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Model S Wagon

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ShantJ

New Member
Dec 23, 2009
3
0
Is there any possibility of there being a Model S wagon? With the possibility of a Model S-based van, you'd think they'd try out a wagon first.

Also, it would help create sales in Europe.
 
I plan on getting the Model S sedan, but I think it is a great idea to offer a true station wagon body style. We seem to see an emerging comeback of the typical American station wagon, which when you look at it as an objective observer, without being weighed down by the now outdated view of the wagon as only a suburban family car, is really an ideal body style:

1. It is good for carrying cargo.
2. Those sitting in the second row seat don't have the sun on their back for the better part of a day's sunlight driving time.
3. The lower and sleeker shape and design of a good number of station wagon designs usually means that they get pretty good energy utilization ("gas mileage") mileage, especially compared to the typical mini-van or SUV.
4. Styling of the car can often be quite appealing, and I think the Model S sedan body can be rather elegantly adapted to a station wagon body style.
5. Room and comfort, along with a sense of a more open "trailing" space made up of the rear cargo or third row passenger seats, for the passengers in the first and second rows, I believe, has a positive psychological effect on all passengers, but especially first and second row passengers. If you'd like further explanation and/or interpretation of this, I can elaborate.

Overall, I would say go for it. I would certainly strongly consider getting a station wagon as a second Tesla.
 
I too would consider a wagon instead of a hatchback, but not shure - it still dependt on the final design, hatchback is after all best of 2 worlds. (i have at pressent both a sedan and a wagon)

A sedan/hatchback have better overall airflow, and the rear window tend to be "self cleaning" e.g. my sedan have allways a nice clean rear window, while my wagon is constantly dirty on its rear window (in fact the complete back of the wagon is always dirty, including the tailgate, license plate.)

The most obvious bennefit for a Model ST (wagon) whould be better headroom for 2' and 3' row passengers - 2 places where people have made minor complains about lack of space.
if a wagon style is offered, I hope they can make the design so the impressive Cwd still are pressent, and that they can make the rear windows "self cleaning"
 
What I've seen is that people on enthusiast websites say they want wagons, but when automakers try to sell them (in the U.S.), nobody buys them.

Having said that, this rendering does look attractive:

teslawagon.jpg
 
Still, think this is being done by people who are not aware how much actual room is in the flat bottomed, no gas tank, exhaust system, transaxle, etc. Tesla.

My wife still doesn't get it. And she drove the car, and watched me crawl into the frunk easily. I keep telling her we could put 5 people in the car, the two dogs in the back and luggage for the two of us (driving people around after a road trip) in the frunk no problems! I think the Tesla back has about as much room as my GTI with the rear seats folded down. And it would still have an empty frunk and seating for 3 additional people.

If the S was a true sedan it would have lost a lot of appeal from me. And I probably would have waited for Gen III, or a longer ranged LEAF or FocusEV. If it was a true wagon it would gain a little more appeal from me. And my greyhound as she would have more headroom in the back.
 
Interesting to see this old thread resurrected.

I personally like the renders, but I don't think this will ever happen. Two reasons come to mind:
* Tesla is trying to simplify the pipeline, but doing this will double the number of configurations and require lots of work on designing/certifying the body that would be as rigid and safe as the current sedan/hatchback.
* aerodynamic drag. The current hatchback is very good at managing the airflow in the back. Most of the air displaced by the crossection of the car is brought back together with laminar flow (i.e. low energy loss). However with the stationwagon, the almost vertical rear window generates a much bigger area of negative pressure. Notice that the rear window gets dirty on SUVs and SVs: that's an indication of low pressure sucking in dirt. That's where the energy gets lost the most. I'd expect that the Station Wagon would have 10-15% less range, maybe more.