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Tesla proved that it could make a great car when it first came out with its Lotus-based electric Roadster in 2008. With impracticality inherent to a convertible sports car and a starting price of over $100K, however, the Roadster was pretty unattainable for us plebeians. Now Tesla is back with a much more mainstream, and practical, offering that has most recently won the Motor Trend Car of the Year for 2013. With a $50,000 starting point that competes with the BMW 5-series and Mercedes E-Class, Tesla may have a real chance at making its unconventional, all-electric car a major player in the conventional sedan market. Get your knowledge up with these 10 Things You Should Know About the Tesla Model S.
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10. Safe for your Family
With all of its electronics and motors down low, the electric sedan provides a stable chassis that has exceeded many Federal crash-test standards. The Model S would provide any family with the piece of mind that they are driving a safe, and sexy, vehicle.
9. Batteries Mean Space
Because of its unique battery pack design, all of the Tesla's power is located in a 4-inch floor of clumped up laptop batteries as opposed to a block that takes up a tremendous amount of trunk space in a hybrid. In place of an engine, there is cutely named "frunk" which can hold a couple of suitcases. In back, you can option a couple of rear-facing jump-seats for the kiddies. Long story short, the hatchback trunk can handle a ton of packages and groceries.
8. Supercar Quick
Even the "slowest" Model S will hit 60 in about 5.6 seconds, same as a 2013 Porsche Boxster. The most performance-oriented model, intuitively named the Model S Performance, will hit 60 in around 4.4 seconds. Motor Trend tested the Performance model and got an even more impressive, 3.9 second run to 60. That's fast enough to seriously worry a new BMW M5 or Mercedes CLS 63 AMG.
7. Electron Power
Most electric cars are weird-looking things with so little oomph they'd barely satisfy a grandma. However, the Tesla Model S performance model can deliver peak horsepower of 416. You can satisfy anyone with that much electric power.
6. The Biggest Screen in the Biz'
The Model S is full of nicely appointed materials and switches. By far the most notable detail in the Tesla is the gigantic, iPad-like screen that controls almost all of the car's features. It can handle everything from navigation, to sunroof operation, to even the headlight controls. It even has 3G access that lets you surf the web as you drive. You'll be full of useless, Facebook knowledge, by the time you crash from being distracted. Cool!
5. An American-made Car that Outshines the Foreigners
The Tesla Model S is a unique offering and a technological showcase unmatched by any other foreign car company. Better yet, this car was developed, and is being produced, in the good ole United States of America. The Model S should give its owners pride in owning such a car that doesn't play second-fiddle to any foreign manufacturer and is a piece of American engineering brilliance.
4. Not for the Impatient
A Model S with the smallest battery pack will charge its battery pack in 5 hours using a (kind of) common 240-volt household outlet. If you are looking for a quick jaunt, a 240-volt socket will deliver 31 miles of range per one hour of charging time. The company is also working on "supercharger" stations that can power the car up to 150 miles in a single 30-minute charge. Not too shabby.
3. Plenty of Range for Most
Tesla has done its part to help curb the biggest downfall to any electric car: range. Because electric cars cannot be juiced as easily and quickly as internal combustion cars, consumers have been wary. The Model S can be had in three flavors, in terms of range for its bats: 40 kWh, 60 kWh, and 85 kWh. Estimated range for the base car is 160 miles. Considering most have a daily commute of 40 miles per day, this seems perfectly adequate. The most range the Model S can offer is in its 85 kWh form, serving up 300 miles of electric-driving pleasure, aka commuting.
2. Batteries = Supercar Handling
The Model S was developed from the ground-up to be an all-electric vehicle. This means the batteries have been integrated so well into the chassis that the Model S has a center of gravity not too dissimilar with the late, and very cool, Ford GT. This does not hide the fact that the Model S weighs in at a slightly obese 4650 lbs., but it does add some sporting potential to an otherwise portly sedan.
1. Sexy Electric: A First
No longer does the electric car have to be synonymous with weird, econobox-pod-like styling. Tesla has proven that an electric car can meet the criteria of a svelte four-door that looks modern, not dorky-futuristic. There is nothing groundbreaking about its exterior styling, but you would be hard-pressed to find anything wrong with that shape.