Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk says he wants to shift 5,000 examples of the new Model S electric saloon this year and four times that in 2013. It’s a very ambitious target so, naturally, any endorsement is more than welcome; especially if it comes from the nation’s largest auto retailer.
Labeling it, “a first-rate car” and “the best electric car I’ve ever driven”, does the job nicely, thank you. That’s exactly what AutoNation Inc. CEO Mike Jackson said after driving the car during his visit to a showroom near Tesla’s HQ on August 15, according to a Bloomberg News report.
“The Model S has very good design, fit and finish is good, driving dynamics are good”, said Jackson. He did point out, though, that as with all EVs, price will be the limiting factor in the sales front.
“Electric vehicles, all-in, when we’re sitting here three years from now, are still less than 1 percent of the market. They’re very expensive,” he added.
The base model, which starts at US$57,400, has a 160-mile (257 km) range, while the price skyrockets to US$105,400 for the “Signature” variant that can do 300 miles (480 km) on a single charge. Any way you slice it, even throwing in the US$7,500 federal tax rebate that brings the base price just below the $50k mark, that’s a lot of cash.
Musk must be smiling smugly, though, as Jackson added that the Model S is better than the Fisker Karma: “Some people love the styling, some people think it’s a bit baroque, but the dynamics are not as good (as the Model S)”, said Jackson who also drove the Karma last week.
Fisker, which has to deal with a new recall due to a fire hazard as well as to unfreeze the Energy Department loan allocated to building its new Delaware factory, probably won’t be cheering.
You can also watch a video from Inside Line testing the Tesla Model S right after the jump.
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