Model S

Make
Tesla
Segment
Sedan

That's right. Tesla has proven that an electric car, and a luxury one at that, can be a hot-seller. The Model S is so hot at the moment that Consumer Reports recently called it the best car it has ever tested. Seriously. And to top that off, CNN Money and Jalopnik are reporting that the Model S actually outsold its direct German rivals last quarter. All told, Tesla sold 4,750 units, outselling the Mercedes S-Class (3,077), BMW 7 Series (2,338) and the Audi A8 (1,462). That's mighty impressive, particularly for a start-up like Tesla.

It's important to note, however, that the Model S is cheaper than these other models, and it also comes with a $7,500 tax credit. Despite being less expensive, the question remains whether the Model S is even in the same league as the Germans when it comes to pure luxury. It's certainly full of high-tech amenities but those other cars are true luxury machines that pamper their owners constantly. We guess it'll be up to owners to decide but the fact remains that people, the ones who can afford to, are not hesitating to buy a $60+k pure EV from a relatively new automaker. Now that's truly a huge accomplishment on Tesla's part.