Like what, when you want, you can make an electric sedan that does not look like a tin can and with completely "correct" performance and price (price in comparison with the class of the sedan: ie Class E or BMW 5 series) ... I am obviously targeting the electric C1 or eMiev overpriced at 35-40 € ...
Bonjour à tous
Last week Tesla unveiled its brand new electric sports sedan, the Model S. View http://www.teslamotors.com/models
It is certainly the most advanced and efficient electric car available commercially. It was entirely designed to integrate an electric traction group. It is the floor of the car that integrates the battery, which ensures a lower center of gravity and better handling.
In addition, since there is no central tunnel which crosses the floor of the car, this frees up more space for the passenger from the center behind.
We can even add two children to the location of the rear trunk, thanks to a small bench that adjoins the rear seat, so that young passengers look towards the back of the car. This small bench can be folded up when not needed.
Another unique element of this very special sedan is the 17-inch (43 cm) touch screen. All controls are integrated there.
Here is a summary, in tabular form, of the main characteristics of this little technological marvel. You will notice that there are 4 possible options, depending on the capacity of the batteries (40 kWh. 60 kWh and 85 kWh) and the engine power (Model S standard and Model S performance).
These figures allow us to deduce some interesting facts.
First of all, the standard Model S of 85 kW has a battery offering 112% more capacity than the Model S of 40 kWh, while autonomy increases only by 87%. This reflects the fact that increasing the size of the battery also increases the weight of the car, which requires more energy to drive it. The mass of the Model S 85 kWh is 2112 kg!
Then, the price difference between the standard Model S 40 kWh and that of 85 kWh is $ 20, for 000 kWh of additional capacity. We deduce therefore that the battery costs about $ 45 per kWh, if we allocate $ 400 for the strengthening of the suspension and other minor modifications between the two cars. At this price, the standard Model S battery of 2 kWh represents 000% of the cost of the car.
As for recharging, the integrated 240 V and 10 kW charger (standard) gives 50 km of autonomy per hour of recharging. With the 20 kW charger (optional), 100 km of autonomy is recovered per hour of recharging. In addition, Tesla is currently working on a 480 V and 90 kW supercharger that can be installed at strategic locations along highways, and can restore more than 400 km of autonomy in less than an hour! This charger should be available within a year.
There are certainly a good number of people who are going to want to drive this luxury sedan, in particular the wealthy lovers of technology and performance who constitute the first clientele (the “early adopters”). But this super car is not accessible to ordinary people. It should therefore not increase sales of electric cars significantly.
Finally, you know my point of view on all-electric cars, they are not the solution for the next 20 years, despite all the technological prowess and the design that we can add to it. And the sales clearly reflect this state of affairs. Plug-in hybrid cars like the Chevrolet Volt and the Opel Ampera in Europe are much more popular with the public.
Pierre Langlois, Ph.D.
More informations: http://www.teslamotors.com/models