Category Archives: Model S

Tesla Launches Model S 70D – Eliminates Base 60 kWh Model S

May 8, 2015Electric Cars, Model S, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaTrevor Larkum

The Tesla Model S 70D is now the entry-level Tesla

It seems Tesla Motors is always tweaking its model lineup and making minor changes here and there to options, colors and so on. This latest change brings us a new model, while eliminating Tesla’s cheapest offering.

The new model, the Model S 70D, replaces the 60 kWh Model S. As the name implies, the 70D is a dual-motor AWD Model S that gets more range than the outgoing 60 kWh Model S. However, the price for entry jumps a bit from ~ $71,070 for the base 60 kWh Model S, to $75,000 for the dual-motor, all-new 70D.

Tesla Model S A Game Changer? – Video

According to The Telegraph, the Tesla Model S is the one vehicle that could forever change our perception of electric cars:

“Seven reasons why the arrival of the Tesla Model S in the UK in 2014 could spark a change in how electric cars are viewed.”

We believe that the Model S has already changed the general perception of electrics, but the UK got the Model S years after the U.S., so it might take some time still for the UK’s perception to be changed.

And if you are talking about the P85D (AWD) right hand edition for the UK, it has still yet to arrived after being delayed a couple times. First delivers of the uber Model S aren’t expected until late summer.

Source: Inside EVs

Translogic Tests Tesla Model S P85D – Video

Tesla Model S was already covered by Translogic long ago, but with a major new version available on the market, it’s time for Translogic to check what the P85D is capable of doing.

Jonathon Buckley found that acceleration is addictive, while insane mode is incredible… and the crew confirms that too.

A big part of the video is on driving assist features, although for true autonomous driving features like self-parking, P85D will need further software updates.

Source: Inside EVs

Translogic 172: Tesla Model S P85D

Tesla Navigation Update Echoes Better Place System Of 3 Years Ago

April 24, 2015Electric Cars, Model S, Opinion, TeslaTrevor Larkum

It was another typically hyperbolic statement from Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk.

A simple tweet on a Sunday afternoon claimed that Tesla was “About to end range anxiety … via [over-the-air] software update. Affects entire Model S fleet.”

As usual, the media erupted with wild speculation about what Musk could do to “end range anxiety” in cars the company had sold more than two years ago.

But when the actual announcement came, it seemed to disappoint a number of people: route planning and an alerting system didn’t sound so exciting.

So why do I think there is much more to this announcement than do other commentators?

A truth universally acknowledged by electric-car owners is that people who’ve never lived with a plug-in vehicle don’t really understand how they work in real life.

Range anxiety is largely a mythical bogeyman. I view it as something that petrolheads tell other petrolheads to keep the cult of liquid fuel alive.

Electric-car owners know the range capabilities of their cars. They drive on regular routes, day in and day out, using similar amounts of electricity, and they know what their cars can and can’t do.

Planning an out-of-the-ordinary trip, however, requires some help. Especially one that hasn’t been made before and when the overall trip, including return, is close to or beyond the car’s range.

What Musk actually announced on Thursday sounds quite similar to what failed battery-switching startup Better Place delivered several years ago in Israel (and Denmark).

In fact, I predicted as much last week.

Musk spoke about two integrated systems, “Range Assurance” and “Trip Planner,” that would work together.

Back in 2012 when I picked up my Better Place Renault Fluence ZE, I had capabilities remarkably similar to those Tesla announced.

Whenever my battery dropped below 12 percent, I would get a phone call from an actual person. He or she would ask if I knew where I was going – and would, if necessary, remotely re-route me to a charge spot or battery-switching station.

I filmed a video of the trip planning feature, including the system working out a 220-mile route from Tel Aviv to Eilat involving multiple battery switches along the way. Effortlessly.

Both of these features also took into account the real-time status of the infrastructure.

Better Place was aware of the status of everything in their network–switch stations, Level 2 charging stations, and cars–and if a switch station wasn’t working, drivers would be alerted and re-routed.

