Overview & Reviews

While Martin Sheen and others ponder Who Killed the Electric Car? a group of Silicon Valley millionaires is trying to answer the next question: Who will resurrect the electric car? Tesla Motors is the result, a manufacturer of vehicles than run 100 percent on electricity.

The company gets its name from Nikola Tesla, the inventor of alternating current, who went toe-to-toe with Thomas Edison (and won) to prove whether AC or DC was the preferred method of transporting electricity over great distances. In the same light, Tesla Motors is trying to prove that electricity is not only capable of transporting automobiles great distances but also that electric cars can be fun to drive.

The company is the brainchild of Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning and PayPal founder Elon Musk. The founders of Google, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, are also investors. This fresh blood from Silicon Valley is further evidence that Tesla is an entirely different type of car company.

Tesla went about creating its first vehicle with the theory that nobody wanted electric cars because nobody had created an electric car worth buying. So they sought to correct the many perceived electric-car problems like range, recharging times, styling and performance. The company's first product, the Tesla Roadster, is capable of going about 250 miles between charges, which is a drastic improvement from the GM EV1's 60-90-mile range. A complete recharge is accomplished in less than 2 hours. (The EV1 took 5.) Recharging is accomplished via regenerative braking, a home recharging unit and an optional portable recharger.

As for styling and performance, Tesla chose a $100,000 sports car to enter the market as a way to establish "performance DNA" that would trickle down to less expensive models. Based on the Lotus Elise, the British-built Tesla Roadster is lightweight and svelte, capable of keeping up with other sports cars in its price bracket. Tesla promises 0-60-mph times around 4 seconds and a top speed of more than 130 mph. Throw in handling indicative of its Lotus roots and it should be obvious that the Roadster is one heck of a sports car.

Tesla announced in February 2007 that it would be making a new sport sedan known as the WhiteStar, built at a new factory in New Mexico. The company plans on producing 10,000 units each year at a cost between $50,000 and $65,000 per car. Like the Roadster, it should have a range of about 250 miles, but with battery technology improving, that number could rise.

With growing international attention, including Tesla Roadsters ferrying stars to high-profile events like the Oscars and the rising interest in alternative fuels to combat global warming, this young electric car company could soon be a big name in the automotive industry.

User Reviews:

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  Remarkable Car - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By txcattledog - September 15 - 2:04 pm

  For over 100 years, cars have improved incrementally. That has changed. In the last year, the car has improved exponentially, thanks to the Tesla Model S. Everything about the Model S is better than an gas car - drive experience, design, engineering. The car has an intuitiveness and effortlessness that is unmatched - acceleration, handling, controls. It only lacks ease of long trips, but that is being solved with the supercharger network and is already irrelevant to many. Daily, it excels - full every morning, at 1/4 the cost of gas, and 4 times the fun. We sold our Lexus when our Model S arrived and will part with our BMW for the Model X. Categorically. Unequivocally. Joyfully!!!

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  "First Ride" Impressions when I visited Teslas Factory - 2012 Tesla Model S
  By ev_fan - August 21 - 4:52 am

  I was very impressed by the Model S and have reserved one. The car looks awesome, is quiet because its an EV, and offers great range - up to 300 miles @ 55 mph with the largest battery pack option. It performs extremely well. Acceleration is immediately available on demand, and the 0-60 times range from 6.5 secs to 4.4(!), top speed 110-130 mph, depending on model. I also spent a half hour playing with the 17" touchscreen at a Tesla store. It offers streaming music to Google maps and everything in between. The car has the most storage space in its class, with a "frunk" (front trunk) where the noisy, polluting gas engine would be in an old-fashioned car. Also love the glass panoramic roof!

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  Base model: same rocket, smaller boosters - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By thranx - August 10 - 11:00 am

  Beats every car in town except a Tesla P85. Sports car, family sedan, and small SUV all in one. Available coved rubber mats allow safe storage of liquids in trunk. mini-USB drive holding tons of classical music plays through the cars system exactly as it would on my desktop or laptop...same file system, everything. Pano roof gives feeling of being in a convertible.

