Tesla Model 3 named “landmark vehicle” in UK 2019 Car of the Year award

The Tesla Model 3 electric sedan has been named “Car of the Year by UK’s Auto Express, saying it will “cement its maker as a dominant force in the global car market”.

As Tesla’s more affordable answer to its premium Model S, Auto Express applauded the electric carmaker for its incremental approach to designing an electric vehicle that is easy to live with.

Appealing to readership concern about the suitability of electric vehicles for everyday driving, Auto Express considers that Tesla has resolved key issues that are commonly cited by drivers as a barrier to switching to the zero emissions form of transport – access to charging infrastructure, range and performance.

Its ability to use both Superchargers and now also the brand-agnostic CCS rapid charging infrastructure, as well as performance and driving range, were listed as key attributes that attracted the accolade.

Some comments made by the magazine in the announcement of the award include:

In fact, this EV is very nearly as easy to live with as a combustion-engined car.

Performance and range are brilliant, and our tests prove that Tesla’s claimed numbers when it comes to how far you can go on a charge are accurate.

Most people won’t exceed this in a single day’s driving, and simply charging the car overnight will replenish that entire range for the next day.

Clever torque vectoring from the Tesla’s dual electric motors gives the car incredible agility on the road, considering its 1,847kg weight.

While not the first electric car to take the crown for the UK auto magazine’s most prestigious award – last year the Jaguar I-Pace took home the title – it is notable in that the Model 3’s simplicity combined with delivery on driving experience has the judges naming it a “landmark vehicle” and Tesla’s best yet.

While range and performance – as well as roominess and simplicity of design – are named as factors for awarding the the Model 3 the title, it is a final statement on the Model 3 from Auto Express reveals the true nature behind those hesitant to take the plunge to electric:

Even keen drivers will be able to scratch away at the surface to reveal the seed of a personality in the car; that’s a big step for an electric vehicle that, until now, few have achieved.

The Model 3 is in effect the essence of Tesla, which has built from the ground up a new way of approaching automobile design, such as its over-the-air upgrades that allow its vehicles to stay up-to-date with software-based features.