Tesla Releases Sales Figures And Shocks Everyone With Total Domination Of The PREMIUM Sedan Sector

There you have it: Proof that the Tesla Model S is a Mercedes S-class killer.

(That's sarcasm, BTW, in case it wasn't immediately apparent to you).

It's only the beginning. Dieter Zetsche was right - the German 3, as well as the rest of the premium makes, are put on notice. Time to announce something - another Tesla Killer anyone ?

Yea so lets also get some reality in here. Just because there is an S in Tesla's name, does not make it an S Class competitor

They are around $30,000 apart in pricing along.

The Tesla is more comparable to the E/5 which start around 60-70 and the E Class handily outsold the Tesla for Q3, however the Tesla is a noteworthy competitor.

Gotta give it to the Tesla Spin machine though, that was a good one...

S-class sales for Q3 in US were 4921. Granted, their numbers may exclude coupe sales, but I didn't think that the coupe sales were almost 30% of sales.

I have to agree. The interior is very stark and cold.

Aspy11: Same opinion here. The Tesla Model S doesn't look luxurious to me, inside or out.

Less is more. There are other aspects used to measure luxury such as performance, technology, NVH, sales and service. I wouldn't trade any of these for the "traditional luxury".

I wouldn't call it a traditional luxury car, but it is clearly a premium product. The iPhone I don't consider a luxury item either--I picture a "luxury" phone carved out of marble or having ruby buttons like a Vertu phone--but the iPhone is a Premium product. These days most wealthy people I know would rather have an unpretentious (or less pretentious) premium product than a gaudy luxury item, but this could be more of a Silicon Valley thing.

You can't deny the Model S has performance on par with the best sedans ever made and some tech that even the S class doesn't have. Despite the controversy, it does have the most advanced "driver assist" functions of any car you can buy today. It has pretty much all of the options would would expect in a flagship car by a high-end make.

The Model S interior is simple by design, and I think many other manufacturers will be following Tesla's lead. If you don't like the Model S interior, you will hate the Model 3. It will be even more simple... the vents don't even have directional adjustments and even more buttons will be removed over the S.

At first it bothered me that there were no door lock/unlock buttons anywhere in the Model S, it was my biggest initial complaint (you have to use the screen). After a while I got used to it and realized it was more efficient--putting the car in gear locks it immediately, when you get out of the car and walk away it locks itself as well. Eventually Tesla added shortcuts as well like double-tapping Park for a quick unlock. I'm sure most people will learn to live with these types of changes as well and learn to appreciate a simpler design language.

Back to the iPhone, people first freaked out when Apple removed all "function" buttons except for one and simplified the hell out of their device. Take a quick look at your phone right now. Whether it is an Apple, Android, Windows Phone... it probably looks exactly the same and has 0-3 buttons on the front. That sort of simplification is going to come to cars whether you like it or not... Tesla is just doing it first.

Tesla is turning the auto industry on its ear, and those who don't react to it are going to go the way of Studebaker and Desoto.

Another point worth mentioning to those who forecast Tesla impending bankruptcy: A company in ANY industry with this kind of incredible demand for their products will NEVER have a problem borrowing money or finding willing suitors to buy the company.

carloslassiter: You might want to do some fact-checking. Analysts are concerned that Tesla will be forced to issue another batch of shares to raise the US$1B+ they need to continue operating, though Musk asserted that won't be necessary. In spite of the pile of Model 3 orders, Tesla's suppliers are NOT gearing up their supply chain in the belief that the orders will convert to actual sales. Analysts are concerned about Tesla's bleeding of red ink and lack of a viable plan to profitability, knowing that Tesla will have to do something in the way of getting more cash to keep operations going. Banks are also mindful of Tesla's financials as well as analysts' concerns, and they AREN'T lining up, begging Tesla to take their money.

That is the current situation, as it has been for the past few quarters. It causes legitimate concern moving forward. Still, Musk *might* pull a rabbit out of a hat.

I'm waiting to see how this all plays out.

Its silly to 'comp' the Tesla Model S against the S-Class and 7-Series.

What's the average Tesla selling price? I'd guess in the $70,000's (net of govt credit).

The S is probably $100,000 and the others - 7/A8 are probably $90,000. The Panamera is probably $110,000.

The Model S is much smaller outside and inside then the S/7/A8. The Model S is sized more like the E-Class/A6/5-Series. The average selling price of those is probably $60,000 to $70,000.

The Tesla, I'm sure, is taking sales from all of the above, but mostly from the Panamera, 5-series, E-Class, CLS, and A7.

The 5 people I know who drive Model S, would not be caught dead in a big German car. Two moved over from Panamera's, one from an AMG E63, and two from BMW's - M5 and 535.

Put up the E/5/A6 chart and see where the numbers go.

The interior space is closer to an E-Class, exterior is definitely S-class/7-series (which is what the categories are based on), average selling price is likely around $80k with the top-of-the-line model clocking in at ~$150k.

Regardless of which cars are its competitors, Tesla is on a tear with its growth and popularity. The sales numbers don't lie.

The paid Teslarati are even worse than the Audi trolls.

Hipocrite much?

Not a hypocrite, just insecure.

I guess I'm one of those people. If I could afford that price point, I'd be getting a Model S over any one of those competitors. It's preference.

A fraction, maybe 1/1,000 of what the subsidies are for oil. Tesla was the only company to pay back the DOE loans, while American consumers lost billions to bail out the other car companies. Ford and Tesla are also the only 2 US car companies to never declare bankruptcy.

A year from now, all right Outlook 365, let's mark the date.

Actually, it would be only 9 months from now since people have been saying Tesla will be gone 1 year from now 3 months ago.

Tesla "performance on par with the best sedans ever made" - haha. Yes it does 0-60 quickly. But the Model S is so heavy at 5,000lbs and brakes are mediocre at best so any premium sedan would smoke it on any situation other than a dragstrip.

Do you have any data to back that up, because I'm pretty sure that is just not true. You can't just look at the specs for the brakes themselves because the Tesla motors do most of the braking, not the brakes. The 5,000lbs Model S has the same braking distance as a 4,000 lbs Porsche Panamera GTS (70-0 MPH in 159 feet). It also has a very low center of gravity and very good handling. It does get slower if the battery overheats, but I have heard this is less of an issue on the P100D with a new cooling system.