How the Tesla Model S Works

Some journalists think the Model S might be one of the best cars ever built. More objective measures indicate it's one of the safest. We already know what Elon Musk thinks.

Tesla claims to have achieved the highest safety rating of any car in history. Or, in other words, the occupants of a Tesla Model S are more likely to survive a crash than the occupants of any other vehicle on the road. In a press release written by Elon Musk himself, the company all but claimed that the car is so good, theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) tests were inadequate to judge its capabilities [source:Vance]. Not only that, during the procedure that measures the crush rating of the roof, the machine that attempts to press in the roof (and always succeeds, to some degree) broke.

The Model S is built in a factory in Fremont, Calif., which was originally a General Motors (GM) facility. It closed in the early 1980s, and then reopened when GM and Toyota formed a partnership to produce vehicles on shared platforms. When GM killed off some of its lower performing brands, this production facility was no longer needed, and Tesla acquired the property in 2010. The deal included some machinery as well as the production space, and was sold to Tesla Motors for just about 15 percent of the amount of the federal loan. Tesla also acquired tooling from other closed factories at a fraction of the price, and 95 percent of Model S parts (including the crucial battery packs and drivetrain components) are manufactured on-site.

Even buying a Model S is a different experience -- rather than cultivating a network of franchise dealerships, Tesla controls the entire process. The company owns small boutique-like showrooms (sometimes compared to Apple stores) where cars are tested and orders are placed. Tesla says it's simply too small to follow the traditional dealership model, and that their system is better anyway because it provides a more intimate experience for shoppers -- one that the company can control completely. (By early 2013, only 250 Model S customers had received their orders; however, another 13,000 or so buyers were still waiting. There's no reason to follow a distribution model that favors high turnover when meeting volume is the weakest link in the system.)

The Tesla Model S is the only all-electric car on the market that was designed from the ground up. (Nissan's LEAF, by comparison, is widely recognized as a groundbreaking fully electric vehicle; but it was designed and built using a lot of pre-existing Nissan parts.) And though it's based on Nikola Tesla's innovations, which are well over a century old, it's shining a light on the future of the automobile, especially when paired with Tesla's high-tech batteries. The Model S trim lines are known by their battery specs -- buyers can choose from a 60 kWh battery, an 85 kWh battery or an 85 kWh battery with extra performance features. The 60 kWh battery is rated to achieve 208 miles (334.7 kilometers) per charge and has a top speed of 120 miles per hour (193.1 kilometers per hour). The upgraded battery provides 285 miles (458.7 kilometers) on a charge, and can achieve speeds of 125 or 130 miles per hour (201.2 or 209.2 kilometers per hour). Oh yeah, and the whole package is totally emissions free.

签名性能修剪线生产416 horsepower, achieving 60 miles per hour (96.6 kilometers per hour) in just 4.3 seconds. That speed is made even more fun by the instant torque, 443 lb-ft, which blows away other electric cars. Even the specs that some people would consider a limitation are a vast improvement over previous incarnations of the technology. It's also rear-wheel drive -- because it's efficient (the motor is mounted at the rear wheels), so no power is wasted traveling down the line. Rear-wheel drive also contributes mightily to the Model S performance car personality. Tesla's brake system is regenerative, which is a system in which the process of slowing or stopping the car actually collects energy and feeds it back to the battery. This isn't really any kind of all-new electric vehicle innovation --regenerative brakingbecame a common feature on hybrids within the last decade or so. If the Model S didn't feature such a system, it would probably be considered a massive oversight. And the Model S is silent, too, which is reportedly a little surreal at higher speeds [source:Mueller].

It isn't just the feel-good cutting-edge stuff that's helped Tesla rack up award after award. Automobile Magazine's editors were shocked by its performance and ultimately named the Model S the 2013 Automobile of the Year. (Reportedly, it initially wasn't even perceived to be a true contender.) And other auto magazines have followed suit. So what else is so great about a new car based on 130+-year-old technology?

