I am now a member of a select club: I'm one of the very few who has driven Tesla's new all-electric Model S luxury sedan.

On Friday, the company allowed a few members of the local press to test drive the car for about 15 minutes each. That's not enough time for a thorough evaluation, but it is enough for some strong initial impressions.


Those aren't world-beating numbers -- Tesla is selling a "performance" version of the Model S that will get to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds -- but they're plenty fast for most drivers.

When you punch the accelerator, you don't get the throaty roar of a V-8 engine, but there's something strange and thrilling about feeling a car rapidly reach highway speeds and beyond with no sounds other than a little road and wind noise. It almost feels like being on the Starship Enterprise as it goes into warp drive.

And the nice thing about that power is that it's instantaneous. You don't have to downshift or wait for the transmission to do so for you, because there basically is no gear box. Also, the power is available even at highway speeds -- instantly -- when you want to pass someone.

The Model S feels solid and takes curves tightly. The car's battery pack is beneath the cockpit rather than in the trunk or in the front, giving it a low center of gravity and better stability. And its onboard computers automatically lower its suspension as you get up to highway speeds.



On the outside, the Model S looks like a cross between a Jaguar and a Maserati. It may be the latest in high-tech automobiles, but it doesn't scream "electric car!" And that's a good thing.



The car has a built-in cellular data radio, which allows users not only to surf the Web, but also get turn-by-turn navigation and access Internet radio. But the "connectivity package" that allows you to do all that is optional. Tesla isn't yet disclosing the price.


The console also doesn't support voice control. So you can't press a button and tell it to dial a phone number for you or change the channel. Tesla's chief technology officer, J.B. Straubel, said the company plans to add voice control using Google Voice, but it's not available at launch. And sorry, iPhone fans, the company doesn't yet plan to support the new hands-free capabilities Apple (AAPL) is adding to its Siri feature.

The biggest worry consumers have about electric cars is how far they can drive between charges. I obviously didn't get to test that, but Tesla has tried to ease that concern.

Its base Model S can go 160 miles on a charge, it says, while the version I drove will last as much as 300 miles. That's plenty to get you around town and even head out for a weekend trip and back. Tesla's also working on some rapid-charge technology that will let users recharge their car while on a trip in as little as 30 minutes.

That's a bit longer than the typical fill-up. But the typical gas car doesn't have the environmental bona fides of the Model S -- or offer quite as much of a thrill.


First Impression

What: Tesla all-electric Model S luxury sedan
Likes: Rapid, noiseless acceleration; ability to customize the driving experience; large touch-screen console; contemporary design.
Dislikes: Unremarkable interior; limited entertainment features on console; no support for controlling smartphones through touch-screen; limited range on base model.
Specs: On tested model, 85 kilowatt-hour, 300-mile-range battery pack; leather interior, 21-inch wheels.
Price: $77,400 for tested model, before federal and state electric car rebates
Web: www.teslamotors.com