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  Ive owned a lot of cars - 2017 Tesla Model S
  By James Malarkey - July 27 - 1:03 am

  At an early age I had an unquenchable thirst from performance, reading virtually every single R&D from 1996 to 2017. I pursued power buying the best options available or testing it on the track. Having owned over 52 cars, and peddle time, behing the Ferrari, 458 F40, Acura NSX, and Porsche 993 GT3RS I thought Id hit the pinnacle, but none compares to the Tesla... The Tesla to a car guy is a stealth bomber to the airforce, anything on the road expect a nuclear explosion. Theres nothing like it! in standard form it seats 5, has class leading technology, and weighs 4500 lbs, yet will shred 0-60 in 4.2 seconds. Its so quite that when you speed people dont know how to react? There is no way to justify the speed as theres no noise, its quite, like a mouse farting... no-one hears it. Speed isnt its only game, utilization is off the charts! The car has two trunks, front and rear. The front alone is enough to store the groceries, the rear is large enough to put your living room in it. Its literally that big, and seems to have endless room. For me, and really the reason why I bought it was the enhanced autopilot, which allows me to dart down the road while answering emails and making follow up conversations, which gives me a leading edge over my competitors, and sets me apart from the heard. Bottom line I love it, and I hope it continues to impress.

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  this is something you need to consider before you buy - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By amazinggrace - March 8 - 12:04 am

  my husband accidentally spilled the cooler inside the car after he hit the break, and the car just stopped in the middle of the road. the car was totally dead (was embarrassed as a lot of people that drove by knew it was a Tesla ~___~ and waved at me) and waited 2hrs for the roadside assistant to arrive. the next day the Costa Mesa service center called, and they were willing to change the connectors that had water damage for us for free, I WAS HAPPY THAT TESLA WOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE AS I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BECAUSE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING UNCOMMON TO HAVE IT HAPPENED INSIDE OF A CAR, WHO DOES NOT HAVE A COOLER? AND WHO DOES NOT CARRY WATER IN THE CAR?

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  American Ingenuity Electrified - 2014 Tesla Model S
  By rickallen - December 31 - 7:11 am

  I have the P85D AWD. The powertrain alone is worth the cost of entry. Faster than Ferrari performance, AWD, and every stomp of the accelerator doesnt burn a gallon of gas. Flex your foot and your face and body are thrown back with nearly no accompanying noise. The silence makes the acceleration somehow more rocket like, as if some unseen force is hurtling you toward the horizon. This car is the future of powertrains.

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  Fascinating, sickeningly fast, ultra-quiet, & no gas! - 2013 Tesla Model S
  By dwoodruff - March 3 - 5:57 am

  I have owned my Model S Performance (P85) for 6 weeks. It is the most brilliant car Ive ever owned (and I have owned a long string of very good cars, including Ferrari Cailfornia, Audi S8, Porsche 997 Carrera S, Infiniti QX56, Audi allroad, BMW M3...). Automobile Magazine and Motor Trend had it right: it is a "game changer." The power delivery is unreal. It is dead silent. It handles tight and flat. It feels modern and well-assembled. You can keep tabs of the car on an App on the iPhone, including warming it up from wherever you are so it is toasty warm when you climb in. Park it in the garage and quickly plug in the charger, and it is full and ready to go every morning. Just amazing.

