Tesla Energy is Elon Musk's battery system that can power homes, businesses, and the world

The Powerwall can be used to create smart microgrids or supply back-up power

 Source: http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/1/8525309/tesla-energy-elon-musk-battery-announcement

      Tesla has finally taken the wraps off Tesla Energy, its ambitious battery system that can work for homes, businesses, and even utilities. The system breaks down into two separate products: the Powerwall is a home battery system, that comes in a 10 kWh version for $3,500, or a 7 kWh model for $3,000, excluding installation and the inverter. The unit is about three feet by four feet in size and six inches thick, and comes with integrated heat management and can fit either on the inside or outside of the wall of your home. The system is connected to the internet — Elon Musk said that the system can be used to create "smart microgrids" — and can be used as a redundancy system, or potentially allow a home to go off the power grid entirely. "The whole thing is a system that just works," Musk told reporters during a briefing this evening.
The big brother of the Powerwall is what Musk and his team are calling Powerpack — and it's where things get really interesting. They describe it as an "infinitely scalable system" that can work for businesses, in industrial applications, and even public utility companies, that comes in 100 kWh battery blocks that can scale from 500 kWH all the way up to 10 MWh and higher. "Our goal here is to change the way the world uses energy at an extreme scale."

Musk's ambitions with the battery are tremendous. He opened the press event by invoking climate change, and saying that it's "within the power of humanity" to change the way we produce and use power. He went on to say that he sees the Gigafactory under construction in Nevada as a product, the first of many. With 160 million Powerpacks, we could power the United States, he said, and with 2 billion, the world. The entire presentation and party, Musk said, was powered by stored solar energy.
While the system is being announced today, Powerwall has been testing for a year, and has already been on sale to select customers. For the Powerpack system, Tesla will start taking orders later this year and then really ramp up production as Tesla's battery-building Gigafactory comes online...

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Monaco Top Marques 2015 : Larte Design and Tesla Model S

You are perfectly entitled to find that the Tesla Model S has a soft design and not very aggressive. Certainly the initial design is very successful, but inject a little more testosterone in the lines would not have been refused by many. The Russians with the comapny Larte Design have what you need with the "Elizabeta".It is in the Top Marques show in Monaco that Larte Design presented for the first time its aesthetic modification program called the Model S Elizabeta. The shapely style of the sedan is very attractive originally but it has nothing really vindictive, which may be surprising compared to incredible performance it offers. 

For the Elizabeta, we can find different appendages in carbon fiber or basalt fiber, just to gain a few pounds, are declined on the sedan 0 emission. Tesla Model S Elizabeta leaving discover its shields, air intakes, reworked grille and side skirts or even diffuser and spoiler.

Larte Design also promises wheels but also made some adjustments to the cockpit. Finally the company also announced that the interior was also redesigned and equipped with a unique audio system but photos were not unfortunately shown.

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Elon Musk nearly sold Tesla to Google in 2013

       This story is excerpted and adapted from Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, due out May 19 from Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins.

On May 8, 2013, Tesla Motors shocked just about everyone by posting its first-ever quarterly profit, reporting higher-than-expected demand for its Model S electric sedan. That moment marked the beginning of a turnaround for Elon Musk’s tumultuous automaker. The next year would see the Model S win most of the automotive industry’s major awards and Tesla’s share price rise roughly fivefold, to more than $200. The 2013 profit announcement was fortuitous. Just weeks before, Tesla had been on the verge of bankruptcy.

Earlier in 2013 the company was struggling to turn preorders of its vehicles into actual sales. As Musk put his staff on crisis footing to save Tesla, he also began negotiating a deal to sell the company to Google through his friend Larry Page, the search giant’s co-founder and chief executive officer, according to two people with direct knowledge of the deal. 

Tesla spokesman Ricardo Reyes and Google spokeswoman Rachel Whetstone declined to comment. “I don’t want to speculate on rumors,” Page said when I asked him if Google had considered buying Tesla, adding that a “car company is pretty far from what Google knows.”
Although Tesla spent several years designing and building its flagship Model S, the car was still missing some features when it went on sale in June 2012. Its safety elements, software, and interior room were better than those of most luxury cars, but it didn’t offer the parking sensors and radar-assisted cruise control of rivals like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Glitches with the 2012 Model S door handle irked early buyers, as did some aesthetic choices such as the car’s sun visors, which had unsightly seams.

