Back in November, we told you Silicon Valley-based automaker Tesla Motors was planning an all-electric sedan to sell alongside its high-performance Tesla Roadster (pictured). In an interview with the Oakland Press, CEO Martin Eberhard shed some more light on the project.
Eberhard said his team is focused on Tesla’s “White Star” program — a basic architecture that can be used to extend Tesla’s product range into sedan/crossover territory.
“We’re deep into the engineering on White Star and staffing up like crazy,” said Eberhard. “We’re looking to hire chassis engineers, body engineers and suspension engineers, not so much on the power plant.”
Eberhard said Tesla’s goal is to produce an American-made electric sedan or crossover that will sell for around $50,000 — significantly less than the $92,000 Lotus-built roadster.



01/14, 1:43 PM
posted by:
Brendino
Eh…if they can pull it off then props to them…just make sure the batteries last for a long freaking time.
01/14, 3:29 PM
posted by:
Hyperion
What great news!
01/14, 3:33 PM
posted by:
Wickedated
Meh.
01/14, 3:48 PM
posted by:
tino
hey, better than seeing updates on a camaro!
01/14, 4:53 PM
posted by:
A4
yeah at least it brings back electric possibilities, i think itll be sweet
01/14, 8:27 PM
posted by:
Ricardo Head
Awesome. I’d spend 50k on a Tesla sedan any day before I’d buy a gay BMW.
01/14, 11:18 PM
posted by:
Veda
Styling isn’t so bad, price is ok, unique engine. What about interior quality and gadgets?
01/15, 2:05 AM
posted by:
PruceJuice
Please bring back the chances of electric powered cars! They’re so much simpler than hydrogen!
01/15, 10:53 AM
posted by:
Saud
That’s all well & good but it isnt going to sell that much & 55k is more realistic thanks to price gouging
01/15, 11:26 AM
posted by:
MyGodBeatsYourGod
How about a “White Castle” project to use all that heat byproduct from those batteries?
Ah, the smell of onions and sliders instead of a normal car’s exhaust fumes…
01/15, 12:02 PM
posted by:
Asher
With the technology they have and the freedom from Unions etc., Tesla may very well be THE car of the future. It will be interesting to see how low the costs can go as production increases. Even the 92k roadster is well-priced from the start – imagine when the scales of economy make that Roadster only 50k.
This truly is one manufacturer that has the POTENTIAL to put the rest out of business and in a hurry…shows how crazy technology is – 1 little invention and a tiny Silicon Valley start-up has the capability of taking out all the long-established Big Boys…I for one would like to see it!
01/15, 12:24 PM
posted by:
The Stig
Sweet – I’ll buy it.
01/15, 12:42 PM
posted by:
bb_454
1 little invention and a tiny Silicon Valley start-up has the capability of taking out all the long-established Big Boys…I for one would like to see it!
Comment by Asher, posted on January15 at 12:02 pm
Why would you want hundreds of thousands of people out of a job?
01/15, 7:06 PM
posted by:
Phil
The back looks like Mitsu Eclipse.
01/16, 9:47 AM
posted by:
1234
This is excellent news. Bring on the electric cars – the sooner the better. I cannot wait until I’m no longer paying through the nose to help support uber rich oil executives, Saudi princes and terrorists…