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Fan-made Tesla commercial imagines a Model S that's out of this world

When you're a kid, anything is possible. With a bit of crayon, cardboard boxes can become helmets, or even space ships. All it takes is a bit of imagination. Replace that crude packaging with something as refined a Tesla Model S and that fantasy world can kick into overdrive. That's the premise behind a new 'ad' featuring Mace Coronel and his dad Marc, and co-starring our favorite all-electric road rocket. Although not commissioned by Tesla Motors (which did tweet about it), the minute-long spot is a great commercial for the company and its battery-powered sedan. It also serves as a excellent advertisement for Everdream Pictures, the minds behind the fancy editing and camera work, as it aptly demonstrates that outfit's "Imagination in Motion" tagline. It's not the first promotional film put together by fans of the sedan – see also: Gallons of Light – but this footage certainly captured our imaginations. Scroll below to see if you are equally as impressed. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. )

Koenigsegg sees new Tesla Roadster as the 'gauntlet' thrown down

Christian von Koenigsegg, the man behind the company that holds the current record for world's fastest car, does not like to be outdone. So he did not particularly enjoy hearing the numbers regarding the forthcoming next-generation Tesla Roadster and its vaunted 1.9-second 0-60 mph time. "We kind of had our future mapped out, and then we heard about the new Tesla Roadster and its insane acceleration numbers, and we thought 'Damn, that's put the gauntlet down,'" the Koenigsegg founder and CEO told Top Gear. As he told the site, he enlisted his engineers to start running numbers, and within a couple of days, they'd figured out a solution. "The simplest way of putting it is like this: It's combining direct drive with the hybridization we have in a different format with free-valve engine technology, in a peculiar layout," von Koenigsegg said. He said the powertrain could take a car from 0-250 mph in 14 seconds "or something like this," and said he wants to make a combustion engine with a higher power density than an electric powertrain "for as long as possible." His talk about hybrids brings to mind the Koenigsegg Regera plug-in hybrid, which weighs just 3,505 pounds and puts out more than 1,500 horsepower. It does 0-62 mph in 2.8 seconds — impressive, but a full 0.9 seconds less than the Roadster's purported time. And not surprising for a company that is all about maximizing ponies, Koenigsegg likes to geek out over the details of things like the design of the 1,160-hp Agera RS engine. Could he be talking about the same vehicle as the successor to the Agera RS, rumored to be called Ragnarok? Tesla, meanwhile, unveiled said Roadster at Grand Basel in Switzerland — or rather, it showed off what appeared to be a white, empty design shell that had been shown last year at Tesla's shareholder meeting. And don't forget that the mad scientists over at Hennessey are tinkering with the 7.6-liter V8 for the Venom F5, the key to its quest to hit 300 mph. So buckle your seat belts, boys and girls: Things are about to get very fast. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: Drew Phillips Green Tesla Koenigsegg Hybrid Performance Supercars PHEV koenigsegg agera koenigsegg regera hennessey venom f5

Tesla could need another $6 billion to really change the auto landscape

Telsa Motors has some big plans. The electric car company is building its $5-billion Gigafactory near Reno, NV to guarantee a steady supply of lower-cost batteries, has plans to release two new models and is even talking about providing home energy storage on a large scale. The California automaker is ramping up EV production, and hopes to eventually be producing 500,000 cars per year. To do all this, Tesla is going to need a lot of cash, particularly if any of its cars becomes the "next big thing," so to speak. This is money Tesla would need in addition to the revenues it already pulls in. Patrick Archambault, an analyst at Goldman Sachs, said last week that Tesla could need at least $6 billion through 2025 to complete all of the plans listed above and any others, should Tesla become the automotive Apple. An increase in popularity that would see the company hit its production targets would create a need for capital to match that growth. Keep in mind, this is money it would need in addition to the revenues it already pulls in. Tesla has already secured a portion of the funds for its Gigafactory, but still needs to make up the rest. Some will come from its partner Panasonic and Tesla is receiving some serious tax incentives from the state of Nevada (to the tune of $1.2 billion). Archmabault predicts that most of the funds would be needed beginning in 2017, suggesting that Tesla has the financial means to reach its target of 100,000 vehicles by the end of next year. It's not until the Model III comes into play that Tesla might come to need the hefty sums suggested by the analyst. Whether Tesla will become more of a disruptive brand in the automotive world is still anybody's guess. Still, Archambault's suggestion of that possible $6 billion figure was enough to have an effect on Tesla's stock price, which fell after the estimate was released last week, and remains down as of this writing after a note from JP Morgan. Featured Gallery Tesla Model S View 24 Photos Related Gallery Tesla Model X View 15 Photos News Source: Bloomberg via Green Car ReportsImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL Green Plants/Manufacturing Tesla Electric gigafactory