Tesla Model S

SPECIFICATIONS

1. Pricing starts at $71,070 but quickly climbs over $100,000 with options you’ll probably want. 2. Output ranges from 302 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque on the base car to 416 hp and 443 lb-ft on the “P85” model. 3. The Model S is rated to drive up to 265 miles with the 85 kWh battery. 4. The Model S scored top marks in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s crash tests.

PREVIEW

Ask any owner about their Model S and they’ll probably have a hard time coming up with reasons to complain about it. Even people who bought early models known to come with quality defects don’t seem to mind. How is that possible?

Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk has achieved something trickier than convincing YouTube viewers to forego flinging angry comments at everyone. He’s managed to successfully market a very expensive electric car better than corporate giants like Nissan ever could. In some ways, his process was simple. Musk made electric cars fun. 

The Model S is available in a wide range of configurations including the choice between two battery packs; one with 60 kilowatt hours and the other with 85. Both are considerably bigger than other electric cars. For example, Nissan uses a 24 kWh pack in the Leaf. But the bulky energy storage system is built into something Tesla refers to as a “skateboard” chassis.

Stop by one of the company’s stores, and you’ll see a bare version of the platform on display. Its name presents a clear description. There are four wheels, suspension components and a long, wide, flat metal housing to join them. The battery pack hides inside the structure.

It also houses all of the drivetrain components, of which there are relatively few. An electric motor powers the back wheels. The result is a remarkably smooth and stable ride with absolutely thrilling acceleration.

INTERIOR

By now you’ve probably already heard about the car’s best interior feature. If not, here goes. It’s a gargantuan touch screen that controls almost everything in the car.

The panoramic glass roof (should you choose that option), climate control, phone operation and Internet radio; it’s all accessible through something that feels more like a large tablet computer than an “infotainment system.”

 

It’s responsive, too. There is almost no detectable lag between screens, and the image quality is stunning. Admittedly, using a computer system for some things can be a little disconcerting at first, but you’ll soon grow to love everything about it. In fact, the biggest downside lies in having to use systems in other cars. They feel finicky and slow by comparison.

When you’ve finished playing with the car’s main attraction, there’s an entire cabin to take in. But there really isn’t much about it to discuss. There’s a bin between the front seats big enough to hold a brief case or hand bag, a place to rest your right elbow while driving, and a steering wheel. The usual audio and cruise control buttons are present, but for such a high tech car, there isn’t very much going on. It’s refreshing.

The digital gauge cluster is of equally high resolution and responds as promptly as the touch panel. Speed, remaining range and other information relevant to the driver is on display.

UNDER THE HOOD

The car ranges from 302 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque for the 60 kWh battery to 362 hp and 440 lb-ft with the 85 kWh. That climbs even farther to 416 hp and 443 lb-ft if you buy the P85, which comes with a high-performance drive inverter. Sprinting from 0-60 mph takes 5.9, 5.4, or just 4.2 seconds depending on which one you choose.

Even without that, the tester was $117,020 after factoring in a $7,500 federal tax credit. Options like the “subzero weather package” ($750) that add heated rear seats, wiper blade defrosters and washer nozzle heaters aren’t necessary everywhere. Point is, the base price doesn’t mean much.

Instant torque sent to the rear wheels makes this thing a treat to drive. It rockets from stops and corners are equally exhilarating. Regenerative brakes return energy to the battery pack like any other electric car, except they seem more pronounced in this case. In fact, the left pedal is only required for emergency braking or coming to a complete stop. That part takes some acclimation.