Tesla Motors Adds Range Assurance and Trip Planner

April 22, 2015Electric Cars, Model S, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaTrevor Larkum

[From 19 March 2015]

As promised by Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk on Sunday, the Californian automaker has just revealed a new over-the-air software update for owners of its Model S luxury electric car which it hopes to push to all customers in around ten day’s time. What’s more, it includes two brand new features which Tesla hopes will not only tackle the real spectre of range anxiety among first-time owners but also make it ‘impossible’ for a Tesla Model S owner to run out of charge in their car without intentionally setting out to do so.

These two features, called Range Assurance and Trip Planner, make use of the wireless Internet connection built into every Tesla Model S, along with Tesla’s integrated network of super-fast Supercharger stations.

Other features included in the 6.2 updates include mainly improvements to accelerator and brake mappings, but also mark the inclusion of a Valet Mode and improved top speed for owners of Tesla’s latest car, the Tesla Model S P85D, as well as the switching on of active safety features such as automatic safety braking, side collision warning system and blind spot warning system.

Tesla Shares Rise as New Safety System is Launched

April 1, 2015Electric Cars, Model S, Press Release, TeslaTrevor Larkum

Tesla Motors Inc., of Palo Alto, California announced in the early hours of 1^st April the launch of its latest electric car safety system, causing its share price to rise substantially as soon as the stock market opened, Fuel Included (http://fuelincluded.com/news/press-release/) can exclusively reveal.

Tesla has been in the forefront of many safety developments since the launch of its original Roadster and has enhanced them significantly during the development of the Model S. In NHTSA safety testing in 2013 it achieved a 5 star rating, and it did the same in 2014 in the European NCAP system. Following some issues with collisions with road debris the Model S was the first car to be retrofitted with a titanium undershield. At the end of 2014 it was announced that any Model S manufactured from September 2014 would get auto-pilot features including automatic steering, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning.

The latest Tesla safety system solves a known susceptibility of electric cars to water ingress into the electrical systems. It builds on earlier work begun by other manufacturers. One of the earliest of these was developed by Mercedes-Benz (part of the Daimler group) for its Smart ForTwo Electric Drive. This protected the vehicle from water ingress even during a heavy rainstorm. It was ground-mounted, however, which limited its use to the owner’s home.

Smart Car Rain Protection System (Image Credit: M. Stanley/TrendHunter.com)

When Toyota followed up the success of its Prius hybrid with the launch of the Prius Plug-In electric car it produced an enhanced rain protection system. Like the Smart system it was deployed to shield the car’s electrical systems from water ingress but unlike that system it could be transported in the car. Therefore at any time that it was required the driver was able to pull over and deploy the system without the need to return home to shelter.

The Tesla system, however, is significantly more advanced than any previous system. It is fully integrated into the Model S and can be deployed at speed without restriction. Its umbrella configuration allows it to fully protect the car’s electrical system from even a powerful rainstorm.

Toyota Rain Protection System Deployed on a Prius Plug-in (Image Credit: WITHCOMBEM/Photobucket.com)

In one impressive step forward Tesla has demonstrated that it can achieve the ‘holy grail’ of deploying an electric car that can be driven in severe environmental conditions. In this way Tesla has become the first electric car manufacturer to eliminate ‘rain anxiety’.

Automatically Deployed Tesla Rain Protection System (Image Credit: FuelIncluded.com)

Those familiar with the company’s plans have suggested that Tesla may build on this success by adding a kite-deployed conductor to the next-generation Model X and so produce an electric car that can charge itself in a thunderstorm.

Tesla Model S P85D review

March 27, 2015Electric Cars, Model S, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaTrevor Larkum

Tesla’s P85D uses dual motor, four-wheel drive technology to deliver a supercar-smashing 682bhp in ‘Insane’ mode. Wow!

Verdict – 5 stars
The Tesla P85D is an all-electric car and that means it has one big flaw: the UK’s electric car charging network is still under-developed. But with four-wheel drive and 682bhp in ‘Insane mode’, the P85D is such an incredible feat of technology it’s impossible not to be amazed by it. The flagship Model S offers immense power, Mercedes-like levels of luxury, lots of space and the promise of more Tesla-dedicated ‘Supercharger’ charging points in the near future. The Tesla P85D really pushes the boundaries of electric car motoring and is arguably the first fully-electric car a petrolhead can get excited about without feeling guilty.

