Add to the spacey sound track a truly silly marketing line of "space lights" known to the rest of the world as "under body neon," a classy lightning bolt logo below a yet even classier rear spoiler on the back, new leather interior and leather floors and you have a vehicle truly fit for Captain Kirk.

World Debut at the Essen Motor Show 2008

The Very First Tuned Electric Car Comes From BRABUS:
BRABUS Customization Program for the Tesla Roadster

The first tuned electric car comes from BRABUS: The first project of the future cooperation between Tesla Motors, Inc. and the new BRABUS business division Zero Emission celebrates its world debut at the 2008 Essen Motor Show. BRABUS (Brabus-Allee, D-46240 Bottrop, phone + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777-0, fax + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777 111, Internet www.brabus.com) presents an exclusive customization program for the Tesla Roadster, the world’s first electrically powered production sports car.

The new BRABUS logo with added lightning bolt is the trademark of BRABUS Zero Emission vehicles.

To give the sports car a more exciting sound the BRABUS electronics specialists have developed a ‘space sound generator.’ The occupants on-board the Tesla Roadsters can choose from several simulated engine sounds including that of a typical V8 combustion engine, a racecar engine and two futuristic soundscapes named ‘Beam’ and ‘Warp.’ The volume of the sound is dependent on the momentary power output of the electric motor.

A custom-tailored BRABUS tire/wheel combination further improves handling characteristics. The two-seater is refined with weight-optimized BRABUS Monoblock S light-alloy wheels in size 7Jx18 in front and in size 8.5Jx19 in back. BRABUS technology partner Pirelli provides the corresponding P Zero Nero high-performance tires in size 215/35 ZR 18 in front and in size 255/30 ZR 19 on the rear axle. These tires were developed to deliver minimum rolling resistance.

The two-seater also receives an even more striking exterior at BRABUS. The customization measures include a special high-quality ‘matte white’ paintjob. To give the mid-engine sports car an even more enticing face the BRABUS designers treat the front apron to a lightweight carbon-fiber front lip and daytime running lights integrated into the front grille. Matte-white surrounds for the headlamps add interesting detail to the overall effect.

The sides of the Tesla are upgraded with BRABUS entrance lights shaped like futuristic space lights. They are activated with the keyless fob or by pulling on a door handle. BRABUS carbon-fiber air inlets add even more sporty flair. Immediately apparent in the rear are the BRABUS rear wing and the BRABUS rear diffuser, both made from light yet extremely strong carbon fiber. The round taillights are accentuated further by matte-white applications.

The BRABUS customization program for the Tesla Roadster also includes exclusive interior options. The range of products starts with scuff plates with illuminated BRABUS logo. They are integrated into the top of the rocker panels.

The company-own BRABUS upholstery shop masterfully handcrafts exquisite custom interiors for the Tesla. The designers chose a combination of especially soft yet durable BRABUS perforated lightweight leather and Alcantara. The cockpit features white seams to reflect the exterior color. The vehicle floor is also upholstered with lightweight leather for added exclusivity.

The goal of the BRABUS customization concept for the Tesla Roadster is to define a potential limited edition as well as an individual tuning program for the Tesla driver.

For additional BRABUS information please visit our web site at www.brabus.com

[Source: BRABUS]

To be fair, these pics were taken this past Sunday, so it's poor evidence the place is in fact a ghost town but let's just say a tumbleweed rolling through the parking lot wouldn't be out of place. Aside from the fancy sign out front and the etched glass doors, it looks like every other sparsely decorated suburban office we've ever seen.

We love the reading materials in the lobby — all the buff books, plus Vanity Fair, a book on classic cars, The Toyota Way and its wonderful explanation of "lean manufacturing" and the Toyota Production System (may we also recommend Machine That Changed The World and the End of Detroit). TPS, as you know, is the management process where a company welcomes questions and seeks to solve problems via all manner of available help. Openness and communication is key with TPS. Hmm, maybe they only got through the first couple of chapters.

