Summary
The Tesla Model S is a large executive saloon (well, technically it’s a liftback) that is the flagship of the Tesla range. Like all Tesla models, it is only available with an electric motor – two electric motors actually – supplied by a battery pack.
The Model S was launched in America in 2012, but didn’t arrive in the UK until 2014. It received a facelift in 2016, but Tesla operates on a different basis to other manufacturers, so all vehicles have received significant software updates since launch. These are usually delivered ‘over the air’, being downloaded directly to the vehicle from Tesla. Another significant upgrade to the Model S has been announced for 2021, but it’s not clear when the first cars will arrive in the UK.
The Tesla Model S has been a pioneering vehicle for the image of electric cars, almost single-handedly changing the perception of electric vehicles having poor performance and range. It has received widespread praise for its performance, with acceleration that betters many supercars, and overall praticality for a broad range of potential customers.
However, the Model S was plagued by quality and reliability issues in its early years, and build quality is still not considered a match for similarly-priced saloons from the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW or Audi. Which? magazine has been publicly calling for the Model S to be recalled for more than a year, as its pop-out door handles are reported to have failed on one in five vehicles.
Model S highlights
- Styling has been almost universally admired
- Praiseworthy performance and driving dynamics
- Reliability has proved better than most rivals
Model S lowlights
- Interior quality not to German standards
- Infotainment system is also sub-par
- Residual values can’t match best in class
Key specifications
Body style: Large saloon/liftback
Powertrain: electric motor and batteries
Price: From £83,980 on-road
Launched: Summer 2014
Last updated: Summer 2018
Replacement due: Autumn 2022
Image gallery
Media reviews
Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
The Car Expert
Score: 8.6 / 10
“If the logistics of owning and charging an electric car work for you, then the Tesla Model S is a fantastic car. If you don’t have convenient and regular access to rapid charging facilities, the Model S will never be a realistic option.”
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Auto Express
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“The all-electric Tesla Model S is an executive car for industry pioneers that want to make a statement.”
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Model reviewed: Long Range
Score: 8 / 10
“The all-electric Tesla Model S has been updated for 2019, gaining boosted efficiency and dynamics.”
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Model reviewed: 75D
Score: 8 / 10
“The Tesla Model S remains one of the most convincing EVs you can buy, and this entry-level 75D model is certainly the pick of the line-up. It has nearly as much range as its significantly more expensive siblings, is almost as fast and keeps all the best attributes of the Model S intact.”
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Model reviewed: 100D
Score: 8 / 10
“The 100D is the latest version in the Tesla Model S range, and it boasts a range of 393 miles – better than any other EV currently on sale.”
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Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Tesla Model S is a familiar sight these days, but the Best Green Car in our 2019 New Car Awards is still one of the most remarkable, revolutionary cars on the market.”
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Autocar
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“Practical, refined and, above all, desirable, the Tesla Model S is a triumph.”
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Model reviewed: 75D
Score: 8 / 10
“New starting point for revised Model S line-up is still the electric saloon to beat.”
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Model reviewed: P100D
Score: 8 / 10
“The additional driving range is welcome, but the range-topping Model S’s increase in performance is overkill, even if it is very entertaining.”
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Car
Model reviewed: 2020
Score: 10 / 10
“Still a gamechanger. It won’t be long before the EV will be viable for most people – and you can thank the pioneering Tesla Model S for accelerating that process.”
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Model reviewed: 70D
Score: 10 / 10
“The Tesla Model S continues to stun CAR’s testers. From its sophisticated design and fabulous interior to its incisive driving manner, it’s an incredibly well-resolved four-door. That it then ladles on an engaging layer of Californian cleverness is what gives the Tesla its stand-out-from-the-crowd USP.”
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Carbuyer
Score: 8.2 / 10
“The Tesla Model S is fast, refined, well equipped and practical. It also doesn’t come with as many compromises as some other electric cars.”
