The history of Tesla began not as an ordinary startup, of which hundreds appeared annually in the San Francisco Bay in the 2000s, but as a completely conscious investment from successful IT entrepreneurs who managed to make a name for themselves and a multi-billion dollar business. The main ideologist of the company was Elon Musk, a man recognized by many as one of the geniuses of the modern era, other investors were no less outstanding inventors and businessmen Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the founders and main people in Google Corporation. From the very beginning, the company's activities have been focused on the development of green technologies and the creation of environmentally friendly electric vehicles.

The idea of ​​the company was not new, hybrids and eco-cars existed and were sold serially for a long time, the approach to work and ingenious marketing were new. Established in 2003, the company launched its first Tesla Roadster electric car in 2006, but already had 100 confirmed orders and several thousand applications for a car that would not be mass-produced until 2008. The brand was promoted to such an extent that almost all Hollywood stars of the first magnitude stood in line for the car. It should be noted that the car was worth the expectations, its characteristics were unique: acceleration to 100 km / h in 4 seconds, 400 km on a single charge, top speed of 210 km / h. Not an electric car, but a real sports car.

The success was amazing, despite the fact that the circulation was limited to 2,500 copies, and the cost of each was $ 100,000. Today Tesla Roadster is a real legend and a cult car, akin to rare muscle-cars or sports Europeans of the 60s of the 20th century.

The new generation of Tesla and future prospects

The next electric car that was presented by the company was the Tesla S series electric car. The presentation of the concept took place in 2009, and serial production began in 2012. This was the first model of the company that acquired its own unique design. The electric car is equipped with two electric motors and, depending on the configuration, can travel from 260 to 500 km without recharging.

Car sales today amount to tens of thousands of copies. In 2012, almost all authoritative automotive publications in the United States awarded the Tesla S model with the title of “car of the year”. In Norway and Denmark, as of 2015, Tesla is in first place in the list of sales of all cars, including cars with internal combustion engines.

Electric crossover entered the market in 2015 Tesla Model X with an interesting way of opening the rear doors in the shape of a gullwing. In the same year, the autopilot function appeared on the models of the brand, capable of independently driving the car along the specified path parameters.

However, the development of Tesla's eco-technologies is not limited to the production of electric vehicles. The brand is developing its own network of fast "superchargers", which is already successfully operating in many countries around the world. Also under construction is the world's largest enterprise for the production of batteries and solar panels. Elon Musk's project has been launched to build an underground tunnel for eco-cars to Los Angeles in order to unload the city from traffic jams and smog.

The company's prospects include expanding the mass production of electric vehicles, increasing their range, speed, and safety. Who knows, maybe in the future it will be Tesla that will provide us with the first flying car, especially since the main mastermind of the company, Elon Musk, has long been engaged in space exploration with his Space X side project.

In the modern world, the issue of preserving the environment is of particular relevance. And Tesla is one of those companies that cares about preserving the environment, offering an environmentally friendly mode of transport that is not inferior to cars with engines. internal combustion(ICE). In this article we will talk about what a Tesla car is, what is special about Vehicle this company, find out which the lineup presented to date, as well as whether electric vehicles are really capable of surpassing internal combustion engines.

Brands and models of electric vehicles in the world

Charging network

As you might expect, Tesla is building a huge network of branded charging stations around the world. For the most part, stations are concentrated in the United States, but there are also in a number of European and Asian countries.

Regardless of the country, charging a Tesla car at any branded gas station is free. A good incentive to buy an electric car from this company

However, there are no such stations in Russia and most countries of the former USSR, and their appearance is not planned in the near future. However, you can also charge an electric car at charging stations from other manufacturers.

A network of such stations is actively developing in the Russian Federation, many gas stations are also equipped with special “sockets” for charging electric cars. So in the cities there will be no problems with this, but you won’t be able to travel far out of the city.

Autonomous control "Tesla"

Elon Musk has been talking about autopilots in his cars for quite some time now. However, at the moment, no model can boast of full autonomous driving, and in any case, the car needs a driver.

