Tesla here to stay, sweeps 5 of 6 car titles in major US auto awards

Tesla is here to stay, says US-based vehicle valuation site Kelley Blue Books, which awarded the auto maker 5 out of 6 luxury car titles in its Brand Image awards on Wednesday.

Tesla scored the overall brand award in the luxury segment for the first time ever, and also bagged the titles for best value, most refined, best performance and best styling in the luxury segment.

Tesla has three vehicles available in Australia – the “mass-market” Model 3 which starts at around $68,000 before on-road costs while the Model S is priced at around $125,000 and the Model X at around $134,000.

It recently introduced its fourth electric vehicle, the Model Y, on the US market, completing a tongue-in-cheek S-3-X-Y acronym, at a starting price of $US52,990 ($A85,107 converted – Australian pricing which would also include shipping, luxury car tax, has not been released by Tesla).

It is the Model Y which became Tesla’s 1 millionth vehicle built in March.

“By producing its one-millionth vehicle, Tesla demonstrates that it’s here to stay as a force in the new vehicle market. In addition to its large volume Model 3, it continues to set the pace with its Model S luxury sedan and Model X people-mover,” wrote judges regarding the best overall luxury brand award.

The sweeping results will be seen as a vindication for the electric car maker, which first introduced the all-electric Model S premium sedan in 2012. Followed by the Model X SUV in 2015, eight years on it is the “mass-market” Model 3 that is now a best-seller in global EV markets including the US, Europe and China.

In Australia, the Model 3 has almost single-handedly tripled the number of electric vehicle registrations since its introduction on Australian soil in August 2019.

Kelley Blue Books cites Tesla’s sleek designs with offering the market a fresh look, while offering innovative technology at an attractive cost compared to other vehicles in the luxury segment.

In addition to breaking through perceptions of what it is to own an electric vehicle, reprising assumptions of quirky designs, short driving range and low power, Tesla has also made considerable headway into developing its Autopilot and Full Self Driving technology.

Tesla vehicles have also been acknowledged for high safety standards, claiming top safety awards from Euro NCAP, the US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety as well as in Australia from safety ratings firm ANCAP.

Pricing in Australia for all Tesla models is expected to rise tomorrow due to a slump in value of the Australian dollar due to the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing economic downturn.