Tesla’s next-generation electric car, the Model S, is a make-or-break car for the company, and will be busting through some EV barriers, like delivering one of the world’s first EVs with a 300-mile battery range. No surprise that Tesla is spending a lot of time on the design, development and build of such an important car, and on Thursday morning, Tesla invited us down to its Palo Alto, Calif. headquarters to check out the Model S Alpha Build room.
Tesla has built 20 Alpha Model S’s, and, as you can see in the pictures, they were designed for various test purposes, like tweaking the electronics, testing the durability, and crashing the cars (the orange ones). The engineers are now going through the process of testing the functions and capabilities of the Alphas.
In about three months, Tesla will start building the Beta Model S (50 in total) and will be testing those cars, too. By the middle of next year, Tesla says it will be on track to start delivering its first commercialized Model S sedans. (For more on the launch strategy see here).
Tesla Model S Program Director Jerome Guillen (who drove to work this morning in a Model S Alpha) told me he thinks Tesla’s Model S build is very unique in that it’s an open process — lots of windows in the room, inviting the press in — which he says is rare in the auto industry. It’s bringing a little bit of Silicon Valley thinking into the Detroit auto world, he said. (We’ll be featuring auto innovators from Tesla, CODA, Ford, and GM at Green:Net 2011 on April 21 in San Francisco).
Here are my photos from the Model S Alpha build room and tour.
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1 / 18Tesla Model S BatteryTesla's Model S Battery in the Alpha Build Room, image courtesy of Gigaom. -
2 / 18Tesla Model S Alpha Battery and Crash AlphaTesla Model S Alpha Battery and Alpha Crash Version -
3 / 18Tesla Model S Alpha Crash VersionTesla Model S Alpha Crash Version -
4 / 18Tesla Model S Alpha Crash VersionTesla Model S Alpha Crash Version -
5 / 18Tesla Model S Alpha Doors -
6 / 18Tesla Model S Alpha Durability VersionTesla Model S Alpha Durability Version -
7 / 18Tesla Model A Alpha Electronics VersionTesla Model A Alpha Electronics Version -
8 / 18Tesla Engineers At Work on the AlphasTesla Engineers At Work on the Model S Alphas -
9 / 18Tesla Engineers at work on the Alpha Power ElectronicsTesla Engineers at work on the Alpha Power Electronics -
10 / 18Tesla Model S Alpha Front EndTesla Model S Alpha Front End, & Peter Rawlinson, VP & Chief Engineer -
11 / 18Tesla Model S Alpha Front EndTesla Model S Alpha Front End, & Chief Engineer Peter Rawlinson and JB Straubel, CTO -
12 / 18Tesla Model S Alpha Front EndTesla Model S Alpha Front End, & Chief Engineer Peter Rawlinson and CTO JB Straubel -
13 / 18Tesla Model S Front End, Inside ShotTesla Model S Front End, Inside Shot -
14 / 18Tesla Model S Alpha Power Electronics, & CTO JB Straubel -
15 / 18Tesla Model S AlphasTesla Model S Alphas -
16 / 18Tesla Model S Alpha Power Electronics -
17 / 18Tesla Model S Alpha Power Electronics -
18 / 18Tesla Model S Alpha White



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