous iOS.
Panoramic sunroof control. Sylvie moves her finger across the screen - the glass at the top opens.
This is what, apparently, everyone who gets into the car for the first time does. It's hard to resist not to go to the browser to open your blog. Just like the iOS system in the Tesla Model S does not support Flash for security purposes.
The screen can be divided into two functional parts. Here on top rear camera, bottom browser.
The charge consumption graph is an important thing when driving. You can build your driving style according to the average value that is considered optimal. When the gas station network becomes ubiquitous, it will be free to drive at speeds of 90 miles per hour - Tesla gas station is free. Yes, and home battery charging is ten times cheaper than gasoline or diesel - you can charge the Model S at home in the US for $ 5-7.
A 17-inch navigator is impressive!
The door does not even have a regular pocket at the bottom. Minimalism.
Back in the spring, Elon Musk announced that by the end of the year an electric car could be used in 70% of the US territory, and by 2015 it is planned to provide the entire country and neighboring Canada with the necessary number of fast electric stations (the so-called Supercharger).
Inside, there is a model of the Supercharger charging column. It provides charging for a run of about 300 km. in half an hour.
Here in the salon service station. Here are the cars that have been sold and those who have been serviced - it is done once a year or after every 20,000 km. run. The repair shop itself was asked not to film, but there is nothing interesting there - the same lifts, equipment for tire fitting. The only difference is that it is very clean and does not smell of anything. Because electric cars.
A car from the first Model S series, when it was possible to order the body color that came into your head, the paint was selected individually. Now they don’t do that, production is already mass-produced.
This is a regular gas station - in 5-7 hours the car is almost completely charged. By the way, in addition to standard and high-speed charging, Tesla also offers a complete replacement of the battery pack in 1.5 minutes. It will cost 60-80 dollars - the price of a full gas station.
Tesla is incredibly popular in Silicon Valley. Model S is constantly seen on the streets and highways. For example, Tesla at a gas station at the entrance to Apple's headquarters in Cupertino.
Apple provides its employees with free refills.
And this is the gas station at the entrance to the Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park. Two Model S and two Nissan Leaf. The latter travels about three times less than the Model S on a single charge.
Separately, it is necessary to write about Tesla in Norway. Here, this car became simply a bestseller, breaking the sales record in the country. In September alone, 600 Model S were sold, and in total there are already more than 2000. Tesla has installed stations in six cities recharging Supercharger and their number is constantly growing. The state promotes the development of electric transport: owners of electric cars are exempted from transport tax(this is 100% of catalog price), value-added and registration taxes.
In Oslo, drivers of electric cars have the opportunity to park for free and drive along the lane public transport. With astronomical gas and diesel prices in Norway, Tesla electric cars are a lifesaver. Despite the rather high price for them - in the USA the starting price for base model is $49,900, models with a more powerful battery cost between $58,000 and $68,900. The European version of Model S costs from 51,500 euros.
Tesla says that each next model of their electric vehicles will cost less than the previous one. The budget Model E is already being prepared for release, the price of which will be about $30,000. The Model X crossover is also on the way - with four engines (4 × 4).
Tesla is a typical Silicon Valley creation, a dream come true by one of the thousands of intellectuals who make up the very concept of Silicon Valley. Elon Musk, it seems to me, is another Steve Jobs, showing people new horizons. A person who made a fortune on the world's best payment system PayPal. A man who came to Russia in an attempt to buy a rocket to send a greenhouse with plants to Mars.
The man who made the company that now launches rockets into space and his Grasshopper is amazing. This is the kind of person behind the electric car with the simple name Model S. Still, this is probably the reason for Tesla's success - in the personality of its creator.
Many call Tesla cars the future of personal transportation, some compare prestigious electric cars with Apple smartphones, while others consider the success of Elon Musk a purely temporary phenomenon. But the fact remains that American exhaustless cars are becoming more popular day by day, despite the high price. A latest novelty, Model 3, even before the official presentation, collected 250,000 pre-orders. Why not seriously think about buying a Tesla already in 2016-2017?
