Tesla’s Model S Named Motor Trend Car of the Year

Move over Porsche, Lexus and BMW — Tesla’s got you beat.

The Silicon Valley-based carmaker’s all-electric Model S — manufactured in Fremont — was recently named Motor Trend’s 2013 Car of the Year. It’s the first all-electric car to receive the honor. 

“Our aspiration with the Model S was to show that an electric car truly can be better than any gasoline car, which is a critical step towards the widespread adoption of sustainable transport,” Tesla Motors co-founder and CEO Elon Musk said in a press release. “Nothing illustrates this more clearly than winning Motor Trend’s Car of the Year by unanimous decision against a field of exceptional competitors.”

The Model S, which starts at $57,400, came out on top out of a list of 11 finalists that included the Porsche Boxster, the Lexus GS and the BMW 3-series.

The industry-leading magazine called the Model S “a truly remarkable vehicle”:

“It drives like a sports car, eager and agile and instantly responsive. But it's also as smoothly effortless as a Rolls-Royce, can carry almost as much stuff as a Chevy Equinox, and is more efficient than a Toyota Prius. Oh, and it'll sashay up to the valet at a luxury hotel like a supermodel working a Paris catwalk.”

Read more at MotorTrend.com.

Despite reporting a third-quarter loss of $110.8 million earlier this month, the company has said it plans to increase production to 400 cars a week at its Fremont plant, according to media reports.

Bloomberg News reports that Tesla will churn out 20,000 Model S cars next year and will also roll out the Model X SUV in 2004.

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