Options for the Tesla Model S include the glass, panoramic roof and navigation.

(Credit:
Josh Miller/CNET)

Tesla has laid out the pricing structure for the all-new Model S electric car, and, as expected, higher range will cost you more.

The company launched a Web page today showing the base model, with a 40-kilowatt-hour battery pack, costing $49,900. The 60kWh model runs $59,900, and it’s another $10,000 jump to the 85kWh model. Go up to $79,900 for the Performance model, which also comes with the 85kWh pack and a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.4 seconds. All of those prices are after a federal tax credit of $7,500.

Those battery packs give the Model S an estimated range at 55 mph of 160 miles, 230 miles, and 300 miles respectively.

And then there are the options. Tesla wants $1,500 to build a glass, panoramic roof into the car, and another $1,500 for the rear jump seats, which can make the Model S a seven-seater. 19-inch wheels are standard, but $3,500 will get you 21s with high-performance tires, the latter being standard on the Performance version of the car. Microfiber seat covers are standard, with leather running $1,500.

An odd option on the list is the Tech package, which runs $3,750. A 17-inch touch screen is standard in the dashboard, but you will need the Tech package to get turn-by-turn navigation on… [Read more]

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As the year winds down, we look back at the cars we’ve reviewed in 2008, and try to figure out which one qualifies as the Tech Car of the Year. To that end, our staff has boiled the choices down to five nominees, and, as in …

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Originally posted at The Car Tech blog

The Tesla Roadster is simple to drive, but very fast, with smoothly delivered torque.

(Credit: CBS Interactive)

Every automotive journalist who drives a Tesla comes away impressed with the car’s power, and I can say the same after taking the car out on a quick drive near the company’s Menlo Park, Calif., Tesla store (they don’t call it a showroom or dealership).

In Performance mode, the car exhibits powerful and smooth torque, even at speed. I had this little open top roadster at 65 mph on the freeway, then mashed the accelerator (don’t call it a gas pedal) and got another powerful push in the back that sent the car quickly up to 90. The Tesla’s push is unique among sports cars though. Where a high-stepper such as the BMW M3 makes you feel a kick in the back with every gear shift, the Tesla delivers a strong, steady push when you put your foot down on the pedal.

The Tesla I drove featured “Powertrain 1.5,” eliminating the two-speed gearbox from the previous model. Yes, Tesla patterns itself after tech companies, so the power train gets a version designation, although the cars themselves still go by a model year.

In this Tesla, as in other electric cars I’ve driven, the operation is dead simple: Move the shifter from Neutral to Drive, and you’re moving forward. Push the accelerator if you want to go faster and hit the brakes if you want to stop. The only real difference, besides the fact that the Tesla goes a lot faster than other electric cars, is that taking your foot off the accelerator at speeds less than 40 mph makes the car slow down as if you were applying light pressure on the brakes. That is the regenerative power train in operation, using the car’s momentum to generate electricity for the battery pack. The Tesla also has regenerative brakes, but you don’t need to use them much, adding the side-benefit of very infrequent brake maintenance.

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Originally posted at The Car Tech blog

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(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)

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