Electric car manufacturer Tesla says it has received 520 $5,000 deposits for its upcoming Model S electric high-performance sedan, which was launched just a week ago at company chief Elon Musk’s SpaceX headquarters in Southern California. Tesla admits that the demand so far has exceeded its expectations.
The deposits mean that Tesla has about 2.6 million in additional capital to begin developing a new assembly plant for the Model S. Since that’s hardly enough to build a plant, the automaker has applied for $350 million in federal assistance.
Tesla also announced a new, limited-edition introductory model – which can be reserved for $40,000. Dubbed the Model S Signature Edition, Tesla says it will feature unique interior and exterior features. Just 2,000 models will be split between European and North American customers.