However, certain steps in this direction have already been taken, and the company has achieved quite a lot of success. Already today, the autopilot of Tesla cars can surprise the most sophisticated motorists. The system works thanks to the presence of many sensors and all-round cameras. Presently new model Tesla Autopilot has the following features:

• Follow road markings.
• Pay attention to traffic and keep an eye on other road users.
• Recognize intersections and pedestrian crossings.
• Maintain a safe distance from vehicles in front of you.
• Change lanes.
• Automatic parking.
• Emergency braking in case of a high probability of collision with a pedestrian or other vehicle.
• Self-Learning – The autopilot is capable of self-improvement in real time, taking into account everyday situations.

Minimalism in interior design

The Tesla Roadster was first introduced in 2008 and billed as the first electric sports car. The car was updated several times, and both the “stuffing” and the external design were subject to changes.

In 2017, a prototype of the new Rhoadter was introduced, which was positioned as the fastest accelerating production car. Production is scheduled for 2020.

A feature of this model is its technical side. According to the manufacturer, the car is equipped with three electric drives (one on the front axle and two on the rear), that is, the electric car is all-wheel drive.

The total power was not specified, but the torque reaches 10,000 Hm. Acceleration to 100 km/h takes just 1.9 seconds, and to 160 km/h in 4.2 seconds. At the same time, the maximum speed exceeds 400 km / h.

As mentioned above, the Tesla Model S is a premium sedan, the prototype of which was introduced in 2009. Since that time, the model has changed somewhat, and as a result we have a good sedan that is fully consistent with its status.

The spacious interior with high-quality materials makes the trip very comfortable. Didn't forget about technical side car. The S model is equipped with a 362 hp electric motor that can accelerate the car to 100 km/h in 2.7 seconds.

The model has several trim levels, which mainly differ in battery capacity:

• P65D - 65 kW / h.
• P85D - 85 kW / h.
• P100D - 100 kWh.

The maximum power reserve in the P100D configuration is limited to 507 km.

Model X

The Tesla Model X is a full-size electric crossover that was first unveiled in Los Angeles in 2012. car in basic configuration equipped with two electric drives. There are three configuration options available:

• P90D.

The numbers in the package name indicate the capacity of the battery. Index D indicates that two electric drives (Dual Motor) are installed in the car.

The first two options differ only in battery capacity. They accelerate to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. But the third version of the P90D has engines with increased power, which reaches 772 hp. Acceleration to 100 km / h takes only 3.2 seconds.

Not all sports cars and supercars have such indicators, not to mention serial crossovers.

Tesla Model 3 is the long-awaited budget sedan with an electric drive, which was first introduced in 2016 and already on pre-orders in the first six months broke all sales records.

Serial production of the model began in the second half of 2017. Despite the fact that it is budgetary, high-quality natural environmental materials are used in the interior trim. At the same time, the electric car has quite pleasant technical characteristics:

• Motor power - 258 hp
• Acceleration to 100 km / h - 5.8 seconds.
• Power reserve 350 km.

Semi Truck is Tesla's electric truck, the prototype of which was introduced in 2017. Serial production is scheduled for 2020, but the electric truck can already be ordered with a $20,000 deposit.

The tractor belongs to the 8th class according to American standards, with maximum weight over 15 tons. But main feature truck is his external design(aerodynamics at the level of sports cars) and specifications.

A truck on a single charge is capable of covering 800 km. At the same time, acceleration to 100 km / h takes 5 seconds without a semi-trailer and 20 seconds with a full load of 36 tons. The battery can be fully charged in 40 minutes, and in 30 minutes the battery can be charged up to 80%.

Disadvantages of Tesla Electric Vehicles

If we talk about the first models and prototypes of electric vehicles from Tesla, then they really had quite a few shortcomings. However, technology is constantly evolving, and the company is constantly improving its models. Already today they are practically not inferior to cars with internal combustion engines, and in some respects even bypass them. For example, acceleration to 100 km / h of an electric car is usually at the level of modern sports cars with internal combustion engines.