Tesla Model S Photos
Tesla Model S - the ultimate dream of aesthetes of all stripes
So far, the company’s most successful project, which has become a more daring continuation of the pilot Roadster, is the Model S. If a wealthy person would gladly take a silent electric car with a good design as a pleasure car without a roof, then the issue was a little more complicated with a car for every day. But it was the satisfied drivers of the roadster who became the first buyers of the novelty, and at the same time the advertisers of the word of mouth. Model S in the company is referred to as "the world's first electric sedan." Although in reality the Eska is rather a liftback with a coupe profile than a classic three-volume. However, the uniqueness of the car does not diminish from that.
The first thing to note is the laconic and recognizable appearance. Elegant optics, retractable door handles, sporty squatness and a very smooth roof line - all this makes the model a dream object for aesthetes of all stripes. But there is a rational grain in such “pomade”: the car flaunts an impressive streamlining indicator - only 0.27. In addition, the body (as well as the chassis) is made of aluminum, which is three times lighter than steel, which means that the amount of energy spent on driving is also saved with weight savings. True, because of the love of engineers for "winged metal", ordinary users, for example, have to carefully close the hood with both hands in order to avoid skewing it. But these are secondary details. Much more important is the inner stuffing.
Specifications of the bestseller
Dimensions:
- length - 4970 mm;
- width - 1964 mm;
- height - 1435 mm;
- wheelbase - 2960 mm;
- front / rear track - 1662/1700 mm.
The ground clearance is 155mm in normal situation, but thanks to the adaptive operation of the complex air suspension can change in one direction or another in the range of 40 mm. Moreover, the system is able to remember your actions to force the increase / decrease in clearance depending on the state of the roadway with reference to GPS coordinates. This means that the next time you drive in an area with good high-speed asphalt, the car will “sit down” by itself by 2 cm, improving stability and reducing energy consumption. A similar situation will be observed in broken sections, where you need to be more careful - the air suspension will react on its own, without burdening the owner with unnecessary gestures.
It is noteworthy that even without shamanism with suspension, the chassis behaves very steadfastly at any speed, and rolls are not minimal - they are practically non-existent. It's all about ideal weight distribution on the axes (48:52) and a very low center of gravity, which was the result of a competent distribution of battery cells under the floor. Does not affect the lateral stability of the body and the weight of the engine. Instead of a massive internal combustion engine, two (or one - depending on the version) compact electric motors are installed here. It is natural that the motors are also installed on different axes. Due to the absence of the traditional "heart" has improved and passive safety vehicle: the body is much more efficient than conventional absorbs the energy of a frontal impact. By system Euro NCAP liftback got a solid five.
In addition to all of the above, Model S also pleases with an outstanding amount of luggage compartments. There are two of them: the front trunk holds 150 liters, the rear - 745 liters. And it remains possible to fold the back rear seats, thereby achieving a space of 1645 liters.
As for the cabin, it is also worthy of sincere praise: three adults can easily fit in the gallery, and even the average passenger will be comfortable sitting; the front seats have a pleasant bucket shape and will please people of various sizes with comfort. Speaking about the shortcomings of the Tesla's inner world, it should be noted the low ceiling height above the sofa, which is the price for a beautiful silhouette a la coupe, and the unsuccessful architecture of the rear head restraints.
Test Drive
Regardless of the version, Model S demonstrates enviable dynamics.
Even the weakest modification "60" exchanges the second hundred on the speedometer in just 5.9 seconds. As for the top version of the P90D with two 510 hp engines. and 262 hp, then it accelerates from zero to 100 km / h in a whopping 3 seconds!
Not surprisingly, the company's marketers so often use videos of drag racers competing with owners of civilian sedans as advertisements. The top speed is, as you would expect, limited by an electronic collar and is 250 km/h.
