Nearly two years after the Model S was unveiled, Tesla has announced the first vehicles will be delivered in mid-2012 (late 2012 in Europe).
The first 1,000 cars will be a limited edition "Signature Series" that feature special badging and "an extensive complement of options." They will be motivated by a 42 kWh lithium-ion battery which sends power to an electric motor that enables the Model S to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds, hit a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h), and travel up to 300 miles (483 km) on a single charge.
Pricing information hasn't been finalized, but the standard Model S 300M (300 mile range) costs approximately $77,400. If that sounds a little expensive, there will also be a 230M (307 km) and 160M (258 km) that cost $67,400 and $57,400 respectively. Thankfully, all the variants will be eligible for a $7,500 U.S. government tax credit.
If everything goes according to plan, Tesla will build 5,000 Model S' in 2012. A year later, the company hopes to produce 20,000 units.