A big part of the problem was a lack of resources, says former Tesla engineer Ali Javidan. “It was either hire a team of 50 people right away to make one of these things happen, or implement things as best and as fast as you could.” Musk chose the latter, Javidan says. Tesla also struggled to get top-rate suppliers to take it seriously, says chief designer Franz von Holzhausen. With the sun visors, he says, “We ended up having to go to a third-rate supplier and then work on fixing the situation after the car had already started shipping.”

“I don’t care what job you were doing. Your new job is delivering cars.”

Tesla’s first customers were proto-typical early adopters who wanted a computer on wheels. By the end of 2012, many were grumbling about the bugs still to be worked out, and sales slowed to a trickle. “The word of mouth on the car sucked,” Musk says. By Valentine’s Day 2013, Tesla was heading toward a death spiral of missed sales targets and falling shares. The company’s executives had also hidden the severity of the problem from the intensely demanding Musk. When he found out, he pulled staff from every department — engineering, design, finance, HR — into a meeting and ordered them to call people who’d reserved Teslas and close those sales. “If we don’t deliver these cars, we are f---ed,” Musk told the employees, according to a person at the meeting. “So I don’t care what job you were doing. Your new job is delivering cars.”

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New Tesla product at the end of April!

Elon Musk CEO of Tesla announced a surprise for the end of April.

Elon Musk announced via a tweet an important new Tesla product line, which will be unveiled on April 30!

Major new Tesla product line -- not a car -- will be unveiled at our Hawthorne Design Studio on Thurs 8pm, April 30
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 30 Mars 2015

He published via a tweet today that it won’t be a car. The CEO and co-founder of Tesla promised a new product that will be unveiled in his design studio in Hawthorne. He didn’t specify whether it is a mechanical product, a bicycle,an electric motorcycle, or anew range of innovative products.

After electric cars, Tesla could propose a motorcycle?

LiveWire, the electric motorcycle prototype of Harley Davidson

Various rumors indicate Elon Musk could unveil an electric power motorcycle. Tesla Group already offers two cars, the Model S (with the option P85D) and the Model X. By positioning itself in the world of motorcycles, the group could appeal to a wider audience and a new community. An exceptional motorcycle like the Tesla cars could be proposed in April.

Other rumors suggest that the CEO of Tesla could produce electric batteries for household use that could come equip people who live in remote areas.

All this is based on rumors, so it’s necessary to wait until the end of April…

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Tesla Model S P85D vs Lamborghini Aventador

Can An Electric sedan beat a Lamborghini Aventador on a straight race? Warning, you would be wrong to leave with a priori.
The Lamborghini Aventador is among the best sprinters in the world. With its four-wheel drive and 700 horsepower, it can jump from 0 to 100 km in 2.9 seconds. Only the Nissan GT-R, Porsche 918 Spyder, the Bugatti Veyron, the LaFerrari and P1 are officially better.

While the Tesla S is known for its impressive acceleration capabilities (already seen beating a BMW M4), so you can think it’s slower than the Italian supercar straight.

But here there is a Tesla S P85D pushed to 700 horsepower. Surprising the Italian!

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Tesla P85D VS Ferrari 458 Italia

We saw that the Tesla model S P85D is not exactly a weak electric car. With pure acceleration, it is able to cope with very powerful supercar thanks to its high power electric engines: 700 hp in total. After the BMW M4 last week, the P85D version of the Tesla S faces this time an Italian high performance car: the Ferrari 458 Italia. And yes, this big electric sedan jumped like a supercar.

 

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News Tesla: Navigation, Autopilot, Model X

19 of March 24, 2015 Elon Musk announced an embedded system update in the Model S that optimizes paths to avoid the anxiety of break down batteries. Not surprisingly, the press conference involved a software update for Model S. Elon Musk explains that most cars don’t upgrade with time but the Model S "upgrades the night when you sleep.” The CEO of Tesla presented the future developments of the embedded system of the Model S.

Version 6.2.
With this update, called 6.2,  Tesla says that you won’t break down anymore because of battery failure, unless intentionally. Two new features will ensure that: "Range Insurance" and "Trip Planner".
The "Range Insurance" communicates in real time with the superchargers network and is informed in case of default or risk of not having free space. Thus, the driver is well informed when he may not be able to recharge or if he crosses a "white zone" without superchargers.

It must be said that Tesla is beginning to have a dense network of superchargers, including the USA
Note that the calculations performed by "Range Insurance" take into account the landform, the weather and the wind; which makes sense when you consider the impact of these elements on the autonomy of the car.

The "Trip Planner" goes even further: When planning your trip, this tool provides the most optimized journey taking into account the recharge possibilities, use of superchargers network and recharge duration.