But much more potential buyers are interested in the autonomy indicator - how much can a car drive on a single charge? And here Tesla is again ahead of the rest. Under favorable weather conditions (no wind, rain, at a temperature of + 20ºC) and on good asphalt, you can drive up to 500 km (data for the 90D model, the figure for the S60 is 372 km). This is an absolute record in the class of mass-produced electric cars. And recently, the company completely proved that in skillful hands"Eska" does not lose the ability to rotate the wheels on a segment of 750 km! This is how much the test driver drove, although in practice it is strictly not recommended to perform such tricks.
Owner reviews
In general, the owners of keys with the Tesla emblem are very pleased with the chic sedan, noting the obvious advantages of such a car: environmental friendliness, almost free refueling, silence in the cabin. But what about the flaws in a car under 100,000 euros?
Touch display - the main assistant to the driver
The first thing to consider is the dimensions. The body is long, wide, and bumper repairs can cost a very decent amount. Especially given the lack of official service centers in the Russian Federation.
Drivers often complain that parking sensors do not notice high curbs, which indecently increases the risk of damaging the facing plastic.
It is especially difficult when reversing. Due to the strongly tilted glass, it is difficult to call it sufficient to look back. Saves only a huge 17-inch touch screen located in the center of the front panel. It is better to navigate directly by it, especially since the picture from the rear view camera has a high resolution and is of premium quality.
How much can you buy a new Model S: cost in rubles
To become the owner of the Model S, Russians still have to order cars from Europe, where there is an extensive network of car dealerships and service centers. Therefore, to the base cost will have to add the cost of customs clearance and the actual delivery of the goods.
Model S price in Germany:
- S 60 - from 77,100 € (5,425,611 rubles);
- S 70 - from 79,040 € (5,559,634 rubles);
- S 70D - from 87,890 € (6,182,138 rubles);
- S P90D - from 121,540 € (8,552,903 rubles);
- S P90D (restyling) - from 146,540 € (10,307,550 rubles).
Tesla Model X car 2016-2017
For a long time, Elon Musk has been intriguing with statements about the upcoming crossover. And this day has come: Model X appeared before the public in the form of a coupe-SUV with rear doors, opening on the principle of "falcon's wing". Like legendary Mercedes, the crossover throws massive doors up, content with just a 30-centimeter margin of space on the sides. A very smart decision, given the fact that children usually ride in the second row, who like to open the doors wide in a tight parking lot. By the way, up to five children can be seated (and fastened) in X, since by default the interior is 7-seater, with third-row seats folding into a flat floor. In addition, the middle row seats can be moved individually, providing maximum comfort depending on the situation and distance travelled.
Two electric motors with a capacity of 259 hp work on the dynamics of the Model X. and 503 hp, giving out a total of 713 Nm. Thanks to this arsenal, a 2.5-ton SUV accelerates from zero to hundreds in just 3.2 seconds. At the same time, a battery with a capacity of 90 kW / h allows you to be in motion without recharging as much as 400 km. One of the secrets of this result is impressive aerodynamics: coefficient drag is 0.24. Not a single SUV is able to boast of something like this.
Affordable Tesla 3: model release date and price in Russia
But even more excitement was made by the news about the upcoming presentation of the "budget" Tesla 3, designed to serve as a cherished pass to the prestigious world of the American brand. According to Musk's official statement, the cost of a production car will start at $35,000. From zero to 100 km / h, the car will be able to accelerate in 6 seconds. True, while the model is at the testing stage, and the conveyor will be launched only in 2017. It is planned to produce up to half a million "triples" per year. But about official sales nothing is known in Russia. It is possible that Russian fans of quiet and exhaust-free cars will have to buy cars in those countries where Tesla already has representative offices, as now. By the way, traffic police statistics show that in 2015 about 50 S models were registered, which is not such a bad result.
One of the most anticipated cars - Tesla Model 3
How Tesla cars are charged
There are several ways to charge a Tesla battery:
- household socket 110V/12A - 83 hours;
- socket type NEMA 240V/24A - 16 hours;
- socket type NEMA 240V/40A - 9 h.
