Tesla Model S

Launched in 2012, the Tesla Model S was the first electric car to rival large luxury saloons. Until then, electric cars meant small city cars with limited range; the Model S changed that image.

Designed by Franz von Holzhausen, it places its batteries in the floor, lowering its centre of gravity and freeing up two boots, front and rear. It offers several hundred kilometres of range and supercar acceleration, thanks to the instant torque of its electric motors. Inside, a large touchscreen replaces almost all the buttons, and the car receives over-the-air updates that improve its functions, like a computer.

Named Car of the Year by the American press as early as 2013, it also relies on a fast-charging network created by the brand. The Model S forced the entire car industry to speed up its switch to electric, and made Tesla a major player in the global car industry.