The high-performance, all-electric Tesla model S price will be from £49,900 in the UK, with first right-hand drive deliveries expected by March next year. The price includes the £5,000 government plug-in car grant.
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Three variants of the Tesla model S are available – the entry level version has a 60kWh battery and is priced from £49,900, and a larger capacity 85kWh model costs £57,300. There’s also a range-topping performance model that uses the 85kWh battery and much more powerful motor that’s priced at £68,700.
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Speaking at the opening of the Tesla store in London’s Westfield shopping centre, co-founder and CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, claimed that the company’s Supercharger system will be implemented across the UK by next year. This allows owners of the model S to recharge up to 80 per cent in just 40 minutes, allowing them to drive long distances without the worry of running out of power. Supercharging is standard on cars with the high-power battery, and is optional on the smaller one.
The batteries in the model S are placed below the floor of the car, giving a lower centre of gravity, which makes for a sharper dealing with and better weight distribution. because there is no engine or transmission tunnel, there is also enhanced passenger space and an additional luggage compartment where the engine would typically be.
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Another benefit of the all-electric powertain is the decreased running costs. As the model S produces zero emissions from the exhaust, it’s exempt from the London congestion charge as well as car excise duty.
Its appeal also extends to fleet buyers, as the model S benefits from a zero per cent Benefit-In-Kind (BIK) rate until April 2015, after which the BIK is set to a rate of five per cent. The typical BIK rate for a similar-sized saloon is typically in the region of 24 to 28 per cent.