Tesla Motors is ready to ship its first electric car designed and built in Silicon Valley, the Model S.
The first 10 Signature performance versions of the Model S are ready to be picked up by their owners at the Tesla factory in Fremont, Calif., Bloomberg reported on Thursday. But if you're in the market for an electric car, this one will not come cheap. The Model S Signature is priced from $95,400 to $105,400.
The sedan, which seats five adults and two children in optional, rear-facing seats, goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, and is able to go 265 miles (426 kilometers) per charge, according to the company.
Tesla last month said it would start delivering the Model S on June 22, ahead of the July delivery date the company previously forecast. Tesla expects to deliver 5,000 Model S sedans to customers by the end of the year. Orders for the vehicle currently exceed 10,000.
The big question now is whether the Model S will help Tesla start earning a profit. The company expects to be "cash-flow positive" next year with about 8,000 Model S EVs sold, according to Bloomberg.
The Model S (see slideshow below) boasts a very low center of gravity courtesy of the location of its electric powertrain under the floorboard of the vehicle. Paired with "an aluminum body engineered for superior handling," that means the Model S is a serious road-hugger "while meeting the highest standards for safety," according to Tesla.
Tesla designers have taken advantage of the lack of an internal combustion engine and transmission tunnel in the Model S, giving the vehicle extra cargo in a second trunk under the hood.
Other amenities include a 17-inch, in-dash, touch-screen console that provides navigation assistance, as well streaming radio and Internet access. Tesla also claims the Model S sports the "most energy-dense battery pack in the industry and best-in-class aerodynamics" to give it the "longest range of any electric car in the world."
There are three different battery pack options for the Model S. The sedan can be ordered at one of Tesla's retail stores or through its online portal.
But Tesla isn't betting everything on the Model S. The company back in February unveiled a prototype of its third battery-powered vehicle, the Model X. The crossover vehicle, described as a blending of SUV and minivan, features unique, so-called "falcon wing" rear doors. Model X will likely enter production in late 2013, with full production beginning the following year, and will be priced in the $55,000 to $75,000 range.