Thus, it is clear that it is quite possible to charge the car in your garage in one night (if an outlet of the optimal configuration is installed), especially since the manufacturer strongly does not recommend completely discharging the battery. The minimum balance threshold should not fall below 10%, and even better, make it a habit to put the car on recharging when the energy reserve drops to 30%. At the same time, it is similarly dangerous to charge the battery to capacity: filling the cells with electricity up to 100% is extremely difficult for a car to tolerate. The company recommends that you stop charging when you reach 90% of the reserve. This is easy to adjust with the charge timer and mobile application, which gives information about the battery remotely. If you systematically recharge / discharge Tesla, then this will inevitably affect the survivability of its battery.
One of important shortcomings the process of replenishing the energy of the car is its duration in time. To speed up charging, you can purchase an additional Wall Connector charging station for $1200. This device increases the charge power from NEMA to 20 kW, which, in terms of mileage, allows you to get up to 50 km per hour. Having filled the battery to 90%, you can count on autonomy for 435 km (for 90D models). Tesla is also offering a $3,600 Dual Charger upgrade for cars with a single charging port. With the “dual-charger”, the charging speed will exactly double.
Also, no one has canceled fast refueling such as Supercharger, where you can fully restore the power reserve in just 30-40 minutes.
The manufacturer continues to test the autopilot
Tesla's innovative autopilot, which allows the driver to simply lean back in his seat and contemplate the road movie, has made a lot of noise. But in fact, the system constantly monitors the situation (traffic, speed, weather, road condition) and, at its discretion, asks the driver to put his hands on the steering wheel. It is because of the ignorance of such computer advice by drivers that several resonant accidents have recently occurred, including fatal ones. It is very easy for company representatives to prove that the car owner himself was to blame for the accident: each Tesla is telepathically connected to the center and transmits all current information about the operation. And one of the monitored parameters is the pressure on the steering wheel.
Video: big test drive Tesla Model X
It is worth noting that while the autopilot is in beta testing, buyers of electric cars are definitely aware of this. At the same time, all new models are already equipped with this technology as standard. Improvements will be made as research progresses. software and, accordingly, online updates without the need to visit a service center. The company also noted that it is impossible to equip already produced equipment with a branded autopilot, as this will be associated with a significant change in many nodes. Theoretically, such tuning would cost the owner the cost of the new Tesla S 60.
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Going public in 2010, Tesla was the first public American car company since 1956. Ford motor. Since then, Tesla's stock, as a fast-growing company that releases new models, both exciting minds and attracting public attention, has grown significantly in price. We will tell you about the history of its development, starting from the moment it was founded by Martin Eberhard and Mark Tarpening in 2003.
Base
In fact, Tesla was not founded by Elon Musk, but by Martin Eberhard and Mark Trapening in July 2003. The two of them developed the fledgling company until Elon Musk invested $7.5 million in Tesla in February 2004 and became chairman of the company.
Second wind
In February 2005, as a second round of funding, Musk invests another $13 million in Tesla to develop the then-announced Tesla Roadster. Later, in 2007, led by Elon Musk and Technology Partners, the company increases them to 40 million.
Deal with Lotus Cars
On July 11, 2005, Tesla enters into a contract with Lotus to produce complete cars, minus the transmission, for what would become the Tesla Roadster.
Presentation Tesla Roadster
Two years later, in July 2007, under the leadership of CEO Martin Eberhard and Chairman of the Board Elon Musk, Tesla unveils its first electric car at a special private event at Santa Monica Airport. From that moment on, they officially become an automobile company.
Change of leadership
Tesla is in a difficult position. The company is spending a lot of money and desperately needs new leaders. In December 2007, Zeev Drori, a successful high-tech entrepreneur and established leader, becomes CEO and President of Tesla. Under his leadership, 10% of the staff was reduced, but the company began to make a profit. Despite this, Drory did not stay at Tesla for a year.
The Beginning of the Elon Musk Era
In October 2008, Elon Musk succeeds Drory as CEO. Drori becomes his deputy, but leaves the company in December. By then, Musk had invested $70 million in Tesla.
roadster
Between 2008 and 2012, Tesla sells 2,250 of its Roadster electric cars, and yet it doesn't come easily. The company struggled to organize the timely delivery of orders, proving to potential buyers its capabilities. Fuel was added to the fire by the British car transmission top gear.
