WhichEV.Net
  • Buying Advice
  • Events
  • Features
  • News
    • All
    • Charging
    • Commercial Vehicles
    • Consumer Vehicles
    • Cool Car Tech
    • Curiosities
    • Design
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Industry
    • Legal
    • Market
    • Motorsport
    • Public Sector
    • Records
    • Rumours
    • Safety
    • Sharing

    Nissan Ariya and Skoda Enyaq iV in drag race but who wins?

    Citroen launches e-Berlingo electric passenger MPV

    Kia launches UK charging network for its EVs

    British Gas orders 2,000 Vauxhall all-electric vans

    Electric Vehicle Association England launches EV driver survey

    Britishvolt joins Make UK manufacturing group

    Trending Tags

  • Reviews
No Result
View All Result
WhichEV.Net
  • Buying Advice
  • Events
  • Features
  • News
    • All
    • Charging
    • Commercial Vehicles
    • Consumer Vehicles
    • Cool Car Tech
    • Curiosities
    • Design
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Industry
    • Legal
    • Market
    • Motorsport
    • Public Sector
    • Records
    • Rumours
    • Safety
    • Sharing

    Nissan Ariya and Skoda Enyaq iV in drag race but who wins?

    Citroen launches e-Berlingo electric passenger MPV

    Kia launches UK charging network for its EVs

    British Gas orders 2,000 Vauxhall all-electric vans

    Electric Vehicle Association England launches EV driver survey

    Britishvolt joins Make UK manufacturing group

    Trending Tags

  • Reviews
No Result
View All Result
WhichEV.Net
No Result
View All Result
Home Reviews Electric Vehicles

Tesla Model S (2020) Review

Expensive, but still the EV pushing the boundaries of what is possible with electric power

James Morris by James Morris
23rd June 2020 - Updated on 24th July 2020
in Electric Vehicles, Reviews
Reading Time: 10min read
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Last updated on July 24th, 2020 at 11:32 am

1. Intro, Price, Options and Verdict

  • 1. Intro, Price, Options and Verdict
  • 2. Design, Comfort and Storage
  • 3. In-Car Entertainment and Controls
  • 4. Performance, Running Costs, Range, and Safety
  • 5. Key Specifications
90 / 100 Overall
£106,080Price as Reviewed
Pros
  • The fastest big executive car on the road
  • Class-leading range
  • Huge storage capacity
Cons
  • Typical minimalist Tesla interior
  • Very expensive
Verdict
The Tesla Model S remains the king of EVs. It costs a fortune, but the Performance model is still the fastest car on the road. The range is class-leading and there’s tons of boot space. This may be a big car, but it’s full of ability.
Range (WLTP): 367-379 miles Top Speed: 155-162mph 0 to 62: 2.6–3.8sec Cost/Mile (@14p/kWh): 3.69-3.81p

City Driving
Fun Factor
Practicality
Design & Tech
Value

Introduction

The Tesla Model S was the car that made EVs desirable for luxury buyers when it was launched back in 2012. It was a phenomenal vehicle back then, and it has continued to push the boundaries ever since, with more and more engine power and more and more range. Although the 2020 model looks quite similar to the original one, the battery capacity has mushroomed from 40kWh to 100kWh, with significantly improved range, and the engine power more than doubled for the top version. The autonomous driving abilities have been regularly upgraded too. The Model S remains a flagship vehicle for Tesla, with abilities in its latest guise that can compete with the best EV Porsche can offer in the shape of the Taycan. Is it still the luxury EV to beat?

Price and Options

There have been a number of different variations of the Model S in the past, but now you can only get what used to be called the 100D or P100D in the UK, and are now known as the Long Range and Performance, both of which have 100kWh batteries. But there’s a bit of difference in engine power. The 2020 model has the Raven powertrain (named after the X-Men character), which can deliver 794hp and 1,013lb-ft of torque, quite ridiculous figures for what is essentially a large executive saloon. The battery’s abilities cut this down to 750hp for the Performance variant. For the Long Range, the Raven is detuned to a “mere” 417hp and 487lb-ft of torque. The new models have adaptive air suspension as standard, which provides more options for driving dynamics.

