Ferrari-fighting Tesla Model R reportedly in the works for 2017

Electric vehicle automaker Tesla Motors is reportedly working on a successor to its discontinued Roadster, dubbed the Model R, which is expected to take the fight to Ferrari.

A rumor coming out of jolly old England’s Auto Express suggests electric car manufacturer Tesla is looking to bring a new model to the market in 2017.

The new car would replace Tesla’s first car, the Roadster, and be built from the ground up as pure all-electric vehicle (EV). Whereas the current Roadster is underpinned by Lotus’ Elise platform, Auto Express claims the successor to the Roadster, thought to be named the Model R, will utilize the same platform currently underpinning the Model S and the upcoming Model X crossover.

In addition to adhering to the company’s current naming convention, the Model R will reportedly expand on the Roadsters lightning-quick acceleration, which is capable of rocketing from 0-60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds and traveling 254-miles on a single charge of its 53 kWh lithium-ion battery.

If true, the Model R would undoubtedly benefit from a platform switch. The Lotus Elise weights about 1800 pounds, while the Roadster weighs in at 2,723 pounds. A new platform built from the ground up to accommodate an EV powertrain has the potential to reduce the weight of the car, while at the same time improving range and acceleration.

Tesla sold the Roadster between 2008 and 2011, with about 2,500 rolling off the line. Base price for the zippy EV started around $109,000. While no longer selling the Roadster, the California-based automaker started a buyback program last month that allows Roadster owners the option to trade theirs in for credit towards a Model S.

According to Auto Express, Tesla has its sights set on Ferrari with the Model R, but we remain skeptical. Still, if the Model R can indeed go toe-to-toe with the iconic Italian automaker we’ll be very impressed. Of course that leaves us with another question: How much will it cost?

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

2015 Chevy Volt may get a new GM platform

With the Volt undergoing a host of changes and improvements, the latest report coming out suggests that the 2015 model year could be getting an entirely new platform.

General Motors may be giving the Chevy Volt a bit of a shine and polish treatment for the 2015 model year according to the New York Daily News, which cited two unnamed sources that are said to be familiar with the process. Based on the report, the American automaker will provide a new platform to underpin the later generations of the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid, which has seen its image and sales slowly pick up after a conscience decision on behalf of the company to halt vehicle production from March 19 to April 16 due to sluggish sales performance.

Currently, the Chevrolet Volt is underpinned by GM’s Delta II platform, which is also shared by the 2012 Chevy Cruze. The move to develop a new platform would also integrate future models of the Chevy Equinox, which currently utilizes GM’s Theta platform. The first models to feature this new platform, which has been dubbed D2XX by the NY Daily New’s unnamed GM sources, will likely arrive in 2014 with another 2.5 million models — both crossovers and compact sedans — using the platform by 2018.

We reached out to GM for any confirmation on the report of its future platform plans, but the company has not responded by press time.

Nevertheless, the development and consolidation of a new platform underpinning a larger swathe of vehicles seems likely. More than anything, the shift will help keep manufacturing costs down, giving GM the ability to improve its existing models. Chevrolet has already given the 2013 Volt a larger battery pack, boosting its electric-only range to 38 miles, and increasing its EPA MPGe rating to 98. There is even talk of larger, turbocharged 2.0-liter engine for the 2014 model year, so a truly overhaul of the Volt’s platform doesn’t appear to be far-fetched.

Interestingly, despite its recent sales surge, GM may halt production on the Chevy Volt for the second time this year beginning next month.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com