Yesterday Tesla announced a new Model S 60kWh version with a base price of $66,000 (the battery pack is actually 75kWh which can be software unlocked at a later time). If you live in California, you can get a 7,500 federal tax credit, a $2500 state tax rebate, and a $1000 referral discount (use http://ts.la/david7556 when ordering) for a total of $11,000 in discounts, bringing down the price of the base 60kWh to $55,000. This makes it the most affordable Model S since the cancelled 40kWh version years ago. If you live in Colorado, your total discounts can add up to $13,500. I've compiled a comprehensive guide on how to get the $1000 referral discount (see below for more info).
Model S
U.S. reviewing suspension complaints in Tesla Model S cars
Bryan Thomas, a spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said the agency is "examining the potential suspension issue on the Tesla Model S, and is seeking additional information from vehicle owners and the company." The review is a step before the agency decides whether to open a formal investigation leading to a potential safety recall.
Tesla 60 & 60D Added To Model S Lineup - Pricing Starts At $66,000
The new Model S 60 has 210 miles of range and a top speed of 130 MPH. It can zip from 0 to 60 MPH in 5.5 seconds. Pricing for this RWD version of the Model S starts at $66,000. Tesla will also offer an AWD version. This version, called the 60D, starts at $71,000. Specs for the 60D include range of 218 miles. 0 to 60 MPH in 5.2 seconds. Top speed of 130 MPH. Both the 60 and 60D actually come fitted with 75 kWh battery packs, which can be unlocked via a software update for $8,500 prior to delivery or $9,000 at any point in time after delivery.
Tesla’s new 60kWh pricing option is a software revolution
People with 75kWh with access to only 60kWh battery packs can charge their cars every day to full without hurting their batteries. Tesla recommends that on a day to day basis Model S only fill your batteries to about 90% full. This prolongs the life of the battery and is something that every Tesla owner does. On the rare long trip you can fill to 100% but the car will warn you every time that you are hurting your battery. But if you have an extra 20% of battery idle like these new 60kWh configs, you can fill it to 100% every day. That’s 210 miles vs. the under 180 that a normal S 60 driver has and 30 more miles of real world usage every day.
With the 60kWh Model S you'll get less battery degradation because the battery doesn't charge to it's full 75kWh limit, and you'll always have the option of upgrading the battery pack if needed.
Model X
TeslaWeekly's Guide to getting a $1000 referral discount for your new Model S or X
I've assembled a comprehensive guide on how to get your $1000 referral discount if you're planning on buying a new Model S or X, or if you've already ordered one within the past few weeks. Just reply to this email with a short "I'd like your referral discount guide" and I'll send it to you via email.
2017 Bentley Bentayga vs. 2016 Tesla Model X P90D Ludicrous
The fastest SUV in the world squares off with the quickest SUV in the world on this episode of Head 2 Head, presented by Tire Rack. The 600hp Germano-British Bentley Bentayga can reach speeds of 187 mph, making it the fastest SUV of all time. But the Tesla Model X P90D with Ludicrous Mode, can rip off a 3.2-second 0-to-60. Which is faster through the quarter-mile? We drag race the two to find out. Then we pit them against a pair of Alfa Romeo 4C Spiders. Why? You’ll need to watch to find out. But trust us, it’s worth your time.
Model 3
Norway to 'completely ban all petrol powered cars by 2025'
Norway will ban the sale of all fossil fuel-based cars in the next decade, continuing its trend towards becoming one of the most ecologically progressive countries on the planet, according to reports. Politicians from both sides of the political spectrum have reportedly reached some concrete conclusions about 100 per cent of Norwegian cars running on green energy by 2025.
Tesla Model 3: data shows that Tesla and SpaceX employees made over 10,000 reservations
The number started at ~350,000 when Tesla employees were allowed to start placing reservations and reached ~363,000 when the first customers started placing reservations in Australia – meaning that around 13,000 Model 3 reservations were made primarily for Model 3 through Tesla and SpaceX employees. A few non-employee reservations could have slipped between the two approximate values, but Tesla and SpaceX employees could also have reserved after the event since most of them who did before, did it sight unseen. That is why it is safer to say that “over 10,000 reservations were placed by employees”.
Tesla Energy
Samsung May Supply Batteries to Tesla Energy, CEO Musk Says
After reports emerged over the past week that Samsung’s batteries might supply Tesla’s electric vehicles, Musk tweeted that Panasonic Corp., a longtime investor in the youngest publicly held U.S. automaker, will be the exclusive provider of batteries for the upcoming Model 3 small car, as it is for the Model S large sedan and Model X sport utility vehicle. Asked on Wednesday if Samsung might supply Tesla Energy, Musk replied “yes.”
International Energy Agency: Electric vehicle battery costs rapidly declining
Citing Tesla Motors as leader in electric vehicle battery cost declines, the study reports that: "Some original equipment manufacturers announced even more ambitious cost estimates for BEVs: General Motors announced that battery costs for its 2016 Chevrolet Bolt had fallen to USD 145/kWh by October 2015, and that it hopes to reduce costs below the USD 100/kWh mark by 2022 (GM, 2015, EV Obsession, 2015). The electric car manufacturer Tesla aims to break the USD 100/kWh mark by 2020 (HybridCARS, 2015). Improvements in battery cost and energy density have led carmakers to announce EV ranges never heard of to date. As an example, in March 2016 Tesla launched orders for its new Model 3, committing to an electric drive range of nearly 350 km on a single charge by 2017, when the first vehicles are scheduled for delivery to customers (Tesla, 2016)."
Tesla offered $325 million for Salton Sea startup
Simbol desperately needed new funding to stay afloat, and Tesla's $325 million purchase offer — the size of which has never previously been reported — may have represented the company's last, best hope. The money also would have been a boon for Imperial County, an impoverished, largely agricultural corner of California where the unemployment rate regularly tops 20 percent. But this story doesn't end well for Simbol, or for Imperial County. For reasons that are still unclear, the deal with Tesla fell apart.
TSLA
Billionaire Ron Baron bets on Tesla being one of the world's biggest companies
Billionaire long-term investor Ron Baron said Tuesday that Tesla Motors could be a stock he owns for the next 10 to 20 years. "I think in this one investment we can make $6 or $7 billion" over that time period, he said. "I think this could be one of the largest companies in the United States and the whole world," Baron told CNBC's "Squawk Box." Baron said it's taken three years to amass a $300 million stake in Tesla, with an average cost per share of $210. "So we've made very little so far. But often times it takes us a very long time to [make money]."
Other News
Welcome to Larry Page’s Secret Flying Car Factories
Turns out, Zee.Aero doesn’t belong to Google or its holding company, Alphabet. It belongs to Larry Page, Google’s co-founder. Page has personally funded Zee.Aero since its launch in 2010 while demanding that his involvement stay hidden from the public, according to 10 people with intimate knowledge of the company. Zee.Aero, however, is just one part of Page’s plan to usher in an age of personalized air travel, free from gridlocked streets and the cramped indignities of modern flight.