Actually, that Tesla WhiteStar might cost you $70,000...
Up until now, we've had the price breakdown of Tesla Motors' products as follows: - 2007-2008 Roadster - $92,000-$100,000
- 2010 WhiteStar - $50,000
- 2013 (?)
sedancompact - $30,00
price is not accurate. From inception, WhiteStar has always been planned - and talked about - as a platform on which we would have both a base model and a higher-spec variant (at a corresponding higher price)." I hope by using his own words I can stop making mistakes) and other upgrades. We'll know more the closer we get to the 2010ish WhiteStar release date.
Click through to CNet to see how a $65,000 car fits in the American auto market.
UPDATE: Sorry for the errors there, folks. Trying to write too quickly today.
UPDATE 2: Added more clarifications, because I can't seem to get things right today.
Related:
[Source: CNet]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Link 1:49PM (8/11/2008)
There is no mention of the additional cost of electicity to supply the vehicle. Is there any info concerning electricity usage?
Reply
Joseph 1:59PM (5/10/2007)
2013 is supposed to be a compact car, and whitestar to be a sedan.
Reply
1985 Gripen 1:53PM (5/10/2007)
Well, as excited as I was about getting a $30K Tesla sedan (which would already be stretching my pocketbook to afford) I'm a bit disappointed that I'll have to wait until at least 2013 to buy it. Maybe I'll be making more money by then to afford it.
By 2010 maybe I'll just have to buy a compromise Chevy Volt to tide me over until I can get an affordable Tesla EV.
I was hoping the Tesla sedan would be a true EV People's Car much like the original vision for the Volkswagen (German for "Peoples' Car") Beetle. An affordable basic transportation vehicle for the masses which can seat four people (rather than these little one or two-seater EVs out there). Most people have families they need to transport on occasion. But $50K for a car that's likely to not be appointed like competitor's $50K cars (luxury interiors) will only sell to a small minority of people. This car will be a sales flop.
Reply
Tony Belding 2:12PM (5/10/2007)
I wouldn't jump to the assumption that Whitestar is "likely to not be appointed like competitor's $50K cars". Tesla have said they're aiming at the BMW 5-series, so I have to assume they know what that entails.
I don't think the technology or the manufacturing volume is available yet to produce a true EV "people's car" like the Model T or the VW Beetle. Tesla have made a business calculation that they need to start at the upper end of the market and work their way down.
However. . . The Miles Javlon might be closer to what you're looking for. The specs read something like a 4-door EV1, and it's made in China so they can keep costs down. Projected MSRP around $30,000. They are hoping to start selling by the end of 2008.
Reply
Doug 4:48PM (5/10/2007)
This isn't exactly "new" news, is it? I thought Tesla Motors has always said they expected to offer the Whitestar in two different trim levels. The base model to be around $50K, the higher end model about $15K more. The main difference being range.
Reply
1985 Gripen 5:54PM (5/10/2007)
I guess I haven't been following this closely enough. I thought the sedan was first announced to be around $30K. Am I remembering incorrectly or did they raise the price?
As for appointments of a $50K car I'll be pretty surprised if they have all leather seats as many potential buyers of an EV sedan would be philosophically-opposed to animal skin seats. Maybe they'll use that new vegetable-based seats material...
Reply
Tony Belding 7:04PM (5/10/2007)
The Roadster has leather seats, and I suspect some buyers of a $50,000 car -- even an EV -- would be "philosophically-opposed" to it not coming with leather seats at that price point. I never have understood what the objection is to leather. . . I mean, that's a renewable resource! (But then I grew up on a cattle ranch, and I don't have a problem with eating hamburgers either.)
My understanding is that the Whitestar was originally described as a roughly $50K car. However, that was for the full-performance version. So now it looks like you'll have to accept either reduced performance or a higher price tag, in comparison to the original plan.
Reply
Kardax 7:38PM (5/10/2007)
The Tesla Roadster is a lightweight sports car, and still only manages 200+ miles range on a charge. A 4-door sedan will, at a minimum, need a larger battery pack to handle the extra weight and aerodynamic loss. Logically, such a car would cost even more than the Roadster!
The only way that the price can be less is if they find many big ways to save money on the mass-production-at-owned-factory side of things.
Reply
ambush 12:49AM (5/11/2007)
I don't know if a sedan, will require a larger battery pack, it will probably have a smaller, more efficient motor, and if battery technology keeps improving at the roughly 6 percent a year capacity that it has been...
Reply
kert 11:18AM (5/11/2007)
i would bet on Subaru R1E & Mitsubishi MiEV coming out with a "peoples EV" before Tesla.
Reply
Sam 1:55AM (6/19/2007)
Hey 1985 gripen, you are a total idiot. Why are you acting like such a marketing genius saying "it will be a sales flop," when the tesla, (more expensive than the exige) has already sold out until 2008? you dont know what you are talking about, and there is a huge population of people who will go beyond their means to buy this new technology. Plus, if acura can sell rl's, infiniti m35's, and bmw 5 series', then tesla is right in the same price bracket.
Reply