2012 Tesla Model S Sedan :

PayPal founder Elon Musk's next planned opus for his Tesla Motors electric-car company is a $57,400 electric luxury sedan to be built in Southern California. (You know Tesla, of course, from their Lotus-based Roadster.) According to the company, the Tesla Model S will have up to 300 miles of range, a 4900-pound curb weight, and expected acceleration to 60 mph of 5.6 seconds. After attending the unveiling, we can confirm that it wears the beguiling looks of a Jaguar XF doppelganger.

If all goes to plan—a plan which includes an infusion of both government and private funds to the teetering company—production of the Model S should begin in the third quarter of 2011. Musk says that no matter what happens, the Model S will go into production even if funding shortages prolong the launch date.

Key elements of the five-door, five-passenger car’s design, which was completed by Mazda USA's former design director Franz Von Holzhausen, include a relatively slippery 0.26 coefficient of drag and an expansive hatchback big enough to swallow a mountain bike. A twin-screen computer display with web connectivity features prominently in the leather-and-wood-trimmed cabin. The options list will be long, and include the buyer’s choice of one of three lithium-ion battery packs. The pack included in the base price will have a range of 160 miles, an intermediate pack will offer 230 miles, and the premium 8000-cell pack will weigh over 1000 pounds and supply up to 300 miles of range while recharging in as little as 45 minutes.

Musk hopes to assemble the Model S at a rate of 20,000 per year. A Sport model is planned for after launch. Musk expects a $7500 federal tax credit on electric vehicles of a certain size will defray the price to $49,900. That is, again, if everything goes to plan. So far, little about Musk’s various post-PayPal enterprises, including a solar-panel installation business and a rocket factory, has followed an easy path.