Tesla Model S Gets 99 out of 100 Rating From Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports has fallen in love with the Tesla Model S. On its scale of one to 100, the $70,000+ electric car scored a 99, tied with the highest rating the highly regarded publication has ever awarded to any car.
It's an enormous victory for Elon Musk's growing electric car company, which showed its first profit last quarter. The praise from Consumer Reports is in stark contrast to the controversial review from The New York Times three months ago, which showed the car running out of battery power and emphasized its limited range compared to vehicles powered by fossil fuels.
Consumer Reports lauded the car's "excellent handling," "comfortable ride," and "eerily hushed," roomy interior.
Consumer Reports lauded the car's "excellent handling," "comfortable ride," and "eerily hushed," roomy interior. The reviewers praised the car's 17-inch touchscreen with its high-resolution Google Earth maps, generous trunk space in the front and back, and powerful acceleration.
The review cited the car's need to recharge as its only flaw. Said the publication's head of auto testing Jake Fisher to CNN, "If it could recharge in any gas station in three minutes, this car would score about 110."
Citing a range of "180 and 225 miles on a charge, depending on the weather," Consumer Reports wrote that the car recharges in 5 hours when plugged into Tesla's optional high-power wall connector, or 12 hours on a standard 240 V electric car charger. The publication paid $89,654 its test car, which included the most powerful battery and fastest charger, and an additional $1,200 for that optional high power wall connector.
As a result of the Consumer Reports praise of the electric car, Tesla stock rose by 13% in after-hours trading on Wednesday, continuing that trend Thursday morning as it skyrocketed by an additional 25%, up 107.3% for the year.
Writes Consumer Reports, which buys all its review vehicles and accepts no paid advertising: "So is the Tesla Model S the best car ever? We wrestled with that question long and hard. It comes close." What do you think?
Photo courtesy Tesla Motors
Inside the Tesla Model S Factory
Factory entrance
A rare look at the world beyond the Tesla visitor center.
Concept Version
An early Model S at the factory entrance shows a design flourish soon abandoned: a windshield that covers the whole top of the car.
Tesla Factory or Prometheus Set?
It's hard not to think of shooting a science fiction movie here.
Almost Ready
Robot Crawlers deliver a near-complete chassis.
Acres of Space
The Tesla factory's main building is an astonishing 5.5 million square feet.
Bikes
The factory is so large -- and the floor so smooth -- that beach cruiser bikes are the transport of choice.
Still-life: Crawler with Car
The magnetic robot crawler awaits a delivery.
Tireless:
...both this car and the machines that make it.
Mag Track
The robot crawlers that dominate the factory run on thin magnetic tracks.
Training Wheels
Here's where employees put the chassis through its paces.
Tesla Employees Wait
The more than 2,000 employees of the fledgling electric car company line up for the official delivery of their first Model S sedans.
Model S Front
Pure gorgeousness.
Model S Interior
All the essentials: steering wheel and giant tablet for navigation.
Rear View
Nothing shabby about this car.
Ready to Go
Employees line up in front of two of the first Model S electric sedans to go out for delivery.
Jerry Brown
Given his interest in electric cars -- and the fact that Tesla is hiring thousands in a state with 10% unemployment -- it was a given that the California Governor would show up to say a few words.
Musk Speaks
Elon Musk would be the first to admit he's no great public speaker -- and seemed ill at ease in front of an audience of thousands -- but his achievements speak for themselves.
Key Ceremony
One of the early customers is presented with a key by Elon Musk. The car keys are in the shape of a car themselves.
White Lightning
The very first Model S rolls off the factory floor.
Musk's Words
Quite the mission statement at the factory entrance.
Rear underbody
Welding machines await another client.
Toy Roadsters
The Model S isn't Tesla's first car. Here are stacks of toy versions of its first two-seater sporty car, the Roadster.
Spider Vehicle
These red robotic crawlers do all the heavy lifting.
Welding Area
It's all done behind large red eye shields.
Booties
Get used to this odd-looking machine: it's the future of car production.
It's an enormous victory for Elon Musk's growing electric car company, which showed its first profit last quarter. The praise from Consumer Reports is in stark contrast to the controversial review from The New York Times three months ago, which showed the car running out of battery power and emphasized its limited range compared to vehicles powered by fossil fuels.
Consumer Reports lauded the car's "excellent handling," "comfortable ride," and "eerily hushed," roomy interior.
Consumer Reports lauded the car's "excellent handling," "comfortable ride," and "eerily hushed," roomy interior. The reviewers praised the car's 17-inch touchscreen with its high-resolution Google Earth maps, generous trunk space in the front and back, and powerful acceleration.
The review cited the car's need to recharge as its only flaw. Said the publication's head of auto testing Jake Fisher to CNN, "If it could recharge in any gas station in three minutes, this car would score about 110."
Citing a range of "180 and 225 miles on a charge, depending on the weather," Consumer Reports wrote that the car recharges in 5 hours when plugged into Tesla's optional high-power wall connector, or 12 hours on a standard 240 V electric car charger. The publication paid $89,654 its test car, which included the most powerful battery and fastest charger, and an additional $1,200 for that optional high power wall connector.
As a result of the Consumer Reports praise of the electric car, Tesla stock rose by 13% in after-hours trading on Wednesday, continuing that trend Thursday morning as it skyrocketed by an additional 25%, up 107.3% for the year.
Writes Consumer Reports, which buys all its review vehicles and accepts no paid advertising: "So is the Tesla Model S the best car ever? We wrestled with that question long and hard. It comes close." What do you think?
Photo courtesy Tesla Motors
