More about Tesla Motors

People have been asking us about Tesla Motors a lot recently, what with the formal unveiling of their Model S prototype last month. Since Google is a major investor in Tesla, the Model S “will feature a 17-inch touch-screen with 3G connectivity, allowing drivers to check Google Maps or other data,” and as an additional plus, “the car’s electrical charge could…be monitored via an iPhone or a laptop.” We like the technological integration there, as it adds to the value of the car (which will boast a $49k asking price once it goes public) beyond the obvious environmental benefits of a no-emissions electric vehicle. You’d essentially be driving a computer around town, especially if they equip the Model S with Microsoft Auto, which provides voice recognition and other mobile device integration. It’s pretty cool stuff, and it shows that Tesla’s long-term thinking is multi-faceted. Let’s just hope whatever software they use has good firewalls, because putting the car in the shop to flush out viruses would be pretty embarrassing.

Back on topic, what Tesla isn’t prepared to do, according to CEO Elon Musk (a pretty interesting guy in his own right), is build an extended-range electric car like the Chevy Volt. Indeed, Musk has been pretty critical of the Volt, noting that it would turn to shit when/if the battery pack ran out and left an undersized engine to pick up the slack. He also nitpicked differences between the battery packs he’s using and the ones planned for the Volt, but how much of his criticism is based on his Model S competing with the Volt has yet to be determined.

In any case, we’ll keep following developments with Tesla as they, uh, develop. If nothing else, it’s nice to hear serious discussion of electric cars in the news again.