Despite some much overblown crash controversy in the US, the Tesla Model S has once again proved its safety credentials, adding a five star Euro NCAP score to its five star result from the US road safety authority, NHTSA.

In the latest round of safety tests, the Model S secured a five star result alongside the new Nissan Pulsar, BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and Skoda Fabia. Also tested was the Suzuki Celerio which scored a less impressive three star result.

For the Model S though the latest result reaffirms just how safe electric cars are despite overblown coverage of a number of crashes involving Model S cars last year, which might have suggested the car was a fire risk.

An investigation into fires involving the Model S by NHTSA last year, reaffirmed that the Model S was safe, although Tesla did nonetheless decide to make a few tweaks to improve the car further including adding a new titanium body shield.

Read more: Green Car Website

Manufacturer promises to buy back Tesla Model S electric car for 50 per cent of original value

Tesla has revealed the new finance packages available to private buyers of the Model S. The company claims that the deals have been created from the ground up rather than as copies of plans offered by other manufacturers.

The financing will be offered through Tesla’s partner, Alphera Financial Services. The main news is that Tesla promises that the resale value guarantee, the price given to customers when their three-year agreement comes to an end, will be 50 per cent of the base purchase price of the 60 kWh Model S electric car.

Tesla claims that the new programme has no gimmicks, and offers customers the option to sell the car back to the company once the three years is over, or extend the hire purchase agreement for longer.

Buyers will have to put down a 15 per cent deposit initially, with the choice of a 48-, 60- or 72-month contract. With an interest of 5.9 per cent APR, monthly costs will be around £820 month. The agreement limits mileage to 15,000 miles per year, with owners charged 17p per mile if they go past this.

Georg Ell, Tesla’s UK Country Director, said:

“We understand that many customers enjoy the simplicity of a Hire Purchase but also may seek some assurance of the future value of Model S. We want to do the right thing for customers, so we’re delighted to be able to offer this transparent and fair financing programme.”

Source: Auto Express

An all-electric saloon that can match a McLaren F1 to 60mph for less than £100K has been announced by Tesla. Elon Musk revealed the new Model S P85D at an event in the USA. ‘D’ stands for ‘Dual Motor’ and signifies that there’s an extra electric motor in the front, driving the front wheels, in addition to the rear motor.

The new front engine adds 221hp to the 470hp rear motor, making a total of 691hp. The P85D’s peak torque figure is equally devastating – no less than 687lb ft, split 244lb ft front, 443lb ft rear.

Tesla is claiming a 0-60mph time of 3.2 seconds for the P85D – succeeding in its target of equalling the McLaren F1 in the 0-60 dash. It’s also a full second faster than the P85+, which it now replaces. The instantaneous availability of torque means the P85D can pull acceleration of 1g from standstill, says Tesla.

The top speed is also significantly better at 155mph, up from 130mph for the P85. And although overall weight is up by 132kg to a whopping 2,239kg, that weight is perfectly distributed 50/50 front/rear. The car’s overall range suffers slightly, dropping to 275 miles from the current 285 miles.

Read more: Pistonheads