Tesla vs. top gear
In the 7th episode of the 12th season of Top Gear, its permanent host Jeremy Clarkson makes a devastating Tesla review, stating among other things that the electric car has only a 55-mile range. Tesla sued him for libel but failed to win the case.
Model S Presentation
In June 2008, Tesla introduced the Model S. With a starting price of $50,000, this seven-seat electric car was supposed to be an "affordable" family sedan.
Tesla and Daimler AG
In May 2009, Tesla starts strategic partnership with Daimler AG, which reportedly bought a 10% stake in the company for $50 million.
Tesla receives a government loan
In June 2009, Tesla takes out a $465 million loan from the US Department of Energy. In May 2013, the company fully settled on it almost nine years ahead of schedule.
The company goes public
At the end of June of the same year, Tesla earns $26 million on the very first exchange trading and becomes the first open American automobile company since Ford since 1956. Now Tesla's stock price has already increased by 1229% compared to the initial price.
Model X SUV
In February 2012, Tesla announced its first all-wheel drive SUV, the Model X, which should go on sale in 2015. The awesome door mechanism shown in the concept needs to be turned on and serial versions electric car.
Tesla Secret Sauce
In 2012, Tesla quietly began building a small network of charging stations across California. At the time of Supercharger's announcement, six ready-to-operate stations were available. There are now more than 200 worldwide and their location allows Model S owners to travel across the United States from coast to coast.
fires
Until 2013, everything was fine with Tesla electric cars, but later there were troubles. Three Model S sedans caught fire in accidents. The company quickly resolved all the problems and said that its cars are safe, but a little late. After the third fire incident, Tesla's stock price fell by more than 20%.
Tesla in 2014
Despite the problems in 2013, Tesla managed to return to normal. After the decline in the stock price as a result of the Model S fire incidents, it rose by 47%. The company delivered all Model S orders in July this year and will introduce new models this month.
Model 3
In July 2014, Tesla boasted that its new car would be called the Model 3 and its starting price will be $35,000.
What's next?
On October 9, Tesla is going to introduce a new all-wheel drive version of the self-driving Model S sedan, which Elon Musk talked about at the end of September.
As expected, Tesla showed the new Model S with AWD drive, the main advantage of which was two engines and an autopilot.
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, no significant attempts were made to organize the mass production of such vehicles. "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 to 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 has been 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. problem start-up capital helped to solve the creators of such a giant as Google - S. Brin and L. Page, and the largest amount was invested by the above-mentioned Elon Musk. 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;
- built a factory for the production of batteries for Tesla cars;
- the minimum distance that an electric car can cover is 300 km;
- organized the production of components for electric cars from other manufacturers, 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 limit top speed- 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 Model S was first released at the 2009 Frankfurt show, with the S model 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 if you delve into the technical characteristics and the essence of the "stuffing" of the car.
For example, the all-wheel drive version is equipped with 2 electric motors. The latest version 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 its simplest modification has all-wheel drive, can accelerate to 100 km / h in less than 5 seconds, and a full charge allows you to travel about 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 car suitable for a wide range of car enthusiasts. Its first name was Tesla BlueStar, then Model E, until it gradually changed to. Estimated release date is 2017, estimated price is $35,000. Vehicle dimensions will be similar to Audi A4 and BMW 3 sedans. It is assumed that Tesla's third model will be able to drive 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. 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.
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 engine appeared earlier than the first car with an internal combustion engine. 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 the still untapped market of 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 to mass-produce 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 in most laptops and smartphones, but for the automotive giants of the early 2000s, this technology was in no way linked to cars. 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 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 the automotive industry today, 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 date, over 150,000 Model S modifications have been sold in the world, 92 of which are in the United States.
In addition to the Model S, Tesla designed and released the Tesla Model X crossover and plan to release the cheapest version of the Tesla car - the Tesla Model 3. By the way, as soon as the start of the Model 3 presale was announced, 325,000 people ordered the car in the first week. 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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