Tesla Volt-Rival Could Deliver 200 Mile Range Musk Teases

Tesla's second quarter numbers were reported today, showing a net income increase of 70-percent and a production increase of 25-percent. Amid the sales information and other particulars, the company's Elon Musk had some things to say about the future – namely, an electric vehicle with a 200 mile range and price tag of $35,000.

Such a vehicle is something Musk said he is optimistic about, further claiming that Tesla could produce such a long-range electric vehicle for a (relatively speaking) lowish price of $35,000. Such a price tag would give makers of other electric vehicles a (pardon the pun) run for their money, among them being the Chevy Volt.

Yesterday, we reported that due to low sales, the pricing for the 2014 model of the Chevy Volt will be dropped by 13-percent, which will bring it to a solid $35,000, the same price that Musk says he is confident Tesla could achieve. When state incentives and federal perks are tossed into the mix, the cost of the car – whether Tesla or otherwise – would drop by a few thousand.

The big difference between these electric cars and the model that Musk envisions is the range – at 200 miles, the Tesla car would far outpace others in the industry. Again using the Chevy Volt as an example, Chevrolet says on its website that the car has a range of about 38 miles before the gas generator kicks in, a far cry from the proposed 200 miles.

One of the barriers standing in the way of such a car is the demand for batteries that will result, with Musk saying that more battery factories will need to be launched to sustain an industry where electric cars are extensively used. Should such a car come to fruition, however – which it no doubt will eventually – those who hesitate to jump aboard the EV bandwagon could find their reasons dwindling.

SOURCE: MIT Technology Review