Tesla Motors To Build WhiteStar Electric Sedan in New Mexico

SANTA FE, New Mexico — Tesla Motors says it will build a $35 million assembly plant in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to make its WhiteStar all-electric sedan starting in fall 2009. It is the company's first assembly plant in the United States.

The San Carlos, California-based Tesla said it will produce at least 10,000 units of the five-passenger sedan each year at the new plant. The vehicles will cost $50,000 for the standard model or $65,000 for a premium model with "greater performance and range." Tesla has predicted the WhiteStar will have a range of about 250 miles.

Tesla continues to be on a roll. It plans to launch production of its first vehicle — a striking, $100,000 all-electric roadster that sprints from zero to 60 mph in 4 seconds — this year at a U.K. plant owned by Lotus Cars. It also opened a new tech center in Rochester Hills, Michigan, earlier this year to develop the WhiteStar.

The state of New Mexico said it is looking into the purchase of 100 WhiteStar vehicles for the state fleet over a two-year period as a demonstration of its commitment to clean energy.