Consumer Reports Gives Highest Ever Rating To Electric Sports Car
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - An all-electric sports car has performed better than just about any vehicle ever tested in the history of Consumer Reports. A car made by Tesla Motors got a rating just one point shy of the highest mark possible.
Only one time before has Consumer Reports given a vehicle a rating of 99 and this time it goes to the Tesla Model S.
In fact the magazine raved about the way the car handles and all the creature comforts they say rival high-end Mercedes and BMW.
Chief tester Jake Fisher says the rating is well deserved, but admits electric cars aren't for everybody. "If you need to take a long trip this isn't for you," he said. "But if you routinely drive under 200 miles a day this is the best car you could buy."
Calling it "the best car it has ever tested" Consumer Reports says the car's technology and efficiency are off the chart. "This thing is a rocket ship... not just that it goes zero to 60 in about five and a half seconds, but it feels far quicker because it makes virtually no noise while it does that."
Just last month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk was at the Texas capitol voicing his support for HB 3351, which would allow manufacturers of 100-percent electric vehicles or all battery-powered vehicles to sell directly to consumers, bypassing car dealers.
"Texas, which prides itself on being the freest state in the nation, actually has the most restrictive laws about car selling," Musk told lawmakers.
Currently Texas law forbids automakers from operating their own dealerships.
Experts say the new Consumer Reports rating should bode well for Tesla's plan to build mass-market electric vehicles. But since that isn't the case yet, don't think for minute that Tesla quality comes cheap. The Model S has a sticker price of $90,000, but Fisher said the amount is comparable with other high-end luxury models.
Remember, the Model S got a rating of 99, not 100. The only issues testers had with the vehicle were long charging times and a rear window that was difficult to see out. The findings will be presented in the magazine's July issue.
Just a footnote – the last time Consumer Reports gave a 99-score to a vehicle was in 2007 for the Lexus 460L.
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