The Tesla Whitestar is an electric concept car in development at Tesla Motors. The second of three planned electric and hybrid vehicles by Tesla, it will be built in a new factory in San Jose, California.AutoWeek: Tesla to build Model S in San Jose (September 17, 2008)
Whereas the Tesla Roadster was a coupe, the Whitestar will be a sedan and will cost roughly half as much.AutoWeek: Tesla to build Model S in San Jose (September 17, 2008) Battery-only and hybrid versions of the Whitestar are planned.Tesla to make gas-electric car(February 1, 2008) The car is expected to roll off of the assembly line for the 2010 model year, and will be known officially as the Model S.
Battery
The Whitestar will be powered by a large lithium-ion battery array. Telsa Motors White Paper: Tesla Roadster Battery System (PDF) This is the same type of technology that is used to power laptops and cell phones. Most other electric cars on the market use nickel metal hydride batteries. The Whitestar will use regenerative breaking to extend the life of the battery.
Tesla Whitestar Photos
- Google Images: Tesla Whitestar
References
Fast Facts
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Projected cost
$60,000
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Projected range
150-200 miles on one charge
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Marketshare
Targeted to luxury sedan owners, not expected to compete with the Toyota Prius or the GM Volt
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2008
$100 million dollars to finance development of Whitestar
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Also known as
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Estimated production run
10,000-20,000 per year