The Model S is not a cheap car. The Long Range starts at £77,980, with the Performance we tested costing a whopping £92,980. This is a lot of money for a car, obviously, but an obvious comparison is the Porsche Panamera, and that starts at £83,788, rising to £149,607 for the top model with all the trimmings. The Model S Performance is faster than all Panamera versions, and even the Long Range will give a Panamera Turbo S a run for its money. The Porsche might have more enjoyable driving dynamics and a better interior, but the Model S isn’t bad value in its class. If you load all the options available, the top price is £107,130.

The basic Model S is white, but if you want blue, black or grey, it’s £1,450 more, and red is £2,500 extra. The wheels are 19in as standard, but if you want the Sonic Carbon Slipstream versions, these are another £1,450 more, and 21in rims add a whopping £4,400. The interior is all black carbon fibre with dark wood inlay as standard, but black and white is another £1,450, with cream and oak wood the same price. All Teslas come with a basic level of Autopilot, but for an extra £5,800 you can add Full Self-Driving Capability. This is Level 2 at the moment but includes automatic driving from highway on-ramp to off-ramp, automatic lane changes while driving on the motorway, parallel and perpendicular autoparking, and the much-vaunted Summon. Musk has claimed that full Level 5 will be available via a future software update, including the ability to recognise and respond to traffic lights and stop signs, drive automatically on city streets, and an Enhanced Summon, where your parked car will come find you in a car park. The basic Autopilot is essentially an enhanced ADAS-empowered cruise control.

1. Intro, Price, Options and Verdict

  • 1. Intro, Price, Options and Verdict
  • 2. Design, Comfort and Storage
  • 3. In-Car Entertainment and Controls
  • 4. Performance, Running Costs, Range, and Safety
  • 5. Key Specifications
Previous
Next Design, Comfort and Storage
Tags: TeslaTesla Model S
Previous Post

Vauxhall chases the VIP market with new Vivaro-e EV passenger van

Next Post

World EV day announced by ABB and Green.TV

James Morris

James Morris

Editor With over 25 years’ experience as a technology journalist and a life-long love of cars, Dr James Morris initially saw the potential for electric vehicles when he became one of the first people to drive a Nissan Leaf back in 2011. He presently owns a Tesla Model 3 Performance and a plug-in Mercedes C350e Estate. He loves how automotive design and gadgetry combine in EVs, making them both fun and technically fascinating at the same time. Alongside being editor of WhichEV, he contributes to Forbes.com on electric vehicles and is Pathway Director of the Masters in Interactive Journalism at City, University of London.

Related Posts

Citroen e-C4 2021 Review

26th February 2021

Mercedes EQC Review

18th January 2021

Peugeot e-2008 2021 Review

11th January 2021

Tesla Model 3 versus Polestar 2: Which is the king of electric saloons?

28th December 2020
Next Post

World EV day announced by ABB and Green.TV

Discussion about this post

Latest News

Nissan Ariya and Skoda Enyaq iV in drag race but who wins?

2nd March 2021

Citroen launches e-Berlingo electric passenger MPV

1st March 2021

Kia launches UK charging network for its EVs

1st March 2021

Trending

  • How to turn your favourite classic car into an EV

    666 shares
    Share 321 Tweet 144
  • Future electric cars: Best upcoming electric cars, SUVs and pickup trucks – 2021 UPDATE!

    542 shares
    Share 273 Tweet 112
  • WhichEV Awards 2020: The Year’s Best EVs

    529 shares
    Share 289 Tweet 100
  • How will European brands react to a sub-£8,000 electric car with four doors?

    479 shares
    Share 270 Tweet 87
  • MG ZS EV review: The best budget all-electric SUV

    357 shares
    Share 154 Tweet 85
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact the WhichEV team today

© 2020 WhichEV. Limited - All of the independent news and expert reviews you need in one publication.

No Result
View All Result
  • Buying Advice
  • Events
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews

© 2020 WhichEV. Limited - All of the independent news and expert reviews you need in one publication.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.