Tesla may be a small car company compared to the likes of Ford, Volkswagen or Toyota but it has big ideas. And one of those ideas of founder Elon Musk’s is to prove that electric cars can have supercar-rivaling performance and still deliver all the benefits of zero emissions motoring.

This is the latest product from that vision; the Tesla Model S P85D – an electric car that has 682bhp and can rocket to 60mph in 3.2 seconds. Supercar fans will notice the P85D is as quick to 60mph as a McLaren F1, a car which Musk stated was used as the benchmark when it came to fast acceleration times. And yet, the P85D has a theoretical range of 300 miles, seats five (or even seven if the two boot seats are specified) and has Mercedes-levels of luxury.

The secret to the P85D’s immense power lies with its dual motor technology. A 464bhp electric motor on the back axle powers the rear wheels while up front Tesla has added a smaller motor with 218bhp on the front axle to drive the front wheels.

It makes the P85D four-wheel drive and capable of traveling on all road conditions including snow and ice – just like an Audi RS6. Tesla’s system can adjust the torque between all four wheels 100 times per second thanks to its electric powertrain, giving superb levels of grip.

Hop in, pull down the Mercedes-derived column gear change selector to ‘D’ and you’re good to go – there’s no need to start the car as carrying the key fob in your pocket both opens the doors and switches the ignition on. Touch the throttle and you’re thrown back in your seat with the only noise being a high-pitched whistle from the electric motors.

Once you’ve had enough of that, it’s time to experience the neck-snapping acceleration. A few prods on the tablet screen in the centre of the dash and the driver can change the ride height, control how severe the brake regeneration is and tweak a multitude of other functions. It’s also here where you can switch the P85D’s acceleration from ‘Sport’ to ‘Insane’ mode.

Do that and you’re not only flung back into your seat but your neck snaps into the headrest as you ride on the twin electric motors’ full power. As you race to 60mph your body is put through 1g – such is the severity of the dual motors unleashing their arsenal.

The sensation is made all the more ‘insane’ by there being no engine noise to accompany it. While a Nissan GT-R can get to 60mph a few tenths quicker, that car’s wailing V6 and rapid-fire gearchanges make it very clear what’s happening. With the Tesla, though, there’s just an eerily quite cabin and uninterrupted acceleration courtesy of the single-speed gearbox.

Straight-line speed isn’t the Tesla’s only forte, though. Thanks to that four-wheel drive system that’s continually shuffling the power to whichever wheel that needs traction the most, the P85D handles well too. The car’s natural style is to stay flat through corners; carry too much speed into a bend and the front washes wide but it’s only natural for a car that weighs more than 2.2 tonnes. The steering is weighty – it can be made unnecessarily heavy in ‘Sport’ mode – and while it misses out on being the last word in precision, the P85D is a credible sports saloon.

Tesla Opens Europe’s Largest Supercharger Station – First In Europe With Solar Canopy

March 16, 2015Electric Cars, Model S, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaTrevor Larkum

“We opened our largest Supercharger Station in Europe in Køge, just south of Copenhagen, Denmark. It has 12 Superchargers and is the first one in Europe with a solar canopy.”

States Tesla Motors.

Tesla’s Largest Supercharger In Europe…And Check Out That Solar Canopy

This site brings Tesla’s Supercharger tally in Europe too…well…we’re too busy to count and when Tesla redesigned its Supercharger site that continent-by-continent tally disappeared. See for yourself here.

Source: Inside EVs

Nissan LEAF most popular electric car in UK

March 11, 2015Ampera, BMW, Electric Cars, i3, Leaf, Mitsubishi, Model S, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Outlander PHEV, Renault, Sales, Tesla, Vauxhall, ZOETrevor Larkum

Figures recently released show that the Nissan LEAF maintains its position as the most popular electric car or van in the UK, with at least 5,838 vehicles registered by the third quarter of 2014, representing over a third of all EV sales.