He also said that during testing, the brand's engineers were able to travel from San Francisco to Seattle almost without having to touch the car.

In summary, Tesla wants to make life easier for users during long journeys based on sophisticated software coupled with information from its charging network.
Available in ten days, this update also includes significant security enhancements: blind spot warning, side collision warning, automatic emergency braking, etc.

Version 7

During the press conference, Elon Musk has also unveiled version 7 of its software, which should arrive by the end of the year. It will include in particular the "autopilot".

Tesla boss said this feature has to be seen like automatic pilot of a plane: the vehicle will be able to drive alone, but vigilance will be required of the user. Thus, alerts will ask the driver if all goes well when not touch the wheel for a while.

 

The Model X

If Elon Musk has not given many details about the Model X, he still said that these innovations will be present in the Model X. The latter should be presented this summer and Elon Musk assured it will be a car with features "never seen in the automobile industry" so far.

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Tesla P85D VS BMW M4

Can the S model P85D beat a BMW M4? The answer is in this video

 

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Tesla Model X Eyes-on: Can It Just Be Here Already?

      Tesla’s Model X is arguably one of the more anticipated car releases of the past decade. The automaker has become a darling in the electric vehicle industry, gaining a cult following that grows bigger every day. And the Model X is atop that glorious pile of zero emissions glory. It’s just too bad the damn thing’s release keeps getting pushed back.
Set to come out sometime in early 2016, the Model X promises to achieve the experience and quality of the Model S into the form factor of an SUV. It sports some really awesome falcon wing doors, which not only look amazing, but are designed to be functional, even in the narrowest of parking spots. Tesla says the elegance of the design allows you to “step” into a Model X, not climb... 

Source : http://www.technobuffalo.com/videos/tesla-model-x-eyes-on-can-it-just-be-here-already/

Click here to read more...

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Tesla Model X : The SUV that wants to compete the Porsche Cayenne

On the 9 of february 2012 Tesla Motors introduced the Model X to the public for marketing

Design and interior

     The Tesla Model X is an SUV that is based on the existing platform of the Model S, which also shares a part of the design. The manufacturer positioned the car "between the minivan and the SUV" and the car is equipped with rear doors "Falcon wings", which open up while retreating to not take up too much space on the sides upon opening.

 The car can carry 7 passengers and their luggage, with obviously a large space on board. 

The price of the Model X

      The price of a Tesla corresponds to tariffs for luxury cars. As proof, the future 2013 Tesla Model X will start at 57,400$ (52 000€ and £ 38,000) for up to $ 100 000 (90 000€ and £67,000) while the autonomy will be reduced by about 10% compared to the sedan as the SUV is heavier.  

Motorization of the SUV 

      Model X will be delivered with a rear electric motor developing the equivalent of 300 hp, but a front electric motor 150 hp will be an option to make the four-wheel drive. This will be one of the first electric cars 4 × 4! Nonetheless, this model will benefit from the 85 kWh Performance version with two electric motors. Like the Model S P85D, this will allow it to reach the threshold of 700 horsepower.  

So far, the Model X included only 60 kWh battery 85 kWh. This version equipped with 85 kWh Performance AWD is a twin engine with a front engine developing 224 hp and a strong rear engine of 476 hp. The combined power of 700 hp gives rise to an autonomy of 442 km on the Model S P85D. For the Model X, in theory, this gives 240 miles or 380 km of autonomy because of its higher weight and depending on the battery pack chosen. 
 

According to the latest relayed news, the SUV will offer surprising innovations which the manufacturer still keeps the secret. Originally scheduled for the end of 2013, the launch of the Model X was postponed several times but Tesla announced that its future SUV Model will be delivered at the beginning of 2016 with early pre-orders delivered in September 2015.  After the launch of the SUV, Tesla will accelerate in another highly anticipated new, the famous entry-level sedan named Tesla Model III.                                                                  

So, are you convinced by this model ?If so, you can start to order the Model X Here ! And to see the presentation video click Here.

Photo Gallery

 

 

 


  
  




Tesla model X official reveal

 

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The “insane” mode of the P85D

"Insane" mode on the huge 17-inch color screen of the P85D

     In the last article we presented the P85D model. Without giving too much details we mentioned the insane mode that allows this model to have a worthy supercar acceleration. Today, therefore, we discover a rather unusual feature offered by the 100% electric vehicle. Indeed, it is possible to choose the acceleration mode, "Sport" or "Insane".


