It was only a few months ago that I happened across a Tesla showroom, and I do use the term showroom loosely. There was one (very very nice) car in the showroom with about 40 customers drooling over it (including me). I stated that the Tesla would be my next car, I was so impressed. Then I found out that in order to take the car for a “test drive”, I needed to leave a (fully refundable) $5,000 deposit to go towards an order for my very own Tesla, which incidentally takes 11 months to get one made for you. I started to wonder…Would I really want to spend $100K plus on a new car. Heck, I could almost buy a house for that price!

I found out this morning that the Tesla won the automotive industry’s equivalent to the Grammy for Best Motion Picture. Judges have unanimously voted the Tesla Model S the 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year. The U.S.-manufactured electric vehicle (EV) becomes the first vehicle to win the award not powered by an internal combustion engine in the 64-year history of the publication.

In 2010, the Department of Energy backed Tesla Motors, Inc., with a $465 million loan for the construction of two manufacturing facilities, one in southern California for the Model S electricsedan and one in Palo Alto, California, for electric powertrains. The Palo Alto facility is for assembling electric vehicle battery packs, electric motors, and related electric vehicle control equipment, both for Tesla's own electric vehicles and for sale to other automobile manufacturers. The Tesla offers three lithium-ion battery packs for the Model S that are designed to provide ranges of 140, 200, and 265 miles per a single charge. The 2012 model has an EPA combined city and highway rating of 89 miles-per-gallon equivalent.

Santa, I would like a new RED one just like the one in the picture for Christmas. You don’t have to bring in down the chimney, parking it in the driveway with a big gold bow would work just fine.  Thank You!

--Dee Cox