Hilariously, our two favorite books laying around have to be the Tesla bio on the waiting room table sitting across from The Car That Could, a book about the life and death of GM's EV1. We'll let you draw your own conclusions from that one.

We can't help but point out that this statement came the same day that Tesla announced it was going to scale back Tesla Model S production plans until a government loan guarantee becomes effective. Though we fully believe that the Model S from Tesla is undergoing development and have our doubts about the electric Chryslers, this does seem a bit like the electric pot calling the electric kettle black.

WORLD PREMIERES

The result of close technological collaboration between Venturi Automobiles and Michelin, the Venturi Volage, presented for the first time at the “Mondial 2008” (Paris Motor Show), marks a major step forward in the evolution of the Automobile.

This new Venturi incorporates innovations which have enabled radical changes in terms of the vehicle’s architecture, style, dynamic behaviour and, more generally, the design of a modern vehicle.

All these changes constitute several world premières which, with the presentation of the Venturi Volage, reinforce Venturi’s capability for constant innovation, as well as its position as the most advanced company in the field of electric vehicles.

POWER TRANSMISSION & ACTIVE SUSPENSION

With 4 drive wheels with active suspension, the Venturi Volage has no equivalent. “Michelin Active Wheel” technology in fact incorporates 2 electric motors per wheel (1 for suspension and 1 for drive), ie. a total of 8 electric motors piloted in real time by spearhead electronics.

Like the mechanism of a watch, all the components, motors, gear reduction units and suspensions, are miniaturized and built into the wheels.

The active electric shock absorber system allows for total adaptation to the type of road surface and driving. Combining Michelin’s experience in the area of surface liaison with that of Venturi for the chassis, the Venturi Volage represents in its road holding, drivability and silent functioning, the sum of today’s automotive technology.

THE CAR OF THE DIGITAL ERA

Playing down the mechanical aspect in favor of electronics, close to the concept of a robot, this car belongs to a new era, the digital era. Thanks to a dashboard touch screen, the driver can configure the vehicle entirely as he wishes. This total control marks significant progress in terms of management, particularly of the energy stored in the car’s batteries: the driver can, for example, decide to give preference in certain cases to range rather than power, comfort rather than speed, an important factor for an electric car.

A CHASSIS UNIQUE WORLDWIDE

The only part that the Venturi Volage shares with the Venturi Fétish is its carbon fiber bodywork. Developed by the Venturi Design Office, this body is still a unique concept worldwide, as it is the only one to have been specifically designed to be that of an electric car and thus carry batteries within its very structure.

Thanks to this innovative design, both the Fétish and the Volage benefit from an unequalled level of safety, for both the cars’ passengers and also the batteries they carry.

The ideal distribution of the Venturi Volage’s masses - 45% at the front, 55% at the rear – and its perfectly mastered weight of 1,075 kilos enable it to attain 100 km/hr (62 mph) in less than 5 seconds.

PRODUCTION MODELS

A real demonstration of spearhead technology, the car presented in its world première is entirely operational and prefigures the production of a limited series of this model, scheduled as from 2012.

Like the Venturi Fétish assembled in our workshops in Monaco, the Venturi Volage will be assembled by hand, in the form of very limited production.

The technological repercussions of these two cars positioned at the very top end of the market are to be found on other vehicles bearing the Venturi brand, enabling as many people as possible to benefit from the firm’s advances in the field of sustainable mobility.

DESIGN OF VOLAGE, BY SACHA LAKIC

“Like a light and sensual veil, the Volage’s bodywork clings close to its exceptional technical features.

Active suspensions and motors incorporated into the wheels, a flat bottom, aerodynamic tunnels: these choices and technological advances have enabled me to “design the void” usually occupied by the engine and suspensions, and thus explore audacious new paths in terms of styling.

The void is part of the Volage style; it has been designed by subtraction.

