The electric car comes of age with the Tesla Model S

published 3 February 2017

If you thought electric cars were all environmental piety and no fun, the Tesla Model S is here to make you think again, says What Car. Everything about it is "designed to indulge", from the sleek looks to the impressive interior. The first thing you notice before pulling off is the total silence from the motor.

The next is the "staggering" response from that motor. Accelerating from 30mph to 40mph, for example, "happens in the blink of an eye" and the pulling is completely smooth as there are no gear changes: electric motors can deliver their maximum torque from zero rpm, so there's no need for multi-speed boxes. It's a smooth ride too: the car soaks up potholes with no fuss, handles well for something so big and heavy, and is very composed on the motorway too. This is a very desirable and capable car.

For 2017, Tesla has introduced new 100kWh batteries, which means the car can go further on one charge than ever before, says John Calne on iNews.co.uk. The officially quoted range is now 381 miles expect something like 250 in the real world. And the performance, especially for the range-topping P100D model, is, well, ludicrous: put the car into "Ludicrous Plus" mode, and you'll hit 60mph from rest in 2.4 seconds making it a serious rival for any performance car on the road.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

It is by no means perfect, says Chris Knapman in The Daily Telegraph the range-topping model in particular is very expensive, the interior lacks the polish you'd expect from a luxury motor and parking is a challenge thanks to the car's huge size. But the Tesla does address many of the drawbacks of other electric cars, as well as providing thrilling performance and class-leading amounts of space. And although far from cheap, it is very cheap to run and entry-level are no more expensive than an equivalent premium brand model. The Tesla "makes a compelling case for itself".

Price:

Power:

Torque:

Top speed:

Stuart graduated from the University of Leeds with an honours degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, and from Bath Spa University College with a postgraduate diploma in creative writing.

He started his career in journalism working on newspapers and magazines for the medical profession before joining MoneyWeek shortly after its first issue appeared in November 2000. He has worked for the magazine ever since, and is now the comment editor.

He has long had an interest in political economy and philosophy and writes occasional think pieces on this theme for the magazine, as well as a weekly round up of the best blogs in finance.

His work has appeared in The Lancet and The Idler and in numerous other small-press and online publications.