Tesla Model S 2015 News

Electric carmaker Tesla announces the first dual electric motor production car and new Model S safety and autopilot upgrades.Tesla has taken the wraps off a new flagship version of its Model S sedan, with the new P85D adding a second electric motor and all-wheel drive over existing versions.The all-paw upgrade is not just about improving traction and safety over the existing rear-drivers though, as the second motor brings supercar levels of performance to the pure-electric Model S.   While not quite in the same realm as the McLaren P1 or Porsche 918, the P85D should wipe the floor with BMW's high-tech i8 plug-in hybrid in terms of outright acceleration. Tesla claims the P85D is capable of hitting 60mph (96km/h) in a blistering 3.2 seconds – clearly significantly faster then the i8 with it's 4.4 second 0-100km/h official figure.The new Tesla is also significantly quicker to 100km/h than more traditional petrol-only performance sedans like Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S (3.6 seconds) or BMW M5 (4.2 seconds). Even the Audi R8 V10 Plus developing a massive 404 kW takes 3.5 seconds to reach 100km/h. Top speed for the P85D is also 40km/h faster than the single motor Model S P85 at 250 km/h. In addition to the P85D's impressive speed and performance, this latest version also introduces new autopilot and safety features that will be fitted to all new Model S variants.  The autopilot capability is quite revolutionary and a sign of things to come. The Model S is not yet able to take full control of the driving - regulations currently don't permit it anyway - but the technology is staring to get close. Using an array of sensors, radar and a camera the car can change lanes when the driver starts indicating and automatically steer back in the lane if you start drifting outside the lane markings. It can also avoid or mitigate front collision damage when it detects other vehicles or objects are in the way.The car can basically drop you off on the driveway and then continue to the garage by itself. The radar can see through fog and snow while the camera has image recognition capability to read traffic signs as well as detect pedestrian movements. The self-parking feature is a clever feature too, having the ability to take over and park in a pre-designated spot in your garage. The car can basically drop you off on the driveway and then continue to the garage by itself. US customers will take delivery of the first Model S P85Ds in December, while Australian buyers can expect to see it in local showrooms in June 2015. Australian pricing is expected to start at around $160,000 for the P85D performance hero, but dual motor Model S will also soon be available in less performance-focused and affordable 60D and 85D variants.

