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And we raved about the Nissan LEAF! Now we drive a REAL electric car! by ROSS TESTER There are now several electric-only vehicles being sold in Australia but the only one which is real competition for high-performance luxury cars is the Tesla. That’s because the Tesla is a luxury, highperformance car in its own right. High-performance, though, is almost damning it with faint praise! T he first thing you notice about driving a Tesla is its acceleration. It quite literally pushes you back into the (very comfortable leather!) seat and you think WOOOOHAAAA! It’s been compared very favourably with that of a Porsche or Ferrari but having never quite got to own (or even driven!) one of those lofty marques I cannot comment. However, I can say (because Tesla told me!) that over 200m, the new two-motor all-wheel-drive Tesla P85D (not yet available here) will blow a very much more expensive Ferrari FF or the popular Porsche Panamera Turbo into the weeds! (The Ferrari FF starts at about $US300,000; the Porsche Panamera ranges from about $US78,000 to >$US200,000). The P85D will post a 0-160km/h time of just eight seconds and has been clocked at 3.2 seconds for 0-100km/h. I can, however, comment on the very next thing you notice: the speedo reading. In the blink of an eye (or two) you can easily be going FAR above the speed limit. (I was; fortunately there were no speed radars around . . .). Top speed of the S85 is a rather impressive 225km/h. And no, I didn’t try to prove it. 14  Silicon Chip Incidentally, that model number (70, 85, etc) refers to battery size - 85 is for the 85kWh model. It’s a true PEV Having come from a PEV environment (that’s Plug-In Electric Vehicle for the great unwashed, as distinct from PHEV, or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle. See the following column “Owning an Electric Car”) I was well-used to the almost total lack of sound when driving. OK, there is some road (tyre) noise; at speed there is a tiny amount of wind noise (more a whisper!) but most of the time there is no noticeable noise. The Tesla is little different in this regard. The much larger (18-inch or even the optional 21-inch) tyres are obviously partly responsible for slightly more road noise but it’s certainly not objectionable. Where conventionally-powered cars have to go to some lengths to achieve a relatively noise-free ride, the Tesla (and we have to say other electrics) do it almost by default. What sets the Tesla apart from other pure electrics is the amount of power available and almost contrarily, the amount of range. (Usually, electric vehicle high power/ performance is at the expense of range. Not so much here). siliconchip.com.au Tesla’s new twin-motor S85D model (available shortly in Australia), showing the “normal” front and added rear motors (in red). More importantly, it shows the battery “pack” – the underfloor area which houses the 7000 16850 lithium-ion cells wired in series/parallel to achieve a 400V, 85kWh powerhouse. The S85 model has a similar configuration but of course has only the one front-mounted motor. As we found in our test drives, that still packs an enormous punch! In the Model S85 we had for (unfortunately an all-toobrief) review, it was VERY obvious that this vehicle was so far ahead of any other pure electric that there really was no comparison. Impressive? Not just yes but Hell YES! Then again, at the price I guess it would have to be. The basic model sells for more than twice the price of the next most popular electric vehicle in Australia, the Nissan LEAF. Yes, we are completely discounting hybrids such as the Toyota Prius, Holden Volt etc, because these are not electric vehicles. They are petrol-powered vehicles with limited battery capability (in the case of the Prius) or with a battery charged by a petrol motor (in the case of the Volt). Where are they from? Tesla vehicles are fully imported from the USA. They’re built in a plant in Fremont, California, which is a story in itself. The Fremont plant was previously used to build GM and Toyota vehicles in a joint venture called NUMMI. Covering an area the size of 88 football fields, a section was purchased by Tesla (reportedly for the proverbial “song”) after NUMMI ceased production in 2010. The Tesla plant today bears little resemblance to the original, with significantly more automation and floors & walls painted gleaming white to reflect the total build quality demanded by Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk. The company Various news items in 2012 and 2013 had Tesla Motors in significant financial trouble, with many financial gurus (and, it must be said, other grinning car manufacturers) forecasting its imminent demise. Indeed, it was reported at the time that Elon Musk was on the verge of selling Tesla Motors to Google (and later confirmed by him). However, vehicle sales picked up so this sale never