2018 Tesla Model S cars for sale

Without the Tesla Model S, you could argue, the Porsche Taycan wouldn’t exist. And if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the big Tesla should be very flattered indeed. Of course, Tesla’s game-changing electric fastback is somewhat more spacious than the Taycan, and a fair bit more affordable, too, especially if you’re looking at the more powerful models.

In fact, when the Model S was first launched, the idea of a large electric luxury saloon with supercar acceleration and a 380-mile range was pretty much the stuff of science fiction. Tesla made it a reality.

These days, the fastest Model S pushes out more than 1000hp, will sprint from 0-62mph in less than 2.0 seconds and will someday reach 200mph, but even the basic Model S has enough shove to humble a fast combustion-engined sports saloon.

Okay, so the build quality and shutlines aren’t really on a par with those of other premium manufacturers, but every Tesla is loaded to the gunwales with kit, more recent models are kept fresh with over-the-air software updates, and the Tesla supercharger network is more reliable than much of the rest of the UK’s electric charging infrastructure.