mporI remember the first time I spotted a Tesla Model S. It was in my rearview mirror. Literally.
At that time, it was soon after the model’s 2012 release and the sedan was beginning to make inroads in my area and elsewhere. I was traveling on Interstate 40, heading west from Raleigh to Burlington to attend a media event. That event covered the expansion of Tesla’s charging network from coast to coast, with stations coming online in a Target parking lot.
Let’s just say that when the Model S pulled up behind me in the left lane, I quickly stepped on it, to move over. Its powerful front fascia zoomed past me, revealing a luxurious profile and a rear haunch similar to Porsche. Little did I know that this very same Model S would be at the event, joining nearly a dozen other Tesla models.
The Model S Changed Perceptions
Back in 2012, electric vehicles were largely curiosities. They were small. Limited. Often apologetic in their execution. Buyers were expected to tolerate tradeoffs. Range anxiety was real. Performance was secondary. Styling sometimes felt like an afterthought.
Then came the Model S.
Tesla did not target compact car shoppers or environmental purists alone. It aimed higher. Much higher. The company went straight after the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Audi A6. That was not subtle. It was strategic. If an electric sedan could compete with Europe’s best, then the technology would earn legitimacy.
And it certainly earned it.
Frunk and Performance
The Model S rode on a clean-sheet electric architecture. The battery pack sat beneath the floor, creating a low center of gravity that immediately benefited handling. Early versions used a rear-mounted motor driving the back wheels.
The result was balanced, composed, and surprisingly athletic for a large sedan. With no engine up front, there was additional storage under the hood. That novelty became known as the “frunk,” and it reinforced that this was something fundamentally different.
Range was the headline, however. Buyers could choose from 60 kWh and 85 kWh battery packs in the early years. The larger pack delivered more than 250 miles of driving range, which at the time felt almost improbable. That single statistic shifted the conversation. Electric cars were no longer confined to city commuting.
Fast and Faster Still
Performance followed quickly. The P85 model was fast. The dual-motor P85D was quicker still, adding all-wheel drive and startling acceleration. When “Ludicrous Mode” debuted, the Model S began humiliating performance sedans that cost more and burned premium fuel at an alarming rate. A four-door electric sedan running to 60 mph in under three seconds was not supposed to happen. Yet it did.
Inside, Tesla broke from convention. A massive 17-inch vertical touchscreen replaced the traditional button-heavy center stack. Controls moved into software. Updates arrived over the air. Features improved after purchase. That concept alone unsettled the industry. Automakers had long operated on fixed hardware cycles. Tesla treated the car like a device.
The Supercharger Network
It also built infrastructure. The Supercharger network expanded rapidly, reducing long-distance travel concerns. Charging stops became predictable and, in many cases, free for early owners. That ecosystem mattered as much as the vehicle itself. Without it, the Model S would have been far less compelling.
Pricing told its own story. This was a premium sedan. It was not positioned as an affordable commuter. That was deliberate. Tesla’s broader plan called for starting at the top of the market, generating revenue, and reinvesting in more accessible models later. The Model S funded the future. The Model 3 and Model Y owe much of their existence to it.
Over time, the Model S evolved. Battery capacity increased. Range stretched beyond 300 miles. Dual motors became standard. The Plaid variant pushed output into four-figure horsepower territory. It entered hypercar territory while maintaining seating for five. That is not a sentence often written about family sedans.
Important Interior Changes
Interior updates arrived as well. A horizontal touchscreen replaced the earlier vertical design. Materials improved (much to my gladness as the original models were disappointing). The steering yoke experiment made headlines. Tesla never shied away from bold moves, even when they proved polarizing.
Yet time moves quickly in this business. The Model S platform, while updated, traced its roots to the early 2010s. Meanwhile, competitors arrived with fresh architectures and deep pockets. Porsche brought the Taycan. Mercedes-Benz expanded its EQ lineup. BMW joined the fray. The segment Tesla once dominated alone became crowded.
Consumer tastes shifted, too. Sedans lost ground. Utility vehicles surged. Within Tesla’s own showroom, the Model Y became the global volume leader. The Model 3 captured the entry luxury buyer. Compared with those two, the Model S became a lower-volume flagship.
Good-Bye, Model X
At some point, every automaker must allocate resources wisely. Maintaining and significantly reengineering a low-volume sedan is expensive. The related Model X, which shared much of the underlying structure, faced a similar challenge. Both vehicles carried higher costs and served narrower audiences.
Eventually, Tesla made its decision. Focus on scale. Prioritize the models that move the needle globally. And use that capacity to build AI robots. We shall see how that plan goes.
Still, the Model S leaves an unmistakable legacy. It did not merely join the electric vehicle market. Importantly, it forced the market to mature. And it proved that an electric sedan could outrun, out-handle, and out-tech established luxury rivals. It changed public perception in ways few vehicles ever do.
Before the Model S, electric cars were often viewed as compromises. After that, they became benchmarks, establishing a legacy most manufacturers spend decades trying to achieve.
This image was originally posted to Flickr by nakhon100 at https://www.flickr.com/photos/8058098@N07/14652857267. It was reviewed on 27 December 2014 by FlickreviewR and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.
See Also — Tesla Model Y: A Fresh Take on America’s Best-Selling EV
