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Tesla CTO talks Model S, batteries and in-car Linux

14.08.2012
For most people who identify themselves as techies, Tesla's Model S is something of a dream car. The all-electric vehicle accelerates fast, can maintain a high top speed, has a range of up to 300 miles, and packs a 17-inch flat panel display with a Linux-based computer system that provides access to just about every aspect of the car's performance and entertainment system.

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It's perhaps no wonder that thousands of the cars have been reserved, even though Tesla has only just started delivering them to customers. IDG News Service spoke to JB Straubel, chief technology officer for Tesla, about the Model S, its design and technology, and his outlook on electric vehicle technology. Here's what he said.

IDGNS: When you get into the Model S, this 17-inch flat-panel screen dominates the interior. Was that how you intended it, or did the design evolve that way?

JB Straubel: We did want to make a statement and package as much touchscreen as we could. Tesla is very much trying to drive forward the usability, technology and infotainment as well as the propulsion and the electric drive. It was a key design point from the very beginning.

IDGNS: What type of batteries are you using?