Features
Roderick Scott 4

The Tesla Model S is quite the automotive & technological marvel.   Over the past year or two, they've been gaining a lot of traction as more vehicles are now on the road.  More regulations to get sold in more states and supercharging stations for cross-country trips.  I know that I and countless others are getting excited for the forthcoming Model 3 Tesla which is said to be priced around $30K.  

I've been a huge fan of Tesla and everything they're doing to disrupt the automotive industry.  After breaking their 1st billion miles driven by their owners, the company is looking to push for more experiences to get to their next billion.  

So about a few weeks back I decided to take the plunge and go for a test drive in one.  I reached out to participate in their Test Drive event in Parsippany, NJ.  I had the option to drive either the Model S 70D or the P85D.  Even though this is my 1st time driving one and both have all-wheel drive, I went w/ the P85D to pop my Tesla cherry.  



So the all-wheel drive P85D is one of their beasts as it can do 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds and in 2.8 seconds when using the Ludicrous Speed Upgrade.  It felt buttery-smooth driving as I got up to 67MPH on Route 287 and it felt like maybe 40MPH.  The acceleration feels almost like a CVT engine where there's no shifting of gears and just smooth transition to going faster.  Unlike vehicles that use CVT, this is a whole lot smoother.  The driving experience was worth the hype as it still feels like a real car instead being a watered-down, powerless acceleration.  Also present is regenerative braking that charges your battery when you not braking harshly.  

 

It definitely had that new car smoothness even though it already had plenty of miles on it.  

Speaking of charging it.  The perks of an all-electric car is that you can say goodbye to paying for gas.  When charging it at home, it will only cost you a under 3 dollars for a drive of 60 miles.  It can charge comfortably overnight and the superchargers on highways can cap you off in about 45 minutes.  This alone will save you thousands of dollars by not are visiting the pump.  Another perk is that since the huge batteries are on center floor of the car.  You have access to 2 trunks: a small one int he front & a big one on the rear.  

tesla interior

If you've seen a Tesla up-close or in one of the showrooms, you might have been curious about that 17inch touchscreen while actually driving it.  There is pretty much your control panel as it handles everything from the radio, navigation, rear camera, web access, and more.  You can have the rear camera on while driving so you can see if someone is too close to you or check rear blindspots quickly.  Usually carmakers will only let you access it while in reverse.  You can also adjust the AC/heating controls as well as the suspension + drive modes.   The only physical buttons for the dash are the Hazard and glove box release buttons.  

Zero emissions, no gas, and all of the tech you could want in a car.  

Yeah.  I now want one and all about that Tesla life.  It is a great mesh of performance & technology all-wrapped up inside of a eco-friendly piece of luxury.  My next mission is to try to get my wife on board as she isn't completely sold on an 100% all-electric vehicle.   But I feel in time, I & Tesla can win her over.  There's time as the Model 3 isn't set to arrive until sometime in 2017.  
 
Also you can get your pre-owned Model S here starting at under $70K.  While the 70D starts at $75K, the 85D starts at $85K, and the P85D starts at $105K.  
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Author: Roderick Scott

Father. Husband. Creative. Mild foodie. Batman in my dreams.