Tesla has unveiled a pure electric, executive saloon called the Model S that will send shock waves through the fleet market.
Where range anxiety had provided the major stumbling block for fleets operating electric vehicles (EVs), Tesla has comprehensively kicked the issue into touch.
The Model S boasts a 300-mile range on a single charge – three times more than the 100 miles currently offered by other EVs on the market.
It uses a new platform developed in-house that is laid out like a skateboard and houses a flat lithium-ion battery under the floor of the car which powers a compact electric drivetrain between the rear wheels.
This innovative design also puts pay to the boot being severely compromised because of the battery taking up more than half of the typical load space.
In fact, with no internal combustion engine at the front, even more storage space is provided, putting it way ahead of its rivals in terms of volume.
A right hand drive version will be available in the UK towards the end of next year and it’s expected to be priced to compete against its conventionally powered rivals.
The American manufacturer has already received 13,000 pre-orders for the left-hand version, and it’s looking to produce 20,000 units in its first year of production.
However, it believes the UK fleet market provides it with an exciting opportunity, especially considering the tax incentives available and the rising cost of fuel.
It has definitely thrown down the gauntlet to critics of the technology and with the Model S it has also produced a car that is worthy of its premium status.
The car can effortlessly achieve 0-60mph in only 4.4 seconds and a luxurious interior that features a 17-inch in-dash touchscreen, which Apple would be proud of, adds to its appeal.
Read next week’s Fleet News for a full review and analysis on what the Model S may mean for the fleet market.
Gareth has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist having started his career in local newspapers in the 1990s. Prior to joining Fleet News in 2008, he worked in the public sector as a media advisor and is currently news editor at Fleet News.
Democritus - 26/10/2012 17:29
Global production of the Model S will be only 20,000 a year. That says more about its prospects for shaking up the UK fleet market than its 300-mile range (which itself costs $20,000 in extra batteries over with the 160-mile base version). It's lovely but it will be just a rich man's toy unless Tesla step up to the mark with the full mobility framework that EVs need to make them work in a fleet environment.