However, there is also the other side of the coin:

• High cost is the first and main drawback of Tesla electric cars. However, with the release of the Model 3 into mass production, this drawback is slightly smoothed out.
• Power reserve - this drawback is inherent in all electric vehicles. Despite the fact that Tesla cars have fairly capacious batteries and a good range, this is only enough for city trips. If you need to go on a trip, then you should pay attention to working out the route so that you meet electric filling stations on the way, which are catastrophically few on country roads.
• In our region, such cars suffer quite a lot in winter, since Li-ion batteries are very afraid of negative temperatures. And it is important to understand that at the moment of movement, the battery heats up and “feels” comfortable in winter. But leave the car on open parking lots or unheated garages undesirable.

These are the biggest drawbacks that Tesla cars have, although most of them are inherent in all electric vehicles in principle. Many Tesla owners also complain about the build quality. Despite the fact that the country of origin is the United States, the quality may still be “lame” in some places. But these are rather isolated cases, which for the most part relate to less expensive models.

Tesla consumer market

Tesla is primarily focused on the US market, and all manufactured models first of all fell into American car dealerships. They are also quite common in Europe.

In Russia, electric vehicles have not received such popularity. This is due to a variety of factors, the most important of which is the underdeveloped infrastructure for electric refueling.

The price of electric vehicles also plays a role. For the United States and European countries, the cost of $30,000 is budgetary, and for most of our citizens, this is an unaffordable amount. It should be noted, however, that the cost of most Tesla models starts at $60,000 (excluding the budget Model 3).

However, on domestic market there are many cheaper analogues of electric vehicles from other manufacturers. Of course, their technical characteristics are also inferior to Tesla cars, but in our case, the cost comes first.

Prices for electric car models from Tesla Motors

Cost is the saddest topic in the conversation about Tesla cars. And this is natural, because electric cars from Tesla are really expensive, and this also applies to budget models:

And this cost is not the most top trim levels. Moreover, the exact price for some models is unknown, and the table shows preliminary prices for concepts, the production of which will begin only by 2019-2020. And by this time the price may change somewhat.

Exact prices have been announced for those models that are already in production, starting with the basic configuration. It is also important to understand that the table shows the price of a Tesla car in Russia in rubles at the exchange rate that is relevant at the time of writing. It is possible that in the future these figures will change, since the ruble is not very stable, and all Tesla models are sold in dollars.

Introducing an electric car that sets new standards in premium performance. The heart of the Model S is Tesla's electric drive, which gives this electric car unparalleled autonomy and exhilarating dynamics. Rigid body structure, near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution and an unusually low center of gravity give the Model S the responsiveness and responsiveness of the best in the world. sports cars while maintaining the ride quality of an executive sedan.

electric drive

Tesla's advanced electric drive gives the Model S amazing dynamics. Unlike conventional cars, which are powered by an internal combustion engine with several hundred moving parts, the Tesla electric motor has only one rotating part: the rotor. Therefore, Model S acceleration is instant Press the accelerator pedal and after 3.4 seconds you will reach a speed of 100 km / h, without any delays and jerks, and without spending a single drop of gasoline.

Controllability

The Model S suspension was specifically designed for the model's unique architecture. It works in harmony with Tesla's rigid and light platform for precise handling and optimal comfort. Rigid body structure, near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution and an unusually low center of gravity give the Model S the responsiveness and responsiveness of the world's finest sports car while maintaining the ride quality of an executive sedan.

suspension

It's much more than a comfort and handling package.

Intelligent air suspension combines automatic functions and on-demand control. When Model S accelerates, it automatically lowers the car to optimize aerodynamics and increase autonomy. Forcibly, using the touch screen, you can raise or lower the Model S, for example, to overcome deep snow or a steep entrance to the yard.

electric drive

The Tesla Model S offers a choice of three different batteries, each of which allows you to achieve record mileage on a charge. Each of the three batteries is integrated into the car in the same way, thus providing structural and aerodynamic advantages. All three batteries use battery cells made specifically for automotive applications, configured for optimum energy density, thermal management and safety.

