Here’s a scary stat: when consultancy Accenture surveyed 14,000 drivers, 39% declared in-car technology most likely to swing a car purchase. Only 14% ranked performance top. Into this shifting automotive landscape drives the all-electric Tesla, an automotive iPhone that you plug in at night and hope won’t die during the day. Tesla is based near San Francisco. In that Californian bubble, from which technological innovation and pollution regulations trickle through to us all, Tesla is on a roll. With one model, it’s the state’s third largest premium brand, outselling Porsche, closing in on BMW and Mercedes; it’s portentous enough to send premium brands scurrying to their R&D bunkers.
But here’s the catch: a Model S probably won’t run out of juice in California. Tesla’s ‘supercharger’ network – the iTunes of gas stations, where only a Tesla can charge – is advanced, and half a charge takes 20 minutes.