To activate the P85D's full potential, you have to press a button on the huge central touchscreen marked ‘Insane’. And that's pretty much how it feels. The insane mode according to Elon Musk, allows the engine to increase its power from 416 to 691bhp and the torque from 600 to 930 Nm. With this improvement, the Model S P85D can go from 0 to 62mph in 3.2 seconds ... Definitely this 100% electric car does not cease to surprise us!

 

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TESLA P85D: The electric fighter air craft

The concept

     The design of an electric car, even a high-end, is disconcerting simplicity. In the case of the Model S, is mainly based on a robust aluminum chassis, an electric motor positioned between the rear wheels and a huge pack of lithium-ion batteries integrated into the floor. The Model S has been available so far in a couple of guises: the regular 85, with 376bhp and an autonomy of 310 miles, and the more modest 60, which has a smaller battery and a reduced range of 240 miles. The P85D is something else altogether. Instead of a single electric motor driving the rear wheels, it gets one on each axle to run in four-wheel drive - and the upgrades don't stop there.

“To upgrade to four-wheel drive, it's not complicated. Simply receiving a second motor on the front axle. With the P85D Tesla offers a car with incredible performance”

The top model P85D comes compete with Ferrari 458 Italia, Audi RS7 or Porsche 911 Turbo, with an electric motor on the back axle powers the rear wheels of 464bhp (475ch) assisted by a 218bhp (225ch) smaller electric motor on the front axle to drive the front wheels, a total of 682bhp (700ch). The resulting performance figures are pretty staggering. This model offers speeds up to 155mph (249 km / h) with acceleration if you activate the “insane mode” from 0 to 60mph in 3.2sec. (0 to 100 km / h in 3.2 seconds!) 

It makes the P85D four-wheel drive and capable of traveling on all road conditions including snow and ice – just like an Audi RS6. Tesla’s system can adjust the torque between all four wheels 100 times per second thanks to its electric powertrain, giving superb levels of grip. 

Interior: Deutsch qualitat?

     No transmission shaft, so no tunnel passing through the cabin. Despite a guard at a fair bit to the rear roof, it’s very convenient to travel with five adults. No engine under the hood, so additional space for luggage, in case the 750 liters of the trunk would not be enough. By folding down the seat, you can even load up nearly 1 800 liters. Or, on the contrary, carry up to seven passengers thanks to the two child seats facing the rear that can be installed in the boot (turning the P85D into a seven-seater, option at £2,100 or 2 500 €). To be clear, electric rhymes perfectly with family. 

The finish on materials is of a remarkably high standard compared with any other American car. The presentation is neat, based on simple shapes, quality materials and quality finish, which, if not quite to the level of German premium, is not less quite flattering. 


What immediately attracts attention is the complete lack of buttons on the dashboard and the huge 17-inch color screen that sits as a central console. That screen acts very much as the ‘heart’ of the car as it controls all functions with impressive ease. Functions as air conditioning, opening sunroof, radio, GPS for Google Maps, the Internet, and the recovery of braking energy or different chassis settings. 


The most interesting option is the Tech package for £3,500 which allows managing Auto Pilot, the autonomous driving system, through cameras, radar and ultrasonic sensors, it aims to create a real security bubble around the car. Other aids exist, such as adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance braking or retention in the queue, will soon be added other features, such as parking or exit driverless garage. Today is already tomorrow.

Verdict

The P85D sits at the top of the Model S range and is priced at £79,080 after the £5,000 government grant. That’s nearly £14,000 more than the Tesla 85D dual-motor that still has 371bhp and gets to 60mph in 5.2 seconds, so potential buyers would have to value the extra grunt to justify the considerable price premium. That said, for those who want to brag they have the fastest-accelerating electric car in the world and have faith in the UK’s still-young charging infrastructure, the Tesla Model S P85D will be the very best car money can buy. 

The range will be increased next year by a compact SUV, called Model X, and two years later, a third model even larger audience. It will be indeed a small sedan that will stand between the Audi A3 and A4, with a price two times less than that of the Model S, that is to say less than £25, 000 (35 000 euros.)

To cope with this development and allow substantial economies of scale, Tesla is also associated with Panasonic to build a giant factory farms in Nevada. To facilitate the use of its cars, the Californian manufacturer has also embarked on an extensive installation program of rapid charging stations (130 miles, 200km of autonomy recovered in 20 minutes). This network – free to use for supercharger-enabled vehicles – is expanding rapidly. Tesla plans full UK coverage by the end of 2015 to enable travel throughout the British Isles. Talks have taken place in Cornwall. The stations are conveniently placed along well-travelled routes to allow Model S owners to drive long distances with minimal stops. In the UK, superchargers stretch from Exeter to Edinburgh.

