Tesla Model S P85+ review, test drive

India’s one and only electric car, the cute little Mahindra Reva had seriously biased me against the concept of electric mobility. Other than the promise of zero emissions and insignificant running costs, it had little else to offer. Everything else was a terrible compromise. I’ve driven an assortment of Electric Vehicles (EVs) on various test drives but the Reva’s the only one I’ve lived with. And now, I have a Tesla Model S for an entire week in the UK and even though Elon Musk has made all other EVs look stupid with this car, I am still a bit sceptical.

Fast forward a week and I’ve become a convert, a believer in the cause, completely transformed with a zillion-volt electric shock that is the Model S. If this is the car of the future I want it today.

The smooth and muscular styling isn’t particularly eye catching and doesn’t hint at what’s beneath those taut lines. It’s only when you start approaching the car with the proximity key in your pocket that you know it’s not a regular car. The flush mounted door handles glide out and upon opening the door, the car is switched on. There’s no ignition switch, start button or even a handbrake. All you do is flick the Mercedes-sourced column shifter to D and silently drive away. There are lots of Merc-sourced bits in the Tesla (not surprising since Daimler is a large shareholder in the company) and the overall cabin is of good, if not great, quality. The space in the cabin is huge and without the big lump of an engine you even get two boots — now which car manages that?

The massive 17-inch touchscreen that dominates the cabin is the nerve centre, controlling everything from air-conditioning, the air-suspension, sunroof and charge socket flap. The navigation system runs off a 3G network which can be patchy in some parts of Britain and that did cause a few anxious moments.