Cadillac's New ELR Is Ready To Battle Tesla For The Luxury Electric Car Market

"In October, General Motors announced its entry into the luxury electric car market with the Cadillac ELR.

That market — for customers who want electric cars but are not overly concerned with the price tag — has to date been cornered by Tesla's Model S.

With the ELR, GM will work to steal away those customers. The largest American automaker has several advantages over Tesla, especially infrastructure to design and produce cars, which Elon Musk has struggled to build over the past decade.

On top of that, Cadillac has a lot of momentum. 2012 was a good year for the brand, languishing just a few years ago.

The successful introductions of the XTS and ATS sedans culminated with the announcement at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that the ATS won the North American Car of the Year award.

Now GM CEO Dan Akerson has global hopes for Cadillac.

We were on hand at the show and got to see the ELR first hand, and were quite impressed by the look and feel of the car.

It may not match the remarkable Tesla Model S, but a solid, luxury electric car from an established automaker will pose a formidable challenge to Elon Musk's company.

The ELR will go into limited production late this year and go on sale early in 2014; pricing has not been announced."

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/cadillacs-electric-elr-at-naias-2013-1?op=1

Tesla unveils its Model X plug-in SUV with 'falcon wings'

LOS ANGELES (CNNMoney) -- Tesla Motors on Thursday unveiled a new SUV that the automaker plans to put into production by 2014.

The plug-in electric crossover is based on the same engineering as the Model S sedan, a car that's expected to go into full production this summer, but the Model X rides higher and has front-facing third row seats.

The most eye-catching feature, however is the "falcon wing" back door design. The doors open upwards and bend in the middle so they'll be able to function when parked in a tight space.

The doors also allow an adult to easily access the rear seats while standing up, making it easier to strap small children into booster seats, the company said. Tesla claims it is the largest door opening of any passenger vehicle.

The Model X is expected to be priced at around $60,000 to $100,000, about the same as the Model S.


Tesla unveils its Model X plug-in SUV with 'falcon wings' - Feb. 9, 2012

TEST DRIVE: First Ride In The 2012 Tesla Model S

"On Saturday, exactly one year after it took ownership of the former Toyota NUMMI facility in Fremont, California, Tesla Motors held a series of test-drives aimed to show off the latest Model S Betas to the press and Model S reservation holders.
We’ve already told you about some of the surprises CEO Elon Musk had in store for the assembled group, but now it’s time to share details of the short chauffeured ride around a small section of NUMMI test track in the 2012 Model S.
First impressions
Pulling up for our ride, the Model S beta was extremely quiet with no discernible whine from either the electric motor or its power electronics. As two Tesla employees reached towards front and rear door handles — which electronically retract into the car’s body to reduce aerodynamic drag when moving — we noticed large amounts of heat coming from the car’s huge 21-inch rear wheels and brake discs, an indication it had been worked hard on previous rides.
Sitting in the rear seat, there was plenty of headroom and legroom for this 5 foot nine writer, with fit and finish appropriate to a premium luxury car."

Read more: http://read.bi/n77u6Y

Tesla's Elon Musk says new CUV model due in 2013

"The Tesla EYE design concept we saw in at the Geneva Motor Show was just an experiment some students at the Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin did with the Tesla brand. But the idea that we will see more and new vehicle models from Tesla Motors is a fact, as CEO Elon Musk reaffirmed this week during his acceptance speech for the Automotive Executive of the Year Innovator Award. AutoWeek was on hand and reports that Musk said that, after the Model S arrives in 2012, Tesla will introduce a crossover utility vehicle and other models starting in 2013."

Read the full story by Sebastian Blanco at autobloggreen