Surely by now you’ve heard of the Tesla automobile, yes? Maybe seen one on the road or parked on the street? No? Ok, well here are a few specs to catch you up.
Tesla Motors is an American automobile manufacturer. As a company, their goal is to accelerate the world’s transition to electric mobility with a full range of increasingly affordable electric cars. Plainly put, Tesla is dedicated to the goal that the entire planet transition from gas powered vehicles to electric vehicles. To that end, they’ve opened all patents for anyone to use. As stated on their website, “Tesla will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use [their] technology.” That is revolutionary in itself. But let’s go on.
The Tesla Roadster, the company’s first vehicle, is the first production automobile to use lithium-ion battery cells and the first production electric vehicle with a range greater than 200 miles (320 km) per charge.
That means there’s no emission……because there’s no engine. And still, the model S gets from 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds. Let that sink in.
But what does any of this have to do with Newark? Well, Tesla has actually partnered with Panasonic – whose North American headquarters are located in Newark – for manufacturing and a significant amount of the tech that goes into each vehicle, about $16,000 worth per, as I’ve been told. And granted, the Tesla didn’t originate in Newark. Neither did Panasonic for that matter. But Panasonic’s presence here in this city and the partnership with Tesla should mean something to Newark, especially in the context of Newark’s history of producing globally impactful products and inventions – from patent leather to celluloid film, to email. And that means that we as Newarkers must buy into the innovations that are produced or facilitated here. To that end, The Newark Times will be publishing more content on the Tesla brand, so stay tuned!
Be sure to stay in the loop with Tesla via social media on their Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, and Vimeo.
