The electric vehicle industry including companies such as Tesla is growing, although at a slow pace. It’s a welcome alternative to driving cars with internal combustion engines. After all; we all want to “do our bit” for the environment and not spend so much time polluting it!
But the issue is electric vehicles is that there are many stumbling blocks stopping it from becoming a runaway success. The first and most important issue is the cost to buy such cars. Even superminis like the Nissan Leaf cost several grand more than petrol and diesel alternatives.
Another bugbear is range anxiety. A typical electric car will only travel between 50 to 120 miles before needing a charge. Of course, not all electric vehicles suffer from that problem. Take the Tesla Model S, for instance. It might look like a Jaguar XJ, and it might also cost similar money to it. But it offers a “usable” range.
If you’re thinking of leading a greener lifestyle, one way to do it is to buy a more eco-friendly car. But what if you don’t like the thought of downgrading to an “average” vehicle? If you want to be greener but still wish to travel in luxury, the Tesla Model S electric car could be a viable option.
Is it a good car to buy for your eco-friendly motoring needs? Or is it just another gimmick designed to make you spend (lots of) money for little value in return? Keep reading to find out what the Tesla Model S could offer you.
Performance
The basic Model S only comes in rear-wheel drive, but you have the option to upgrade to all-wheel drive. You might be wondering what difference this makes in an electric vehicle. The answer is simple: performance.
When you have separate motors powering two sets of wheels inside of one, you can go faster! The Tesla Model S is a premium luxury saloon car. Today’s discerning motorists want luxury vehicles that offer better than average performance.
One downside to owning an electric car is that the batteries add a hell of a lot of weight. In a large car like the Model S, you might prefer to go with the dual-motor option. What’s the difference in power, I hear you ask.
If you opt for the single front motor “60” option with the 60 kW battery, you have 380 brake horsepower available to you. But the dual motor 85 kW version, the “85D,” gives you an extra 190 bhp. The former will get you to 60 mph from zero in just 5.9 seconds. Whereas the latter offers a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds.
You can also specify a single motor option with a bigger 85 kW battery, dubbed the “85.” It offers a zero to sixty mph time of 5.4 seconds. But what if that’s not enough power to satisfy your needs?
There’s always the “P85D” monster on offer! As you might have guessed, it comes with two motors just like the 85D model. You get a monstrous 691 brake horsepower at your disposal! Not only that, but you can reach 60 mph from a standing start in only 3.2 seconds.
To give you a comparison, that’s faster than the Ford GT and the Audi R8 Quattro!
The batteries and drive units that come with the Tesla Model S are all guaranteed for eight years. Most have an unlimited mile warranty, bar the “60” whose guarantee gets limited to 125,000 miles. That’s good to know, as replacement batteries and motors are super expensive to replace!
If you want to take a Model S for a test drive, you can only find them new ones at their own dealerships. There are seldom used models on the market, in case you are thinking of looking for a bargain. That means you aren’t likely to find one on the www.gkgroup.co.uk website, for example.
Technology
For something as innovative and luxurious as the Tesla Model S, you would expect to find a plethora of technology as standard. The good news is that you won’t get disappointed!
When you sit behind the wheel of the Tesla Model S, there’s one obvious thing that’s not hard to spot as you sit down. I am, of course, talking about the 17-inch touchscreen display on the dashboard!
Aside from controls where the steering wheel is, the dashboard has no conventional dials and controls to speak of. Everything gets controlled by this massive touchscreen system up front! Tesla have done well to include “day and night” modes for the display. And screen glare isn’t an issue. Especially as the display’s angled towards the driver.
The infotainment system that powers the display comes with DAB digital radio as standard. As you might expect, you can connect your smartphone to it over a Bluetooth link. The display also offers satellite navigation and Internet access.
For those that loathe parking, the touchscreen display is also linked to a reversing “backup” camera. The display is the hub for all kinds of controls and adjustments in the car. You can even use it to get real-time statistics about the charge status.
In case you were wondering, it also controls the HVAC system in the car. There’s one obvious downside to such a large infotainment system display. And that is you’ll always be cleaning your fingerprints from it! Still, if you can live with that, it’s a pretty cool system to use!
Attention to detail
According to the car maker, the door handles are all made of hand-polished zinc. All models get leather trim, which they say is only made from the finest premium Nappa leather. Even the roof lining in the Tesla Model S gives the impression that you are travelling in luxury and style.
By now you will have gathered that the Tesla Model S is akin to the Bentleys and Rolls Royces of the electric car world. Of course, you pay a fraction of the price with the Model S!