Tesla Model S All-Electric Sports Sedan to Start from $57,400

In its latest newsletter, Tesla officially confirmed that its forthcoming Model S which will be revealed in prototype form on March 26, 2009, will have an anticipated base price of $57,400 (€43,700 with today's exchange rates) or $49,900 after a federal tax credit of $7,500, when it goes on sale in late 2011. This means that the Model S will not only cost half the price of the Tesla Roadster that begins from $109,000, but also that it will be priced significantly lower than Henry Fisker's plug-in hybrid Karma sedan that starts from $87,900.

"Because of tax incentives and relatively inexpensive maintenance and refueling, the lifetime ownership cost will be closer to cars with far lower sticker prices," the company stated.

Tesla aims to roughly split initial sales of its all-electric four-door sports sedan in North America and Europe, with Asian markets following shortly after.