(www.autoinsidernews.com) - Tesla Motors officially opened its Michigan Technical Center in Rochester Hills on Friday. The new facility will focus on research & development for future Tesla products, starting with a four-door electric sports sedan to be built by the Silicon Valley-based company. That project, named WhiteStar, will be a four door, five-passenger, lightweight, high-performance sedan planned for production around 2009.
This tech center will be home to the engineering, quality and supply chain staff working on WhiteStar and other Tesla cars coming down the line, said John Thomas, general manager of the Michigan Technical Center and senior director of the WhiteStar program.
The Silicon Valley-based Tesla Motors will launch its first electric car, the Tesla Roadster (shown), in the fourth quarter of 2007. Over 270 customers have already reserved a Tesla Roadster, reports Trend.