San Carlos, California - The U. S. electric car manufacturer Tesla has announced that it plans to produce a four-door sports sedan in 2010 with a range of about 400 kilometres on a single charge.

The car, priced at around 60,000 dollars (38,100 euros) will be built in northern California.

Production of the zero-emission Tesla Roadster began in March this year. It has a price tag of around 100,000 dollars with confirmed orders of some 900 units, according to the manufacturer.

The electric motor is powered by several thousand lithium-ion batteries linked together in one battery pack, positioned behind the cockpit. It has a range of 365 kilometres, a top speed of 200 km/h and acceleration from zero to 100 kilometres in just four seconds. (dpa)