progressed. Tesla kept on producing cars – and reported a A night-time view of the Tesla S85 controls featuring that magnificent A4-sized touch screen display. Virtually every vehicle function can be controlled from this screen or it can be used to display the view “out the back” or as seen here, the GPS navigation system. siliconchip.com.au June 2015  15 Back-seat passenger’s view of the S85 console. Impressive, isn’t it? positive cashflow for the first time in the last quarter of 2013. Tesla’s share price (Nasdaq TSLA), which opened at $US19.90 in August 2010 was more than ten times this (~$US226) at the end of April 2015. In the first quarter of 2015, they delivered more than 10,000 new vehicles but production capacity does not satisfy demand. The result is that for most models there is a long “wait list” (in Australia, you are looking at October/ November delivery for vehicles ordered now). Tesla’s sales model does not include dealers – you buy direct from Tesla (from their company-owned showrooms). This has got Tesla into some difficulty in the USA, where the powerful auto unions have been able to convince legislators in several states to disallow Tesla’s setting up showrooms in those states. The car You have to say this is one good-looking car. In fact, I noticed a lot of people admiring it during the day I was driving it around. The shape and styling has often been compared to several up-market competitors. It’s not a small car by any means; at 4976mm long, 1963mm wide and 1435mm high, its not dissimilar to a large, family sized luxury sedan (think BMW 7-series, for example). But at 2.1 tonnes, it’s probably about 500kg heavier than most of its competition – thanks largely to the 700kg, 400V battery pack. Inside, there’s plenty of room for a family of five (in very comfortable leather seats, with tons of legroom, even in the back). And because there is no pesky transmission tunnel, as you would find in all front-engine, rear-wheel-drive cars, the middle back seat is not cramped up. Luggage space is not skimped on, either, with 894 litres spread between the boot and bonnet, that’s quite a lot more 16  Silicon Chip than any car not specifically designed to carry loads (even then, it beats several mini vans!). Fold the rear seats forward (and flat) and capacity increases to 1800 litres. Just in case you missed that “boot and bonnet”, the tiny engine size means a lot more extra space than you might expect. And the lack of a bulky petrol tank helps a lot. Both front and rear luggage areas are fully carpeted. The instrument “panel” The first thing you’ll note when you sit in the driver’s seat is the huge LCD touch screen in the centre of the dash. It’s hard to explain just how striking – and clear – this screen is! At 430mm diagonal, (a bit deeper than the size of an A4 sheet of paper) it is mounted vertically into the dash. It can be set to have two horizontal half-screens or a single vertical full-screen. It’s not just an information display – it’s also the mechanism by which the vast majority of vehicle settings, operating information and preferences are displayed and/ or altered. It’s also the navigation screen – magnificently clear and detailed (much more than typical vehicle GPS screens) and it can be made full screen if you wish to either cover a greater area or obtain even more detail. And it also displays the images from the rear-facing camera, again, in far more detail than any vehicle camera we’ve ever seen. Once again, you can have half screen or full screen. Entertainment system We haven’t mentioned the Tesla’s extensive audio/entertainment capabilities – which are superb. You get the choice of several modes of radio (including internet radio and a couple I didn’t even recognise!) plus wide-ranging audio sources – again, either your CDs, DVDs, MP3s, cloudbased storage, internet music sources and much more. The siliconchip.com.au Here’s another view, this time 3/4, of the Tesla Model S showing the beautfully clean lines and styling, which attracts a LOT of attention! It’s been compared very favourably with some much more expensive marques. This could make the Tesla an attractive target for thieves. But unless they have the unique key, good luck with that! Even then, with Tesla’s smartphone app, you can see where your Tesla is at any time to within just a couple of metres. The car features an incredible amount of electronics and “creature comforts”. premium audio system is reported to have been developed “from the ground up” by Tesla but other reports suggest Alpine might figure in their somewhere. “Starting” the Tesla As you approach the Tesla (assuming, of course, that you have the key) the main thing you notice is that the previously flush door handles move out, ready to open the doors. There is nothing, as such, to “start”. Entering the car and sitting in the driver’s seat lets the system know you are ready to “rock and roll”. Just about everything is