It’s tough to be a car enthusiast in an era of global warming. But that may change with our number of the day: 3.9 seconds.
That’s how fast the Tesla Model S goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour. This helps explain why it just became the first all-electric car to win Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year — even beating competition such as the Porsche 911.
Motor Trend isn’t just being politically correct. The Model S got this award because, electric or not, it happens to be the fastest American-built sedan on the market.
I don’t mean to sound like a car ad. Rather, this marks a milestone in the history of alternative energy. For years, electric vehicles were derided as overgrown golf carts. Even in the presidential debates, Mitt Romney listed green technology companies — including Tesla — as “loser investments.”
But time and development are making these cars more practical. Super-chargers can fully power the Model S in about an hour, and six highway rest stops in California have solar-powered charging stations.
As for the Model S specifically, it goes about 285 miles on a full charge and has a top speed of 125 miles per hour. Green energy isn’t a novelty anymore, and the end of gasoline may be on its way. All that being said, the Porsche 911 is still pretty special.
