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Consumer Reports scores Tesla Model S 99 out of 100 [w/video]

Consumer Reports is awfully fond of the Tesla Model S. The EV managed to pull down an impressive score of 99 out of 100 in the organization's evaluation, besting the Porsche Panamera Hybrid by a full 16 points. CR calls the battery-operated sedan "the most practical electric car we've ever tested" thanks to its 200 mile range and blistering 5.6-second dash to 60 miles per hour. Testers also had praise for the vehicle's excellent handling characteristics and clever packaging, but found issue with the large touch screen mounted in the center of the dash. According to CR, the screen requires too much time looking down and away from the road.
The publication also called out the car for skipping the spare tire, compressor and run flat tires, but those issues weren't enough to keep the machine from earning a top nod. You can head over to Consumer Reports to read the full review for yourself, and be sure to check out the video below for a better picture of the machine's highlights, including some EV drifting (even CR likes to have some fun).

1 in 7 Americans say they might buy an EV next, as sales of electrics surge

About one in seven driving Americans may likely purchase an electric vehicle as their next car, according to an AAA poll, meaning that as many as 30 million Americans may pony up for an EV within the next three to five years. While some of the motivation is environmental, survey recipients say that lower maintenance expenses and solo access to high-occupancy-vehicle lanes are also among the factors behind potentially going electric. Take a look at the AAA press release on the study here. The poll indicates that about as many people are planning to buy an EV for their next car as are looking to buy a pickup, which is impressive given that the best-selling US vehicle is the Ford F-150. And things should only improve, as about 20 percent of millennials polled said that their next car would probably be an EV. The results are all the more encouraging, at least among green-car advocates, because gas prices have fallen about 40 percent within the past five years, meaning that there's less of an incentive to go electric from a purely economic perspective. Through the first quarter of this year, US plug-in vehicle sales were up about 63 percent from a year earlier to about 39,000 vehicles. Meanwhile, when it came to AAA's annual green-vehicle awards for this year, Tesla's Model S and Model X took the large car and SUV categories, respectively, while the Chevrolet Bolt and Volkswagen e-Golf were listed atop the subcompact and compact lists. The Lexus GS 450h hybrid and the Ford F-150 took home AAA's best green vehicle in the midsize and pickup truck categories. Related Video:

Drive eO Tesla Roadster is going to race up Pikes Peak [w/video]

Last year, Drive eO sent its PP01 electric supercar up Pikes Peak in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb - well, part-way up. Driver Janis Horeliks wasn't injured in the crash that ended his run near the Halfway Picnic Grounds. This year, the Latvian team will return to Colorado race again with a Tesla Roadster chassis in the Electric Modified division on Sunday, June 29. The PP02 is not quite as rowdy as the PP01, with a twin motor system putting about 482 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels compared to last year's car all-wheel-drive setup making about 536 hp. The PP02's liquid-cooled electric motor will get its electrons from a 40-kWh battery pack. The total weight of the car is about 2,337 pounds. Drive eO's return to Pikes Peak isn't just about getting back in the saddle and winning a single race. The group is using the experience to test new components that it intends to eventually put into later electric supercars. These, according to the press release, are "already on the drawing board." As interesting as it will be to see the PP02 Tesla Roadster 360 attempt to tackle the famous hill again, it should be equally interesting to see what Drive eO is up to next. See what happened in last year's race in the video below (it's not in English), or read on for the official press release from Drive eO. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Drive eO Returns to Pikes Peak with Bespoke Tesla Roadster Riga, Latvia - Electric motorsport specialists Drive eO are returning to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 29 to test and develop their latest electric drive train system. The team has packaged it into a Tesla Roadster chassis, making the competitive debut in motorsport for Tesla. Drive eO has dubbed the project PP02 as it builds upon the team's initial attempt at the iconic hill climb competition in 2013 with a prototype supercar eO PP01. The new car features a more modest specification with rear axle powered by 360 kW (peak) twin-motor system and a 40 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The team is aiming to validate the new components ahead of scaling them up for successive electric supercar projects which are already on the drawing board. The 2014 edition of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will see 72 drivers attempting the treacherous 20 km course to the summit at 4300 m.