"The first time I saw a Tesla Model S was also the first time I met Elon Musk. It was 2011, and he had brought an early Model S to the West Side Highway in Manhattan, where we met to go for a drive. It didn't strike me as a crucial meeting. In the course of my work as an automotive reporter, I met with plenty of people shilling new cars."
"The sedan he brought that day was the opposite of the big-spoiler sports cars I was used to seeing, like the Porsche 911 GT3. Completely smoothed to maximize air flow, the Model S was simultaneously low-key and unique. When I first got inside, it felt weird that there was no sound or vibration to indicate that anything had turned on, but the car felt surprisingly fast as we headed up the highway. So fast, Musk said, that it could beat an Aston Martin."
"Fifteen years later, Tesla Inc. has sold hundreds of thousands of that smooth sedan I first saw in New York. (The company doesn't break out sales numbers between the Model S and X, but their cumulative sales total is higher than 630,000. A spokesperson didn't respond to a request for comment.) By 2023 the Model S had helped make Tesla the only automaker in the Magnificent 7."
In 2011 Elon Musk brought an early Tesla Model S to Manhattan for a drive. The Model S emphasized smooth aerodynamics, quiet operation, and surprising acceleration, with Musk claiming world-changing potential and sports-car performance. Initial reactions were skeptical given unfamiliar electric-car conventions. Over fifteen years the Model S sold in the hundreds of thousands and contributed to Tesla's status among the top-performing S&P 500 stocks by 2023. As other automakers developed competitive EVs, the Model S's first-mover advantage diminished and the model became comparatively outdated amid a broader range of electric vehicles.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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