automatic. Placing your foot on the brake and moving the “gearstick” (which is merely a stalk on the right-hand side of the steering column) to F or R sets the car ready to drive. Take your foot off the brake and it will gently start rolling – as long as you have previously set it to “creep”. A word of warning: don’t plant your foot on the accelerator or you’ll probably leave your breakfast back where you started! Incidentally, proving that software developers have a sense of humour, Tesla engineers have labelled the twoposition acceleration mode settings “sport” and “insane”! “Starting” also initiates all the other processes that go on in the car. If you’ve entered a personal profile, it adjusts everything (seat position, air con, driving preferences, etc) to that. If not, the previously used setup is resumed. Now you can also set up profiles, navigation and so on for this trip. Obviously, this should be done while stationary, - setting up while mobile is definitely not recommended. Most setup is done on that beautiful, big touch screen right in the middle of the dashboard. Even “stuff” that has external controls is mostly accessible via that screen as well. Exiting the car This takes a little bit of getting used to, because you don’t turn a key off or even push a button – there is nothing to shut down. The car simply “goes to sleep” when you put it in “P” (for Park), lock the door and walk away. It’s a bit disconcerting to look in through the window and find the dashboard still activated, the touch screen still displaying pictures or vehicle data . . . and so on. But walk away from the car (obviously taking the “key” with you) and very quickly it all shuts down by itself. The motor In the S70 and S85, a single 310kW, 600Nm three-phase AC induction motor drives a single speed 9.73:1 gearbox which drives the rear wheels. The gearbox only has forward and reverse (and neutral/park) options selected by a stalk on the right-side of the steering column. The motor occupies quite a bit less space than an internal combustion engine – sure, there are ancillaries such as the AC inverter, air conditioning unit and so on but the result is the “engine bay” is rather roomy, so much so that it is given over to luggage space. The S85D model, when available here, will have two electric motors (totalling 515kW and 931Nm) and drive all four wheels. The battery pack It may surprise you to find that the lithium ion battery pack consists of many thousands of small cells – in fact, “18650”-sized 3.7V cells (or 18mm diameter x 65mm long, the same as found in many small rechargeable consumer products, toys, etc) are connected in series/parallel to achieve a high capacity (85kWh), high voltage (400V) battery. This is housed under the floor of the vehicle and is in fact a stressed member of the chassis, helping provide rigidity to the rear of the car. This also brings the centre of gravity to the lowest point possible, considerably helping with the car’s roadholding. Tesla’s batteries, supplied by Panasonic from Japan, have an energy density of 121Wh/kg, which are the most energydense packs in the industry. Compare this to the Nissan LEAF’s energy density of 79Wh/kg and its not hard to see why the Tesla range is so significantly higher. Where are the Australian government electric vehicle incentives? In most countries overseas, governments encourage electric car purchase through attractive (sometimes VERY attractive) incentives. These range from discounts or rebates of taxes, “green” incentives, use of transit or special lanes, reserved parking (often with free charging facilities) and so on. For example, the US federal government offers a $7500 federal tax credit for personal PEV purchasers. And some states top that up with another rebate ($2500 in California, for example). The UK has several incentives, ranging from a £5000 government grant, to no road tax, showroom tax or luxury vehicle tax and even an exemption from London’s congestion charge. For companies, they offer a 100% first-year write-down allowance. Here in Australia, there is little government incentive to buy an electric car. The government’s luxury car tax is less for a fuel-efficient vehicle (woopie doo – that applies to all fuel-efficient vehicles), while in the ACT electric vehicles attract no stamp duty. But that’s about it. In NSW, the incentives and/or reductions amount to a very round number. siliconchip.com.au June 2015  17 Here are two views of the Tesla most owners will never see: at left, looking inside the “engine bay” showing just how little room the engine actually takes. The rest are things like air conditioners, gearboxes, and so on. When completed, the whole of the additional space is given over to luggage space. The view at right is from the other side of the engine, over the battery compartment, from what would be cabin space. As mentioned earlier, there is a choice of 70kWh or 85kWh batteries. Until recently, Tesla