Volage has been fashioned by the wind.
The science of aerodynamics is the main tool that has been used to elaborate its shape. It is easy and enjoyable to imagine the movement of flows of air, on and across its bodywork.

Volage finds itself in a totally original and decidedly contemporary formal category. The relationship with Venturi’s other models is obvious, though it is also possible to see, in a few details, a subtle tribute to certain icons among French cars of the pre-war era, the most elegant, the ones that were way before their time.

Volage inspires passion: its powers of seduction are immense.”

The standard internal-combustion RUF 3400K with 400 HP and 325 lb-ft of torque sprints from 0-62 MPH in 4.4 seconds on the way to its 180 MPH top speed. The electric car is expected to reach 62 MPH a few tenths of a second quicker, but will top out at only 124 MPH or so. This, of course, begs the question, "which would you rather drive?" [via Auto Motor und Sport, MotorAuthority]

Tesla Motors Selects BorgWarner for Production of New Gearbox for Tesla Roadster

Deliveries of 27 Roadsters Completed to Date, Production and Delivery of Roadsters To Accelerate With Final Powertrain Solution

San Carlos, CA – Tesla Motors Inc. has selected BorgWarner Inc. for the production of a single-speed gearbox for the Tesla Roadster and is initiating a ramped-up production rate. So far, 27 customers have taken delivery of Roadsters.

Tesla engineers developed the specifications for the new gearbox and provided them to BorgWarner. The new gearbox is an integral part of an enhanced powertrain with significant performance and efficiency improvements. The new powertrain delivers about 30% higher motor torque on a single gear ratio, and it achieves a 10% higher EPA combined range.

“Last December, when the two-speed transmission designed by a previous supplier proved not to be durable, we announced we would modify our approach,” said JB Straubel, Chief Technology Officer of Tesla Motors. “By using a more powerful inverter and an enhanced motor design, we were able to implement a single-speed gearbox and still achieve our original performance goals. In fact, the new setup is superior in almost every way.”

The new gearbox is designed for the higher peak torque levels of the new Roadster powertrain, which has increased from 286 Newton-meters (211 foot-pounds) to 380 Newton-meters (280 foot-pounds). The new powertrain achieves an EPA combined range of 244 miles on a single charge, up from Tesla’s previously announced EPA range of 221 miles.

Production of Tesla Roadsters began in March, and the first vehicles were built with an interim transmission design. Customers who own Roadsters with the interim transmission can have their powertrain upgraded free of charge.

Tesla Motors starts production of 10 new Roadsters each week. Customers typically take delivery four to six weeks after production begins. The company expects production to ramp up to at least 20 vehicles per week within a few months and 40 per week by early 2009.

“Successfully implementing the new gearbox in less than a year was an incredible technical challenge and huge accomplishment for Tesla’s engineers,” said Ze’ev Drori, Chief Executive Officer of Tesla Motors. “Now that we have a final powertrain design, in a matter of months there will be hundreds of Tesla Roadsters across the country. We’re heralding nothing less than a new era of the automobile.”

[NextAutos]

The company is quite ambitious, with talk already of distribution strategy and a possible quick-charge infrastructure around Malaysia. In addition to Paul's test drive of the Lotus, he also got to ride shotgun in an electric Proton Persona. Both seemed to have impressed him with their level of development, but read Paul's comments for yourself at paultan.org.

Number 1: This is the electric motor. Running on AC power, it can rev up to 13,000 RPM while producing 248 HP and 200 lb-ft. Maximum torque is available all the way from 0-6,000 RPM

Number 2: The one-speed transmission. After reliability problems with a two-speed design, Tesla settled for this stronger, simpler one-speed. The 8.27:1 drive ratio allows for a 0-60 time of around 4 seconds and a top speed of 125 MPH.

Number 3: The Power Electronics Module. In addition to capturing the power from regenerative braking and using it to recharge the batteries, it also smooths out power delivery under hard acceleration.

