TESLA UNVEILS AN ELECTRIC SEDAN

San Carlos, California-based Tesla Motors has raised the curtain on yet another stunner, a battery-powered Model S sedan. Tesla claims the 3,825-pound Model S, which employs a single 9-inch electric motor and a one-speed transmission driving the rear wheels which puts the top speed at 120 mph. The standard-issue battery pack will allow a 160-mile cruising range, but optional upgrades augment that distance to 230 or 300 miles. The four-door Model S seats five adults and two children, thanks to a pair of Volvo-wagonesque rear-facing jump seats beneath the large glassy hatchback. Tesla Model S boasts a cabin trimmed in Italian hide under an expansive panoramic glass roof, and an array of onboard technology, including integrated 3G high-speed Internet access and a 17-inch touch-screen display.

The Model S charges in Tesla showrooms (of which there are currently two, in Los Angeles and Menlo Park, California, with a host of others opening soon) late in 2011, priced at $57,400. That figure, after a $7,500 federal tax credit, falls to a surprisingly modest $49,900—also on par with BMW’s 550i. Tesla is already accepting $5,000 refundable deposits for the Model S.