Motor Trend chooses the Tesla Motors Model S as Car of the Year 2013. Find out what went on behind the scenes.
If you are like me, Motor Trend choosing the Tesla Motors Model S as the car of the year 2013 was surely a surprise. Why would a mainstream car magazine vote a start up company’s first electric car? The reasons are many and this inside video does a good job at explaining how the journalists went about making their decision.
No Matter What, People Will Complain. This was probably the most interesting thing said that some people complained the choice of a Model S is not representative and too expensive for your average user. Strangely enough when a BMW M3 or other expensive performance machine gets chosen, no one complains. This point is obviously moot. In fact Angus MacKenzie makes argues that even if a car has no history, the same could be said about many new models. While we know the company, we don’t automatically know how the new model will do. The Model S is actually a good deal compared to equal performance cars and even edges out more expensive ones.
Car Of The Year & Why. The guidelines were simple, the car needed to be new or a significantly improved vehicle. In many ways, the Tesla Motors Model S fits the bill. The car is not only a rolling computer platform but a very honorable first time car for a startup. The car gets raving reviews hailing its handling and overall performance. Of course, there is no such thing as a perfect car but for a company’s first car, the Model S is a home run.
http://youtu.be/5ae7E8J7h7Y
No Charging Network? The charging network is everywhere. Electric outlets are everywhere to be found, Level 2 Charging stations are popping here and there, mostly free and the same can be said about fast charging. In 1902 there were no gasoline stations but that didn’t stop people from buying gasoline cars. The same is happening with electric vehicles, despite a press more intent on bad news. Finally, our country wasn’t built by the faint of heart, we need leadership and innovations in the automotive field more than ever.
EV Bashing Is Lame. We’ve come to expect partiality and a lack specialized understanding of electric vehicles from mainstream media outlets. Case in point, this morning I wrote about Fox Business bashing electric cars again on Torquenews.com and how it again misses the point with pure electric vehicle but somehow understands another further down the road, more expensive and complex technology that’s been making a come back in the general media news, the hydrogen car. Click here for; Fox Business Continues to Bash Electric Vehicles, Hails Hydrogen.
Motor Trend, Trendsetters. Motor Trend voted the GM Chevy Volt a while back showing a definite will to modernize the image that car journalists are more than a V8 knuckle dragging good old boys club. I met with a few at the Los Angeles Auto Show and was pleasantly surprised to see how well they understood electric vehicles in general. This video shows the inside scoop on how Motor Trends came to choose the Tesla Motors Model S as Car of the Year 2013 and I couldn’t agree more.
In the meantime, if you want educated news on special topics, nothing beats the specialized press and you are in the right place with CarNewsCafe.com where you can read about cars and electric vehicles.
Nicolas Zart
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