Tesla model s car

Specifications

The S Performance model takes electric dynamics to a new level. Equipped with an 85 kWh battery and a high performance inverter, the Model S Performance accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds.

Moreover, if it is used as a regular Tesla Model S, then both cars have the same efficiency, thanks to the unique design of the electric drive.

glass roof

The entire structure of the panoramic roof is made using lightweight safety glass. Swipe across the touch screen and it will open wider than a roof with a panoramic view any other sedan. And even on the hottest days, the innovative roof glass will keep the cabin comfortable by blocking 100% of UV and 81% of heat.

Charging port

By pressing a special button on the cable, a triangle opens on the side of the rear light, behind which a compact charging port is hidden. The charging port is suitable for charging from any 230-400V AC source, as well as for using the Tesla Supercharger fast charging station.

unique key

When you approach the Tesla Model S with the key in your pocket, the handles will automatically retract to open the doors. While you are settling in driving position and buckle up Tesla Model S is turned on at this time.

The Tesla Model S five-door premium-class electric car made its official premiere in the fall of 2009 at a car show in Frankfurt, however, only as a prototype, but was first shown to the public back in March at a press conference in Los Angeles. Serial production of the machine started in the first half of 2012, and already in June, shipments to the first customers began.

In 2014, the Americans upgraded the Escu, adding several all-wheel drive versions, increasing engine power and introducing a new multimedia complex interface.

The Tesla Model S looks beautiful and expressive, and it is unmistakably guessed in the stream, although from some angles it resembles other cars. A deliberately aggressive front end with an evil look of xenon optics, a long and swift silhouette with an actively sloping roofline, “muscular” wheel arches and retractable door handles, a powerful feed with beautiful LED lights and a massive bumper – outwardly, the electric car fully corresponds to its premium status. And at the same time, it is in no way inferior to eminent competitors with conventional engines.

The electric liftback experienced another update in April 2016, and this time the main changes occurred in the exterior design - the appearance of the five-door was retouched in the spirit of the Model X crossover and the Model 3 three-volume.
The front of the car changed most noticeably - the imitating grille a large black plug, which gave way to a thin bar with the brand logo, and LED instead of bi-xenon optics. From other angles, the “American” has completely retained its outlines.

By their own overall dimensions"eska" belongs to the European class "E": its length fits into 4976 mm, width - 1963 mm, height - 1435 mm, and wheelbase - 2959 mm. Ground clearance electric vehicle is 152 mm, however, when installing the optional air suspension, its value varies from 119 to 192 mm.

The interior of the Tesla Model S is a real delight, because it is built around a 17-inch interactive console, located in the center of the front panel, which manages all the main functions of the car. This decision made it possible to abandon the scattering of buttons, leaving only a couple of classic toggle switches on the dashboard - opening the glove box and turning on the emergency gang. The tidy is represented by another color screen, only smaller, and the classic multifunctional “steering wheel” looks the most mundane, sporty truncated at the bottom. The interior of the electric car is tailored with premium materials that combine leather, aluminum and wood.

At the front, in the California “esque”, comfortable and supple chairs with well-developed lateral support and a sufficient set of electrical adjustments are installed. The rear seats in the car are less hospitable - the sofa has a flat pillow and shapeless backs, and the sloping roof presses on the heads of tall passengers.

As a result of restyling in 2016, the interior of the car remained the same in terms of design, but acquired new materials and finishes.

With practicality, the Tesla Model S is in full order: with a five-seat layout, the volume cargo compartment is 745 liters, and with the second row seats folded down - 1645 liters.

There is also an additional trunk in the front of the electric car, but its capacity is much more modest - 150 liters.