offered a cheaper 60kWh battery pack. While slightly smaller than the current model’s packs, this 360V, 459kg battery gives a good idea of the way so many cells are packed into the space. In the 360V battery, 69 steel-cased cells are wired in parallel to form a “brick”; 99 bricks are connected in series to form “sheets” and 11 sheets form the whole battery pack – a total of 6831 cells. The battery is liquid-cooled and cell temperatures are constantly monitored by internal sensors. Lithium ion cells cannot be charged when they’re below 0°C, so if the temperature approaches zero the cells are heated at the same time as they are being charged. At the opposite end of the temperature scale, above a set threshold, cold air from the vehicle’s air conditioner is directed through the pack to allow charging in very hot climates. Because lithium ion cells contain neither heavy metals nor toxic materials, at the end of their life the battery packs could theoretically be disposed of in landfill. However, The rear-view camera vision quality is superb – as good as any we’ve seen. Here the screen is shared with GPS navigation – either can be made full screen. 18  Silicon Chip Just a tiny part of the Tesla’s comprehensive entertainment system – all touch-controlled, of course. It remembers your favourites so you don’t have to go hunting for them. Tesla goes one better: it has a recycling program which reuses or recycles over 60% of the battery already and aims to increase that to 90% in the future. New battery “gigafactory” Tesla is currently building a $5 billion dollar battery research and lithium-ion manufacturing facility on a 980 acre site outside Reno, Nevada. This alone is worth a story (and many have been written!) about the way Elon Musk and his team managed to build this mega-factory with $1.4 billion in tax breaks, free land and other incentives from the state of Nevada. Looking to the future, the company has options on another 9000 adjacent acres, which includes 7000 acres for a 140MW wind-farm. It will be a net-zero-energy factory, powered by renewable energy – solar, wind and even geothermal. Production will be ramped up from 2017, with 50GWh in annual production by 2020. It’s telling me that I have 311km of range left in the battery – but you wouldn’t discharge to flat in order to give your battery the maximum lifespan. Just about everything can be controlled from the touch screen, even such niceties as mirror tilt (in reverse) and mirror fold (when you stop and get out of the vehicle). siliconchip.com.au Inside Tesla’s manufacturing facility at Fremont, Cal, USA. The plant, now gleaming white inside, once manufactured GM and Toyota vehicles . . . and went broke! Tesla was reported to have bought the plant for next to nothing! Here’s Tesla’s huge new $5 billion battery production and research centre now under construction near Reno, Nevada, USA. The whole of the roof will be clad in solar panels and the building energy self-sufficient. Strangely enough, some reports suggest that Panasonic will still make the li-ion cells in this factory. But according to other reports in recent months, Tesla will also be manufacturing a range of large home and industrial batteries to either store solar power generated during the day or even store low-cost off-peak power for use during much more expensive peak times. (See the report “Tesla’s PowerWall” later in this issue.) It remains to be seen how successful this side of the enterprise will be – but if Elon Musk has anything to do with it . . . Sydney or Sydney/Brisbane. Tesla currently has Superchargers at its St Leonards showroom and also at the Star City casino (both in Sydney). We understand that Superchargers at the Tesla showroom in Chadstone (Melbourne) are imminent, if not already available. Tesla has recently announced a Supercharger for Goulburn, to add reassurance to the Sydney/Canberra journey. Tesla vehicles may also be recharged (albeit usually at a slower charge rate) at the many public charging stations now emerging around major cities. There are currently more than 200 public and private charging stations in Australia. A 230VAC single phase EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) “smart cable” is also included in the price of a Tesla – this must of course be installed in the owner’s premises at their cost. In December 2014, Tesla (USA) announced that they were embarking on a battery pack swap program with invited Tesla owners. While still a pilot program (and not available in Australia) Tesla is confident that if and when implemented, the battery pack could be swapped for a Charging, range anxiety etc With a quoted range of up to 500km per charge, most Tesla owners don’t suffer anything like the “range anxiety” owners of other electric cars experience. This can only improve in the future, with Tesla Australia planning to locate their “Supercharger” charging stations at suitable distances along the