Text and photos by Corey Herscu
Everything about Elon Musk's brainchild, the driveable-computer-on-wheels known as the Tesla Model S, is drool-worthy. I had the opportunity to get a close up look at the new model as well as get to know some of its features during the recent launch of the newest Tesla dealership in Toronto.
Promising zero emissions, the Model S pushes up to jaw-dropping 4.4 second acceleration from 0-100 km/h, attains a top speed of 200 km/h and features up to a 480 km range on a single charge with an 85 kWh battery all wrapped in a luxurious sports sedan body.
Slowly creeping onto the Toronto scene since August, the highly regarded electric car manufacturer received its second Toronto dealership (first being inside Yorkdale shopping center) opening in East York last week.
Present at the event were various Tesla representatives, motoring aficionados and giddy new Tesla owners celebrating this groundbreaking electric car.
The Models S is available in two options, based on battery pack size: the Model S with the 60 kWh battery pack and 85 kWh battery pack will start at $75,200 and $85,900 CAD respectively.
Not a bad price point considering it costs about $8.50-$10 in energy to recharge, and the car estimates 379-420 KMs per charge (of course, this is also based on how the car is driven and doesn't weigh in conditions like extreme cold weather.)
The car features an 17-inch high-res touch screen display and a proprietery operating system, which is capable of multi-tasking, web-browsing and self-sufficient 3G connectivity (built-in SIM card). LTE connectivity is available via hotspot connection.
I was left speechless after my walk-around and actual in-car hands-on. See images in the gallery below and stay tuned for the full review once I've had 24-hours with the car and experienced some driving time.
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