Before the car maker starts production of the Model S, it will be testing two pre-production versions, called the Alpha and Beta (each will get more versions, with each new version to use what was learned when testing the previous one), will be subjected to extensive testing in the months to come.
"The first Alpha is amazingly agile for a car of its size. It has great handling balance and poised ride with communicative steering. Just goes to show what combining a low center of gravity with a very stiff body structure can achieve," said Graham Sutherland, Tesla vehicle dynamicist.
Expected to hit the market in the second quarter of 2012, the Model S promises to be if not the most efficient, then at least the best looking electric vehicle produced on a large scale.
When it was presented in 2009, the Model S came with a choice of three battery packs, with ranges extending to 160 (257 km), 230 (370) or 300 (482 km) miles per charge. The highway capable EV has some very serious performance figures, with Tesla expecting it to reach 60 mph in under six seconds (under five seconds for the sportier version) and a top speed of 130 mph (209 km/hour). It will be sold for around $57,000, before federal tax credit.
According to Tesla, the 1,000 orders received for the model mark has been reached back in 2009, only a few months after its official presentation.
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