U.K. Tesla fans jealous of their counterparts in the U.S. are finally able to reserve their own 2013 Tesla Model S.
Buyers will be able to choose between Model S and Model S Signature, and will get to enjoy the same specifications as buyers in the U.S.
That means the same color and trim options, and the same choice between regular models and Performance versions. Likewise, Tesla is quoting the same 230-mile and 300-mile range estimates, at 55 mph, for 60 kWh and 85 kWh batteries. There's no mention of a 40 kWh version, however.
Prospective customers will have to pay a hefty deposit if they want to be first in line, though.
While reservation of a regular Model S will cost U.K. customers £4,000, or around $6,400 at current exhange rates, reservation of a Model S Signature requires a £30,000 payment--$48,000 at current rates.
That's almost enough to get North American buyers an entire 40 kWh Model S, with the $7,500 federal tax credit taken into account.
Naturally, Signature cars will come fully specified, just like their U.S. counterparts--and $48K down is probably a small price to pay for those buyers wanting to get their cars in mid-2013, when deliveries start.
Model S buyers will enjoy the same sort of benefits that other electric car owners see--zero London congestion charging (saving $16 per day), zero road tax, zero company car tax (a rate paid by those who receive a car through their firm as a benefit), and corporate tax breaks for vehicles bought through a company.
U.K. buyers wishing to reserve a Model S can do so here.
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