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Tesla Sold More Model S EVs Than S-Class, 7 Series, and A8 Sedans Put Together

Finding a place for Tesla's Model S in the market is a pretty difficult endeavor, and that's because it's a unique proposition no matter what vehicle you sit it next to.
Tesla Model S 26 photos
Photo: Tesla Inc
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It clearly has no competition in the EV segment concerning both performances and price level, so no point in going down that path. Then, there's the body style: it is a sedan that looks like a coupe and comes with a hatch at the back. By these considerations, the Audi A7 Sportback would be the closest - and only - rival.

Except the Model S has two more jump seats in the trunk that are perfect for kids, bringing the total number of people it can carry to seven. Not to mention it's also the quickest accelerating production vehicle if you go for the top P100D model, so there's that to consider as well.

In the end, though, I think we can all agree that even though it's not as large as a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, it offers plenty of interior space and has similar prices to warrant a comparison. It'll be a while before Tesla rises to the same level of interior build quality as the German premium brands, but other than this and the power trains, the vehicles are pretty evenly matched.

However, it's probably the things that set them apart rather than the ones bringing them together that are responsible for this huge gap in the number of sales. During the first quarter of 2017, the Model S outsold all three German premium limousines - the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class - in the U.S. by a hefty margin. In fact, Tesla sold more Model S sedans than Germany's greatest three put together.

Around 7,500 Tesla Model S have found themselves new owners in the first three months of 2017, compared to 3,648 for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, 2,103 for the new BMW 7 Series, and just 793 for the Audi A8. Hell, you could even add Porsche's 617 Panameras sold, and the Model S would still be leading.

Truth be told, it's very unlikely that Tesla is actually stealing customers from these brands, even though their sales are down compared to the same period last year. Even so, do you think anyone imagined back in 2012 that a completely new company would be able to achieve something like this in just five years? The people at Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz certainly didn't.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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