Electric Vehicles Study 1.0 Tesla

As a local, Cleveland based junk car buyer & aka “cash for cars” company, the new vehicles being manufactured today are important since they will be the junk cars & scrap cars of tomorrow (10 years from now). In chapter 1.0 we study Tesla Motors, a US maker of electric cars, now a public company. In 2009 Tesla was approved to receive $465 million in interest-bearing loans from the US Dept. of Energy, which was repaid in 2013. [1]  Now Tesla offers the Model S sedan & Model X SUV & is initially used Toyota’s former Fremont, CA NUMMI plant for production.

Features of Model S

The S goes from 0-60 MPH in 5.4 seconds, has a top speed of 125 mph & generates zero tailpipe emissions. According to Tesla, “Model S can be recharged at the rate of 29 miles of range per hour. A fifty-percent charge in as little as 20 minutes can be achieved with a Tesla Supercharger. Most Tesla owners plug in at night. By morning, their battery is completely recharged.”[2]  The S has a safety glass panoramic room that blocks 100% of UV light & 81% of heat. The frame uses aluminum & steel & the curb weight is higher than I expected at 4,600lbs. Thus far, the Tesla is certainly a premium vehicle with a price tag beginning at $60,000 & includes 19” wheels, a 17” dashboard touchscreen, a high-def backup camera, 200 watt sound system, eight airbags & rain sensing wipers.

The Battery

They offer a 60kwh & 80kwh battery with claimed “ranges” of 244 miles & 306 miles. There are 3 primary ways to charge: 1) Using a public station with J adapter, which charges at a rate of 20 miles of range per hour; 2) Using a 240 volt outlet, which provides 29 miles of range per hour; 3) A Tesla Supercharger station which can provide 170 miles of range per hour. There are approximately 150 Supercharger stations in the US currently. The warranty for the battery is currently 8 years.

Future of Auto Scrap

Steel currently makes up about 60% of a vehicle’s curb weight.  Aluminum is an alternative to steel, but can be more costly; however, aluminum lasts longer then steel, so junk car buyers may notice that vehicles are on the road longer. Scrap car buyers may benefit from recycling the expensive batteries used in electric and hybrid vehicles, but it is possible that manufacturers themselves could establish “buy-back” programs on the batteries if recycling them provides economic advantages.

About Us

Where to sell a junk car?  What are the current scrap car prices? Cash 4 Cars Cleveland can be reached at 216-359-1010 for a junk car quote. Additionally, a junk car quote can be obtained by sending the junk car’s information through our website https://www.cash4carscleveland.com.  Those looking to sell a junk car will be glad to know that we are available 7 days a week and include free towing on scrap cars that we buy throughout Cuyahoga County.  To sell a junk car, we strive to make the process easy, requiring simply the vehicle title and an ID. Scrap car prices do vary quite a bit, so shop around when determining where to sell a junk car. C4C buys old cars, wrecked vehicles, scrap cars, trucks and vans throughout the greater Cleveland area. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Motors#History [2] http://www.teslamotors.com/models/features#/battery