In a somewhat surprising announcement, the Tesla Model S has so far outsold both the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt in the first quarter of this year for plug-in cars, according to a company spokeswomen. All told, Tesla expects to announce on May 8 that at least 4,750 Model S units have been delivered so far in 2013 in the US and Canada. The also battery-powered Leaf, for comparison, has sold 3,695 units and the plug-in hybrid Volt has found some 4,421 new owners.

For Tesla, this sales announcement is a big deal not only because it'll be the first time it has reported a profit in its 10-year history but also that its flagship has outsold two much cheaper competitors. The Model S carries a base price of $69,900 while the Volt and Leaf start off at $39,145 and $28,800 respectively. These prices don't include a $7,500 federal tax credit. When asked to comment on Tesla's success, GM spokesmen Jim Cain stated that "Any success for a company in this space is helpful for all other makers of plug-in vehicles. The single most important thing we can do for plug-ins, to encourage sales, is to have them on the road."