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Tesla raises $82.5M without even trying

Posted by Hootan Mahallati | September 16, 2009 | In news tesla

It was only a few months ago that Tesla Motors strengthened its future prospects with a $50M investment by Daimler AG. Now, the future seems even brighter for the small San Carlos company that put the electric car discussion on the map in the US: Tesla has received an unsolicited $82.5M investment from a group led by Fjord Capital Management.

“It was an opportunistic investment,” said Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO. “We were not looking for money.”

Tesla, which turned a profit in Q2 of this year, plans to use the new infusion of cash to build up its ...

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VIDEO: Tesla Model S designer explains the details

Posted by Hootan Mahallati | June 10, 2009 | In green news tesla videos

You have already seen pictures of the 2011 Tesla Model S sedan here, and in fact, voiced your opinions on whether Tesla will be able to bring this car to the market at the announced price of $49,000 after tax credits.

Regardless, Tesla continues to ramp up the marketing of this new model. In this video, Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen, who has an impressive list of cars to his credit (Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, Mazda Kabura concept), talks about the exciting opportinity of designing a car around an electric architecture.

[Source: OnCars via YouTube]

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Daimler invests in Tesla

Posted by Hootan Mahallati | May 19, 2009 | In daimler founder's thoughts green mercedes-benz news tesla



Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, has made an investment in California-based Tesla Motors in return for a 10% stake. This is a smart move for Daimler and a strategic home-run for Tesla. The electrification of the vehicle is still in its infancy, what with range, battery life and maintenance infrastructure a long way from readiness for mass-adoption.

Through its investment, Daimler not only buys itself a stake in the immense buzz and public goodwill toward the first full-electric vehicle of the US market of recent times, but it also taps into the technology pioneered by Tesla, allowing it to ...

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UPDATE: Tesla Model S official release

Posted by Hootan Mahallati | March 26, 2009 | In green news tesla

Following up on our earlier post from today, here are the first pictures of the fully-electric Tesla Model S’ official launch, including a look at the interior.

We think it's stunning, with hints of Mazda up front now that we have seen the full car. Let us know what you think in the comments section.

Vital details:
On sale: Q3 2011
Units: 20,000/year
Price: $49,000 after tax credit
Motor: Lithium-ion battery, 8,000 cells
Transmission: 1 speed
Top Speed: 120mph
0-60mph: 5.5s
Range: 230 miles / 300 miles (base model / optional)
Charge time: 4 hours with ...

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BREAKING NEWS: First pictures of Tesla Model S

Posted by Hootan Mahallati | March 26, 2009 | In green news tesla


These are the very first pictures anyone has seen of Tesla Motors’ upcoming four-door offering, the Model S. Kevin Rose of Digg fame originally posted these pictures on his Flickr site ahead of the official unveiling planned later today (the pictures have since been removed).

These images reveal a beautiful shape reminiscent of the current Jaguar XF, albeit even cleaner around the rear haunches. The Model S will be siginificantly cheaper than the Roadster, coming in around the $50,000 mark after the $7,500 federal tax credit.

We will bring you more details as soon as we get them ...

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