When it comes to Awards, we’ve given a few – and several of them have been cars. The Ford Ranger is a great Blokes Best, and the Audi Q7 is unquestionably the best Luxury Car. But what if you put it all aside and look at the total market, look at the future of motoring, look at what is generating all the talk – its got to be a Tesla.
We love the Tesla Model S. I’d buy one in a heartbeat if I could justify the cash. And we also know it’s not the most high-tech car on the road in terms of options and advanced technology, though it certainly leads in many areas.
But, when we first wrote about the Model S late last year, our headline was “Rethink everything about cars and driving”. And that stands true today.
This car is something different. It’s a scalextric you can drive, it’s innovative from bumper to bumper. It drives like nothing else, and without question it’s got the motoring industry talking – from the writers and reviewers, right through to the board rooms of the car companies. And if any car-company isn’t talking about it, they are blinded by the future.
The Tesla Model S can be the future of motoring. With scale the technology can be affordable, with scale the network of chargers can be made to service a much greater population of vehicles.
While it may be selling off the hook here, it’s still not a dent on the overall car market. But it can be – in time.
Just like our “Best Tech” and “Best Gadget” awards, this is not about a specific category of vehicle. This is not a luxury car award, though it would be seen by many as luxurious. This is not an electric or green car award, though it would win that hands down if we had such an award. This is an overall award. This is to recognise that the Tesla Model S can and should change the way we think about motoring, about cars and about the environment if that’s what is important to you.
That’s why we’re awarding the EFTM Best Award for 2015 – Best Car, to the Tesla Model S.
