Tesla launches $50,000 Model S electric car
But 7-seater family car will need Obama stimulus money to be made

Tesla CEO Elon Musk today unveiled the company's second all-electric car, the Model S sedan.
Priced at a shade under $50,000 (£34,500), which includes a US federal rebate of $7,500 (£5200), the plug-in Model S is expected to be on the market as soon as 2011.
However, Musk says that production of the Model S sedan depends on whether Tesla secures a $350 million (£245 million) loan from the US Department of Energy as part of President Obama's stimulus package.
Factory financing
The money would be spent on building a factory within the US to produce the Model S. The company's first electric car - the $109,000 (£75,000) Roadster sports car - is based on a Lotus chassis and assembled at the British company's Hethel plant.
Technical details of the Model S are still sketchy but the Mercury News is reporting Elon Musk as saying that it can seat five adults and two children, and carry them up to 300 miles on a single charge of its batteries.
He claimed it was the "first mass-produced, highway-capable electric vehicle with the versatility and practicality of a conventional car."
Leaked photos show a Jaguar-inspired four-door shell, containing a large touchscreen display instead of physical controls.
Via Mercury News.
Sign up for Black Friday email alerts!
Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more from the TechRadar team.
Most Popular
By Rowan Davies