I test drove a Tesla Model S today. I've driven hybrids before, but this was my first drive in a full electric car.
I came away extremely impressed. The car struck me as the greatest automotive innovation since the Model T. It is special on so many dimensions that it feels very different to everything else in the luxury car market. In fact, it makes me wonder whether Toyota and BMW have been asleep at the wheel, that a startup was first to market with a product like this.
These are the things that impressed me:
1) Drive's really well. The driving sensation is very unique. It has some of the characteristic of a hybrid with the instant throttle response, but it feels completely different because you have that response at any speed, and it is all electric so it is very linear. It is hard to describe what makes the driving experience - adjectives like good handling, low cog, instant throttle response, only touch the iceberg. However you articulate it, the combination of these qualities is extremely unique. In fact I liked it so much, I think cars like the F10 535i and 550i, Lexus GS350, Audi A6, E550 are all rendered obsolete by the Tesla Model S. Unless you do drives above 300 miles in one go, this is a better product.
2) I love the motor. I drive an M5 so I'm good at handling large amounts of torque. But I nearly lost control of the car going full throttle while exciting a curved on-ramp. The response is very striking. The M5 is definitely faster, the rate of acceleration in the Model S felt more like my Dinan 550i, however the instant electric response is very gratifying and much more exciting than what you would see in a 550i Dinan Stage 2.
3) BTW this was the car weith the large battery and 300 mile range. Now in a V8 300 miles will cost you about $70 in petrol. In this car it is $10 for a full charge. That is a massive efficiency!
4) The integration of tech into the car is the best I have ever seen. The massive touch screen is really bright - much brighter than what we have. I was amazed how intuitive it was to control eveyrthing through a computer. But what is most impressive is how they use this to add features all the time. The Motortrend review called out the lack of memory seats. Now the car has them via software update. It can store 12 driver profiles. The sales guy told me that a customer once said it would be a good idea to have the sunroof open using the options on the steering thumbwheel. he sent it in. Obviously others must have suggested it too, and a month later it was rolled out via software update. That impresses me because it tells me that you are getting a product which embeds continuous improvement.
5) There are some key omissions - HUD, parking sensors, top-view cameras, center console were the first things to come to mind. They are going to add a center console as an option.
6) Some nice touches too - I love the giant sunroof, I love the 7 passenger seating which I thought was quite creative. The giant wheels are really nice. I hate the cheapo Mercedes switchgear.
7) Very interesting retail experience. The store was factory owned. The guy was extremely knowledgeable but also very customer centric. He honed in on what I was interested in. No attempt to make a sale, I asked him if I could order one after the drive. All electronic order taking - very quick. Also the car can be delivered to any Tesla dealership in the country for no additional charge - obviously not an issue since they are mostly corporate owned. Their service centers are separate from their retail locations - but the one they have down here is top notch.
I put down 2 deposits - one for the Model S and one for the Model X. I don't think I will keep both cars, but I am planning to replace our Lexus GS460 with a Model S. And if resale remains as strong as it is now (used ones have been selling around $140k), I may flip the Model S after 6-9 months when our Model X arrives. It pays to be on the waitlist. BTW My production number for the Model S is 16,XXX and for the Model X it is 2,0XX. These cars are clearly flying off the production line.
I came away extremely impressed. The car struck me as the greatest automotive innovation since the Model T. It is special on so many dimensions that it feels very different to everything else in the luxury car market. In fact, it makes me wonder whether Toyota and BMW have been asleep at the wheel, that a startup was first to market with a product like this.
These are the things that impressed me:
1) Drive's really well. The driving sensation is very unique. It has some of the characteristic of a hybrid with the instant throttle response, but it feels completely different because you have that response at any speed, and it is all electric so it is very linear. It is hard to describe what makes the driving experience - adjectives like good handling, low cog, instant throttle response, only touch the iceberg. However you articulate it, the combination of these qualities is extremely unique. In fact I liked it so much, I think cars like the F10 535i and 550i, Lexus GS350, Audi A6, E550 are all rendered obsolete by the Tesla Model S. Unless you do drives above 300 miles in one go, this is a better product.
2) I love the motor. I drive an M5 so I'm good at handling large amounts of torque. But I nearly lost control of the car going full throttle while exciting a curved on-ramp. The response is very striking. The M5 is definitely faster, the rate of acceleration in the Model S felt more like my Dinan 550i, however the instant electric response is very gratifying and much more exciting than what you would see in a 550i Dinan Stage 2.
3) BTW this was the car weith the large battery and 300 mile range. Now in a V8 300 miles will cost you about $70 in petrol. In this car it is $10 for a full charge. That is a massive efficiency!
4) The integration of tech into the car is the best I have ever seen. The massive touch screen is really bright - much brighter than what we have. I was amazed how intuitive it was to control eveyrthing through a computer. But what is most impressive is how they use this to add features all the time. The Motortrend review called out the lack of memory seats. Now the car has them via software update. It can store 12 driver profiles. The sales guy told me that a customer once said it would be a good idea to have the sunroof open using the options on the steering thumbwheel. he sent it in. Obviously others must have suggested it too, and a month later it was rolled out via software update. That impresses me because it tells me that you are getting a product which embeds continuous improvement.
5) There are some key omissions - HUD, parking sensors, top-view cameras, center console were the first things to come to mind. They are going to add a center console as an option.
6) Some nice touches too - I love the giant sunroof, I love the 7 passenger seating which I thought was quite creative. The giant wheels are really nice. I hate the cheapo Mercedes switchgear.
7) Very interesting retail experience. The store was factory owned. The guy was extremely knowledgeable but also very customer centric. He honed in on what I was interested in. No attempt to make a sale, I asked him if I could order one after the drive. All electronic order taking - very quick. Also the car can be delivered to any Tesla dealership in the country for no additional charge - obviously not an issue since they are mostly corporate owned. Their service centers are separate from their retail locations - but the one they have down here is top notch.
I put down 2 deposits - one for the Model S and one for the Model X. I don't think I will keep both cars, but I am planning to replace our Lexus GS460 with a Model S. And if resale remains as strong as it is now (used ones have been selling around $140k), I may flip the Model S after 6-9 months when our Model X arrives. It pays to be on the waitlist. BTW My production number for the Model S is 16,XXX and for the Model X it is 2,0XX. These cars are clearly flying off the production line.