10 Reasons the 2016 Tesla Model S Wins Autoweb Buyer's Choice Best Alternative Fuel Vehicle

2016 Tesla Model S hero ・ Photo by Tesla

The 2017 Autoweb Buyer's Choice Award for Alternative Fuel Vehicles goes to a company that’s an alternative to conventional automakers, too. That would be the 2016 Tesla Model S, which is a premium sport sedan that can be driven hundreds of miles on a single charge of electricity.

#10: Ludicrous speed

For lightning-like acceleration, it’s hard to beat the 2016 Tesla Model S. In its so-called “Ludicrous” mode, with a 100-kWh battery pack and the company’s performance all-wheel-drive technology, the Model S can make it from 0 to 60 mph in an incredibly brief 2.5 seconds.

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#9: Top Tesla luxury

The premium cabin for the 2016 Tesla Model S elevates the interior environment with heated and ventilated seats, available in Black, Tan or White perforated leather. Matching leather adorns the armrests, steering wheel, and lower dashboard, and Alcantara accents on the upper dashboard help complete the soft-touch cockpit.

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#8: Valet service

The so-called “summon” feature for the 2016 Tesla Model S takes self-driving technology in a different direction. With this function, owners can park their vehicles, and summon them from those parking spots, all while using the keyfob from outside of the Model S—and staying out of the rain, for example.

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#7: Three-row seating

The 2016 Tesla Model S may look like a sport sedan, but it actually has a liftback, not a traditional trunk. Not only does that provide more than 31 cubic feet of storage, it also makes room for a rear-facing third row of seats that’s suitable for kids.

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#6: Supercharging

As an electric vehicle, the 2016 Tesla Model S doesn’t have a conventional supercharger. But buyers do get complimentary access to the Tesla’s cross-country Supercharger network, where, for instance, a Tesla 90D, with a 90-kWh battery pack, can recharge at a rate of roughly 100 miles per 15 minutes.

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#5: Electric all-wheel drive

Upscale sport sedans generally showcase high-performance all-wheel-drive systems, and the 2016 Tesla Model S is no exception. What is exceptional, however, is that the Tesla’s technology is all electric, relying on two separate electric motors that independently adjust power delivery to the front and rear wheels.

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#4: Tesla’s clean-air policy

The all-electric 2016 Tesla Model S also avoids sending harmful tailpipe emissions into the atmosphere. Then, in the cabin, a “medical grade HEPA air filtration system” is standard. According to Tesla, it nearly eliminates the exhaust particulate pollution that gets inside from other vehicles, along with essentially all allergens and other contaminants.

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#3: Self-driving capability

Although there’s no replacement for driver attention, the automaker reports that, thanks to AutoPilot technology, all models of the 2017 Tesla Model S “have the hardware needed for full self-driving capability at a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver.”

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#2: A 17-inch infotainment screen

No, not a 7-inch touchscreen. The 2016 Tesla Model S has a 17-inch unit that controls the vehicle’s media systems, rearview camera, Bluetooth phone system, Google Maps and navigation functionality, climate system, personal-calendar synchronization, and real-time energy monitor and range estimator. It even opens the car’s panoramic roof.

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#1: A long-distance driving range

The 2016 Tesla Model S is a no-sacrifices all-electric car that won’t keep you tied down with a short range. Indeed, its standard 60-kWh battery pack provides an EPA-estimated 218-miles of zero-emissions EV travel. In its P100D trim—with the 100-kWh battery—the Model S has an EPA-certified all-electric driving range of 315 miles.

Read about the 17 Most Wanted Vehicles of 2016 for the full list of the 2017 Autobytel Car Buyer's Choice Award recipients.

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