Tesla Motors Model S Electric Cars Now A Road Reality

Tesla Motors has begun pushing out its latest model from the plant – the Model S sedan, one of the most luxurious electric cars to date. The launch is also bringing hope to the company's facility in California, where high-end manufacturing jobs are being created as a result of this newest creation. The first customer? Legacy Ebay president Jeff Skoll, who drove off in his new whip following an event on Friday.

At the event, Skoll, speaking on a conversation he was having with Elon Musk – also CEO of emerging commercial space exploration company SpaceX – he said that when deciding whether it was harder to build a rocket or a car, "We decided it was a car. There isn't a lot of competition in space." The Model S has a range of 160 miles to 300 miles, depending on the battery size. The dashboard is a giant touchscreen device, and the vehicle is powered by a smart key that is shaped like the car.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk was quoted as saying that he wanted to prove "that an electric car can in fact be the best car in the world." The initial rollout of the Model S will comprise of the premium "Signature Series" of the car, with prices in excess of $100,000. However, Tesla has said that it is working on an electric car to appeal to the masses, with a sticker price of less than $30,000.

[via Mercury News]