 In France (http://www.tf1.fr/auto-moto/actualite/tesla-model-s-2015-versions-4-roues-motrices-2-moteurs-et-jusqu-8500499.html) 20 of this charger are available and free for customers of the brand. 

To see the video presentation of the P85D : Click here

Key specs

• Price: £79,080 (after £5,000 government grant)
• Engine: Dual electric motor
• Power: 682bhp
• Transmission: Single-speed auto, four-wheel drive
• 0-62mph/top speed: 3.2s/155mph
• Range: 300 miles (est)
• On sale: Now

Caractéristiques

• Motorisation : deux moteurs électriques
• Type : AC synchrone 
• Avant / Arrière : 224 ch / 476 ch total : 700 ch 
• Batterie : Lithium-ion 85 kWh 
• Puissance totale : 700 ch 
• Couple maxi : 980 Nm 
• Transmission : aux quatre roues 
• Boîte : automatique, un rapport unique 
• Dimensions (L/l/h) : 4,970 × 1 964 × 1 435 mm 
• Coffre : 850 l (100 AV + 750 AR) 
• Poids : env. 2 100 kg (3,0 kg/ch) 
• 0-100 km/h : 3,4 s 
• Vitesse : 250 km/h (limitée) 
• Autonomie : 480 km (normalisée) 
• Prix : 100 540 euros, bonus de 6 300 € déduit

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Tesla Models

The Roadster : An electric rocket

          The Tesla Roadster is a full electric sport car capable to travel 245 miles on a single charge. If we compare with other brands the Tesla Roadster is in the range high performance vehicle such as Porsche, Ferrari or Aston Martin. Indeed the Tesla Roadster can go to 0 km/h to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and his average price is 88 000£. All these cars perform with internal combustion engines while the Tesla Roadster is a pure electric car which run with a lithium-ion battery. The Tesla Roadster has allowed Tesla to show his skills with electric vehicles. The electric car has also helped to make credible electric mobility combining driving pleasure, performance and economic rationality. Since its launch in 2008 nearly 2500 Roadsters have been sold.

 Now the production of the roadster is finished and you can no longer purchase a new one.

      Model S: The california sedan

          Then the profits from the Roadster allowed Tesla to market a car less expensive called Model S. In 2012 Model S deliveries begun. The Tesla Model S is a berlin less expensive than the Roadster with a base price at £40 000. The Model S is positioned in the range of premium vehicles such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes or Lexus. Again, the particularity of the model S is that is a full electric car. The Model S is still considered a luxury car that has been praised by many high end automobile critics as one of the best cars ever tested. The vehicle received many awards such as “the greenest car” in America, or “the most important car ever tested” by the famous TV show Top Gear. Also the magazine Consumer Reports which is one the most influential car magazine scored the Model S 99 out of 100 in a test. Among other awards, the Model S earned the Time Magazine “Best 25 Inventions of the Year 2012 award” and more recently the Europe’s top safety rating in November 2014.

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Tesla: A promising business

The aim of this blog is to introduce you and help you to discover Tesla   Motors and bring you all the news about this company wich is not really well known in Europe and yet very promising. I hope this blog will provide you usefull news, make Tesla Motors appreciated and why not make you the next purchaser of these cars ! 

 Presentation of the company 

               Tesla Motors, Inc. is a Californian company founded in 2003 by Elon Musk, Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning, JB Straubel and Ian Wright, marketing motor vehicle all electric power and premium. His headquarters is located in Palo Alto, California, in the heart of the Silicon Valley and it has subsidiaries in North America, Europe and Asia.

The name of the company "Tesla" is inspired by the famous Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla, physicist genius of the early 20th century, known for his work on electricity.

In 2014, Tesla Motors, which sells about 20 000 vehicles worldwide each year (more than 1.9 million against Fiat for example) entered the Nasdaq for more than $ 23 billion, nearly two and a half times as Fiat (capitalized at $ 9 billion).

These figures reflect the potential of the company.

Tesla Motors employs approximately 3,000 full-time employees and produces about 22,000 vehicles each year and that number continues to grow.

Among the five founders, the most famous is Elon Musk, also founder of the famous online payment service PayPal. Elon Musk is considered by many as one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the XXI century, often compared to Steve Jobs. Originally from South Africa, he continued his studies at Stanford University where he earned a doctorate in physics. Soon after, he launched PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla. It is also known to be at the initiative of Hyper Loop Project, an innovative underground transportation system that will connect maybe a New York day to Los Angles in 1:30hours.


The next article will present you the 2 principal Tesla models. 

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