Tesla set for record sales result

Innovative electric carmaker Tesla is set to announce that the last quarter of 2013 was the most successful for sales in the company’s history.

As a young company with a well-respected product this doesn’t sound too surprising – until you learn that the anticipated results are said to be 20% better than Tesla had predicted.

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Tesla says it sold and delivered nearly 6,900 vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2013 – which is “approximately 20%” more than prior guidance.

This effort was helped by the “excellent effort from the Tesla production team and key supplies, particularly Panasonic”. Panasonic provides the all-important batteries, without which no Tesla can go anywhere.

The company also said demand from buyers was being driven by the proven safety record of the Model S saloon, and the car’s reliable cold weather performance.

Though there have been some high-profile instances of on-board fires, these have all been related to traffic accidents, and the design of the car has still allowed occupants to exit safely.

In fact, the firm is proudly reporting that it retains “a perfect safety record of zero deaths or serious, permanent injuries”.

This statistic includes Tesla’s previous Roadster models, which have been on the road for almost six years in 31 countries, covering almost 200 million miles to date.

The Model S has a five-star safety rating from the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and is said to have set a new record for the lowest likelihood of injury to those on board.

As for the cold weather performance, that’s all down to the precision of the electric drivetrain, which gives the Model S “outstanding traction control relative to the much higher latency and inertia of a gasoline [petrol] powertrain”.

This apparently makes it much easier to drive on snow or ice “than many all-wheel drive gasoline cars”.

UK prices for the Tesla Model S start at £50,280. But such is the firm’s current success that it’s quoting “6-7 months” for delivery…

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By motoringresearch.com