routes between eastern capitals – from Sydney to Melbourne by the end of 2015 and Sydney to Brisbane by the end of 2016. The Supercharger provides up to 135kW, giving 85kWh models almost 300km range in about 30 minutes. So basically it’s stop for a coffee, stretch your legs and charge the Tesla at the same time. 500km is more than enough range to travel, for example, from Sydney or Melbourne to the snowfields (where the car could be charged from ordinary power). It would also allow a single (or at worst two) stop trip between Melbourne/ When the right side of the speedo shows green, the Tesla is putting power back into the battery (via regenerative braking). Above this is an orange zone, showing the power (in kW) being used at the time. The left side is a conventional speedo; a digital equivalent is displayed in the centre. siliconchip.com.au Is lithium-ion still the way to go? Tesla is putting an enormous amount of faith in the lithium-ion rechargeable battery it currently uses to power its vehicles. But many critics are already saying that just as lead-acid batteries have had their day, the lithium-ion cell is also on the way out, promoting instead the aluminium-air batteries currently being developed by several organisations around the world. An aluminium-air battery generates electricity from the chemical reaction of oxygen (from the air) and aluminium, using water as an electrolyte. Their theoretical capacity is some 40 times greater than a similar-sized lithium-ion cell. Until now, however, this approach has been stymied by the reaction consuming the aluminium anode, which must be physically replaced rather than recharged. Last January, Japanese company Fuji Pigment announced that it had managed to suppress corrosion and reaction by-products, creating an aluminium-air battery that can be recharged by simply adding water. Ahh, isn’t that the holy grail: when “fill er up” means grabbing the garden hose? June 2015  19 Luggage space can only be described as cavernous – and there’s up to 1800l with the rear seats folded forward. fully charged pack in less than one minute (less time that it takes to fill a fuel tank!) and would indeed cost less than a tank full of fuel. This program is being evaluated to test technology and assess demand – ie, whether they are prepared to pay a small amount for a lightning-fast “charge” by swapping batteries, or would they prefer to fast charge at one or more “Supercharger” rechargers, at a rate of 640km range per hour of charge (or a full battery in less than an hour). The third option, obviously, is to charge at home or at a standard rate charger. The advantage of the latter is that many of these are free to use! While on the subject of range, Tesla assured me that the range displayed on the dashboard has proved to be extremely accurate, much more than that of (ahem!) the Nissan LEAF. Whether this is true or not is open to conjecture because any number of on-line forums state the opposite – they claim the “300 mile” range quoted by Tesla is much more likely to be in the low 200s, and sometimes worse. Once again, it all depends on the way you drive, the temperature outside the car, the terrain, the state of charge (and the state of battery) . . . all those things which affect all other electric cars. Cost to charge How much does it cost to charge a Tesla – and therefore, how much does it cost to run? That is a rather difficult question to answer because there are so many variables – the amount of charge left in the battery, for example, the cost of the mains power being used and even your electricity usage (high power users usually pay a premium). We’ve already mentioned that Tesla’s SuperChargers, many street-side and carpark chargers don’t actually charge you for power, so if you can use one of those at least most of the time you’re streets ahead! Note, though, that many do have a cost – but they’re not charging sheep stations (no pun intended). If you have to pay for power (eg at home), we’ve been assured that EVSE equipment can legally be connected to “off peak” circuits. In most capitals this costs less than 10c per kilowatt-hour. Or, if you have a smart meter, charging during the lowest rate period (usually 10pm-7am) will also 20  Silicon Chip Almost hidden in the front bumper is the Tesla’s forwardfacing radar unit which is part of the anti-collision system. Get too close to the vehicle in front and the Tesla will slow you down, or even bring you to a complete stop if necessary. get you similar rates. So if, for example, you’re charging at the rate of 10A (2.3kW) it’s going to cost you about 20c/hour to charge. If your (pay-for) charging station can deliver the (often very!) much higher charge rates the Tesla can handle, multiply up! For example, when I returned the review Tesla it was plugged into the St Leonards Supercharger and displayed a peak charging current of some 400A (92kW!) for half an hour or so, dropping quickly