Tesla unveiled its Model S sedan recently. It's well styled (reminiscent of a Maserati Quattroporte) and seats up to seven (though how you'd squeeze them in is another matter). But the performance and range of the car are the real stand out features.
I still believe we have a ways to go before electric vehicles can be used for the 'family vacation'. (In light duty use, like city cars, electrics do have a role to play.) But Tesla's Model S may be the closest an electric car has come yet to providing the performance and range of an internal combustion (IC) vehicle.
The Tesla S is claimed to do 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds (VERY quick for a family sedan) and, with an optional battery package, has a range of 300 miles before needing to be recharged.
Rate of recharging is another matter however, with the fastest recharging scenario, DC quick-charged, taking 45 minutes. Plan meals along the way rather than just a 'restroom break then grab-a-snack and go' type stops.
Still two out of three concerns met for electrics isn't bad. The three keys to the viability of electric cars are; performance, range, and rate-of-refueling.
Tesla press release on the Model S here.
Image via Tesla Motors
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