The new Tesla Model S has won one of the most coveted awards in motoring: the 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year. This is an historic event because it’s the first time in 64 years the prize has been given to an electric car. Ten other cars were involved in the competition.
Angus MacKenzie from Motor Trend said, “At its core, the Tesla Model S is simply a damned good car you happen to plug in to refuel”. The judges were impressed by the both the performance and efficiency of the all-electric car. The Model S reached 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and achieved 75.5 miles per gallon equivalent during Motor Trend’s tests.
Furthermore, for the first time it was a unanimous decision. Every judge picked the Model S as the top car. Motor Trend’s Editor in Chief, Ed Loh, said that in all of the competition’s six categories, including performance and intended function, engineering, efficiency, safety, value, and advancement in design, “the Model S blew us away”. Being blunt, he also added, “it’s not one of these hippie-mobiles like the Prius with a weird campback profile and small wheels. In terms of design it’s gorgeous.”
Apparently Motor Trend has over a million print readers and around 6 million online readers, so this accolade should give the car decent mainstream exposure. Do you think an award like this will help convince more people electric cars are now more than experimental “green” vehicles, and are now here to stay?
Image credit: Tesla Motors
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