as the battery charged. At offpeak rates a full charge might cost a few dollars. Remember, though, that gives up to another 500km range. Battery safety Overseas (notably the US), there have been a few highlypublicised Tesla fires. However, given the number of Teslas now on the road, that number is very small – and analysis by Tesla and accident investigation authorities has not shown any cause for major concern. In fact, one report said that if it was anything but a Tesla, the outcome for the occupants would arguably have been much worse. When a petrol-powered vehicle has a serious accident, there can be a lot of fuel released and it can (and often does) catch fire, sometimes explosively. A battery vehicle involved in a serious accident is much less likely to suffer in this way because so much attention The gear selector is actually a stalk on the right side of the steering column. That took a bit of getting used to – every time I went to turn left I put it into neutral . . . siliconchip.com.au The green and blue beams in front of the car come from the on-board radar systems, while the yellow shading shows how the Tesla senses vehicles all around through its camera systems. The company has already demonstrated experimental autonomous (so-called “driverless”) cars using this and even more advanced technology. Yes, it was a demostration for the media but last year Elon Musk showed how quickly a Tesla could have its batteries changed – in fact, two Teslas had batteries swapped in the time it took to fill an equivalent petrol vehicle with fuel. Tesla are working on a pilot program to see if battery swapping would be popular enough to be viable. has been paid to shielding the battery pack against external damage, through the use of protective enclosures and jacketed cables. Even access to the high-voltage components requires special tools. In the event of significant impact or rollover (including air bag deployment), the high-voltage supply is automatically disconnected inside the pack. Universal (international) marking codes are used to enable first responders to disconnect power safely. Two others at the sides look for the white lane markers – they’re the ones which warn you if you’re drifting – while another, forward facing, is for anti-collision avoidance in conjunction with a bumper fitted radar. It first warns you, then takes action, if you are too close to the car ahead at the speed you are doing (it will even bring the car to a complete stop if necessary). The thresholds are all settable. One query I had was if any of the cameras recorded, a la a “dash cam”. Unfortunately, the answer is no, although I wouldn’t imagine it could be that hard to implement at factory level. Still, amongst all the incredible technology already in the Tesla, it’s a small quibble. Built-in safety Tesla sports an independent 5-star safety rating, not just in all their models but in every subcategory (the highest score ever recorded). There are so many safety features inbuilt (or available as options) that it is difficult to list them all. But one which caused us some brief angst, believe it or not, was the car’s out-of-lane warning – only because we didn’t know what the vibration was all about (it’s almost like a really bad tyre balance problem)! Tesla told us that was a particularly common “complaint” amongst new Tesla owners, like “what’s wrong with my car!!!”. They’re happy to say “nothing” but then it becomes a diplomatic problem to suggest “it’s your driving!”. There are four cameras built into the Tesla, one, rearfacing, is for the brilliantly clear rear-view video screen. Where’s my car? When I first saw the LEAF, Nissan told me it had an inbuilt 3G phone system which called the company every night with operational data. I asked if this could be used to interrogate the car to check its location (eg, if it’s stolen). Nissan told me that Australian privacy laws meant this could not be done (they’d tried, very hard). Obviously Tesla had no such problem. They too have a built-in 3G data system but theirs can also tell you (eg, via a smartphone app) exactly where the car is. Tesla’s service manager showed me where the five cars on hand were – within a couple of metres (including the one I was standing alongside). So if (somehow!!) your Tesla is stolen or hijacked, you can see exactly where it is. It’s the same technology that allows Tesla to wirelessly update the software and firmware which runs the car, or allows the owner to wirelessly set charging parameters, climate control and so on. Autopilot The “charging port” is located just in front of the left rear tailight assembly. Quite extensive charging information is displayed on both the dashboard and LCD screen. siliconchip.com.au Reports recently have suggested Tesla is well on the way to producing a driverless car. This could be a natural spinoff from the Tesla’s “Autopilot” option, where the vehicle automatically follows the