Jim Hannah on the Tesla Model S
Jim Hannah – pictured charging the Tesla Model S – is operations director at Ogilvie Fleet and has driven the over 4500 miles.
He says that you learn how to make the most of the car’s electric efficiency:
“Driving at 70mph uses significantly more charge than at 50mph so it is important to know the length of your journey, where recharging points are prior to setting off and modify driving style to conserve charge if necessary.
“But I’ve been able to clock up around 230 miles from a single charge – the car has a claimed New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) range on a single charge of 312 miles – so at least with the Tesla Model S range anxiety is much less of an issue than other electric cars with a more limited 100 mile range.
“As a nation we need to embrace electric vehicle technology from an environmental perspective.”
THE all-electric performance car, the Tesla Model S, is being put on fleet demo duty.
The fastest upmarket five-door hatchback model can accelerate to 62mph in just 4.4 seconds, has zero % benefit in kind company car tax for 2014/15, and costs virtually nothing to run thanks to low cost electric recharging.
No wonder it’s got appeal for company car fleets.
Which is exactly what Ogilvie Fleet thinks: the leasing company has taken delivery of two Tesla Model S cars and installed recharging points at its Stirling headquarters.
The two Tesla Model S cars are being driven by Ogilvie Fleet staff and loaned to customers to increase understanding of how electric vehicles could work as company cars.
Sales and marketing director Nick Hardy explained why Ogilvie Fleet had taken on the two electric Tesla Model S cars:
“The electric vehicle market is in its infancy, but we are confident that zero emission models will have a role to play within the operating profile of some fleets.
“It is therefore important that as a leasing company we have practical day-to-day experience of electric cars and can share our evaluation with customers and their company car drivers as well as enabling them to put the models through their paces.”
Although Ogilvie Fleet says interest in the Tesla Model S is strong, it has not put an electric car on contract hire yet. The Tesla Model S could change that. And quickly.
What’s the Tesla Model S like to drive?
Read our car review of the Tesla Model S by clicking here
