Tesla Motors Inc. plans to build a $250 million facility in San Jose, Calif. to manufacture a zero-emission, electric luxury sedan, the Model S.
Tesla also plans to relocate its corporate headquarters and research and development efforts to a consolidated campus in San Jose as well. The new location will be 20 miles from the current headquarters in San Carlos.
Tesla President and CEO Ze’ev Drori announced Wednesday that construction on the 89-acre site would begin in the summer of 2009. Once opened and operational, the facility will employ approximately 1,000 workers.
Model S is Tesla’s zero-emission, five-passenger luxury sedan powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. It is expected to have a base price of about $60,000 and get about 240 miles per charge with exceptional performance. The first sedans will likely roll off the assembly line in late 2010.
“Tesla has amazing momentum right now,” said Tesla product architect and chairman Elon Musk. “The excitement within the company is palpable. The company has clearly taken production of all-electric vehicles to the next level, and the Model S assembly plant will dramatically accelerate our growth.”