road, steering around curves and varying its speed to match traffic flow. It also allows automatic lane changing – tap the indicator and the Tesla changes lanes when it is safe to do so! It will also notify you when it finds a parking spot – then automatically parks in it, controlling steering, acceleration and braking to back smoothly in. June 2015  21 TESLA MODEL S – SPECIFICATIONS Body Length: Wheelbase: Width: Track Front: Clearance: Head room: Leg room: Turning circle: Curb weight : Drive Battery: Motor: Drive inverter: Charging Inside each Tesla showroom you’ll find their “Design Studio” which lets you choose colours and trims, wheel types and so on. The car will be made to your specifications in America and delivered to Australia. Another nicety: sync your calendar/diary to the car (via your smartphone) and it will check current traffic conditions to make sure you leave in enough time to make your appointment. Before that, though, it turns on the climate control to your chosen (preset) levels. It can even automatically open the garage door and pull out of the garage by itself, to meet you at the curb! Yes, many of these things are options but they do give some indication of the sophistication (for want of a better word) built in to this remarkable machine. Machine? I reckon it’s almost human! 4980mm 2960mm 2190mm (With mirrors folded 196mm) 1660mm, Rear 1700mm 140mm (With air suspension 120 - 160mm) Front 990mm, Rear 900mm Front 1080mm, Rear 900mm 11.3m 2112kg 70kWh or 85kWh, lithium-ion battery, microprocessor controlled Three phase, four pole AC induction motor with copper rotor Variable frequency drive and regenerative braking system 10kW-capable on-board charger with the following input compatibility: 85-265V, 45-65Hz, 1-40A (optional 20kW-capable dual chargers increases input compatibility to 80A) Peak charger efficiency: 92% 10kW capable Universal Mobile Connector with 120V, 240V and J1772 adapters 3 seconds. And then there’s the all-wheel-drive two-motor S70D announced only a few days ago (it’s not yet available in the states so will be some time coming to Australia). Musk has stated that he aims to have a “Tesla for the masses” before too long. With a cheaper battery (which is not too far away) he aims to have a $US35,000 Tesla available by about 2017. And we’ve already mentioned Tesla’s incursion into Where to from here? other battery applications – and their continual research We’ve only been able to cover some of the rather amazing into extracting every last milliamp from the cells. They’re inclusions in the Tesla S85. There’s plenty more informa- reported to be well advanced in nano technology, increastion on Tesla’s website(s) and numerous third party forums ing the internal surface area of cells – and therefore making and websites if you wish to know more. But if you are at them perform even better. all interested in having your own Tesla, we suggest getting Elon Musk stated that the new Reno facility, which will onto their Australian website and organising a test drive. cost about $5,000,000,000 (yes, B for Billion!), should be You won’t be disappointed! online and producing batteries by the end of 2016. We’ve already mentioned He’s also said he wants the all-wheel-drive, twin mothat plant to be able to make How much, where from? tor S85D model already rehalf a million battery packs The Tesla S85 that we had for review sells for $AU129,000 each year – and that’s equal leased in the USA and not too far off here (but join the queue on the road. to the whole world’s current The new S85D will, when available sell for $169,000 on the road. production! if you want one!). From the There is a slightly lower cost S70 available which also lacks outside, apart from a couple of Impossible? Maybe . . . but badges it’s the same as the S85 some of the “niceties” (but is an outstanding vehicle nevertheless) “Do the Impossible” is one of SC model . . . until you “lift the and it sells for $99,000 on the road. An S70D (all wheel drive, two Tesla’s slogans. lid”. Its performance, subject motors) has also recently been announced in the USA. You can’t walk in, pay your money and drive out with a Tesla. of numerous tests overseas, is simply outstanding. Add- There’s quite a waiting list (several months), to some degree Our thanks to Heath Walker and ing the second motor sacri- caused by the inability of Tesla USA to meet international demand. Huw Williams of Tesla Australia To get on the waiting list, (or even to organise your own test for their assistance in making fices a bit of range (<10%) for greater speed and even more drive) you need to get in touch with Tesla Motors Australia, 10 the S-85 available for review. neck-snapping acceleration, Herbert Street, St Leonards NSW 2065. Tel (02) 8424 9500, website Photo credits: Tesla, Kevin with 0-100km/h in just over www.teslamotors.com/en_AU Poulter and Ross Tester 22  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au