If we believe the young and very popular car maker Tesla, an efficient and affordable electric car may be a reality sooner than we expect. For over a century now, car manufacturers around the world have worked hard to produce a viable alternative to fossil fuel driven cars. But they have failed miserably as there is no single electric car that can be termed as popular across the globe. This is because of two reasons. For one, most of the electric cars made so far have been very expensive to be out of the reach of the common people. Secondly, they have not been able to run for long distances on a single charge.
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First of the grouse has been removed by Tesla with the launch of its Tesla S, rated one of the safest automobiles in the world. This electric car can run for an unprecedented 265 miles on a single charge (the next best is Nissan’s Leaf that runs for 75 miles on a single charge). However, Tesla S is still very expensive and you may have to spend anywhere between $70000 and $100000 to own this car. Tesla’s Model S has received the honor of being the safest car on road which is a rare feat for a young car making company and the first for an electric car. This is an award that has traditionally gone only to gasoline driven cars.
Tesla is a success story so far and what the company has achieved in a short time of its existence is indicative of the fact that this automobile company is here to stay. It is the first successful car manufacturer in over a century in the country. It is the confidence of not just the buyers of the cars made by Tesla but also the investors who have shot the price of the stock of the company by 323% in a year. However, Tesla has been riding a crest courtesy government policy that encourages manufacturers to make electric cars. According to the Elon Musk, the CEO of the company, the company is 
gearing up to make affordable electric cars in the coming 3-4 years. Musk, in a recent interview given to CBS sounded hopeful of achieving this next goal of the company now that it has already achieved the goals of very high mileage per charge as well as highest safety rating for its electric car model. Musk said that the company is proud of what it has been able to achieve in terms of passenger safety.
Tesla Model S has also got Motor Trend’s Car of the Year 2013 Award, making it the first car in the 64 year history of the award that is not powered by gasoline. Tesla has come a long way forward since 2008 when it almost went bankrupt. The critics had then described Tesla as a house of cards as there were not enough charging stations countrywide.
Only time will tell if Tesla will be able to make an affordable electric car.
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