I love the exhaust note of an M5 as well, but I am not sure if that is enough to convince me. There is a Tesla Model S in our parking lot at work, it is one sweet car, very smooth lines, and a very classy interior. Pretty much every one turns their head around, if anyone needs to grab attention (although very quietly) Model S is the answer. I am yet to befriend the owner and join him for a ride.

You'd buy the M5 because its the best sports saloon in the world, not because of the exhaust note. Tesla are doing some interesting things and perhaps they'll eventually get there, but as of now none of the electric cars manuacturers - even the sportier ones like Tesla and Fisker - are doing enough to stir the soul of a petrolhead yet.

As I mentioned earlier, after a really long wait, my friend's Tesla Model S has finally arrived

Attaching a couple shots - more coming up later.

He's not a member on Team Bhp, but I'll ask him to do a quick review for us if possible and I'll post it on his behalf.

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MOAR Eyecandy

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Tesla model S is a great car and a big leap in future technology.
It has even won Car of the year in North America.
Although the 17 inch display looks nice and is pretty futuristic I am concerned about the distraction it would cause to driver especially due to its brightness at night.
Plus, it also has a web browser.
Imagine the driver reading monthly sales report on team bhp and driving at the same time.

WOW!
That is one beautiful motor! Your friend is a lucky man! Hope to see that review soon

I think he should become a member. It would be great to know some titbits of owning a high end electric car from the horses mouth.

For now, I would still be happy with you posting his initial experiences ! Do you get to drive? Which edition is it? I know Tesla is stopping the lower end model - no one seems to want it anymore.

Thanks.

He's based out of the US and I am here in India. So unfortunately I haven't got a chance to see the beauty in person, let alone drive it. At least not yet

However, from initial impressions, his one-liner was "Man, you've got to drive it to experience it". I take it, you don't just drive these beauties, you experience and cherish them - just as much as you would on your much deserved, exclusive, five star spa vacation!

AFAIK, his is the 2013, 85 kWh Model S, with an estimated range of 300 miles on a full charge.

The company finally makes profit after 10 years.
Link : http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,3047976.story

BOOM!

Tesla's Battery Swapping Technology just unveiled an hour back.

Positives:

• Already supported by every Tesla S that's been sold so far

• Driver doesn't even have to even get out of the car. Its fully automated

• Takes 90 seconds to completely swap a battery pack (less than pumping a full tank of gas)

• Battery swap stations will be located next to fast-charging stations

• Easy way to upgrade to a new battery (at cost, see below)


Negatives:

• Costs $60-$80 per swap - roughly the same as a tank of gas (so its clearly not a daily-use kind of feature, more for when you really don't have time to charge)

• Your original battery has to be picked up from the charging station, else you pay the difference in cost between your battery and the one you swapped it for.


I feel like this is more a demonstration/technology for all the nay-sayers (and an excellent one at that), but given the costs and having to pick up your old battery pack makes it far from an ideal option for the average Tesla owner. It would only appeal to someone who can't wait just 20 minutes at a Supercharger station in the odd case that their car is low on charge.


Here's a quick video of what it looks like:


cya
R

That's a very, very interesting concept!
This would be actually really useful in some emergency situations one might face, like going to the airport when one is a bit late or something.
That said, I don't see this becoming very popular as people who can afford a Tesla would probably have another except some rare cases.
Any idea what is the time-limit in which your old battery pack needs to be picked up?

In real life scenarios, mostly I would need a charge or a battery swap when I'm going beyond 200 miles or out of state trips, I don't see a reason why I'll head back to the same charging station to just get my battery back unless I take trips that route frequently! If buying an electric car, one is expected to charge it every night when parked! Now if I'm driving a local cab, this might makes sense.

@Rehann: I'm assuming $60-80 is just for the swap and charges are extra if we want to keep it! Not a bad deal in emergency situations once in a while. Now I read somewhere that if the old battery can't be picked up then there will be shipping charges involved to ship the battery back to the owner! That will be a huge shipment, like 1000 pounds!

Well, then is it time for a Samsung to come in and make this technology more affordable for the masses?
I know there is lot of debate about really how environment friendly electric cars are, and weather they can replace a conventional car. However, from what I have read, Tesla does give conventional cars a run for their money in terms of usability and now safety. So I think now the focus should be on making the tech more affordable to the masses, without compromising on usability/safety.

Tesla's 3-step plan:

• Extremely high priced, niche car with few sales : Done. Tesla Roadster.
  
• High priced, luxury car with medium sales : Done. Tesla S.
  
• Medium priced, mass-market car with high sales : Coming up...

(I'm not sure where the Tesla Model X fits in)

Either way, this is better discussed in one of the other Tesla threads

cya
R

Modex X fits into the second category I think. A high priced, luxury UV with medium sales.