The registration data also shows the new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has made a dramatic entry to the UK market; the electric SUV is already in second position with over 2,706 sales less than a year after its UK release.

In third and fourth places are two more established plug-in hybrids, the Toyota Prius PHEV (with 1,226 registrations) and the Vauxhall Ampera (1,039 vehicles). The BMW i3 now ranks fifth with at least 1,029 UK registrations (454 all-electric and 575 range-extender variants).

The Renault ZOE and Tesla Model S are also selling well in the UK with over 775 and 474 sales respectively; the two models in fourth and fifth sales positions across Europe as a whole (YTD October 2014).

UK electric vehicle registrations UK (Image: Next Green Car)

With the recent announcement from OLEV that 23,083 claims have been made through the Plug-in Car Grant scheme, the number of electric cars and vans in the UK now exceeds 24,500 vehicles for the first time.

Another indicator that the EV market is gaining momentum is the number of fully electric and plug-in hybrid models available in the UK. While only 9 EVs were available for the major manufacturers in 2011 (excluding quadricycles), this increased to 18 models in 2013, and now stands at 24 high-quality cars and vans (in 2014) with more models due for launch in 2015.

Dr Ben Lane, Director of Next Green Car said:

“The strong growth of the EV market in the UK as elsewhere provides yet more evidence that the light-duty vehicle market is undergoing a radical change with consumer preferences changing from petrol and diesel models to electric power-trains. With sales growing exponentially, the EVs are set to become commonplace on UK roads within the next few years.”

Source: Next Green Car

Tesla Model S P85+ review: The car of the future is already here

February 27, 2015Electric Cars, Model S, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaTrevor Larkum

Tesla Model S Review

Log into an iPhone app, check how much charge is in the battery and set the heating while you eat breakfast. From your very first interactions with the Tesla Model S, you know it’s unlike any other car on the road.

The car continues to impress before you get inside. Walk up to it with the key in your pocket (I say key, it’s actually a small plastic model of the car itself) and the Model S senses your presence. The mirrors unfold and door handles glide outwards. Grab one, get in and prepare yourself for a journey unlike anything you’ve experienced before.

At this point I could talk about the huge touch screen, the electric, heated seats which remember exactly how you set them, the 3G connection, the two extra child’s seats in the boot, and everything else the Model S has to offer. But they can wait; let’s get straight to the party piece.

Tesla Model S: Performance

Foot on the brake to wake the car, engage drive with the Mercedes-sourced gear selector, breathe, hover your foot over the accelerator, then bury it. The car’s electric motor feeds 416 horsepower and 600 newton metres of torque (433ft lb in old money) to the rear wheels and launches you down the road with the unrelenting shove of a roller coaster.

Traction control filtering out a hint of slip from the 21-inch rear wheels, 60mph ticks by in 4.2 seconds – faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera S. It isn’t just the initial launch which impresses, but the way the Model S keeps you pinned to the seat with a ferocity which doesn’t fade until deep into license-losing territory. Because there’s only one gear the barrage of torque is relentless, and can be summoned instantly – this is where electric cars reign supreme over their internal combustion counterparts.

Flooring the accelerator never, ever gets boring, and feeling the immense surge forward is hugely addictive. The sci-fi whine from the motor and regenerative braking system only adds to the otherworldliness of it all.

The mind-bending turn of pace is even more impressive when you consider the size of the Model S. It’s just shy of five metres long, two metres wide, and weighs more than two tonnes.

But all that mass is more muscle than fat. Because it was designed to be a fully electric car from the very start – there is no petrol, diesel or hybrid alternative – the Model S is packaged cleverly. The immensely heavy battery pack is in the floor, keeping the centre of gravity low, which improves handling and stability.

Being much smaller than an equally powerful engine means the Tesla’s motor can be tucked away between the rear wheels, leading to masses of storage. The rear boot is about what you’d expect from a car of this size – plus my model had the optional (£2,100) children’s seats, good for kids aged five to 10. There’s also a front boot large enough for a weekly food shop or medium-sized suitcase.