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  I love it.....but not perfect - 2017 Tesla Model S
  By W.A. - January 24 - 10:29 pm

  Things I love: styling, performance, large info center, smooth acceleration, no gas stations, low maintenance costs, incredible sound system, frunk and sub-trunk, rear cargo space, HOV lane, federal tax credit, summons feature, replacement parts seem nicely priced, my first Service Center experience was excellent, my first body shop experience was very good, many people think you are "cool" and environmentally friendly (and you are). Things I wish were better: fit and finish of body parts (not up to premium car standard), auto pilot still not a wow...needs more development, blind spot monitor is below expectations for such an advance vehicle, difficulty getting in and out of front seat...if you are tall, the front seat goes behind the "B" pillar too far thus the entering and exiting is more difficult. Final Verdict. I love the car. I doubt I would ever buy an ICE car again.

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  Best Care I have ever owned! - 2015 Tesla Model S
  By Bazerkly - January 18 - 10:43 pm

  The Tesla is like no other car. Nothing comes close! Its the only True EV.........

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  Zapped and Glad - 2015 Tesla Model S
  By hmp10 - December 10 - 5:32 am

  Im a "car guy" and have owned 3 Audi R8s, a Mercedes SL55 AMG, a Corvette, and a Jaguar. I traded in an R8 V10 Spyder for this car and havent looked back. This Tesla is significantly faster, just as sure-footed, far more practical (at least for local driving) and, in its own way, just as cool. It is also has the structural solidity of a bank vault and the handling tautness and tactile feel of the best cars I have owned. I thought I would miss the roar of the V10. Instead, I find the barely audible whine and whoosh of the electric drive train just as appealing. I thought I would miss the manual gear shifting of the R8. Instead, I find the eerie silkiness of the Tesla drivetrain addictive to the point that driving my internal-combustion cars is now vaguely annoying. I thought the regenerative braking would take some getting used to. It took me about 30 seconds to adapt, and I now find it one of the best features of electric driving. I thought the 17-inch screen would be distracting. Instead, I find it the best driver interface I have ever seen in a car. My biggest worry in buying the car was range. Unfortunately, this is not a car I would take on a long road trip, as the supercharger network still requires too much bobbing and weaving off ideal routes to keep the car charged. However, there is no amount of local driving that has left me anywhere near the end of the battery range. I picked the car up at a dealer on the east coast of Florida and drove it home to the west coast. I was driving well above the speed on which the range claims are based, I did some hard acceleration runs (this car requires no break-in), and I made a couple of detours for errands. The car still had 103 miles of indicated range remaining when I got home. Since then I have used the car for long days of running errands and lengthy pleasure drives and have yet to return home with less than 138 miles of indicated range remaining. The downsides: Its absurd to build a car with so little interior storage space, despite there obviously being room. (This is the one area where Elon Musks attempts to be stylistically chic backfire.) Fortunately, EVannex makes a center console that matches the interior perfectly and helps with storage. But I still miss door pockets. On the other hand, the front and rear trunks offer immense trunk space for things you dont need to reach while driving. Despite the cars large exterior dimensions, the rear seat is a bit cramped and difficult of entry and exit for adults. Also, the rear seat backs (at least in the Executive Seating option) are not raked back quite enough due to the low roof line. However, the upgraded Recaro front seats and the front seat accommodations in general are absolutely best in class. Reliability and Service: In 6 months of ownership the car has only needed service once, due to the failure of the door handles to retract. I called Tesla service at 9:30 p.m. the evening it happened and, to my surprise, got an answer. I was a bit aggravated at the prospect of having to take the car 100 miles to the nearest service shop. But then I found out that Tesla had a service tech who works out of a truck in my town and who keeps a supply of parts in a local storage unit. He was at my house before 9:00 a.m. the next morning and fixed the problem right in my driveway. In short, it was most convenient and quickest repair Ive ever had done on a car. (It also turned out that the service tech was Buddy, the mechanic who worked on my R8 at the Audi dealer. He had just moved to Tesla and was loving it.) Since then there have been a few software glitches with the car, seemingly related to bugs in updates. However, they have all disappeared of their own accord, probably as a result of correction downloads that came in overnight when the car is programmed to receive automatic updates. Would I buy a Tesla again? In a second . . . as long as its not my only car (at least until there are more superchargers).