Tesla Motors Outselling BMW and Mercedes - Big Step Forward for Electric and Hybrid Cars

A couple months ago Rambling Web noted that Porsche was breaking the mold for hybrid cars by developing a true hybrid super car - Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid Blows Up Stereotypes. Yet the major question was whether the 918 Spyder would sell.

Well Tesla Motors, taking a different tact, is showing the an upscale electric car can sell quite well. According to 'Wall Streets Cheat Sheet,' Tesla's Model S is actually outselling BMW and Mercedes the competing cars in its class.

This is great news for the future of electric and hybrid cars.  It shows that as the quality of these cars increases that demand will likely increase too.  As 'Wall Streets Cheat Sheet' notes the success of the Model S opens the door for a more affordable model in the future.

Tesla’s Model S Is Shaming BMW and Mercedes

While Tesla faced huge criticisms about the Model S being too expensive, which would result in a stagnancy of demand, it appears the concerns were unfounded, and that the demand is leading the segment. Given the company’s limitations as a start-up with a product that has yet to become mainstream, these figures are especially impressive.

Moreover, the Model S was never meant to be an affordable, mass market car; the company was never aiming to build the next GM Chevy (NYSE:GM) Volt or Nissan Leaf. The Model S was designed from the ground up as a luxury car, meant to compete with the likes of the 7 Series and A8.

The company’s business model suggests that as electric cars become more accepted, and concerns over range anxiety and other problems subside, the high cost of electric car technology will slope downward. And when that happens, Tesla will be ready and waiting with an entry-level, ballpark $30,000 model to market to the masses.

Tesla Motors

Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid Blows Up Stereotypes

It doesn't take a Shaquille O'Neal commercial to realize that hybrid cars have suffered from a chronically wonky style. Often shaped like a wedge of cheese, it has been increasingly confusing why hybrid car manufacturers don't seem to put any effort into design. An additional pre-conception about hybrids is that they don't perform up to the standard of traditional 'gas only' automobiles. This is a more understandable issue that is dissipating since the capability of hybrids has improved as the technology has evolved.

Porsche is poised to blow the lid off both these stereotypes. The 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder is by far the coolest looking hybrid to come along, and it's not that it's cool for a hybrid; it's just cool. It can go zero to sixty in 3.1 seconds, while getting 78 MPG. The 918 is the first hybrid super car. Being a super car means most people can't afford it with its $845,000 sticker price.

Since the price is so high, more is also expected from it. As such a review from Edmunds does have some points of criticism. The electric motor doesn't make much noise, and doesn't have the same feel as a gas engine. They state that this makes it lack character. Also the performance for this level of car is not flawless. However, Edmunds does admit that Porsche has shown that if their first generation car has flaws, they have been known to come back and fix those, then go beyond everyone’s expectation. This is still a new technology, and this is a huge step forward in performance.

It will be interesting to see the market for the car, and the sales numbers. The price obviously makes the target market rather small to begin with. Will that market embrace a hybrid? Could there be cache to owning the first hybrid super car? Will Porsche be able to reach out to wealthy 'green people' to invest in a car they may not normally sink their money into?

Don't have the anser to that, but do hope I get to see this car in person some day.

Porsche 918 Spyder Press Release (Specs & Photos included)