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Carwow
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Tesla Model S is a remarkable electric car, blending high performance with luxury, a high-tech cabin and zero emissions. One of its few downsides is that it’s quite a bit more expensive than your average upmarket saloon.”
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Company Car Today
Model reviewed: 75D
“It’s still not cheap, and premium rivals are starting to appear, but the Tesla Model S offers high-performance, high-quality, long-distance electric mobility, and the entry 75D is far from the runt of the range.”
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Model reviewed: Range overview
“Tesla is at the cutting edge of zero-emission motoring, and the Model S looks great, has a range unrivalled by any other electric car, and is a bit of a technological masterpiece.”
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Daily Mail
Model reviewed: P85D
“The Tesla Model S is the electric car that confounds stereotypes. It can hit 60mph as fast as a Lamborghini, is as spacious as a luxury saloon and its Autopilot feature can even spare you the pain of a drive back into town.”
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Evo
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“The Tesla Model S exudes the benefits an electric car has over fossil-fuelled alternatives; Supercharger network makes it more usable than ever.”
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Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: 100D
Score: 10 / 10
“All these years since its introduction and the Tesla Model S is still an excellent car. It’s rapid, quiet, refined, spacious, it has an excellent driving range of over 300 miles, you can recharge it easily, quickly and reliably at Tesla’s Supercharger network, and of course it has zero tailpipe emissions.”
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Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“It’s unlike anything else on sale and shows the world that electric cars can be enjoyable, useable and desirable. It might be expensive – and there are a few question marks over fit and finish in places – but it’s still an amazing piece of technology and a great car.”
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Motors.co.uk
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Tesla Model S has incredible performance, long real-world range and good practicality. On the downside, build quality is disappointing, it’s expensive to buy and it’s not very involving to drive.”
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Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.4 / 10
“Groundbreaking Electric Vehicle now with free Supercharging”
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The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: 60D
Score: 8 / 10
“It was while I was Autopiloting up the M4, just west of Heathrow, that the conclusion became inescapable. The Tesla Model S 60D is quite simply the greatest car I have ever not driven.”
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Model reviewed: P90D
Score: 10 / 10
“The car that gets better with age”
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The Telegraph
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Tesla Model S is by no means perfect, but it does address many of the drawbacks of other electric cars, as well as providing thrilling performance, class-leading space and very low running costs. If it fits into your lifestyle and you can afford the price, it makes a compelling case for itself.”
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Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Arguably the biggest step forward for EVs since the Prius, the Tesla Model S shows cylinders may have had their day.”
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What Car?
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Tesla Model S comes with stunning performance, a feature-packed infotainment system, fine comfort and handling, lots of passenger space and a huge boot.”
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Which?
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 5.6 / 10
“Hugely desirable and capable, but has flaws.”
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Safety rating
Eco rating
No eco rating
The Tesla Model S has not been lab tested by Green NCAP. This is a new initiative, launched in 2018 as a sister organisation to Euro NCAP. As yet, very few new cars have been tested for environmental impact by Green NCAP, and inevitable the testing programme was halted in early 2020 by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is zero for an electric car) and energy efficiency. Electric cars are much more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the Model S is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it ever takes place. Check back again soon.
Awards
Trophies, prizes and awards that the Tesla Model S has received
2019
- Auto Trader Awards – Best Green Car
2016
- Business Car Awards – Best Luxury Car
2013
- World Car Awards – World Green Car
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Tesla Model S, you might also be interested in these alternatives
Audi A6 | Audi A7 Sportback | Audi e-tron GT | BMW 5 Series | Jaguar XF | Lexus ES | Maserati Ghibli | Mercedes-Benz E-Class | Mercedes-Benz CLS | Porsche Taycan | Volvo S90
Obviously, the only cars listed above that also have a fully-electric drivetrain like the Model S are the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT. However, the other vehicles are a closer match for the Tesla’s size and price – even if they run either partly or totally on fossil fuels rather than electricity.
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