是什么让模型年代的秘密安全,一个nd why can't other car manufacturers replicate it? Well, that's what makes the Model S so exclusive and noteworthy in the first place. Since the Model S doesn't have a traditional gasoline engine under the hood, the safety benefits are twofold. The front area is used for storage like a regular sedan's trunk, which means, basically, it's a large crumple zone, which will absorb most of the impact of a front end collision. And since there's no fuel on-board, there's no fuel to catch fire. The Model S electric motor is relatively small and mounted near the rear axle, which means it's not likely to be in the path of damage during an impact. The Model S also has a very low risk for rollover. So low, in fact, that it resisted flipping during normal testing procedures. That's thanks to a low center of gravity, with the battery and motor locations chosen for optimum balance. Aluminum construction means the body is very light and very strong, since it's reinforced with steel.

The Model S is attractive package, but not so much that it'll cause a double take. The most noteworthy thing about the exterior might be the flush mounted, pop-out door handles, because you don't even notice them until you approach the car, reach toward the door and the handle simply appears. Robert Cumberford, Automobile Magazine's resident design expert, explained that the subtlety of the exterior gracefully disguises a veryaerodynamicprofile. The interior is rather plain, but enclosed by lots of glass highlighting carefully chosen touches of luxury -- a 17-inch touchscreen in the dash serves as the console controls. Wood and leather trims complement a minimalist vibe. Calm and relaxing, perhaps, but some Model S owners would actually prefer a storage cubby here and there [source:Noland]. (There's also a drop-in console as an available option.) The back seat is comfortable, and larger families have the option of ordering a Model S with a rear-facing, two-seat, third row. The panoramic glass roof can block up to 98 percent of visible light and 81 percent of the heat beating down on the car, and it's controlled by a swipe of the center console touchscreen.

The Model S can be recharged at home or at work with charging stations. The hardware (called a Supercharger) comes standard on high-end models and is a $2,000 option on lower models. If the Model S needs to be juiced-up mid-trip, a network of Tesla-specific Supercharger stations will be operated by solar technology, managed by SolarCity (which is another Elon Musk project), providing free unlimited charging to Tesla owners. About 20 minutes on a Supercharger will gain about 75 miles (120.7 kilometers) of driving range [source:Noland]. The network is expected to be in place by 2014, and will actually help the general population along with Tesla owners. That's because the solar panels will generate more power than people will need to recharge their cars, and what's left will be fed back into the grid as clean, available power. The Model S gets the equivalent of 89 miles per gallon (37.8 kilometers per liter), giving it a range of 200 to 265 miles (321.9 to 426.5 kilometers), depending on the battery option. Most subcompact EVs can only go about half that distance on a single charge. Supercharger stations also plan to offer a battery swap service. Model S owners can swap a drained battery for a full one in less than two minutes (for an additional fee, of course), but they'll also have to collect their original battery on the return trip.

So much is made of the Supercharger network that it might sound as if it's the only option for recharging. Not so. The Tesla Supercharger is just an extra convenience feature (and it's totally free for owners of 85 kWh models and accessible by 60kWh owners for an additional fee). The Model S comes with everything necessary to power up at a public EV charging station, a 240v home charging station, or, if you prefer, a plain old 120v wall outlet in your garage -- although it'll be just a bit slower. Charging times can be scheduled via the car's touchscreen controls or a smartphone app.

The Model S isn't flawless, and its biggest problem seems to be power retention. Owners report what they call"vampire" power losses-- noticeable drains on the battery while the car is parked. The problem is fixable with a software update; kind of like downloading an operating system update on your cell phone (the Model S downloads it via WiFi). Tesla says there's a fix in the works but it's not ready for release yet [source:Noland]. It's well known that batteries don't function as well at low temperatures, so it's acknowledged that the Model S (along with hybrids and other EVs) would suffer the same fate. Green Car Reports says that over a few months of winter driving, the test car's range suffered by approximately 20 percent [source:Noland]. This will be less of an issue as EV infrastructure continues to develop and people become accustomed to it. Not only that, but battery technology continues to improve, too.

两年前,传统智慧说t, once hybrids arrived, they wouldn't be for everybody. The same went for the first few EVs. They were small, uncomfortable-looking and rather inconvenient -- suitable for short trips only. But the true success of the Model S is that it appears to be changing that perception, and Tesla seems determined to make EV ownership a possibility for everyone who drives.