There are exciting new releases planned across the board; from budget hatches to practical SUVs, to exotic supercars. We’ve broken them down into segments and likely price categories to help you. We've based our price estimations on the current market, but some estimations could change in the future, and some model ranges span across price categories, so be sure to check our other stories...New cars for 2014 | less than $20,000New cars for 2014 | $20,000-$40,000New cars for 2014 | $40,000-$59,000New cars for 2014 | over $100,000 LIGHT CARSBMW i3: BMW will bring the high tech i3 city car down under from September, with the pure-electric i3 BEV expected to start at about $60,000, and a range-extended i3 REX version with a 647cc petrol generator further up the price scale. (Approximately $60,000)SMALL CARSAudi A3 sedan: Audi will add a sedan version of its A3 small car to the existing Sportback hatch lineup from January, with the hot S3 version to follow in April, and the drop-top A3 Cabriolet (from about $57k) to complete the lineup in about September. (Approximately $65,000)BMW 2 Series: The discontinued 1 Series coupe will be replaced by the new 2 Series coupe in around May, and will likely mirror the petrol and diesel drivetrains of the existing 1 Series hatch. A soft-top convertible is also in the works, but its launch date is still up in the air. (Approximately $45,000-$85,000)FAMILY CARSInfiniti Q50: Infiniti models are set to become a more common sight on Australian roads before June, with the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series-rivalling Q50’s arrival, boasting fresh styling, rear-wheel drive, and a choice of diesel or hybrid drivetrains. (Approximately $51,900-$73,900)Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Mercedes' new C-Class sedan and wagon are due around mid-year, with a range of new engines and an 80mm wheelbase stretch to help combat the also enlarged BMW 3 Series and Lexus IS rivals. Drivetrain availability from launch will include the 115kW/250Nm 1.6-litre C180 and 135kW/300Nm 2.0-litre C200 petrols, and the 125kW/400Nm 2.1-litre turbodiesel C220. A smaller diesel, diesel-electric hybrid and more powerful petrol engines will come later. (Approximately from $60,000)Tesla Model S: The long-awaited Tesla Model S pure-electric passenger car is due to arrive locally in the second quarter, with the five door hatch balancing style, performance, and all-electric tech in equal measures. (Approximately $80,000)Volvo S60 and V60: Volvo will introduce the first of its new Drive-E engines to the S60 sedan and V60 wagon range in March, with power and efficiency gains promised, along with a new eight-speed auto. (Approximately $49,000-$78,000)LUXURY CARSLexus RC: Lexus’ new RC coupe should arrive before the end of 2014 to take on the BMW 4 Series and Audi A5, with a choice of petrol V6 and hybrid drivetrains likely to expand to include a high-performance 5.0-litre V8 RC-F soon after. (Approximately $70,000-$130,000)SUV/4WDAudi RS Q3: The company’s first RS-badged SUV will arrive in February, with the RS Q3 borrowing its 228kW/420Nm five-cylinder heart from the TTRS, and promising 0-100km/h in 5.5 seconds. (Approximately $81,900)BMW X1: The baby bimmer SUV is also in line for a refreshing in March, with styling and interior tweaks expected. (Approximately 46,000-63,000)BMW X5 sDrive 25d: BMW will add the first two-wheel drive X5 to the new 2014 lineup early in the year, with a price-leading $82,900 2.0-litre turbodiesel sDrive 25d undercutting the existing all-wheel drive xDrive 25d by $5000. (Approximately $82,900)Ford Territory: The Territory SUV will score SYNC-inclusive revisions by the end of the year, ahead of its 2016 fate. (Approximately $40,000-$63,000)Land Rover Range Rover Evoque: The stylish Range Rover Evoque is due for an update before June, with a new nine-speed auto delivering fuel economy gains of about 10 per cent, plus styling tweaks to bring it in line with the new full-size Range Rover and Sport models. (Approximately $50,000-$91,000)Porsche Macan: Porsche will add the new sub-Cayenne Macan SUV to its Australian lineup from June, with the cheapest diesel model forming a new entry point to Porsche ownership at $84,900. Twin-turbo 3.0 and 3.6-litre V6s will sit further up the price scale, with the 294kW top-spec capable of 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds. (Approximately $84,900-$122,900)Volvo XC60: Volvo’s new Drive-E engines will also appear in the XC60 SUV in March, with power and efficiency gains promised, along with a new eight-speed auto. (Approximately $57,000-79,000)SPORTS/PERFORMANCEAlfa Romeo 4C: Alfa will bring a limited number of its limited-build 4C sports car to Australia in around June, with the mid-engined, carbon-chassised performance hero expected to lob for as little as $75,000.Peugeot RCZ-R: Building on the brand’s reignited performance cred thanks to the excellent 208 GTi, the French brand will also add the hot RCZ-R to the lineup in the second quarter, with a highly tuned 199kW version of the existing petrol version’s 1.6-litre turbo. (Approximately $70,000)CONVERTIBLESBMW 4 Series convertible: The folding hardtop version of BMW’s 4-Series coupe is expected by March, and echo its hardtop sibling with 420d, 428i, and 435i drivetrains. (Approximately $85,000-$120,000)  

The Tesla Model S that will arrive in Australia later this year has earned the highest safety score in the history of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has offered up a few details about the next generation of the electric start-up's vehicles -- including a smaller and cheaper entry-level sedan.At its annual shareholder meeting yesterday, Musk revealed a few more tidbits of the company's future product plan.Joining its current Model S all-electric luxury sport sedan late next year will be the Model X crossover utility vehicle, with its top-lifting "falcon doors" and available all-wheel drive.But it's the new base model sedan that will be a driving aim for Musk, he said."What the world really needs is a great, affordable electric car," Musk told Bloomberg. "I’m not going to let anything go, no matter what people offer, until I complete that mission.”To that end, Tesla's third-generation car (known as Blue Star), will smaller -- about the size of a BMW 3-Series -- and about half the price of the Model S, which starts at US$69,900 in the US, but will be much more than that when it arrives here either late this year or early in 2014.Tesla recently axed the base level Model S, which had offered the chance of Australians getting it under the luxury car tax level. 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 of Model S -- 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 177km/h. A 173 kilowatts motor generating 420 Newton metres of torque was specified, with production to begin this year.So the prospect of a smaller sedan puts a more affordable Tesla back on the table. The styling of the smaller sedan will bear a family resemblance to the Model S, Musk said.He said the new sedan would have a range of more than 330km, for a price cited as US$30,000 or less than US$40,000 in its home market -- which may reflect the effect of the $7,500 government tax credit buyers there will receive.The new, smaller Tesla will continue to use lithium-ion cells from Panasonic, one of several companies that has a minority stake in Tesla Motors. But they'll be of a new and more advanced chemistry designed specifically for use in electric cars.www.thecarconnection.com 

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).www.motorauthority.com