Best American cars of all time - Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S shows that the US offers more than gas-guzzling V8's
Tesla’s Model S is not just one of the best electric American cars, it is one of the best electric cars, period. This is a seriously impressive feat when you think about how new to making cars Tesla is (compared to marques such as Ford).
The Model S is a large saloon car that runs on electricity alone - but it's not limited to a short 150-mile range like some battery-powered vehicles. Since the first UK-market Model S arrived in 2014 Tesla has regularly revised and improved its saloon. So much so that the Model S now has a claimed range of 394 miles – almost 100 more than the longer-range model offered at launch.
The Model S, even in its lowest-power guise, is a quick car and can easily embarrass some of the world’s best supercars. Then there’s the Model S Plaid, which is touching hypercar territory. The Model S Plaid trades 21 miles of theoretical range for a higher top speed (200mph vs 155) and a faster 0 to 60mph time (1.9 seconds vs 3.1). Numbers like these show that a gentle touch of the accelerator is enough to fire any Model S towards the horizon at a rapid pace. In addition to being seriously fast, the Model S is comfortable and luxurious. Then again, it should be as prices start at near enough £85,000 or north of £113,000 for the Plaid.
With no engine, and the batteries and electric motor mounted low in the chassis, the Tesla is a really practical car. In the back, there’s plenty of legroom, you get three ISOFIX mountings and there’s also no transmission tunnel to be climbed over. Some early models even came with rear-facing jump seats in the boot suitable for kids under 10-years-old. Without them, there’s a huge amount of space to store your luggage, too.
Best American cars of all time:
