Mr. Elon Musk’s latest four-wheeled product, the Tesla S, currently ranks as the third best-selling luxury car in California, behind Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5-Series sedans. The fact that the Tesla S is all-electric is simply a bonus. Based on new-vehicle registrations from the California New Car Dealers Association, drivers in the Golden State registered 4,714 new Tesla S vehicles within the first six months of 2013. In fact, reports show that Californians are responsible for 50 percent of the Palo Alto company’s sales. Thanks, Hollywood celebrities and dot-comers!
Discussing Tesla Motors’ market value on Bloomberg.com, Alan Baum, auto analyst at Baum & Associates, said, “Tesla’s the Apple of automotive—it’s managed to cross the automotive and technology fields to become this hot commodity. Justified or not, the expectations for this company are now very high.”
Back in 2008, jaws dropped collectively across the auto world after Tesla’s unveiling of its two-door roadster. Underneath the sleek packaging and tree-hugging technology, the sassy EV turned out to be a true performer at the track. Based off the Lotus Elise sports car, the Tesla Roadster demonstrates excellent handling characteristics and hits 0 to 60 mph in just under 4 seconds.
With the advent of the larger (and still 100 percent electric) Tesla S model, it appears the industry is continuing its love affair with the eco-conscious brand: Motor Trend named the Tesla S Car of the Year for 2013, as did Automobile magazine and Yahoo! Autos, while Consumer Reports noted that the EV lux sedan is the best car it’s ever tested. Really, kids, the praise is endless.
There are four different powertrains on offer for the Tesla S, with the top-of-the-line 85 kWh battery hammering out 362 horsepower (upgrade to the Performance model for a total of 416 horses) and boasting a driving range of up to 265 miles on a full charge. The lux vehicle has an MSRP of $71,070.
And there’s no reason the car shouldn’t be doing well. After selling PayPal for a staggering sum and crafting an unparalleled all-electric sports car, Musk continues en route with his SpaceX program and recently laid plans for his Hyperloop concept, the 600-mph rail system that is being designed to transport passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in less time than it takes to get to the first guest on Letterman. Two down, two to go.