Specifications. The “filling” is the main “highlight” of the “eski”, because the machine is driven by an asynchronous (induction type) three-phase electric motor (there are several of them on all-wheel drive versions) of alternating current, the output of which depends on the modification, combined with a single-stage gearbox and a set of lithium-ion batteries in quantities from 5040 to 7104 pieces.

• 60 installed 306-strong Electrical engine, delivering 430 Nm of torque over the entire range, which provides the car with acceleration to the first "hundred" after 5.5 seconds and 210 km / h top speed. Batteries with a capacity of 60 kW / h allow it to travel up to 375 km on a single charge.
• For modification with index " 75 "A power plant with a capacity of 320 "horses" is provided, the output of which is 440 Nm of peak thrust, powered by 75 kW / h batteries. It takes 5.5 seconds for such an electric car to start accelerating to 100 km / h, its “maximum” is limited at 230 km / h, and its “range” exceeds a little over 400 km.
• Under the Tesla Model S 60D there are already two electric motors with a total power of 328 horsepower (525 Nm of torque), making the liftback all-wheel drive. This version exchanges the first “hundred” in 5.2 seconds, peaking up to 210 km / h, and on “one tank” it is able to cover at least 351 km thanks to 60 kW / h batteries.
• "Eska" marked " 75D"has in its arsenal a pair of electric motors, jointly generating 333" mares "and 525 Nm of torque. Such characteristics make the “green” car a real sports car: it “shoots” to the first “hundred” after 5.2 seconds, and it stops speeding up only when it reaches 230 km / h. Fully charged batteries with a capacity of 75 kW / h provide the five-door with a decent range - 417 km.
• The next variant of the Tesla Model S in the hierarchy 90D equipped with two electric units, the total potential of which is 422 “horses” and 660 Nm of available torque. The electric car rushes to conquer the second “hundred” in 4.4 seconds and gains a maximum of 249 km / h. Thanks to batteries of 90 kW / h, the car overcomes 473 km of track on a “full tank”.
• The version called " 100D"Driven by front and rear electric motors, which together give out 512" horses "and 967 Nm of torque potential. The first "hundred" of such a five-door submits in 3.3 seconds, and the "maximum speed" does not exceed 250 km / h. Batteries for 100 kW / h provide her with a "range" of 430 km.
• "Top" solution Tesla Model S P100D equipped with two power plants: rear electric motor develops 503 horsepower, and the front one - 259 "mares" (total return - 762 "horses" and 967 Nm of peak thrust). Such characteristics "catapult" the car from standstill to 100 km / h after 2.5 seconds and allow it to accelerate to 250 km / h. On fully charged batteries with a capacity of 100 kW / h, the electric car covers about 613 km.

It takes more than 15 hours to fully charge Tesla Model S lithium-ion batteries from a regular 220V household network, depending on the modification. When using a NEMA 14-50 standard connector, this cycle is reduced to 6-8 hours, and at special Supercharger stations (you won’t find such in Russia) - up to 75 minutes.

The California electric car is built around a flat "winged metal" battery storage unit, to which aluminum subframes and bodywork are attached. In running order, the "eska" weighs from 1961 to 2239 kg, and its mass is distributed along the axles in a ratio of 48:52 (for the all-wheel drive P85D - 50:50).

"In a circle" on the machine, an independent chassis is installed: in front - double wishbones, in the back - a multi-link layout. Available as an option air suspension.
All Model S wheels use disc brakes (355mm front and 365mm rear) with four-piston Brembo and ABS calipers, and its steering system expressed rack and pinion mechanism with electric amplifier.

Options and prices. In Russia, Tesla Model S is not officially sold, however, " secondary market» You can buy such an electric car at a price of 4.5 million rubles. In Germany, the car can be purchased at a price of 57,930 euros (~3.68 million rubles at the current exchange rate), but including taxes, its cost rises to 69,020 euros (~4.39 million rubles).
Standard "American" is equipped with eight airbags, xenon headlights, 17-inch touchscreen multimedia system, digital panel appliances, power accessories, ABS, ESP, dual-zone climate control, factory audio system, LED rear lights and many other equipment.