The Tesla Model S four-door sedan is the first COTY winner in the 64-year history of the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award not powered by a gas-guzzling internal combustion engine.
The technology of batteries is catching up to the needs of a world desperate to escape gas-dependency, and the Tesla Model S has the Panasonic cells with nickel-cobalt-aluminum cathodes to run a 465 HP AC Induction engine. This baby has some serious junk in that 4700-plus pound trunk.
This sedan is made to emanate luxury, compete with the Lexus brand, and outdo the fast and the fuel-efficient. She sports a gargantuan touchscreen interface that is one of a kind and eliminates nearly all buttons in the dashboard, and software can update the interior interface to keep it relevant in a constantly evolving green future.
The Prius cannot match a Motor Trend tested 74 miles per gallon on the low end and 118 mpg-e on the high end for up to 265 miles (with the Premium 85-kW-hr battery pack model).
The catch is the price: this bad boy is just over fifty grand (after federal rebates) for the low-end model that goes for 140 miles and about a hundred grand for the Premium 85-kW-hr car (that gets the more reasonably useful 265 miles per tank… I mean electric charge – it’s a habit).
Costliness aside, the Tesla Model S is a good size – about that of a Chevy Equinox – does 0-60 in four seconds, and goes quite a ways on only electricity.
All of your gas stations are belong to us.
