Will the Model S Sport version and the 300 mile pack be available on launch?

will model S support 3 phase charging ?
as Europe 230v installations normally max out at 16a (3.6KW)
but 400v (3p+n) go up to 32a (12.8KW)

Also, when will the Signature series holders know what options are included in the package?

@Mark, that 400V@32A three phase is 22kW (you multiply amps too with sqrt3).

When expected supply of Model S in the EU, if I book now?

Hello Matjazov,

check the FAQ linked above: "European left-hand drive production is scheduled to begin in late 2012 or early 2013."
Currently, there are (roughly) 4000 Model S reservations, 500 of them in Europe. A fair guess is that TESLA will produce 1000 cars per month by end of 2012. If 1/8 of that is the EU model, serving the existing European reservations will take 4 months.

Conclusion: If you order now, expect delivery no sooner than April 2013.

Will the New Model S have a radiator protection screen to prevent foreign object damage in the Northeast States, from sand, stones and flying insects. Many a radiator has been lost to FOD (foreign object debris.) Hate paying that much money just to loose a radiator on sandy roads.

Any thoughts or plans on adding a port/jack to support a spare plug-in battery if one happens to run out of juice? Sort of a 2.5gal emergency fuel (a small emergency battery pack) system to get you off the road-side. You keep at home and send the spouse out with it should the unfortunate occur!!

Accessible within one of the trunks, perhaps.

That would still probably weigh 100lbs or more depending on how much range you wanted out of it. They'd probably just recommend you plug into a 110V outlet with your spare charger if you got into a pinch. It'd take forever to charge but at least your batter wouldn't run out.
Or of course, find a faster charger or a DC fast charger if those are supported.

You could always carry one of these in the trunk:

http://www.consumersearch.com/portable-generators/honeywell-hw2000i/specs

2kW charging would give you about 6-8 mile range in one hour at 60mph. Otherwise you would need to have some pretty expensive batteries to do that same. 2kWh battery weight around 30lbs/13kg (questimate based on Brammo Empulse: http://www.brammo.com/empulse_specifications/), but you get more power out of it, so charging would be faster (maybe 4-8kW, same questimate).

Given how rarely anyone runs out of gas, it seems unlikely you'd run out of battery power accidentally either. Most insurance companies have a pretty cheap towing option as part of the insurance which you could use if that did happen. There are some short range recharge options as Timo noted. Or, as dsm363 noted, 110V outlets are pretty much everywhere and you can stop and get that extra 5 miles if you're just barely short of range.

Idea/Question: Could the Model S come with a built-in 110V charger (or other as country appropriate)? Open a hidden flap under front fascia or somewhere and unroll maybe 6 feet of cord to a attach to a normal 110V plug would make it simple to do minor charges away from home. It'd double as an emergency charging option if you're out of range since you can probably beg a 110V charge from almost anywhere for a short period. Plus, it'd avoid the optional $600 charge for such a charger...well, not avoid it, but build it into the car which might make it a bit cheaper.

From a convenience/sales viewpoint, I think it'd go over well to be able to tout that it gives the option of a quick plugin anywhere without the hassle of carrying a spare cord and it's a cord someone couldn't just walk off with if you leave your car unattended during a charge.

Roadsters have mobile charger with multitude of plug possibilities, I don't see any reason why Model S wouldn't have the same.

what will the projected price range for the S model be?

Short answer is only Tesla knows. My guess is it will go from $57,500 to over $80,000 fully loaded.

Model S signature series - $80k to $90k before federal rebate.

@Klaus

where did you receive that information on the Signature S?

fyi new email out, gave some info on pricing and expectations

From that email (by George Blankenship, received a few minutes ago):

• Alpha testing is in full swing. The first Alpha hit the road in December 2010, and we continue to test as planned. Final assembly of the production-intent Beta vehicles will be done at the Tesla Factory this year and provide us with further testing and development opportunities.
• Deliveries for North America begin in mid-2012.
• The first 1000 cars off the line will be the North American Model S Signature Series. Those vehicles will be equipped with a 300 mile range battery. In the tradition of a limited-edition series, they will feature unique badging and an extensive complement of options.
• After the Model S Signature Series, deliveries for North America will continue with the 300 mile batteries, followed by 230 and 160 options later in 2012.
• Delivery of the European left-hand drive Model S is scheduled to begin in late 2012. In mid-2013 we plan to begin delivering the right-hand drive Model S for Europe and Asia. Each launch will begin with a limited edition Signature Series.
• We expect to produce approximately 5,000 units in 2012 as we ramp to full single shift production capacity of 20,000 units per year in 2013.
• The price of the US base Model S with a 160-mile battery is $49,900 after the $7,500 federal tax credit. The 230-mile range option is expected to price at about $10,000 more and the 300-mile option at about $20,000 more than the base.
• We are currently working on final pricing and options for Model S, including the Signature Series. We expect to have updates on Model S pricing worldwide this summer.

Very exciting that the 300-mile version will be available at launch, and that the extra battery capacity will be priced in the range of $500-600 per KWh!

Jack

Does this mean people can buy their way to the front of the line by specifying a larger battery pack? I thought deliveries were going to be done by reservation number...no?

Will we be able to lay the benchseat down to enable sleeping a-la hatchback style?

Spare Battery would not need to support more than perhaps 20-40miles. Just enough to prevent a tow home or to the nearest charging station!

SUGGESTION: Install 300mile packs in early adopter cars to help allay fears of running out of juice on the road. I NEED to be able to go 200 mile's (one-way) consistently with NO fear of running out of juice.

The early adopters will 'spread the word' to all potential EV owners down the line.

JackB, the extra cost for the 300 mile pack is not technically a marginal cost as all the batteries in a 300 mile pack are different from the 230 mile pack.

$10,000 divided by 90 kWh = $110 extra perkWh for a denser battery technology.

I understand your feeling just explaining that the actual cost is spread over all the batteries.

Install 300mile packs in early adopter cars to help allay fears of running out of juice on the road. [...] The early adopters will 'spread the word' to all potential EV owners down the line. (mb@guisys.com)

Tesla has heard you. That is precisely what they achieve by not making the smaller battery packs available from the start (for whatever technical reason there may or may not be). And I think it is reasonable, fits The Secret Tesla Master Plan very well. :-)

The advantage of a 300 mile battery pack over a smaller variant is obvious: You can go further on a single charge. However, there is some confusion regarding potential downsides of the 300 mile pack (besides the higher upfront price):

• There are some rumors that charging is not as fast for the 300 mile battery as for the smaller batteries. Intuitively, an empty 300 mile pack would charge almost twice as long as an empty 160 mile pack, which is acceptable. But, e.g., after having driven 100 miles -- which variant will take longer to recharge to 90%, and how much longer?
• Is the Wh/km the same for all three battery packs? If the weight is significantly different, then the larger packs would also incur higher electricity bills for the same distance traveled.

Does it matter if it takes longer to fully charge? If you need 100 miles of extra range, it will take the same amount of time regardless of how large the pack is.

I wouldn't expect Wh/Km to be much different. If you look at the Roadster efficiency curves, the largest impact on range by far is aerodynamic drag. Driving 1 kph faster would have a larger impact.

Charging from 20% to 80% occurs the fastest. This is regardless or type of battery. Charging for 200 miles will take longer than 100 miles, but not twice as long.

The weight of the 230 and 300 mile versions will be very similar. The 160 will be slighty lighter with fewer batteries. Their spots will be replaced by antifreeze.

The aerodynamics are much better in the sedan than the Roadster.

Got the info from my local Tesla rep. I assume that's fully loaded.