Tesla Model S unanimously voted 2013 car of the year by Motor Trend Judgess

Tesla Model S roadster has been named Motor's Trend 2013 car of the year award, making it the first electric car to garner the prize.The EV was voted in unanimously by the publication's judges while beating out the formidable likes of BMW 3-series, Porsche Boxster, Subaru BRZ and Lexus GS. Model S is the world's first premium sedan built from the ground up as an electric vehicle and has been engineered to elevate the public's expectations of what a premium sedan can be.Tesla claims is has 250 patents covering the Model S, and more pending.The body is light,built with aluminum, yet strong and stiff.The front and rear suspension are also mostly aluminum.The electric motors sits between rear wheels, contributing greatly to the 47/53 percent front/rear weight distribution.The motor is an AC-induction type.The basic principle which was demonstrated in the 1880s by Nikola Tesla himself, and it doesn't need expensive rare earth metals. Tesla offers 3-lithium ion battery packs for the Model S 40-KW-hr,60-KW-hr and 85-KW-hr that are claimed to provide ranges of 140,200, and 265 miles respectively.The battery packs are assembled at Tesla's plant in Fremont, California, using Panasonic cells with nickel-cobalt-aluminum cathodes. Tesla designer Franz von Holzhausen resisted the temptation to make the Model S look different for the sake of being different to call attention to the fact it has an electric motor.The cabin is roomy,with no engine up front, the "hood" covers a useful luggage space,and the rear hatch opens to a cavernous load area that gets even bigger when you fold the rear seats flat,Model S is the first hatchback in the world to offer third row seating.The base price for Model S is $58,570(before a federal tax credit of $70,000). http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/car/1301_2013_motor_trend_car_of_the_year_tesla_model_s/