Number 4: The battery pack. 6,831 Lithium-Ion cells are arranged in 11 series-connected modules and surrounded by sensors and cooling systems designed to prevent catastrophic cell failure. A full 53 kW-h charge takes about 3 1/2 hours, while all the batteries together weigh somewhere between 900 and 1,000 LB. Life expectancy is in excess of 100,000 miles.

Number 5: The body and frame. The Tesla roadster shares its extruded and bonded aluminum frame with the Lotus Elise while wearing its own, superlight carbon fiber bodywork. [via Treehugger]

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: According to Autocar, we should expect to see the Model S sedan in 2010, with the SUV and a four-door coupe arriving around 2015. The word from Tesla is less encouraging, however: The company is hoping to launch the sedan after construction of its new California factory is completed, and they describe the design as “ninety percent” complete. Knowing that the "devil is in the details" — details being at least the last 10% of the design process — and that starting up a factory isn't without its hiccups, we're afraid the Model S may take a little longer to get to market, and any other variants even longer. Of course, with its recent new hires, Tesla could surprise us all. But, although we're hopeful, we've also seen Tesla miss past time deadlines — and continue to miss current deadlines. [Autocar.uk]

Franz will be tasked with shaping Tesla's future Model S sedan and sport compact, and if his work on the Mazda Furai concept is any indication, the next generation of Teslas should be lookers. Of course, this is all assuming the company can live up to its ambitions and actually survive long enough to produce vehicles beyond the existing roadster.

SAN CARLOS, CA - Deepak Ahuja, a seasoned auto industry finance executive with 15 years experience at Ford Motor Company, has joined Tesla Motors as Chief Financial Officer.

Deepak was previously the controller for Ford's small cars product development program, a strategic initiative to bring several fuel efficient cars to Ford's lineup in the United States. Previously, Deepak was CFO for Ford of Southern Africa, a $3 Billion subsidiary where he oversaw the finance, legal and IT functions. Prior to that, Deepak served as CFO for Auto Alliance International, a joint venture between Ford and Mazda with over $4 billion in revenue.

"Deepak's experience as CFO of multi-billion dollar business units with global sourcing and manufacturing operations makes him the ideal person to lead our finance organization through the company's next period of rapid growth," said Tesla CEO Ze'ev Drori. "The addition of another seasoned auto industry executive to the senior management team at Tesla demonstrates that Tesla is focused on combining the best of what Detroit and Silicon Valley has to offer in building the next great American automobile company."

"The opportunity to work for the leading alternative energy automobile company in the world, and one with as strong a brand as Tesla, is very exciting." said Deepak. "The team here has the vision, passion and the determination to make Tesla a driving force of change."

Deepak holds bachelors and masters degrees in Materials Engineering from Banaras Hindu University and Northwestern University, respectively and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. Deepak, his wife and two daughters have moved from Michigan to Silicon Valley, where Deepak will work out of Tesla's San Carlos headquarters.

Recently, Tesla Motors announced the appointment of auto industry veteran Mike Donoughe as EVP Vehicle Engineering and Manufacturing.

Instead this here Tesla appears to have taken so great of a liking to the back end of a Mercedes, it's up and gone right up the German car's rear end. The folks over at Hey apparently have the full story — or as much as they know — as well as a second picture of the incident apparently taken by someone named Alex Volkov. We wish we had more to tell you — if only Tesla PR would return our phone calls — ever. (Hat tip to Andy!) [Hey, Flickr]

Governor Schwarzenegger Celebrates Clean Technology Investment in California, Welcomes Tesla Motors Production to California

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today joined with State Treasurer Bill Lockyer and Tesla Motors representatives to announce Tesla's decision to locate its new manufacturing facility for its Model S, Tesla's second-generation vehicle, in California. As part of the state's ongoing commitment to clean technology, the Governor also announced a new program that waives the sales tax on investment in new manufacturing equipment for Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs). This program was developed in conjunction with the State Treasurer and the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA).

