Tesla has released a new video that shows the Model S in action.
Looking sightly different than the car that was unveiled in 2009, the Model S Alpha build is one of the first prototypes to be built. After several months of testing, engineers will fine-tune the vehicle to create a Beta build which will more closely mimic the production Model S that is due in 2012.
According to Graham Sutherland, a Tesla Vehicle Dynamicist, "The first Alpha is amazingly agile for a car of its size. It has great handling balance and poised ride with communicative steering. Just goes to show what combining a low center of gravity with a very stiff body structure can achieve."
As we have previously reported, the Model S is motivated by an electric motor that is powered by a 42 kWh lithium-ion battery. It enables the car to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds, hit a top speed of 120 mph (193 km/h), and travel up to 300 miles (483 km) on a single charge.
