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Table of Contents
Our Vehicles and Products
We currently design, manufacture and sell the Tesla Roadster, our first production vehicle. We are designing our second vehicle, the
Model S, and currently plan to begin production of the Model S in mid-2012. We intend to design the Model S with an adaptable platform
architecture and common electric powertrain so that we can use the platform of the Model S to create future electric vehicles targeting additional
segments of the passenger vehicle market.
The Tesla Roadster
Our first vehicle, the Tesla Roadster, is the first high-performance electric sports car and the only highway-capable electric vehicle
available in the United States today. The two-seat, convertible Tesla Roadster has a combination of range, style, performance and energy
efficiency that we believe is unmatched in the market today. As of December 31, 2010, we had delivered over 1,500 Tesla Roadsters to
customers in 31 countries, almost all of which were sold to customers in North America and Europe. To date, our customers have driven the
Tesla Roadster for an estimated aggregate of over 9.0 million miles. The Tesla Roadster complies with, or is exempt from, all applicable vehicle
safety standards in the United States, the European Union as well as select other countries. Additionally, we have met battery shipping and
testing protocols of the United Nations, United States Department of Transportation and other government agencies, allowing us to ship the
Tesla Roadster to a number of countries throughout the world.
The current effective price of the base configuration of the Tesla Roadster is $101,500 in the United States, assuming and after giving
effect to the continuation of a currently available United States federal tax credit of $7,500 for the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles. The
Tesla Roadster offers performance characteristics that we believe are among the best in the industry. It can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per
hour in 3.9 seconds and has a maximum speed of approximately 120 miles per hour. We believe the Tesla Roadster’
s lightweight and proprietary
electric powertrain provides significant performance advantages over traditional internal combustion engine-powered sports cars. Specifically,
the electric powertrain that delivers peak torque (in excess of 200 foot pounds) at extremely low revolutions per minute, or rpm, and remains
near peak through 7,000 rpm of the 13,000 rpm range enables the Tesla Roadster to achieve its high levels of acceleration. With such a long and
flat torque curve, we believe the Tesla Roadster delivers a compelling driving experience with instantaneous and sustained acceleration through
an extended range of speed.
The Tesla Roadster combines this performance with high-energy efficiency. The Tesla Roadster has a battery pack capable of storing
approximately 53 kilowatt-hours of usable energy, almost double the energy of any other commercially available electric vehicle battery pack
and has a range of 245 miles on a single charge, as determined using the United States EPA’s, combined two-cycle city/highway test. Recently,
the EPA announced its intention to introduce and establish new energy efficiency testing methodologies for electric vehicles, which we believe
could result in a significant decrease to the advertised ranges of all electric vehicles, including ours. The Tesla Roadster reportedly set a new
world distance record of 313 miles on a single charge for a production
6
maintenance costs than hybrid, plug
-
in hybrid, or internal combustion engine vehicles due to fewer moving parts and the absence of
certain components, including oil, oil filters, spark plugs and engine valves. Additionally, government incentives that are currently
available can reduce the cost of ownership even further.
•
High
-Performance Without Compromised Design or Functionality . We believe we have been able to successfully overcome the
design and performance tradeoff issues that encumbered most early electric vehicle designs. We believe the Tesla Roadster delivers
an unparalleled driving experience with instantaneous and sustained acceleration through an extended range of speed. In addition, our
planned Model S is being designed to seat five adults, provide best in class storage in the trunk and hood while offering design and
performance comparable to, or better than, other premium sedans.