After Porsche stole the first day of the Detroit Auto Show with the 918 RSR hybrid, you got the feeling that hybrid and electric cars would be all the rage in 2011. Tesla Motors continued the trend when they gave further details of their electric sports car, the Model S.

Tesla Motors announced today that they will begin shipping the Tesla Model S electric sports car in the first quarter of 2012. Can the Tesla Model S keep up with an impressive family that already contains the Roadster and Roadster Sport in it?

TESLA’S ELECTRIC LITTLE BROTHER

Tesla Motors previously announced that about 3,000 people made between North America and Europe made a reservation for the Tesla Model S.

The 2012 Model S is a rear drive car comprised of an electric motor and small transmission assembly. This particular set up is much smaller than the average internal combustion engine and gearbox and is mounted behind the rear axle line and under the trunk floor.

Over 7,000 lithium ion battery cells are grouped together in a stable structure that also makes up the floor plan of the Tesla Model S. There are three different options for battery packs which allows consumers to choose from the standard 160 miles per charge to upgraded arrays that can reach 230 or 300 miles per charge.

The construction of the Tesla Model S sports car mimics the same ones used for the Jaguar XJ and the Audi A8. Traditional welding and riveting is used, but to cut down on weight, some parts are fastened with high-tech adhesive systems.

Toyota Motor Company has put $50 million into Tesla Motors, so they’re hoping that the reservations for the Model S electric sports car continue to rise. Tesla wants to sell more Model S sports cars than Roadsters, but it’s hard to tell if the public will gravitate towards a more green alternative.