"Today's announcement is great news for California, our economy and our environment. We want these cutting-edge companies not to just start in California and do their research and development here-we want them to build in California," Governor Schwarzenegger said.

"Tesla's announcement today is just one of many we will celebrate as we implement AB 32 and reach our greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. I have always said that we must protect our economy and our environment at the same time, and today it is clear that we are once again demonstrating to the world how to do that."

California's green-friendly atmosphere is encouraging clean businesses from around the world to invest in California, stimulating our economy and contributing to the fight against global warming. According to the California Green Innovation Index by Next10, a non-partisan research organization, in 2006 venture capital investment in energy technology companies in California was just shy of $1 billion, more than double the total from 2005.

Last Thursday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released its AB 32 Draft Scoping Plan, the market-based roadmap which will guide California toward its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. This roadmap will motivate companies like Tesla to come to California and bring their innovation, reduced emissions and thousands of jobs with them.

Last Wednesday, CAEATFA approved a new program that exempts new ZEV manufacturers from paying sales and use tax on the purchase of manufacturing equipment to encourage ZEV manufacturing in California. For Tesla, these incentives will mean millions of dollars in savings when the company invests in building their new plant in California. And if they choose a city that is in an Enterprise Zone, they will save millions more. Tesla will also be eligible for at least $1 million in Employment Training Panel Workforce Development Funds to train employees.

Tesla's Model S will be a fully electric, five passenger, multi-use sport sedan with a driving range of approximately 225 miles on one charge. The projected cost of the Model S is $60,000.

"These vehicles can play a big part in helping California successfully implement its groundbreaking laws to fight climate change," said State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, who chairs CAEATFA. "By offering this financial incentive, our goal is to ensure zero-emission vehicles realize their full potential in our state. In the bargain, we believe the policy will bolster our emerging green economy, create good-paying jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. I'm very pleased the policy helped convince Tesla to build its high-performance electric cars in California."

In addition, California's new Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicles Technology Program, AB 118 by Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles), which the Governor signed into law last year, established a new program that will generate more than $100 million annually for development of new technologies, vehicles and fuels. Funding is expected to be available in March 2009.

California's ZEV program is the world's only enforceable requirement for the development and production of zero-emission vehicles. The following state and federal programs support ZEVs:

* Alternative Fuel Vehicle Incentive Program: Offers up to $5,000 for the purchase or lease of alternative fuel vehicles. Battery electric vehicles, such as a Tesla, typically receive the full $5,000 grant.
* High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane Access: Vehicles are eligible to receive the white HOV lane access sticker allowing them to be driven in the HOV lane with only one occupant. This white sticker is different from the yellow stickers issued to hybrid vehicles in that their availability is not capped at a specified number of vehicles.
* California's Environmental Performance Label: Requires all new cars starting in 2009 to display a sticker to inform consumers about the smog forming and greenhouse gas emissions of each vehicle. Vehicles are scored on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. ZEVs will receive a score of 10 for both smog forming and greenhouse gas emissions.
* Federal Tax Incentives for Recharging Stations: A federal tax deduction of up to $100,000 per location is available for qualified electric vehicle recharging property used in a trade or business.
* Local Community Programs: Offers public charging, free parking and supportive building codes for installation of home charging units.
* Low Carbon Fuel Standard: Requires fuel providers to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels sold in California. This first-of-its-kind standard firmly establishes sustainable demand for lower-carbon fuels without favoring one fuel over another. To start, the standard will reduce the carbon intensity of California's passenger vehicle fuels by at least 10 percent by 2020 and more thereafter.

The exemption covers 625 vehicles this year and 3,200 vehicles over the next two years. The Tesla Roadster is still going to have standard airbags, but they will not meet the Advanced Air Bag standards. As a refresher, advanced airbags are ones that protect multiple types of passengers in the event of an accident. [AP via Google]