Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S
Overview
Manufacturer	Tesla, Inc.
Production	June 2012 – present
Model years	2013–present
Assembly	United States: Fremont, California (Fremont factory) Netherlands: Tilburg (Tilburg factory, final assembly, 2013–2021)
Designer	Franz von Holzhausen (2008)
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size
Body style	4-door liftback sedan
Layout	Rear-motor, rear-wheel drive Dual-motor, all-wheel drive Tri-motor, all-wheel-drive (Plaid models)
Chassis	Unibody
Related	Tesla Model X
Powertrain
Electric motor	3-phase alternating current induction motor
Transmission	Single-speed reduction gear
Battery	40–100 kWh lithium-ion battery
Electric range	208–405 mi (335–652 km)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	116.5 in (2,960 mm)[1]
Length	196.1–197.7 in (4,980–5,021 mm)[2][3]
Width	77.3 in (1,960 mm)[1][note 1]
Height	56.5 in (1,440 mm)[1]
Curb weight	4,323–4,960 lb (1,961–2,250 kg)[4][5]

The Tesla Model S is a battery-electric, four-door full-size car produced by the American automaker Tesla since 2012. The automaker's second vehicle and longest-produced model, critics have called the Model S one of the most significant and influential electric cars in the industry. It is the recipient of numerous accolades, including the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award in 2013. In 2012, it was included on Time's list of the best inventions of the year, and the magazine later included it on its list of the 10 best gadgets of the 2010s in 2019.

Tesla started developing the Model S around 2007 under the codename WhiteStar. Initially, Henrik Fisker was appointed as the lead designer for the WhiteStar project; after a dispute with Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, Fisker was replaced by Franz von Holzhausen. By 2008, von Holzhausen had designed what would become the production Model S's exterior. Tesla unveiled a prototype of the vehicle in March 2009 in Hawthorne, California. In 2010, Tesla acquired a facility in Fremont, California, to produce the Model S, which was previously owned by General Motors and Toyota. Series manufacture of the car officially began at what is now known as the Tesla Fremont Factory in June 2012. Tesla carried out the final assembly for European markets at its facilities in Tilburg, the Netherlands, between 2013 and 2021.

All versions of the Model S come equipped with a single-speed transmission. The car initially used an alternating current induction motor, but Tesla replaced it with a permanent magnet synchronous reluctance unit in 2019. Constructed mostly of aluminum, the Model S shares 30 percent of its components with the Model X—a crossover SUV that was introduced in 2015. The car has undergone several updates during its production, the most prominent ones occurring in 2016 and 2021. These updates have usually included modifications to the motor, such as changes to power or torque, revised exterior elements, and refreshed interior features. One such change included the introduction of Tesla Autopilot—a partial vehicle automation advanced driver-assistance system—which was released in 2015. To charge the Model S, Tesla operates a network of fast-charging stations.

In 2015, the Model S was the world's best-selling plug-in electric vehicle. It has been the subject of multiple fires, the first in 2013. In 2014, The Daily Telegraph described the Model S as a "car that changed the world".^[6] Road & Track argued that, with the introduction of the Model S Plaid—the high-performance version of the vehicle—and features such as the yoke steering wheel, Tesla managed to turn the Model S into "perhaps one of the worst [cars in the world]."^[7] Certain companies have customized the Model S into limited-edition body styles, including a hearse and a shooting brake.

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