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Australia can no longer look forward to getting a Tesla Model S under the luxury car tax level when the car launches here -- after delays likely December this year or early 2014.
In what feels more like a bait-and-switch marketing tactic than a legitimate business decision, Tesla Motors has announced that it will not build the most affordable, smallest battery pack version of the Model S electric sedan.
Why? Because of a “lack of demand”. According to Tesla, only four per cent of buyers placing deposits reserved the 40-kWh version of the Model S. The 40-kWh model remains on Tesla's retail site for the moment, at a promised price of US$52,400 -- after $7,500 in US tax rebates that are not echoed here in Australia.
Tesla had previously said it would start the Model S range below the luxury car tax level, which would have meant the base variant coming in under $77,000. That leaves us with the prospect of the two higher variants -- 60kWh and 85kWh -- which will cost much more.
And while just how much more has not yet been revealed, it's likely we'll see the 85kWh one at around $150,000. Tesla had claimed a range of 257 km for the 40kWh Model S, along with a 0-100km/h time of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 177 km/h. A 173 kilowatts motor generating 420 Newton metres of torque was specified, with production to begin this year.
According to Tesla, “Customers are voting with their wallet that they want a car that gives them the freedom to travel long distances when needed.”
American buyers that reserved a slot for the 40kWh model won't be left in the cold, however. Instead, they'll get a crippled version of the US$62,400 (after credit) 60 kWh car. It'll have the same battery pack as the mid-range Model S, but software will limit it to use of 40kWh of the pack's energy.
This limited version of the electric sedan will also offer the 60-kWh car's more powerful motor and attendant quicker acceleration (100km/h in 5.9 seconds) and higher top speed (193 km/h).
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