The front grille. Tesla is on a campaign to drum up public support for the car and its request for $450 million in government loans. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Tesla designer Franz von Holzhausen, speaking about refinements, says the interior on the prototype is “about 40% there.” (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Taillight of the Tesla Motors Model S, which Tesla will use the Fremont plant to manufacture. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
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Tesla vehicles at a facility in Hawthorne, Calif. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
The vehicle draws an admirer before a test drive by the car’s designer, Franz von Holzhausen. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
The body structure could be aluminum or steel or a combination, but the Model S will have lightweight aluminum body panels. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Car designer Franz von Holtzhausen returns to a facility in Hawthorne after a test drive. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
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The vehicle is taken out of a hangar at SpaceX in Hawthorne. It’s aimed to rival conventional mid-market sedans from BMW and Lexus. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Car designer Franz von Holzhausen takes the car for a spin in Hawthorne. The interior of the prototype includes cars a 17-inch, touch-screen control panel with haptic feedback in the center console that may not make it to production. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
